Meet General Manager Bobby Asare
Bobby Asare is a part of the new generation of Buckhead Lifers and is excited to lead the Lobster Bar Sea Grille, Miami Beach team as the General Manager. In addition to installing the beverage programs at two other highly successful Buckhead Life Restaurants in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, Bobby continues his long love affair of marrying food and wine in Miami. Asare’s earliest culinary memories are from his childhood in Ethiopia. His mother owned a café and bakery, instilling the sense of work ethic that he carries with him to this day. He and his siblings used to sneak in to the restaurant to watch her work. He loved the scents wafting from the kitchen, the chatter of happy guests, and the chaotic joy of a restaurant. At age 19, Asare and his family moved to the United States. He studied Aeronautical Science at Embry Riddle University in Daytona Beach, but it wasn’t long before he realized that his passion for restaurants had re-emerged. Just after college, he moved to Las Vegas to work at Mario Batali’s hot spot Enoteca Sanmarco. The restaurant’s strong wine culture introduced him to an entirely new aspect of the culinary experience. He soaked up the teachings of the well-known owners and, in a short period of time, was promoted to Jr. Sommelier. In 2011, Asare moved to Atlanta to help his mother open a restaurant next door to a Buckhead Life Restaurant. It only took one look at the restaurant’s expansive wine list for Asare to apply for a position. He worked as the Beverage Director there until 2014, when he moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl to help open Lobster Bar Sea Grille’s sister restaurant. When speaking of wine, Asare states, “Wine is the only beverage that tells you about itself without saying a word. You can taste where it came from, the soil it grew in, what the weather was like, how the grapes were handled. It is alive in the bottle. It’s a very human thing.” Asare says the initial decision to move to Fort Lauderdale without any family was difficult for him, but he had a strong belief in Found and CEO, Pano Karratassos’, dream and passion for the dining experience. The move to Florida turned out to be the best move of his life. He met the love of his life, Maggie, and had his beautiful son, Zane.


We want to ensure that all children in Baltimore City have access to the arts.
We’re proud to serve the community through TWIGS, a free after-school and Saturday arts program that serves more than 700 Baltimore City children in grades 2-8 each year. TWIGS offers free classes in dance, vocal and instrumental music, stage production and design, visual arts, and visual storytelling. TWIGS also serves as a pipeline for admission to the high school; each year roughly 50 percent of the incoming first-year class have been trained through TWIGS.
View TWIGS curriculum offerings
Each spring we hold auditions for the upcoming school year. Auditions are free and open to all students in grades 1-7 who reside in Baltimore City. Please be aware that the age range for each discipline varies.
Auditions for the 2020-21 school year will be held August 24-29, 2020.
Review Audition Instructions
In addition to TWIGS, Baltimore School for the Arts reaches thousands of young people through free matinee performances and gallery tours for city schools, as well as special performances for families and children throughout the year.
Kennard Henson
Director of TWIGS and Community Outreach
Becky Mossing ’88
bmossing@bsfa.org 443.642.5167
Becky Mossing has performed all over America and overseas. Credits include Beauty and the Beast (nat’l tour); Cinderella Waltz (Ubu Rep – Off B’way); Working with Showdown Theatre Arts, in Guildford, United Kingdom; and both productions of Hairspray in Concert with John Waters and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Becky has narrated weekday and family series concerts for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra including Carnival of the Animals, The Remarkable Farkle McBride, and Wizards and Wands. Becky’s directing credits include The Polar Express with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Working, Our House, Hairspray, and Rent with Showdown Theatre Arts, U.K.
Mossing’s cabaret performances can be seen frequently in the Baltimore area. Mossing has been BSA’s musical theatre instructor for more than a decade and directs the Hippodrome Foundation’s summer theatre camp intensives. She is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Musical Theatre. She received her master’s in teaching degree from Goucher College and has dual certification in K-8 general and special education.
Dance Instructor and TWIGS Program Manager
Iris Andersen Grizzell ’96
iandersen@bsfa.org 443.642.5167
Iris Andersen Grizzell is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and holds a B.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts. Her training began at the Peabody Preparatory Institute with Dale Center, followed by Caryl Maxwell Classical Ballet with Caryl Maxwell and Caroline Denzler, and then Kinetics Dance Theatre with Dottie Fried and Donna Pidel. She has trained with the Eglevsky Ballet, the Washington Ballet, and the Ailey School. During her four years at California Institute of the Arts, she was nominated for the Princess Grace Award and studied abroad in London at the London Contemporary Dance School.
Andersen Grizzell danced with the Pasadena Dance Theatre in California from 2003 to 2011, and from 2004 to 2011, she danced with the Francisco Martinez Dance Theatre in both concert and outreach performances throughout California. Andersen Grizzell received first place for her work in Howard County Ballet’s Young Choreographer’s Showcase in April 2011. Recently, she has performed with Bowen McCauley Dance, the Campbell Dance Experience and the Harford Ballet. She is currently the program manager of the TWIGS program at Baltimore School for the Arts, in which she also teaches ballet, pointe, and modern for the high school students.
TWIGS School/Parent Liaison
msolomon@bsfa.org 443.642.5167
Professor Solomon has written and published eight books, including “How to Find Lost Objects,” “Japan in a Nutshell,” and “Coney Island.”
Theatre Instructor
Piper-Leigh Daniels ’86
Piper-Leigh Daniels received her high school diploma from the Baltimore School for the Arts with a concentration in theatre and then earned a BFA in acting from Boston University. Her stage credits include: the role of Lady Anne in Richard III at the Columbia Festival of the Arts with Charles S. Dutton; the role of Mattie in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; and the lead in the one-woman show Kick, a unique performance and discussion program about stereotyping of Native Americans/mascots in sports, at the prestigious Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, among others. Her film and television credits include: Malcolm X, In Living Color, and Panther. She has also served as a casting director for Collinge Pickman/C.P. Casting in Boston; a shorts’ programmer for Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival; and a back-up singer for John Trudell’s albums produced by Angelina Jolie and Jackson Browne.
Stage Production and Design Instructor
Anna Fitzgerald ’02
Anna Fitzgerald is a puppeteer and performer based in Baltimore, MD. She studied theater at BSA (Class of ‘02) and has a master’s in fine arts in puppet arts from the University of Connecticut. Her original puppet show Reverse Cascade has been performed at festivals and theaters around the world, and her most recent family show, Adventures! was created with the support of the Jim Henson Foundation. Both productions perform under her theater company, Red Ball Theater. Fitzgerald was award an Individual Artist Award in Solo Performance by the Maryland States Art Council in 2016 and was a 2017 Baker Artist Award finalist. She has taught workshops and classes at camps, schools, colleges, and universities and has been a TWiGS teacher in Stage Production and Design since 2014.
