Updated: FIRST Bill Draws Early Opposition
University groups and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have begun to weigh in on a legislative proposal by Republicans to reshape a major chunk of the U.S. government’s science funding enterprise—and so far there’s a lot of skepticism.A prominent scientific society today also released an analysis that compares funding levels proposed by the Republican bill and a competing proposal from Democrats. The two parties are taking “vastly different” approaches, concludes budget analyst Matthew Hourihan of AAAS in Washington, D.C., which publishes ScienceInsider.On Tuesday, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), the chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, introduced a bill—the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) Act (H.R. 4186)—that would shape key research, education, and policy programs at the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. It is intended to be a follow-on to the COMPETES Act of 2010, which also covered programs at the Energy and Commerce departments. 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Some of those concerns are likely to be aired Thursday, when a subcommittee of the House science panel is scheduled to debate and vote on the measure, which will then move to the full committee.In a press release, Smith said FIRST is intended to help the United States remain globally competitive and ensure “that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.”“Unless we act swiftly, American researchers will continue to fall behind in supercomputing and particle physics. And we risk losing our lead in nano-technology, the health sciences, aerospace, lasers and other crucial areas. To reverse this trend, the FIRST Act increases investments for basic research in critical areas such as biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering and mathematics. Advances in these fields drive innovation, create jobs and keep our economy strong.“Unfortunately, NSF has misused taxpayer dollars and funded too many questionable research grants – money that could have gone to higher priorities. For example, how does the federal government justify spending over $220,000 to study animal photos in National Geographic? Or $50,000 to study lawsuits in Peru from 1600 – 1700? We all believe in academic freedom for scientists, but federal research agencies have an obligation to explain to American taxpayers why their money is being used on such research instead of on higher priorities. In a time of constrained federal spending, the FIRST Act protects NSF’s budget in order to keep America on the cutting edge of science.”The House science panel’s ranking Democrat, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), issued her own press release, calling FIRST a “missed opportunity” and touting her own version of the legislation, the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014. “[W]hile there may be some Democratic Members whose priorities are reflected in the FIRST Act of 2014, overall it is a missed opportunity. The bill stops much too short of renewing our commitment to maintaining our scientific and technological leadership now and into the future. … I look forward to full committee consideration of the FIRST Act, where we can have a good debate about the merits of the bill and hopefully have the opportunity to strengthen the message it sends.”The Association of American Universities, composed of 60 major U.S. research universities, and two in Canada, also says FIRST falls short and will oppose the legislation.“The legislation fails to meet the guiding principles for reauthorization of the COMPETES Act endorsed last year by the business, scientific, and higher education communities. Among the most important of those principles is to set funding targets for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology that permit real growth for these agencies to stimulate long-term economic prosperity. The proposed legislation does not even keep pace with inflation for these agencies, whose work is critical to our future national competitiveness.”For this reason alone, the bill does little to close this nation’s innovation deficit, but it also does some things to widen it, including significant funding cuts to social, behavioral and economic research. The social and behavioral sciences play a vital role in this nation’s research portfolio. They contribute significantly to understanding and solving our nation’s economic, health, and security challenges, and they increase the efficiency and efficacy of the cures, technologies, and discoveries made in other disciplines.”The bill also contains provisions that are duplicative and unnecessary, and others that add federal requirements and cost containment measures that would impede NSF’s ability to perform its mission effectively. And while the language regarding public access to the results of federally funded research is improved, it remains problematic.”The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), an international group of nearly 800 academic and research libraries, also says it is opposed to the bill. That’s because of a section (303) which would allow publishers to bar free public access to papers based on government-funded research for up to 3 years—longer than the 12-month embargo that is becoming the norm.“This provision would impose significant barriers to the public’s ability to access the results of taxpayer-funded research,” the group wrote, and “be a step backward from existing federal policy in the directive, and put the U.S. at a severe disadvantage among our global competitors.”“This provision is not in the best interests of the taxpayers who fund scientific research, the scientists who use it to accelerate scientific progress, the teachers and students who rely on it for a high-quality education, and the thousands of U.S. businesses who depend on public access to stay competitive in the global marketplace,” said Heather Joseph, SPARC’s executive director. “We will continue to work with the many bipartisan members of the Congress who support open access to publicly funded research to improve the bill.”*Update, 12 March, 1:05 p.m.: This story has been updated to include a link to the spending analysis of the competing bills.
