RESIDENTS will not be consulted on controversial plans to switch off street lights across Essex at night.
Essex County Council plans to turn off about 70 per cent of the county's street lights between midnight and 5am, to save 14million in electricity bills and cut carbon emissions.
The council announced it will launch a consultation on the proposals with the emergency services and parish, town, district and borough councils, including Brentwood.
However, residents will not be allowed to submit their views.
Russell Quirk, councillor for Brentwood's Hutton North ward, said: "The county council has been careful not to do this too quickly and it has tried to point out it hasn't led to an increase in crime.
"The problem though is that the public see it as an issue because they feel safer with street lights on – it is about perception."
Resident Tim Joynes, 31, of Western Road, Brentwood, said: "It doesn't sit comfortably that residents have to go through their local councillor to have a say.
"Most people won't know who their local councillor is, but if they could comment on a website they would make more of an effort."
Areas such as town centres, key road junctions and common accident sites will be exempt from the scheme.
The county council has been running a pilot scheme in Maldon and Uttlesford since 2007, which it claimed caused minimal change to crime and road collision rates and has saved about 70,000 per year.
Tracey Chapman, county councillor responsible for highways and transportation, said: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly.
"We will be consulting in each district before implementing the scheme, to ensure we are sensitive to local street-lighting needs."
The Ministry of Interior, the Police and its affiliates also joined to observe Earth Hour for the fourth consecutive year this time in Abu Dhabi.
The Earth Hour slogan of the police was: "I will do ... If you have done."
There was a workshop at the Police Officers Club in Abu Dhabi, in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development and the Society of Friends of the Environment with the participation of students of a number of schools.
The event included a workshop to train children to manufacture candles and mural painting. It is part of the strategy of the Federal Government and the Vision 2021 as well as the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, the unification of national efforts to build generations with sustainable.
2012年3月31日 星期六
2012年3月30日 星期五
As LED patents run out, supply chain value will shift downstream
Barclays Capital finds that light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing and materials patents will soon run out, potentially draining value from material/chip/package suppliers and turning LEDs into commodities. These financial and market dynamics take-aways were gleaned from the Intertech Pira Phosphor Summit, a conference on phosphors being used in the LED industry.
For Barclay's update on phosphor technologies, gleaned from the conference, read Phosphor trends for LED manufacturing
LED-related patents are buoying the top LED makers selling to lighting companies; however, core LED patents will expire in the next 4-5 years, leading to more intensified competition. Top LED makers -- Cree, Nichia, OSRAM, and Lumileds -- are the go-to sources for global lighting manufacturers -- GE, Philips, OSRAM -- thanks to strong patent protection. Barclays notes that cross-licensing arrangements between these LED makers make it difficult to gauge precisely when this patent position begins to erode.
Some Korean and Taiwanese LED makers -- Epistar, Seoul Semi, Samsung, LG Innotek, and Forepi -- have secured licensing agreements or partnerships with the top LED makers, gaining access to Acuity Brands, Zumtobel, Hubbell, Cooper and other top luminaire manufacturers in developed regions. But even as LED manufacturers in Korea, Taiwan, and even China ramp capacity and gradually improve their LED chip/component quality, global lighting conglomerates continue to purchase LEDs only from the top LED manufacturers.
The continual evolution in the LED structure makes it difficult to isolate which core patents remain a true barrier for new entrants (chip color, phosphor composition, chip structure, color mixing), Barclays notes. LED makers continue to develop novel ways to improve luminous efficacy (lm/W), CRI (color quality), thermal management, lifetime, and cost.
Although it is difficult to compare the various new product claims among the top LED makers (claims about theoretical luminous efficacy levels are often not apples to apples due to different specs around drive current and voltage, color temperature, LM70 lifetimes), what was clear from the various presentations and comments at the conference was that the top 4 LED makers maintain a noticeable quality leadership relative to Tier 2 and 3 players.
The majority of profits in the LED lighting sector will go to the lighting system manufacturers in the future, given an LED oversupply on the market and LED patents running out. Once core IP is no longer patent-protected, the materials, chip, and package suppliers will watch value fade from their offerings. Lighting companies can still differentiate products through design and distribution, while procuring commodity-like LED components. LED maker Cree’s push downstream "may be a prudent step," Barclays reports, given this trend.
Lighting suppliers and chip makers (Cree, Lumileds, and OSRAM made statements on recent earnings calls) confirm that IP does not make them immune to pricing pressure, with competition among the Tier 1 LED makers fighting for spots with lighting companies.