Director of Ages on Stages + TWIGS Acting Instructor
Anita Horwath
ahorwath@bsfa.org 443.642.5165
Anita Horwath holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and has taught creative drama for TWIGS for the past 20 years. She also teaches an after-school drama program for Roland Park Country School. She directs Ages on Stages, an intergenerational improvisational group that includes the BSA sophomores. The group performs in senior centers and high schools around the city.
Flute Instructor
Denis Karp
A native of Baltimore, Denis Karp began studying flute at the age of six at the Peabody Preparatory. In 1989, he performed John Corigliano’s Pied Piper Fantasy with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and James Galway on a two-week East Coast tour. In 2002, he received a bachelor of science degree in music from Towson University, where he studied with Sara Nichols. He frequently records in studio as a member of the Washington Winds and performs with many groups throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. Karp is the flutist in the Gallery Winds woodwind quintet and is the co-founder and co-director of the Gallery Winds Chamber Music Sumer Camp. Karp teaches private flute lessons throughout Maryland and has served as a judge for Maryland All-State Band, Maryland State Solo and Ensemble Festival, Howard County GT Band, and many local competitions.
Oboe + Wind Chamber Ensembles Instructor + TWIGS Music Coordinator
Sandra Lisicky
slisicky@bsfa.org 443.642.5165
Sandra (Gerster) Lisicky, principal oboist of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and Bach in Baltimore, performs regularly with the Baltimore Symphony. Formerly principal oboist of the Hartford Symphony, Connecticut Opera, New Sousa Band, Berkshire Opera, and Opera New England, Lisicky has also been a member of the Virginia (Norfolk) and Richmond Symphonies, Virginia Opera, and Williamsburg Symphonia.
She has collaborated with the New World, Franciscan, and Cavani String Quartets on numerous occasions and was a founding member of Soni Fidelis Quintet, resident wind quintet of the Hartt School of Music. In 2007 she toured Greenland with the acclaimed oboe trio, Trio La Milpa, the first American ensemble to perform in that country.
Currently a faculty member of the Peabody Institute, Lisicky has previously held teaching appointments at more than 20 educational institutions, including James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth Universities, and the Universities of Richmond and Connecticut.
Samantha Christiansen ’91
schristiansen@bsfa.org 443.642.5173
Samantha Christiansen has been on the BSA faculty since 2002. She received her early training through Baltimore Ballet and Peabody Preparatory doing the strict Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus. In 1987, Christiansen was accepted into the Baltimore School for the Arts where she studied under Norma Pera, Sylvester Campbell, Stephanie Powell, and Debra Robinson. In 1997, she was awarded the only distinction for the Royal Academy of Dance Grade 8 syllabus in the United States. Christiansen also performed with the Stephanie Powell Danse Ensembles I and II for five years, as well as with Movement Addiction in How to Disappear Completely.
In 1997, Christiansen began teaching privately and at various dance schools around Baltimore. She then went on to open her own school, the Northwest School of Dance based in Finksburg. During this time, she helped students get into top dance programs and win numerous awards at local and national dance competitions. She has also completed the Russian Vaganova Syllabus under John White and the José Limón teachers training workshop in New York.
Double Bass + Theory Instructor
Laura Ruas
lruas@bsfa.org 443.642.5165
As a teacher, chamber and orchestral musician, Laura Ruas is one of the region’s most sought after double bassists. She is principal bass of both the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and Concert Artists of Baltimore and was a member of the former Baltimore Opera Orchestra. Ruas has performed with the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and performs regularly with the National Philharmonic.
Ruas is a dedicated music educator in Baltimore City, where she teaches double bass and theory at the Baltimore School for the Arts high school, and bass lessons in their TWIGS program. Ruas also serves as program director for the Bridges Program; an after-school string program for Baltimore City Public Schools.
Russ started playing bass in New York City Public Schools, attended the High School of Performing Arts (of ‘FAME’ fame) and Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division. She earned bachelor and master of music degrees from the Juilliard School.
Creating Arts Opportunities for Baltimore's Children


The Broadway Mentors Program
Audit Member Q&A with Anastasia Barzee with Anastasia
Sun, Feb 21 at 7:00 pm (EST)
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ISLAMIC TERRORISTS TARGETED INTEL TRAINING POST IN ARIZONA WITH AID OF CARTELS
November 27, 2007 / Patriot / American Intelligence News, Terrorism
By Sara A. Carter – Fort Huachuca, the nation’s largest intelligence-training center, changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists, with the aid of Mexican drug cartels, were planning an attack on the facility.
Fort officials changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high-powered weapons to attack the Arizona Army base, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.
“A portion of the operatives were in the United States, with the remainder not yet in the United States,” according to one of the documents, an FBI advisory that was distributed to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, Customs and Border Protection and the Justice Department, among several other law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. “The Afghanis and Iraqis shaved their beards so as not to appear to be Middle Easterners.”
According to the FBI advisory, each Middle Easterner paid Mexican drug lords $20,000 “or the equivalent in weapons” for the cartel’s assistance in smuggling them and their weapons through tunnels along the border into the U.S. The weapons would be sent through tunnels that supposedly ended in Arizona and New Mexico, but the Islamist terrorists would be smuggled through Laredo, Texas, and reclaim the weapons later.
A number of the Afghans and Iraqis are already in a safe house in Texas, the FBI advisory said.
Fort Huachuca, which lies about 20 miles from the Mexican border, has members of all four service branches training in intelligence and secret operations. About 12,000 persons work at the fort and many have their families on base.
Lt. Col. Matthew Garner, spokesman for Fort Huachuca, said details about the current phase of the investigation or security changes on the post “will not be disclosed.”
“We are always taking precautions to ensure that soldiers, family members and civilians that work and live on Fort Huachuca are safe,” Col. Garner said. “With this specific threat, we did change some aspects of our security that we did have in place.”
According to the FBI report, some of the weapons associated with the plot have been smuggled through a tunnel from Mexico to the U.S.
The FBI report is based on Drug Enforcement Administration sources, including Mexican nationals with access to “sub-sources” in the drug cartels. The report’s assessment is that the DEA’s Mexican contacts have proven reliable in the past but the “sub-source” is of uncertain reliability.
According to the source who spoke with DEA intelligence agents, the weapons included two Milan anti-tank missiles, Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles, grenade launchers, long guns and handguns.
“FBI Comment: The surface-to-air missiles may in fact be RPGs,” the advisory stated, adding that the weapons stash in Mexico could include two or three more Milan missiles.
The Milan, a French-German portable anti-tank weapon, was developed in the 1970s and widely sold to militaries around the world, including Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Insurgents in Iraq reportedly have used a Milan missile in an attack on a British tank. Iraqi guerrillas also have shot down U.S. helicopters using RPGs, or rocket-propelled grenades.