NBA Finals are set: Reigning champ Warriors vs newcomer Raptors Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting Cayetano: Senate, Drilon to be blamed for SEA Games mess Catholic schools seek legislated pay hike, too Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next LATEST STORIES PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games PLAY LIST 02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss ‘Rebel attack’ no cause for concern-PNP, AFP Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Two-day strike in Bicol fails to cripple transport Ethel Booba twits Mocha over 2 toilets in one cubicle at SEA Games venue PDEA chief backs Robredo in revealing ‘discoveries’ on drug war FILE – Switzerland’s Roger Federer serves in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Colombia’s Alejandro Falla at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France, Sunday, May 24, 2015. Federer won in three sets 6-3, 6-3. 6-4. (AP Photo/David Vincent)PARIS — Roger Federer is in action on the opening day of the French Open.Returning to play at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, Federer opens against 73rd-ranked Lorenzo Sonego in the third match on Court Philippe Chatrier.ADVERTISEMENT View comments DA eyes importing ‘galunggong’ anew Also Sunday, 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza faces 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend in the first match at the tournament’s newest stadium, Court Simonne Mathieu.Sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Federer at the Australian Open, plays Maximilian Marterer.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption chargesSPORTSSingapore latest to raise issue on SEA Games food, logisticsOthers in action include: seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori; last year’s semifinalist Marc Cecchinato; last week’s Italian Open champion Karolina Pliskova, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens.The French Open is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments to begin on a Sunday. MOST READ
Former Formula One champion Jenson Button will move into semi-retirement next season as McLaren Honda promotes Stoffel Vandoorne into the second driver spot alongside Fernando Alonso. (Hamilton on pole for third year in a row at Monza)”Having extended his contract to include 2017 and 2018, he’ll continue to be a senior, influential and committed member of the team, and will remain centrally involved in the development of our cars,” McLaren chairman Ron Dennis said of Button on Saturday. “He’ll also be available to race for us if circumstances require it.”The 36-year-old Button won the F1 title with Brawn in 2009, and has 15 career victories. He’s in his seventh season with McLaren.The move comes after Felipe Massa announced on Thursday he will retire from Williams at the end of this season.”I’m very definitely not retiring,” Button said. “I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point.”Vandoorne, a highly sought-after Belgian, has been part of McLaren’s development program since 2013. He finished 10th in his F1 debut when he replaced Alonso at the Bahrain GP this year.
Former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka demolished Croatian Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday and is now eager to gain revenge on Andy Murray after setting up a re-match of last year’s semi-final.The Swiss third seed broke the big-serving Cilic six times, spraying the court with winners throughout the match to ruthlessly sweep the seventh seed aside.Wawrinka, who lifted the Musketeers’ Cup in 2015, ended Cilic’s ordeal on his first match point with a second-serve ace.”Today was a perfect match for me, I thought I played very well from the beginning,” Wawrinka told a news conference.Last year, Murray prevailed on four sets but the Briton has been struggling to find his A-game this season.Wawrinka is well aware of that.”I think it will be an interesting match. The conditions are a little different,” he said.”I think he’s probably a bit less confident. He’s a bit more hesitant. Hopefully I can take advantage of that and find solutions to beat him,” said the three-times grand slam champion.Wawrinka also believes he is playing better than a year ago.He has not dropped a set to reach the last four, which could be a factor on a very demanding surface.”The fact is that so far things have gone quite well. I think physically and mentally I feel ready,” he said.”I feel fresh. My tennis is good. So everything has been going very well.”