For Barclay's update on phosphor technologies, gleaned from the conference, read Phosphor trends for LED manufacturing
LED-related patents are buoying the top LED makers selling to lighting companies; however, core LED patents will expire in the next 4-5 years, leading to more intensified competition. Top LED makers -- Cree, Nichia, OSRAM, and Lumileds -- are the go-to sources for global lighting manufacturers -- GE, Philips, OSRAM -- thanks to strong patent protection. Barclays notes that cross-licensing arrangements between these LED makers make it difficult to gauge precisely when this patent position begins to erode.
Some Korean and Taiwanese LED makers -- Epistar, Seoul Semi, Samsung, LG Innotek, and Forepi -- have secured licensing agreements or partnerships with the top LED makers, gaining access to Acuity Brands, Zumtobel, Hubbell, Cooper and other top luminaire manufacturers in developed regions. But even as LED manufacturers in Korea, Taiwan, and even China ramp capacity and gradually improve their LED chip/component quality, global lighting conglomerates continue to purchase LEDs only from the top LED manufacturers.
The continual evolution in the LED structure makes it difficult to isolate which core patents remain a true barrier for new entrants (chip color, phosphor composition, chip structure, color mixing), Barclays notes. LED makers continue to develop novel ways to improve luminous efficacy (lm/W), CRI (color quality), thermal management, lifetime, and cost.
Although it is difficult to compare the various new product claims among the top LED makers (claims about theoretical luminous efficacy levels are often not apples to apples due to different specs around drive current and voltage, color temperature, LM70 lifetimes), what was clear from the various presentations and comments at the conference was that the top 4 LED makers maintain a noticeable quality leadership relative to Tier 2 and 3 players.
The majority of profits in the LED lighting sector will go to the lighting system manufacturers in the future, given an LED oversupply on the market and LED patents running out. Once core IP is no longer patent-protected, the materials, chip, and package suppliers will watch value fade from their offerings. Lighting companies can still differentiate products through design and distribution, while procuring commodity-like LED components. LED maker Cree’s push downstream "may be a prudent step," Barclays reports, given this trend.
Lighting suppliers and chip makers (Cree, Lumileds, and OSRAM made statements on recent earnings calls) confirm that IP does not make them immune to pricing pressure, with competition among the Tier 1 LED makers fighting for spots with lighting companies.
2012年3月29日 星期四
Market Street Site Work Expected To Start Next Month
The site work is expected to last for about 4 1/2 months before the first building foundation of the project is laid. The site work will include ground leveling, the construction of a berm not far from Walnut Street, and it will include some blasting, Tye reported at the Tuesday night meeting.
The site work will come several months after workers demolished three buildings on the site left over from the days of the Colonial golf course property.
"It's a complex project. We will make it as easy as we can and be as professional as you expect us to be," Tye told planning board members this week.
Tye was at the meeting to speak with planning board members on a variety of different aspects of the project, such as the consultants who will be working on areas like design and fire safety standards. Walter Adams, who will serve as a consultant on design standards, was among those in attendance as well.
Along with the start of the site work, town residents may also be interested to hear that National Development plans to create a website that will provide information on the construction progress, traffic advisories, a general schedule, and photos.
In a follow-up conversation on Wednesday, Tye told Lynnfield Patch that the site could go online in as soon as three weeks.
When the work gets underway, one effect will be that motorists will need to access the Boston Sports Club from Exit 42 off 128 in Wakefield instead of from Walnut Street, off Exit 43. Advance notice of this change will be provided shortly, noted Tye.
Motorists may also note that the traffic lights outside of the entrance to the property are now flashing. They are expected to be fully functioning in a few more weeks.
Another interesting detail that came up at the planning board meeting is that National Development now plans to use LED outdoor lighting for Market Street at Lynnfield - which Tye noted to planning board members was a much newer technology in 2008 when the project was first being planned.
Tye said in Wednesday's conversation that National Development was an early user of LED lighting at its Newton office to test out the technology - and that the company has been very happy with its performance. "It really is the way lighting is going," Tye told Lynnfield Patch, adding that National Development tries to be as green as possible with its work. He added that Whole Foods, one of the major announced tenants so far for Market Street, is likely to incorporate even more green features into its own structure when the time comes.
While LED lighting requires somewhat more of an up-front investment, it will deliver savings on electricity costs in the longer term, noted Tye. That said, he pointed out that the LED technology will deliver another benefit that adjoining residents may especially like - when the businesses are closed, the outdoor lighting can be dimmed.
The site work will come several months after workers demolished three buildings on the site left over from the days of the Colonial golf course property.