FBI spokesman Paul Bresson would not elaborate on the current investigation regarding the threat, but said that many times the initial reports are based on “raw, uncorroborated information that has not been completely vetted.” He added that this report shows the extent to which all law enforcement and intelligence agencies cooperate in terror investigations.
“If nothing else, it provides a good look at the inner working of the law-enforcement and intelligence community and how they work together on a daily basis to share and deal with threat information,” Mr. Bresson said. “It also demonstrates the cross-pollination that frequently exists between criminal and terrorist groups.”
The connections between criminal enterprises, such as powerful drug cartels, and terrorist organizations have become a serious concern for intelligence agencies monitoring the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Based upon the information provided by the DEA handling agent, the DEA has classified the source as credible,” stated a Department of Homeland Security document, regarding the possibility of an attack on Fort Huachuca. “The identity of the sub-source has been established; however, none of the information provided by the sub-source in the past has been corroborated.”
The FBI advisory stated the “sub-source” for the information “is a member of the Zetas,” the military arm of one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug-trafficking organizations, the Gulf Cartel. The Gulf Cartel controls the movement of narcotics from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the U.S. along the Laredo corridor.
However, the sub-source “for this information is of unknown reliability,” the FBI advisory stated.
According to the DEA, the sub-source identified Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel as the drug lords who would assist the terrorists in their plot.
This led the DEA to caution the FBI that its information may be a Gulf Cartel plant to bring the U.S. military in against its main rival. The Sinaloa and Gulf cartels have fought bloody battles along the border for control of shipping routes into the U.S.
“It doesn’t mean that there isn’t truth to some of what this source delivered to U.S. agents,” said one law-enforcement intelligence agent, on the condition of anonymity. “The cartels have no loyalty to any nation or person. It isn’t surprising that for the right price they would assist terrorists, knowingly or unknowingly.”


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This site is dedicated to keeping Colt, Case and Ingersoll garden tractors, yard tractors, and lawn tractors running and serving the needs of their owners. We also assist those in the collector hobby who work diligently to restore these tractors in order to preserve the past and remind others of an era in American manufacturing history that appears to be slipping away.
It began with a unique idea and two brothers with a passion to build garden tractors. Powered by a patented hydraulic drive system, the first Colt garden tractor rolled off the assembly line in 1963. The J. I. Case Company took notice and acquired Colt in late 1964. The rest, as they say, is History.
Under the venerable "CASE" brand, the lineup expanded to include a full range of rugged compact tractors, loaders, backhoes, attachments, and implements. Today, production of these versatile machines continues under the "Ingersoll" brand name.
The first Colt will soon reach its milestone 50th birthday and qualify for "Antique" status. Today, the latest models with the same patented hydraulic drive system roll off the assembly line at the Ingersoll factory. From first generation to the latest models, the Colt-Case-Ingersoll legacy stands apart.
This site has the most experienced and knowledgeable group of Colt, Case, and Ingersoll enthusiasts around. We are building the most extensive Technical, Manuals, and Reference section available anywhere. Whether you are a new owner, long-time owner, or just someone interested in learning more about these unique tractors, you will undoubtedly find a wealth of information here. Take a few minutes to look around at what we have to offer.
Like what you see, then join the group. Once you join, you will receive e-mailed information about posting on the site. We do this for the express purpose of keeping the messages on the forum board focused on the more technical issues of these tractors. That is but one of the things that sets this site apart from the rest.
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Juncker says he will NOT renegotiate Brexit - but Leadsom says he’s bluffing
Published: 8:27 AM December 11, 2018 Updated: 8:43 AM September 18, 2020
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, participates in a press conference. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa - Credit: DPA/PA Images
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has said the Withdrawal Agreement on offer is the 'best deal possible' and the 'only deal possible', with 'no room whatsoever for renegotiation'.
He said: 'I will see Mrs May this evening and I have to say here in the Parliament, as I did say before in this Parliament, the deal we have achieved is the best deal possible - it is the only deal possible.'
MEPs applauded as he said: 'There is no room whatsoever for renegotiation, but of course there is room if used intelligently, there is room enough to give further clarifications and further interpretations without opening the Withdrawal Agreement.
MORE: 'EU legislation at work!' Tommy Robinson supporter tries to burn EU flag... and fails
'This will not happen: everyone has to note that the Withdrawal Agreement will not be reopened.'
He said earlier that Brexit was a 'surprise guest' at the European Council, adding: 'I'm surprised because we had reached an agreement on the 25th November together with the government of the United Kingdom.
MORE: May gets unexpected response from Commons on delivering Brexit
'Notwithstanding that, it would appear that there are problems right at the end of the road.'
Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, however, insisted that Juncker was bluffing and would change his mind.
She said on LBC: 'Of course we all know that's not the case. This is a negotiation and there is always room for alternatives.'
She later told the BBC: 'The EU is always in a position where it negotiates at the last possible moment.'
Andrea Leadsom recently told the media that she does not make predictions on Brexit.


← The Sports Archives – 4 Greatest European Imports In The History Of NBA!
The Sports Archives – Different Types of Rugby Boots, How They Differ and Why? →
The Sports Archives – Five Of The Highest Paid Managers In Baseball!
Major League Baseball is a multi-billion dollar industry, with a large portion of that rightfully going to the salaries of more than a thousand players; they are the people who decide if a team wins or loses and winning teams generate more revenue than losing teams do. The annual salaries and multi-year contracts of the ballplayers are widely known and discussed, but what is almost never publicized are the salaries of those intrepid men who manage and coach these players. Very few manager salaries are publicly available, and out of those that are, they are considerably less than that of the highest paid players.
Eric Wedge
Eric Wedge was hired on October 18, 2010 to finish out the Seattle Mariners dismal season in which they won only 61 games. Before then he was best known for leading the Cleveland Indians to their first division title in over a decade, as well as, winning the Manager of the Year Award, both in 2007. Because of his impressive history, Seattle signed him to a multi-year contract hoping he could turn the team around. Since he took the helm, their best record was a paltry 0.463 to give them last place. Despite the team’s woes, their skipper is expected to be paid a base salary in 2013 of $1.9 million.
Joe Maddon was hired to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays starting in 2006. Before that year, the best record the team had ever garnered was 0.435, giving them a fourth place finish. Maddon came to a demoralized team and helped to rebuild it, leading them to their only World Series appearance in 2008. Since that year, the Rays have consistently made the American League Eastern Division a three-way fight between them and the Yankees and Red Sox. Because of his managerial consistency and winning record, Maddon has a contract which provides a base salary of $2 million a year.