TweetPinShare0 Shares Already left for dead, Greece’s faded glory soccer team took another beating in European play, 3-1 to Northern Ireland on Oct. 8.Greece, which lost twice to the lowly Faroe Islands on its way to failing to make the Euro 2016 tourney, showed little spunk for at the game in Belfast while playing for interim coach Costas Tsanas as the country’s football federation tries to find a new coach.A team with talent but directionless, Greece floundered throughout as the Irish tore through the defense at ease. Steven Davis opened the scoring in the 35th minute off a series of passes that looked like classic Soviet Union hockey.Greece missed its best chance at the end of the first half, as Nikos Karelis had his shot blocked. The ball went to the edge of the box where Costas Mitroglou fired it off the upright.Almost four minutes into the second half Josh Magennis received the ball from a corner from the right and lobbed a header perfectly just below the crossbar to make it 2-0.Fourteen minutes later Davis scored again, this time on a corner kick that Greek defender Antonis Samaras directed right at the Irish striker.Christos Aravidis scored Greece’s consolation goal four minutes from the end in a meaningless moment. Greece is still winless in the Euro qualifying tourney it is playing out and has one last chance to salvage something when it hosts Hungary on Oct. 11 in Piraeus.
LUNENBURG COUNTY: Tancook Ferry The Tancook Ferry is back in service. It was temporarily out of service today, April 8, for repairs to the gangway. -30-
Srinagar: A police official was killed in a militantattack in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir Sunday, police said. “In a terror incident at Hiller area of Anantnag district, terrorists fired upon a policeman on duty identified as Riyaz Ahmad, causing grievous injuries to him,” a police spokesman said. The injured constable was rushed to hospital, but he succumbed to injuries, police said. The police have registered a case and started investigation into the incident. Also Read – How a psychopath killer hid behind the mask of a devout laity!National Conference leader Omar Abdullah condemned the killing of the policeman. He said Ahmad was posted as security officer to former judge Syed Tauqeer, who had joined politics few months ago. “My colleague from Kokernag in South Kashmir Judge (Retd) Tauqeer Sb was just attacked by militants. While he escaped unhurt, his security officer was hit & killed in the line of duty. I unreservedly condemn this dastardly attack & convey my condolences to the family of the deceased,” the former chief minister tweeted.
GATINEAU, Qc – Government-ordered hearings into complaints about Canada’s largest telecommunications providers got underway Monday with an industry-funded ombudsman saying his group has limited insight into problem sales practices.The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services — a private-sector body — has found the biggest problem is a “mismatch” between what customers expect and what they actually get, CCTS commissioner Howard Maker said.But the data collected by the CCTS reveals just the “tip of the iceberg without revealing what may be happening more broadly,” Maker told a federal regulatory inquiry into allegations of misleading and aggressive sales practices.“We know there’s a lot that’s under the water line that we don’t have access to — to see and to comment on.”Maker’s comments were to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, the industry’s regulator, which has been ordered by the federal government to look into allegations of misbehaviour by sales representatives.“If, at the end of this proceeding, the record were to show that the misleading and aggressive practices are common, it would be a serious concern for us,” CRTC chairman Ian Scott said in opening the first of five days of public hearings.The CRTC has been ordered to provide a report to cabinet by the end of February.Maker said that it’s often difficult for the CCTS to deal with complaints — particularly with door-to-door sales and transactions at some retail stores — because of a lack of documentation about what was promised or agreed upon.“We’re left to put the pieces back together when the customer says this is not what (was) bargained for,” Maker said.He suggested the providers be required to determine if a product or service is “suitable” — as financial services companies are required to check and document by “know your client” legislation and regulations.In telecommunications, suitability could be determined by asking what a customer wants to do with the product or service as part of the sale process and providing documentation, he said.“I think the exchange of information like that is absolutely critical to making sure people get what they want at the price point they’re looking for. So, certainly, that would be an exercise that would be required as part of a suitability analysis.”The minister responsible for telecommunications, Navdeep Bains, ordered the hearings in June after a series of investigative reports by the CBC, complaints by consumers and calls for an inquiry by consumer advocacy groups.In the run-up to the hearings, the CRTC collected more than 1,000 comments from individual Canadians through a variety of methods and received scores of documents from companies that defended their policies and overall record.— by David Paddon in Toronto
Extract Resources has announced that it has completed its definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the Husab uranium project in Namibia. Extract has defined a base case mine plan and process plant design, including plans for delivery of the infrastructure necessary to support the project. The company states that the DFS has demonstrated the technical and economic viability of developing Husab, the world’s fifth-largest uranium-only deposit.The operation will involve open pit mining by truck and shovel from two separate pits to maintain a sustained rate of 15 Mt/y over the life of mine with an average strip ratio of 7:1 (waste:ore); a waste and plant tailings storage facility (the mine residue facility); ore crushing and overland conveying to a new processing facility employing milling, leaching, ion exchange, solvent extraction and precipitation. The mine will produce approximately 15 Mlb/y of U3O8 equivalent. Capital costs for the Project are estimated at $1,480 million, including the initial mine fleet, process plant and supporting infrastructure. Inclusive of pre-strip and other pre-production operating costs of $179 million, the project cost is estimated at $1,659 million.Extract has engaged with potential customers to assess demand for production from the Husab uranium project, and has identified several possible strategic contracting opportunities. Extract said it is “confident that it will become an attractive supplier to end-users, as a result of the Husab uranium project’s ability to offer geographic diversification and long term security of supply.”