"It's a complex project. We will make it as easy as we can and be as professional as you expect us to be," Tye told planning board members this week.
Tye was at the meeting to speak with planning board members on a variety of different aspects of the project, such as the consultants who will be working on areas like design and fire safety standards. Walter Adams, who will serve as a consultant on design standards, was among those in attendance as well.
Along with the start of the site work, town residents may also be interested to hear that National Development plans to create a website that will provide information on the construction progress, traffic advisories, a general schedule, and photos.
In a follow-up conversation on Wednesday, Tye told Lynnfield Patch that the site could go online in as soon as three weeks.
When the work gets underway, one effect will be that motorists will need to access the Boston Sports Club from Exit 42 off 128 in Wakefield instead of from Walnut Street, off Exit 43. Advance notice of this change will be provided shortly, noted Tye.
Motorists may also note that the traffic lights outside of the entrance to the property are now flashing. They are expected to be fully functioning in a few more weeks.
Another interesting detail that came up at the planning board meeting is that National Development now plans to use LED outdoor lighting for Market Street at Lynnfield - which Tye noted to planning board members was a much newer technology in 2008 when the project was first being planned.
Tye said in Wednesday's conversation that National Development was an early user of LED lighting at its Newton office to test out the technology - and that the company has been very happy with its performance. "It really is the way lighting is going," Tye told Lynnfield Patch, adding that National Development tries to be as green as possible with its work. He added that Whole Foods, one of the major announced tenants so far for Market Street, is likely to incorporate even more green features into its own structure when the time comes.
While LED lighting requires somewhat more of an up-front investment, it will deliver savings on electricity costs in the longer term, noted Tye. That said, he pointed out that the LED technology will deliver another benefit that adjoining residents may especially like - when the businesses are closed, the outdoor lighting can be dimmed.
2012年3月28日 星期三
Nexxus Lighting Reports Full Year 2011 Results
Sales of our Array LED lamps increased 173% to approximately $4,939,000 for the year ended December 31, 2011 compared to approximately $1,808,000 for the year ended December 31, 2010. The sales increase of approximately $3,131,000 reflects the launch of Array products for sale through the consumer market channel. In the second quarter of 2011, we completed our initial shipments of Array products to approximately 1,100 home improvement stores across the United States. The home improvement retailer offers seventeen different Array products, including our PAR38, R30, R16, MR16 and GU10 lamps that have qualified for the Energy Star rating.
We believe the 2011 launch of our Array products into the consumer market channel represents an important step in our company's strategy and demonstrates our ability to respond operationally to significant growth in a cost effective manner. Sales of our products to the consumer market channel are affected by the resale of these products by our customer to the consumer.
While we do not provide specific information on consumer demand due to confidentiality and other obligations, sales of Array products to the consumer have been slower than anticipated. In partnership with our major customer, we are exploring additional opportunities to increase retail sales and in-store inventory turns. These opportunities may include utility rebate programs, price concessions, sales initiatives, marketing programs, advertising campaigns, training sessions and point-of-sale educational materials.
Based on our experience we also are working with this customer to identify other products to add to their offering in response to customer demand for existing products. However, based on our experience, we do not anticipate that our sales to this customer will be as significant in 2012 as they were in 2011.
"We are excited about the achievements that we made in 2011, including our sales growth and entry into the consumer market channel where we have begun the process of building a national consumer brand," stated Mike Bauer, Nexxus' President and Chief Executive Officer. "During this process we maintained our quality and performance market position and, despite intense competitive pressure, we refrained from cutting prices to untenable levels. We also demonstrated our ability to expand Array production cost-effectively and service the more challenging consumer market channel."
"Unfortunately, retail sales levels did not meet our expectations nor those of our customer," added Bauer. "We continue to work with this customer while also pursuing new retailers in 2012 to balance our sales across a greater number of customers within the consumer market channel."
"Throughout 2011 and as we move into 2012, we remain optimistic about our ability to take advantage of the positive trends in our industry," commented Gary Langford, Nexxus' Chief Financial Officer. "We anticipate LED lighting adoption to accelerate in both commercial and consumer markets. In addition, we expect LED and other material costs to continue their decline, further spurring adoption. It will be our challenge to demonstrate the strength and flexibility of our operating structure to take advantage of these trends, much as we did in 2011. The non-GAAP financial measures presented below reflect the impact that a number of noncash items had on our results and demonstrate our ability to leverage our sales growth."