The New York Yankees have been known over the last two decades as a team with bottomless pockets. Many of the highest paid players have been found on that team, and Joe Torre, the manager before Girardi, was also well paid. In 2007, Girardi signed a three-year contract that was reported to be worth $2.7 million a year. Since then he has led his team to a World Series title and two divisional titles. Currently, his salary is worth $3 million a year.
The Philadelphia Phillies hired Charlie Manuel in 2004. Since then, and despite some strong dislike from Philadelphia sports commentators, Manuel has earned a record of 813 wins and 645 losses for an average of 0.558, and he holds the record for the most wins for a Phillies manager. Because of this impressive performance, including a World Series title and a consistent presence in the National League East, Manuel earns $4 million every year.
In 2000, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hired Mike Scioscia from the Dodgers. Since that time, he has become the longest tenured manager in baseball and has turned the Angels from a perennial underdog into a regular contender. In 2002, the Angels won the World Series and since then, they have won the division five times and never been ranked less than third place. Because of his impressive leading of the team, Scioscia earns an impressive $5 million a year.
The manager of a baseball team is nicknamed the “Skipper” for a reason. Like the captain of a boat, the manager must make the hard decisions necessary to lead the team to a championship. The top players are paid much more than the top managers, Alex Rodriguez is paid $30 million dollars every year, but the players are not paid that much for very many years and they typically retire early. A manager, however, will stick with a team for many years, and a good manager will continue to be worthy of that salary for decades.
High school athletic director and sports enthusiast Sam Johnson enjoys sharing with his readers facts and statistics about many different sports. Sam was also pleased to help find some of the best masters in sports management online for others who would love to begin a career in the sports industry.
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Free Books / Medicine & Health / Structure Of Human Body /
Chapter XIII. The Nervous System
This section is from the book "Animal Physiology: The Structure And Functions Of The Human Body", by John Cleland. Also available from Amazon: Animal Physiology, the Structure and Functions of the Human Body.
133. In the working of a nervous system in any animal, there are three sets of parts involved; namely, the nervous centre, the terminal organ, and the link of communication between the two, namely, the nerve. The distinctive part of every nervous centre consists of nucleated corpuscles, and any nervous mass containing nerve-corpuscles is called a ganglion. The nerve consists of uninterrupted fibres in structural continuity with the corpuscles, and without any branching until close to their termination; and the terminal organs are likewise in structural continuity with the nerves.
These terminal organs are, however, of very various descriptions, and with as much claim, in many instances, to be separately grouped as to be considered along with the nervous system to which they are so intimately united. For example, it would be difficult to raise a valid objection to considering muscular fibres in their entirety as terminal organs of nerves; yet they have a development and function of their own, and it would be inconvenient, as well as erroneous, to look on them as mere parts of the nervous system which governs them. It will be recollected that in treating of the skin, several terminal nervous organs have already been described (p. 68), to which the integuments owe their sensibility; and more complex organs are devoted to the special senses, which will hereafter be described. But at present we shall consider only the nervous centres and the nerves.
The nervous system, as developed in the invertebrate animals, consists of a series of ganglia connected in chains or other groups, and giving off nerves; but in the vertebrata it is divisible into two parts. One of these is the cerebrospinal system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, together where it is exposed to the inhaled air, and when it reaches the arteries it is slightly colder than it was when in the right side of the heart, although it is not quite so cold as the blood in the jugular vein. That the blood should be cooled in passing through the lungs is contrary to all old beliefs, but it will not strike the student as strange when he considers how much heat is abstracted by the inhaled air before it quits the lungs. The absorption of oxygen by venous blood is proved experimentally to be accompanied with a certain evolution of heat; but the quantity is not sufficient to balance the loss by exposure to air inhaled at ordinary temperatures.
In disease, the temperature of the body may vary greatly from the healthy standard; in febrile affections it may rise to 106° or more, and in conditions of great feebleness, such as the collapse in cholera, it has been known to descend below 70°.
It will be understood, however, that the extremes of external temperature, which can be borne with impunity, are not accompanied with any such changes within the body, but illustrate the power which the body has of maintaining its own proper temperature. Thus, in extreme cold, the greater combustion necessary in the tissues is testified by the more active respiration; while in exposure to heat, the body is kept cool by evaporation. Temperatures far above what would be sufficient to boil the juices of the body, were they exposed directly to the heat, can be borne for a short time with impunity, provided always that the air be dry, so as to aid free evaporation from the surface; but moist air cannot be endured above a very moderate heat.
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LASU VC selection: No faction in union, says ASUU
Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos Zone on Tuesday threw its weight behind the protest letter written by the leadership of the union at the Lagos State University, Ojo, on the selection process of the new Vice-Chancellor.
The leadership of ASUU-LASU had written a letter of complaint to Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, describing the ongoing selection process for the institution’s 9th substantive vice-chancellor as not transparent.
The letter, dated January 1, 2021, and signed by both the secretary and his assistant, Tony Dansu and Adeolu Oyekan, respectively, also passed a vote of no confidence on the chairman of the university’s governing council, Adebayo Ninalowo.
The union had also kicked against Mr Ninalowo’s chairmanship of the selection committee and had urged the governor, who doubles as the Visitor to the institution, to cancel the selection process if the allegations that the selected candidates are unqualified for the job are found to be true.
While throwing its weight behind the ASUU-LASU letter, the zonal leadership of the union expressed displeasure over a media report which described the ASUU-LASU branch led by Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi as a faction.
The Union in a statement signed by the Lagos zone Coordinator, Prof. Olusiji Sowande faulted the leadership of Ibrahim Bakare led-executives of Union, describing him as an impostor.
The union also condemned a report published by an online media, dated January 2, 2020, which described the leadership of ASUU LASU branch as a faction, saying, there is no faction of ASUU in the state.
According to Sowande, ASUU is one, and has no faction in any Nigerian University, including LASU, and operates an unbroken leadership chain from the branches, through the zone to the national body.
The statement said “the attention of the National and Zonal leadership of our Union, ASUU, has been drawn to a publication in Premium Times dated 2nd January, 2021, titled: “LASU VC Appointment: ASUU writes Sanwo-Olu, condemns selection process”, in which the ASUU National recognised leadership of the Union at the Lagos State University was described as a faction.
“While we appreciate the media for its role in the coverage of the Union’s struggles at different levels, it appears to us that the author of the publication needs to do a little more in understanding the workings of ASUU, and avoid being used by divisive elements to generate misleading narratives.
“Consequently, it is necessary to reaffirm that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is one, and has no faction in any Nigerian University, including LASU, and operates an unbroken leadership structure from the Branches, through the Zones, to the National body.
“In this unbroken chain of the Union’s leadership is the Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi-led executive of Lagos State University (LASU) Branch.