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, has signed an agreement with Gulf Cement Co to supply a byproduct from aluminium smelting over the next three years for use in cement manufacturing.Although EGA has been supplying spent pot lining to the cement industry since 2010, the agreement is the first directly between EGA and a cement company rather than via specialist third party pre-processors.EGA is building facilities at its Al Taweelah site to process spent pot lining so it is delivered ready to be used by cement companies as an alternative fuel and raw material.Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and CEO of EGA, said: “This direct agreement with Gulf Cement is a milestone in our drive to turn our byproducts into value by using them as feedstock for other industries. Finding economic uses for waste contributes to the achievement of ‘UAE Vision 2021’ environmental and economic goals and will benefit both our companies. We are glad to be working with Gulf Cement Company on this important project for the industrial sector in the UAE.”His Highness Sheikh Kayed Bin Omar Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of Gulf Cement, said: “Gulf Cement is a global player adopting the latest technology and we are indeed pleased to promote the utilisation of waste materials in order to preserve natural resources and protect the environment we all live in. As a market leader providing sustainable, high quality products meeting international standards, Gulf Cement looks forward to successfully implementing this agreement with EGA over the years ahead.”Spent pot lining is the used inner lining of aluminium smelting pots, which is worn out and replaced every four to five years. It contains both carbon, which is an alternative fuel, and refractory materials that survive the firing process and become part of the finished cement.Last year EGA supplied more spent pot lining to the UAE’s cement industry than it produced. EGA has been supplying Gulf Cement with spent pot lining via third parties for testing since 2015.Globally, the aluminium industry produces more than 1 Mt/y of spent pot lining according to industry experts, and much is stored indefinitely. EGA has stockpiles of spent pot lining from previous years which will be gradually supplied to the cement industry.Under the new agreement, EGA will deliver 2,000 t of spent pot lining to Gulf Cement in 2018. In 2019, the volumes will increase to 10,000 t, followed by 15,000 t in 2020.
Open source projects are strange creatures. When it’s just one person, it’s not a major issue if the project lives or dies but when you have a large open source project, teamwork is everything. They live and die by the cooperation of the entire group. The CyanogenMod project is comprised entirely of members who contribute in their spare time. It is their passion, but often times it can be incredibly demanding in order to keep up with the breakneck speed of the Android release cycle. For reasons still not entirely clear, one member of the CyanogenMod team has taken the project’s domain hostage, as well as being responsible for several under-the-table payment deals that wound up going straight into someone’s pocket instead of supporting the project.As it stands right now, the CyanogenMod team has effectively halted progress on their project to deal with this internal matter. The CM team warns that any @cyanogenmod.com email address is no longer valid since the rogue member controls the Google Apps account, and all of the content from the CM website has been ported to Cyanogenmod.org until the team can get the domain back. ICANN has been contacted regarding this matter, but since the rogue member has had no problems posing as Steve Kondik in the past, the process is rather complicated.Until the team is able to regain complete control of the project, the CyanogenMod team is advising to simply ignore anything that comes from their lost .com.The CyanogenMod ROM has been referred to on several occasions as a fork of Android, much in the same way SenseUI and TouchWiz are. It’s easy to look at the project and see a group of people trying to have some fun with an open source project, but now it is important that the team be seen as members of a legal entity that must now engage in what will more than likely be legal action to regain control of their domain name.Update: The CyanogenMod team have announced that the rogue member, Ahmet Deveci, has transferred ownership of the domain to the CyanogeMod team.