“As the Chairperson of ASUU-LASU, Dr Isaac Oyewumi is still a statutory member of the National Executive Council (NEC), and has continued to represent the LASU Branch of the Union as such.
“Five out of nine current executive members (i.e. the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and the Treasurer) of ASUU-LASU were maliciously tried on various trumped-up charges and were purportedly dismissed between 2017 and 2019.
“We urge the general public and all stakeholders to continue to ignore the Ibrahim Bakare-led group of impostors currently parading themselves as the leadership of ASUU in Lagos State University.
“They are an unknown entity to any structure, layer or organ of our Union, and have been taken to court on charges bordering on impersonation and misrepresentation.
“Our Union shall continue to strive for a university system that is fair, just, transparent, and rooted in universal values characteristic of an ideal university, specifically in LASU, and broadly, across the country.
While not averse to praising University Administration that has done well in truly preserving the integrity of the system and has dearly attended to the welfare of our members, we are at a loss as to how a group of academics wallowing in derision, purporting to be ASUU officials and led by one Bakare, could so shamefully assume the role of the mouthpiece of a Vice-Chancellor and Council under whose tenure academics were denied their entitlements.
“It smacks of patronage and a overt expression of primitive bootlicking syndrome for immediate or future crumbs off the table. Such people of easy virtues could not have been ASUU representatives and our comrades in the writing profession ought to be more discerning. ”
The outgoing VC, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun is billed to complete his five-year single term of office on January 11.
ASUU LASU Sanwo-olu


Bringing home Roma reality to the heart of the EU
On 8 April, we brought home the daily reality for Romani people to the European Union headquarters, when Roma community activists (alongside members of local and international organizations) marked International Roma Day by staging a flash mob outside the European Parliament in Brussels.
It is a commonplace reality, centuries old, of widespread persecution, prejudice, and discrimination in all areas of life. It leads to unlawful eviction, racial segregation in housing and education, even racially motivated violence and murder. This reality continues today within countries of the EU: it is time for the Commission to act.
To portray this we created a Roma settlement, complete with furniture and fittings, a shower and toilet, on the square at the entrance to the European Parliament. At a given moment, Amnesty and Roma activists in the character of local inhabitants, police officers and municipal officials staged a dramatic portrayal of a forced eviction, which enfolded before an audience of more than 200 people.
This action was not only to highlight the human rights violations and suffering of the Roma. It was also a celebration of the strength and resistance that individuals and activists from across Europe show every day. Some of the people there were not acting out scenes they had seen on TV. They were remembering real events and their own experiences of forced eviction or racially motivated violence.
We stood up together to demand equality and human rights. We shouted loud and clear that we expect and demand the EU to take decisive action to end discrimination and racism against the Roma.
Claudia Greta, a Roma activist from Cluj-Napoca, Romania said: “What you saw today is not just theatre. It is something that happens on a daily basis to the Roma across Europe. We suffer abuses; we are discriminated against in all areas of life, at school, at work, on the streets, on the buses. EU institutions should take a stance and hold to account states that violate the rights of Roma.”
On 9 April, Helen Flautre, Member of the European Parliament , hosted a hearing at the Parliament building for Amnesty International and the European Roma Policy Coalition. Roma activists sat on the panel alongside the EU representatives. In a room packed with Members of the European Parliament and other EU representatives, we listened to powerful and shocking testimonies by Roma activists who inspired us all with their courage and determination. Their stories brought home a powerful truth. Urgent action is needed to end the human rights scandal of the discrimination and racism against Roma.
“I had to fight to get my children into an ordinary school in France. Roma children are part of the community and need to be included in schools. I am so tired of words! Now is the time for action!” explained Roma activist from France, Mirabela Margelu.
One thing was clear from almost all who spoke at the event: we cannot afford to waste more time; the EU must act now and must act decisively. The European Commission has the responsibility, the obligation and the tools to ensure compliance and fight the discrimination and violence that Roma face. We called on the Commission to use their legal powers to ensure that the EU’s Race Equality directive was actively enforced.
And we got our response: Pia Lindholm, the Commission’s representative said: “[t]he European Commission is ready to take action and open infringement proceedings against member states if they do not comply with their obligations under the Race Equality Directive.”
Now we need to make sure that the Commission will stick to this commitment. We can mobilize a mass of people around this call. During the last few days, Amnesty International and partner organizations across Europe have asked the EU and national governments to take action across Europe and beyond.
So far, more than 20,000 people around the world have signed, our petition to Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, calling on her to ensure the EU uses all its leverage (including the infringement procedure) to end discrimination against Roma.
By Fotis Filippou, Regional Campaign Co-ordinator for Europe and Central Asia and Joey Hasson, Demand Dignity Campaign Co-ordinator
Protect human rights work, take action for Laith
USA: Close the Guantánamo Detention Center!
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Systemic solutions and meaningful EU support, including safe pathways, could prevent recurring humanitarian emergencies


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MORE ABOUT CITY OF DREAMS CASINO RESORT
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School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
EECS på svenska
EECS
'I never imagined working in the music industry'
Nitin Kulkarni using a guitar to demonstrate an audio processor during his master's thesis presentation. (Photo: Sharan Yagneswar)
For two master's students, the Embedded Systems programme at KTH opened up some unexpected doors.
Working with technologies for connected musical instruments and audio processors began as a student degree project for Sharan Yagneswar and Nitin Kulkarni, who studied Embedded Systems at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at KTH. Now the two KTH alums are working in Stockholm with their project sponsor, Elk Audio.
Yagneswar worked on Elk’s smart guitar product, which enables musicians to use infinite modulations and effects in real time and in a natural way, without the help of any accessory or computer. Kulkarni (who did a dual degree with TU Eindhoven with the joint EIT Digital program ) worked with Elk’s operating system, which drastically reduces delay when audio signals are transmitted via the network.
We asked them recently to recount their experiences.
Each of you worked on different projects, tell us about those.
SHARAN: The overall project involved running complex audio processing algorithms in real time for Elk's guitar. These algorithms should be processed as fast as possible so that they have low latency, while keeping CPU usage as low as possible as well. My project in short was about optimizing some core DSP operations (such as IIR biquads, FFT and complex multiplication) using SIMD instructions.
Sharan Yagneswar playing the drums at the KTH Flavours event, India Day, at THS Nymble. (Photo: Dhruv Bhat)
NITIN: The overall project was to reduce the round-trip latency of audio processing on a Linux based platform . Linux is traditionally not used for low latency audio application because Linux is not a real-time operating system per se. There are few flavors of Linux optimized for audio but they aren't good enough for pro audio applications where the quality of audio has to be absolutely glitch-free.
How did each of you contribute?
SHARAN: Essentially, it was about trying to find as many parallel mathematical operations for each of the algorithms (total of 9) and implementing them with SIMD instructions (ARM NEON). This helped the code to perform 2-3x faster than the optimized code that the compiler could produce. Apart from that, I also needed to find a very accurate way of measuring the time taken for execution as well.
NITIN: My contribution was that I was able to tweak the Linux kernel with a technique that improves Linux's real-time capabilities (The Xenomai project) and also write an audio driver for real-time audio processing.
Now both of your work has been commercialized, as part of the ELK offering.
SHARAN: Yes, in an indirect way. Most of the knowledge I obtained from that were used for optimizing other real time code.
NITIN: Yes. The audio driver of Elk Audio OS is essentially my master’s thesis project.
What was the most challenging part?
SHARAN: I would say that implementing accurate execution time measurement was the most difficult part. Apart from that, It was difficult to keep the balance between writing highly customized and optimized code with no flexibility (aka reusable in other projects) vs having flexible code which trades off some optimization. At the end of the day, having reusable code is always better I feel.
NITIN: Linux kernel is a massive code base and it's a steep learning curve to learn about the kernel internals for a newbie. The Xenomai dev community is a small one and a few people know exactly how it works. You essentially have to try everything and I have been stuck at a problem for weeks and wasn't progressing. It requires a lot of patience.
You’re both musicians. Do you see a connection between that skill and how you approached your work?
SHARAN: Yes, I have been playing the drums and guitar since my early teens. I would have not understood the objective or the reasoning behind the project if I was not a musician. In fact, the whole reason I wanted to pursue Embedded Systems was because I wanted to get into real time audio processing as a career and wanted to make my own guitar processors. I could intuitively relate to how the DSP operations work and how they affect the sound.
NITIN: Like most of us at Elk, I’m a musician too. I think it definitely helps in the way you approach your work since you are also a user of the technology that you are developing. The most important thing is the drive and motivation to work on something that you really love.
What did you learn from your project?
SHARAN: I gained a lot of professional and personal experience. It taught me to be disciplined, logical, and more importantly, patient when approaching problems that look insurmountable. On the technical side, this was my first deep dive use of tools such as Git, CMake and bash, along with using Linux in general.
NITIN: I think I learnt a lot from this project since I had no idea about Linux kernel and how it works. As an embedded systems engineer the whole product development and how the driver fits in it was really fascinating to learn.
How did it feel to be part of it?
SHARAN: This was something I always wanted to get involved since I got my first guitar processor when I was 15. So I feel great to be a part of this.
NITIN: It was really challenging but it was also a joy to work on something that is related to music. When I tested the final outcome of the project, I was playing a guitar connected to an Elk board running some audio effects. It's incredibly satisfying as a developer and a musician.
When you first started at KTH did you foresee working in the music industry?
SHARAN: I knew I wanted to somehow end up there, though I absolutely did not foresee this. When I chose to come to KTH for my master's degree, I had no idea how many Swedish companies are involved in music tech, many of whose products I used a lot myself.
NITIN: No, I never imagined working in the music industry, working as an embedded systems developer. But back then, I didn't know about the music tech ecosystem of Stockholm. I think Stockholm is a great place for someone who wants to work in music tech.
What Advice would you have for a student who is interested in enrolling in your master’s program?
SHARAN: This is a difficult one since everyone has their own interests and way of learning. I would say that the best way to learn something is to get involved in a project which uses it. I learnt 99 percent of my curriculum through the lab sessions – which were awesome. I would advise everyone to pay full attention to those.
NITIN: I think Embedded Systems is a wide area of subject and there are a lot of tracks. It's worth trying out different courses and see which one feels more interesting for you. Also, if you know a specific industry or area is of special interest – like music tech – then try to do your master’s thesis in a company that works in that industry.
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Last changed: Nov 16, 2020


Adil Jawad
Death toll from toxic gas leak rises to 14 in Pakistan
People offer funeral prayers for a victim of a toxic gas leak, during his funeral prayer, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. The toxic gas leak killed several people and sickened dozens of others in a coastal residential area in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, police said Monday. The source of the leak, which occurred on Sunday night, and the type of gas that had leaked were not immediately known. There was no suspicion of sabotage. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
KARACHI – A gas leak in the southern port city of Karachi has killed 14 people and sickened hundreds more, Pakistani health officials said Tuesday.
The leak that started Sunday has set off a panic in Karachi and raised concerns because city officials could not immediately identify the source and type of gas involved. Officials said there was no suspicion of sabotage.
The apparently odorless gas, which causes severe breathing problems, has sickened hundreds since striking Karachi's coastal neighborhood of Kamari and residents began rushing to local hospitals.
Zafar Mahdi, a senior health official, put the death toll at 14 on Tuesday.
Authorities said they were planning to evacuate residents from Kamari to safer places by Tuesday evening. Scientists and chemical experts from the army and navy were deployed to the affected area to try to detect the source of the leak.
Syed Murad Ali Shah, chief minister in Sindh province, acknowledged that authorities were still unable to determine what caused the gas leak, which he said had not spread to other parts of the city.
Hundreds of residents rallied Tuesday demanding the source of the leak be traced quickly.
All of the stricken people — hospitals said they had treated more than 650 — were residents of Kamari.
A patient in a Karchi hospital, Babar Bahadur, said Monday he first felt an ache in his eyes and pain in chest.
“My heart started beating suddenly very, very fast," he told The Associated Press. He recounted how he immediately was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and felt better “after quite some time."
Bahadur said his son experienced some of the same symptoms and was also briefly treated at the hospital.
Port officials insisted no gas leaks occurred at any of their facilities.
Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, Pakistan's largest city and the country's chief commercial hub. It has oil refineries nearby and a key installation of Pakistan's navy is also located there.
Associated Press Writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad.


Mideast Crisis Is ‘Explosive'--Gorbachev
President Mikhail S. Gorbachev said today that the military buildup in the Persian Gulf “makes the situation explosive, very dangerous.”
“We have to act responsibly, all of us, to prevent a large-scale conflict,” Gorbachev told a rare news conference in Moscow.
Gorbachev did not specifically criticize the United States, which is committed to send up to 250,000 troops to Saudi Arabia.
But he urged a diplomatic rather than a military solution to the conflict that began with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2.
The U.S. deployment in Saudi Arabia was permissible under the terms of the U.N. Charter, he said, but “we have to be aware . . . (that a military intervention) is always fraught with unpredictable consequences.”
The Soviet Union voted in favor of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force to impose sanctions against Iraq but has balked at joining a U.S. naval blockade.
Asked whether he thinks the United States will keep its forces in the gulf, Gorbachev said, “I don’t think that the U.S. leadership, after political solutions have been found, will retain” troops in Saudi Arabia.
The basis of the Soviet position, the Soviet leader said, is that “we cannot accept the annexation of Kuwait. It is unacceptable.”