Le jus de betterave serait bénéfique pour le cerveau de l’hommeSi l’on en croit une récente étude sur le sujet, absorber quotidiennement du jus de betterave aurait des effets bénéfiques sur le cerveau et notamment sur la mémoire.L’étude en question a été menée par l’université de Wake Forest aux Etats-Unis et a été publiée dans le Nitric Oxide : Biology and Chemistry. Elle montre que l’absorption quotidienne de jus de betterave améliorerait l’afflux sanguin vers le cerveau de l’homme, et aurait des effets bénéfiques sur la conservation de la mémoire. L’étude explique même que, du fait de la forte concentration de nitrate dans ce jus, ce dernier pourrait également aider à la prévention de la démence.Mais la betterave n’est pas le seul aliment bénéfique grâce à sa concentration de nitrate puisque le céleri et le chou disposent de la même composition. Le nitrate transformé en nitrite par l’organisme, explique Relaxnews, aurait pour conséquence de dilater les vaisseaux sanguins et fluidifier le sang, alors qu’au contraire avec le temps, certaines zones du cerveau manquent de sang et d’oxygène. Il ne vous reste plus qu’à inclure ces aliments riches en nitrate dans votre régime alimentaire. Le 13 novembre 2010 à 15:47 • Emmanuel Perrin
Un casque antique exposé après 9 longues années de restaurationÀ partir du 28 janvier, les visiteurs du musée d’Harborough, dans le Leicestershire, pourront admirer, parmi d’autres trouvailles faites sur le site archéologique d’Hallaton, un casque datant de la conquête romaine d’il y a presque 2.000 ans, patiemment restauré par les experts du British Museum. Pas moins de 9 longues années d’un patient travail de restauration : c’est ce qu’il a fallu pour reconstituer ce casque romain, trouvé sur le site archéologique de Hallaton (Leicestershire), découvert en 2000 par des archéologues amateurs. À lire aussiLe pharaon Toutânkhamon n’était sans doute pas celui que l’on croit”Vous ne pouvez pas imaginer le choc et la surprise que cela a été quand il a été trouvé : Hallaton transforme réellement notre compréhension de la conquête romaine de la Grande-Bretagne”, a déclaré le Dr Jeremy Hill, du Musée d’Harborough, où seront exposés divers vestiges, dont le fameux casque.Fait de fer recouvert de feuilles d’argent, orné par endroits de feuilles d’or, l’objet, vraisemblablement un casque de cérémonie de la cavalerie romaine, est somptueusement décoré d’un buste de femme, d’une couronne de laurier et d’une silhouette d’empereur (probablement). Datant des alentours de 43 après J.-C. et découvert en fragments, il a été ramassé précautionneusement avec sa gangue de terre avant d’être ‘remis à neuf’, petit à petit, par l’équipe de Marilyn Hockey, du British Museum, qui a déclaré : “cela a été un long travail, et j’ai appris à connaître cet objet intimement… “. Le 11 janvier 2012 à 19:40 • Maxime Lambert
Why: Main Street Melts opened in July. The food truck provides gooey, grilled gourmet sandwiches, some of which are classic oriented and some are adventurous.What I tried: I had the Meltdown, and my dining companions had the Main Melt and the McBride. All the sandwiches were served with kettle chips.The Meltdown is made with beer-infused caramelized onions and fontina and gruyere cheese on parmesan crusted sourdough bread. The flavor of this sandwich reminded me somewhat of French onion soup. I especially liked how the grated parmesan gave a rich, crisp coating on the bread. The sandwich’s fillings were complex and deliciously appetizing together.Both of my dining companions thoroughly enjoyed their sandwich selections. The McBride is a creative sandwich — combining beef brisket, bacon, fontina cheese, chimichurri and crispy onions on a ciabatta roll. The Main Melt is made on sourdough bread and filled with bacon, American and cheddar cheese, tomato, avocado and thousand island dressing.We all agreed that the sandwiches did not have any shortcomings, and we will definitely return to try more.Atmosphere: Dining is accommodated either outside, picnic-table-style on a gravel surface, or inside Doomsday Brewing Safe House Taproom where an artistic, post-apocalyptic decor combines murals and simple elements to create a clubhouse feel. The ceiling is covered with wood pallets and the floor is speckled with paint. Tables are paired with lightweight aluminum chairs, and there are a few tall bistro tables and chairs in the bar area in addition to bar-side seating. Large screen TVs provide entertainment and are used in conjunction with group activities, such as trivia night.