Gorbachev also strongly criticized Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein for using military force rather than diplomacy.
“Only those who think illogically can reject such a (peaceful) solution,” Gorbachev said. “I include the president of Iraq in that number.”
He denied assertions by some that the Kremlin preference for a diplomatic rather than a military solution indicates that the Soviet Union is slipping from superpower status.
“Some people think we lose our prestige and reputation. It is not so,” he said.


Leo Varadkar to question Mike Pence on LGBT rights during St Patrick’s Day trip
The Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is set to meet with the Vice President for an St. Patrick’s Day breakfast on Friday, March 16. He met earlier this week with a conservative Texas governor but did not bring up LGBT rights.
Frances Mulraney
@FrancesMulraney
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. RollingNews.ie
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar began his Saint Patrick’s Day trip to the US in Texas before official March 17 events in Washington D.C. and New York.
Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar has stated that he plans to question US Vice President Mike Pence on LGBT rights when the pair meets on Friday as part of the Taoiseach’s Saint Patrick’s Day trip to the US.
Varadkar, the first openly gay leader of Ireland, had met with conservative Texan governor Gregg Abbott on Friday but admitted that he did not use his time with the governor to try and change his mind on gay and lesbian rights.
He does intend to bring it up to Pence, however. The Taoiseach will also be including a visit to the site in Manhattan where the Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the gay movement, took place when he travels to New York later in the week.
Read more: How does deeply religious VP Pence cope with President Trump's antics?
Mike Pence at last year's Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
“We’ve always seen America as a beacon of freedom. This is the land of the free, the home of the brave, this is where the gay rights movement began,” Varadkar said at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, where he was speaking on the first day of his trip on Sunday.
“It’s really tough to see a country built on freedom, build on individual freedom, not being a world leader in that space anymore. I think the majority of American people would agree with what I have to say, even if the administration doesn’t.”
While VP Pence speaks often of his Irish roots and his Irish grandfather, in particular, he is strongly in opposition to gay marriage and claims that to be gay is a “choice.” Varadkar claims he will question these beliefs when he meets with Pence at his home in the Naval Observatory in Washington on Friday morning, while also raising the issue of immigration with Donald Trump when the shamrock ceremony takes place in the White House on Thursday.
Read more: Irish leader Leo Varadkar will visit Trump on St. Patrick’s Day
Mike Pence and former Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Saint Patrick's Day 2017.
“It’s for each country to make its own choices on migration. I’m in the White House at President Trump’s invitation. I’m not going there to lecture him on American immigration policy,” Varadkar said.
“I now live in a country where 17 percent of the population was not born in Ireland and we’re all the better for it.
“It’s a huge bonus for a country to have young people with talent and ability come to your country and bring those skills with them.”
Do you think that Varadkar should discuss LGBT rights and immigration during his meetings with the US President and Vice President? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, below.
Related: St. Patrick's Day, US Politics


Prisoners' Rights on the Docket
Monday, 6 April, 2020 - Thursday, 16 April, 2020
Derek Lichtenwalter is incarcerated at Belmont Correctional Institution which, like all Ohio prisons, is experiencing a massive and uncontrolled COVID-19 outbreak. He is also a person living with HIV, and because of his immunocompromised status, is at serious risk if he contracts the virus. He filed a petition for habeas corpus pro se, seeking to be released early on the basis that continued detention violates his constitutional rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. This was the first time such a petition was before the Ohio Supreme Court (which has original jurisdiction over extraordinary writs) during the pandemic. We filed an amicus brief in support of his petition.
Unnecessary exposure of state prisoners, especially those with underlying health problems, to COVID-19 is cruel and unusual punishment under the Ohio and U.S. constitutions. The Court may examine a habeas petition in extraordinary circumstances regardless of whether it meets the statutory filing requirements.
Relator Derek Lichtenwalter filed his pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus or in the alternative, mandamus in the Supreme Court of Ohio on March 19, 2020. The Court ordered an expedited briefing schedule sua sponte. On March 30, Jacqueline Greene and Sarah Gelsomino from Friedman & Gilbert filed appearances on his behalf, and Respondents the State of Ohio moved to dismiss.
On April 6, Relator filed his opposition to the motion to dismiss and we filed an amicus brief in support of his opposition.
On April 16, the Court dismissed the petition for failure to state a claim. The ground for dismissal was because Mr. Lichtenwalter did not seek an appropriate remedy, and did not bar re-filing. In a concurring opinion, Justice Donnelley called on all Ohio state actors to take drastic steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in prison and its impact on Ohio prisoners and communities.
Prisoners' Rights Resources
Learn more about Prisoners' Rights
ACLU of Ohio Files Brief in Lawsuit On Wage Garnishment of Prison Laborers
Groups Challenge Trump Administration’s Arbitrary Detention of Asylum Seekers
ACLU Urges Madison County Probate Court to Stop Refusing Marriage Licenses to Incarcerated Individuals
More prisoners' rights Press Releases...
Wilson, et al. v. Williams, et al.
Mann, et al. v. ODRC
More prisoners' rights Cases...
HB 603 – Inmate Psychotropic Medicine and Healthcare Access (2011-2012)
SB 329 – Inmate Health Care (2011-2012)
How Ohio’s Medicaid Expansion Can Keep People Out of Jail & Save Money: a civil liberties briefing
More prisoners' rights Publications...
Jailing Justice: Prison Privatization in the United States » Cleveland
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Home » Jan 2012
The chilling realities of climate change
The earth’s climate is always changing and several centuries ago the causes of this change would have been primarily natural in origin. Apart from increasing average temperature, climate change also includes changes in rainfall patterns and in extreme weather events that lead to things like floods and droughts.
Nowadays, although natural changes in the climate continue to occur, the term ‘climate change’ is generally used when referring to changes in climate which have been identified since the early part of the 1900s.
Many of the causes of these changes are related to humanity’s emissions of greenhouse gases.
Rising levels of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are already changing the climate and are expected to continue to do so throughout the 21st century and beyond. However, there are many uncertainties about the scale and impacts of climate change – particularly at the regional level.
What is certain, however, is that climate change is likely to have a significant impact on the global environment through increases in temperature; increases in sea level; changes in levels and patterns of precipitation such as rainfall, snow and sleet; and changes in the severity and frequency of extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods.
What is causing climate change?
An increase in the atmospheric concentrations of gases known as greenhouse gases, is a major cause for the steady rise in average global temperatures.
Greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, petrol, diesel and natural gases.
Human activities, such as chopping down forests (deforestation), also reduce the earth's natural ability to absorb greenhouse gases.
Some facts about climate change:
The impact of climate change is already felt by both people and the environment throughout the world.