Battle Ground Public Schools responded Tuesday to a student who made a threat at Laurin Middle School. The threat was deemed to be not credible, a district spokeswoman said.Principal Travis Drake told parents in an email that other students overheard the student making a threat against the school, located at 13601 N.E. 97th Ave., Vancouver. They reported it to administrators, who contacted the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The district and law enforcement determined in their investigation that the threat was “not credible,” district spokeswoman Rita Sanders said.“The purpose of communicating this information is to reassure you that school safety is of the utmost importance to Laurin and Battle Ground Public Schools,” Drake wrote to parents. “We take all threats seriously and work with law enforcement to investigate them thoroughly.”Sanders could not comment on what happened to the student due to federal privacy laws. She did not describe the specific nature of the threat.
The United States assumes chairmanship of the Arctic Council next week, kicking off a two-year window to assert American priorities in the region. The U.S. and other member nations have committed to making the Arctic a “zone of peace.” But now, some Arctic watchers wonder if the U.S. needs to add an item to its Arctic priority list: get tough with Russia.Download AudioRussia has been flexing its military might in northern skies and waters, and Swedish authorities last year reported a near miss with a Russian spy plane. Nordic ministers this week described Russia as the greatest threat to northern Europe’s security. Yet the U.S. says it still wants Russia to be its partner in the Arctic. Heather Conley, an Arctic expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says she’s unsure what to make of it.“I am struggling with the concept of ‘partner,’ yet I’m seeing extraordinary aggressive actions, missing civilian airliners, a lot of military exercises in the Arctic,” Conley said.Speaking at a forum in Washington, Conley says she’s increasingly concerned the U.S. government isn’t focusing enough attention on Russia’s behavior.Sen. Lisa Murkowski, at the same forum, said she’s committed to the Arctic “zone of peace” concept, but it requires that countries respect each other and Russia hasn’t been living up to that standard.“And it causes me to wonder if they are not taking advantage of the fact that we have said, we want to be your friend. We want to be your partner in all of this. Well, if you want to be a partner, then you behave like one,” she said.The senator says the U.S. government needs to send an equally strong message to Russia to let it know its actions are unacceptable.“And as much as we want to be working together, we want to collaborate on scientific opportunities, we want to collaborate in areas of the environment, let’s not say one thing on the one hand and then our actions take us in a different direction,” she said. “We need to call Russia out when Russia needs to be called out.”Murkowski was the keynote speaker at the Arctic forum, sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Her main message was that the Obama Administration should place a higher priority on the well-being of Arctic people, rather than giving climate change top billing. Murkowski, though, says she agrees climate change, and how to adapt to it, is a valid Arctic issue.“But it cannot be our sole and singular focus. And it cannot be held over or held against the people of the Arctic,” she said. “It should not be used as an excuse to prevent those who live in the Arctic from developing the resources available to them in order to create a better standard of living.”Murkowski also addressed what other senators have called the irony of the Arctic: that rapid Arctic warming gives access to more petroleum, which, when burned, will bring on more warming. At a hearing last month on Arctic issues, a Democratic senator and a liberal independent asked why Arctic Slope witnesses favored oil development when their communities are the most vulnerable to climate change. Murkowski says the question ignores what resource development has brought to the North Slope, from medicine to search-and-rescue, and home heating.“There is no irony in the people in the Arctic benefiting from the economic opportunities that are available in their region,” she said. “But there is an irony in deliberately limiting their economic future while claiming that somehow it is for their own good and somehow in their best interest.”The Arctic Council meeting is next week in Canada. Russia’s foreign minister has declined to attend.
Approximately 50 feet of land that eroded from Mike Williams’ backyard. (Photo courtesy of Mike Williams)Download AudioJust as it was getting dark Saturday evening, Akiak resident and dog musher Mike Williams Sr. stepped outside to see his dog lot falling into the Kuskokwim River and seven of his sled dogs being pulled into the water.“They were beginning to choke,” Williams said, “but they’re alive, they’re okay now. They got them just in time,” Williams said.Williams says the dogs were hanging by their chains, with their bodies dangling over the eroding banks.“We had to pull them out, they were in they’re chains and they pulled them out,” Williams said.Williams’ son-in-law went outside to check on Williams’ 60 sled dogs when he realized something wasn’t right— the lot was eroding into the riverbank, and quickly.“This is about the most I’ve seen in recent times in Akiak,” Williams said.Williams was able to rescue and relocate all of his sled dogs, but he lost a refrigerator that stored dog food.What Williams experienced is called mass erosion.“These are tough times for all of us, and hopefully a lot of erosion projects will be funded to help fix all of this stuff,” Williams said.Areas along the Kuskokwim are no strangers to erosion, especially in the era of Alaska’s climate change. But in Akiak, erosion commonly occurs during breakup season, when the river flows faster, not in late September.Chris Maio, an Assistant Professor of Geology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, studies coastal geography and says Saturday’s erosion is abnormal.“I certainly think that is what I’d categorize as an extreme erosional event,” Maio said.Maio says that high rate is a result of three elements: the river’s natural composition, warmer weather, and high rainfall.“Forty-five, 55 feet in the matter of a couple of hours is certainty a really dramatic rate of erosion,” Maio.The sediment in communities along the Kuskokwim is composed primarily of silt, a fine gradient, and it’s held together by permafrost.When the temperatures rise, the permafrost melts, weakening the riverbanks. When a heavy rain comes, it can tear the land away.Williams says it had been raining a lot before the mass erosion, raising the river, but he says the weather Saturday night wasn’t particularly windy or intense.In 2009, the U.S. Corps of Engineers conducted an erosion assessment of almost 200 Alaskan communities.According to the assessment, Akiak is losing about an acre of land a year, and the village’s communications hub will be lost within 30 years to erosion.Researchers conclude that the potential damages could cost more than $18 million.Akiak City Administrator Ivan Ivan, says the city has developed a mitigation plan, and recently applied for a disaster relief grant through FEMA. If awarded, the grant will help relocate about nine homes that are close to the river.Ivan says they’re still waiting to hear back.
Kochi: Flight operations from the Kochi international airport here will resume at 12 noon on Sunday, an airport official said. “Airport is ready. Flight operations will resume at 12 noon tomorrow. That is ahead of the deadline. Airlines are instructed to facilitate services accordingly,” a Cochin International Airport Limited Spokesperson told reporters here Saturday. Also Read – Congress MLA Shivakumar moves High Court seeking protection from arrest Advertise With Us Earlier, the official said water level in apron areas of the airport was receding and cleaning operations have begun. “Ferry operation was successfully carried out. Six out of eight stranded aircraft departed, while the remaining two will fly to their destinations tomorrow as scheduled services,” he said. The Kochi International airport had on Friday suspended all operations till Sunday as the runway area in the airport was waterlogged due to floods. Also Read – Enforcement Directorate summons Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar Advertise With Us The operations were suspended as there was a rise in water level in the Periyar river and a canal adjacent to the airport due to heavy rains. Heavy rains have been battering Kerala for the past few days and claiming 42 lives, bringing back the memories of the worst floods in August last year. The airport was rendered non-functional for a fortnight in August 2018 due to inundation. It had suffered damage to infrastructure, including a 2.6 km long wall that collapsed after the Periyar river overflowed. The estimated loss was then put between Rs 220-250 crore.