Numerous changes resulting from climate change have already been observed:
measured increases in the average global temperature
measured rises in the average global sea level
reduced snow cover in the northern hemisphere
significantly increased rainfall in eastern parts of North and South America, as well as northern Europe and northern and central Asia
the frequency of heavy rainfall events has increased over most land areas - consistent with warming and increases of atmospheric water vapour
drying in the Sahel, the Mediterranean, southern Africa and parts of southern
more intense and longer droughts observed since the 1970s, particularly in the tropics and sub-tropics
widespread changes in extreme temperatures have been observed
cold days, cold nights and less frequent frost
hot days, hot nights, and more frequent heatwaves.
Why should I worry about climate change?
If we do nothing, then by 2100, we can expect the following consequences:
Coastal regions will experience a rise in temperature of between 3 ° C and 4 ° C.
The interior will experience a rise in temperature between 6° C and 7° C.
Climate change will have a serious impact on biodiversity, which is the variety of life around us - from the largest animal to the smallest plant.
Commercial forestry is vulnerable because of increased frequency of wildfires and decreasing availability of water in many areas.
Increase in diseases such as cholera, which are associated with extreme weather events.
There will be more extreme weather events such as flooding, storms and drought.
Why should we be worried about climate change?
Many South Africans are vulnerable to extreme climate conditions because of poverty, disease and poor housing and living conditions.
In many areas, South Africa already has low and unreliable rainfall.
Most of our surface water resources are already fully allocated.
What is Government doing?
South Africa’s Climate Change Response Policy will embody Government’s commitment to:
a fair contribution to stabilising global greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere
protecting the country and its people from the impacts of unavoidable climate change
presenting government’s vision for an effective climate change response and the long-term transition to a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy and society
a vision based on government’s commitment to sustainable development and a better life for all.
A climate-resilient, low-carbon economy and society must:
build up resilience to resist the effects of climate change
reduce greenhouse gases.
In the long-term, the goal is to transform the economy by shifting from an energy-intensive path to a climate-friendly path as part of a pro-growth, pro-development and pro-jobs strategy.
What can I do about
Climate change?
We can’t stop climate change on our own, but all of us can make a contribution by changing the way we live. We can all play a part in lessening human impact on climate and reversing the effects of climate change:
Plant indigenous trees
trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source, producing oxygen for us to breathe.
recycling plastic, glass and paper products. Recycling paper saves trees and reduces the energy used in paper manufacturing.
don’t use more water than you really need
don’t let water run while shaving, brushing teeth or washing vegetables,
fix leaking taps
shower rather than bath.
Save electricity
There are many ways to save energy in our daily lives. The following is a short list of things we can do.
unplug or turn off all electronic equipment when not in use, including lights, TVs, heaters, fans and kitchen appliances
select the most energy-efficient appliances.
install a solar water heater
use gas for cooking
insulate your house
use less hot water; wash your laundry in cold or warm, instead of hot water
set your geyser’s thermostat on between 50 °C 60 °C
dry clothes on a washing line instead of using a tumble dryer
Switch to energy-saving light bulbs. Replace all your old light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs. This can save up to 80 per cent on your next electricity bill and lasts up to eight times longer.
Change the way you travel
use your car less frequently; rather use public transport, walk, jog or cycle if you can
ensure that your car is in good running order
maintain proper tyre pressure to maximise your vehicle’s petrol consumption
when you buy a car, choose an energy-efficient one to reduce you petrol consumption and emissions.
join a lift club.
Why do we need an international agreement?
No country can combat climate change on its own; the whole world needs to work together to make their fair contribution to mitigation efforts. South Africa’s greenhouse emissions are a small fraction of the global emissions – In 2005, it was only 0,98 per cent of global emissions. If South Africa reduced its emissions by 20 per cent and China and the USA increased their emissions by 0,6 per cent, global emissions would remain the same.
So even if South Africa does everything in its power to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero, but the rest of the world carries on regardless, South Africa will still experience the full impacts of climate change.
The South African government will continue to engage actively and meaningfully in international climate change negotiations, specifically the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.
This will help us to secure a binding, multi-lateral international agreement that will effectively limit the average global temperature increase to at least below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. South Africa’s international engagement with the UNFCCC process.
Article 3.1 of the UNFCCC states that “Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common, but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities…” Articles 3 and 4 compel parties to take actions to mitigate climate change.
-Source: Department of Environmental Affairs
The temperature of the Earth is determined by the balance of energy coming in from the sun in the form of visible radiation (sunlight) and energy being lost from the surface of the Earth to space.
Energy coming from the sun passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth – but the emitted infra-red radiation coming from the Earth’s surface is partly absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and some of it is re-emitted downwards, further warming the surface of the Earth and the lower levels of the atmosphere.
This effect has been called the greenhouse effect because of a similar effect caused by glass in a greenhouse: it lets sunlight into the greenhouse but in turn traps a portion of infra-red radiation (heat) inside the greenhouse.
The change in balance between radiation coming into the atmosphere and radiation going out is known as radiative forcing. A positive radiative forcing tends on average to warm the surface of the earth; negative forcing tends on average to cool the surface.
The most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (in terms of this effect) are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perflurocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride.
Carbon dioxide: this is the most important of the greenhouse gases released by human activities. It is the main contributor to climate change because of the quantities released, especially through the burning of fossil fuels.
When fossil fuels are burned, the carbon content is oxidised and released as carbon dioxide. Every tonne of carbon burned produces 3,7 tonnes of CO2. The global consumption of fossil fuels is estimated to release 22 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year –and the amounts are still climbing.Department of Environmental Aff
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Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy Join Property Brothers on New Show
'Celebrity IOU' premieres April 13 on HGTV
HGTV's Property Brothers have a new home renovation series on the way — this time with a Hollywood twist. Drew and Jonathan Scott will team up with various celebrities for a new show called Celebrity IOU.
The episodic series will follow the Scott brothers alongside weekly celebrity guests — such as Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy, Viola Davis, Rebel Wilson and Michael Bublé — as they work on renovations to "give the gift of home" to people that have helped them in their lives.
"It's amazing to see someone who is extremely successful be grounded enough to always remember the people who helped them get there," Jonathan Scott said in a statement.
Drew Scott added, "Being a part of this show really hits home for us. This is what we love to do, transforming people's lives through their homes."
HGTV network president Jane Latman offered the following statement about the new series:
From Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to the very exciting, upcoming Home Town Takeover, HGTV is having success with series that celebrate the power of human connection. The wonderful thing about Celebrity IOU is that it is about personal acts of kindness and thanks. We all want to find ways to help the people who are always there for us when we need them.
Celebrity IOU premieres on April 13 and will air Monday nights at 9 p.m. on HGTV.
Watch the series teaser below.
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