We believe the 2011 launch of our Array products into the consumer market channel represents an important step in our company's strategy and demonstrates our ability to respond operationally to significant growth in a cost effective manner. Sales of our products to the consumer market channel are affected by the resale of these products by our customer to the consumer.
While we do not provide specific information on consumer demand due to confidentiality and other obligations, sales of Array products to the consumer have been slower than anticipated. In partnership with our major customer, we are exploring additional opportunities to increase retail sales and in-store inventory turns. These opportunities may include utility rebate programs, price concessions, sales initiatives, marketing programs, advertising campaigns, training sessions and point-of-sale educational materials.
Based on our experience we also are working with this customer to identify other products to add to their offering in response to customer demand for existing products. However, based on our experience, we do not anticipate that our sales to this customer will be as significant in 2012 as they were in 2011.
"We are excited about the achievements that we made in 2011, including our sales growth and entry into the consumer market channel where we have begun the process of building a national consumer brand," stated Mike Bauer, Nexxus' President and Chief Executive Officer. "During this process we maintained our quality and performance market position and, despite intense competitive pressure, we refrained from cutting prices to untenable levels. We also demonstrated our ability to expand Array production cost-effectively and service the more challenging consumer market channel."
"Unfortunately, retail sales levels did not meet our expectations nor those of our customer," added Bauer. "We continue to work with this customer while also pursuing new retailers in 2012 to balance our sales across a greater number of customers within the consumer market channel."
"Throughout 2011 and as we move into 2012, we remain optimistic about our ability to take advantage of the positive trends in our industry," commented Gary Langford, Nexxus' Chief Financial Officer. "We anticipate LED lighting adoption to accelerate in both commercial and consumer markets. In addition, we expect LED and other material costs to continue their decline, further spurring adoption. It will be our challenge to demonstrate the strength and flexibility of our operating structure to take advantage of these trends, much as we did in 2011. The non-GAAP financial measures presented below reflect the impact that a number of noncash items had on our results and demonstrate our ability to leverage our sales growth."
2012年3月27日 星期二
LEED Platinum Finally Comes To Cal State
Green student housing is all the rage these days, and the California State University (CSU) system apparently has some work to do to catch up with the likes of the University of California at Davis, which has gone so far as to institute the development of an entire green village to accommodate those studying at the school. CSU just earned its first LEED Platinum certification for the Student Housing Phase III project at the system's Fullerton campus, according to firm that did the construction.
Home to some 1,900 students, the project encompasses 347,899 square feet over six buildings and was completed last August. It includes housing offices, conference and classroom space, laundry, community rooms on every level, and a central plant, as well as your typical, double-occupancy dorm rooms distributed among five buildings, each of which is five stories tall. (The sixth building is single level containing a dining hall and the central plant.)
The project earned those all-important LEED points via a number of green systems and features, which include an efficient, four-pipe central plant HVAC system; an automated energy management system; high-efficiency lighting and lighting controls; energy-efficient glass and window systems; low-flow plumbing fixtures and irrigation system; native, drought-tolerant plants in its surrounding landscaping, as well as bioswales for on-site storm water management; and LED outdoor lighting.
The project took advantage of passive solar orientation for efficient heating and cooling, as well as sunshades to protect against solar gain in the summer months. The project recycled the existing site paving on the construction site and concrete materials in the course of building construction.
Stephen Chamberlain, senior project manager at CSU Fullerton, noted that this latest phase of housing has more than doubled the residential population, and went on to say, in a statement, "It was important to us that this facility fosters positive student socialization and academic achievement while integrating leading sustainability strategies."
Home to some 1,900 students, the project encompasses 347,899 square feet over six buildings and was completed last August. It includes housing offices, conference and classroom space, laundry, community rooms on every level, and a central plant, as well as your typical, double-occupancy dorm rooms distributed among five buildings, each of which is five stories tall. (The sixth building is single level containing a dining hall and the central plant.)
The project earned those all-important LEED points via a number of green systems and features, which include an efficient, four-pipe central plant HVAC system; an automated energy management system; high-efficiency lighting and lighting controls; energy-efficient glass and window systems; low-flow plumbing fixtures and irrigation system; native, drought-tolerant plants in its surrounding landscaping, as well as bioswales for on-site storm water management; and LED outdoor lighting.
The project took advantage of passive solar orientation for efficient heating and cooling, as well as sunshades to protect against solar gain in the summer months. The project recycled the existing site paving on the construction site and concrete materials in the course of building construction.
Stephen Chamberlain, senior project manager at CSU Fullerton, noted that this latest phase of housing has more than doubled the residential population, and went on to say, in a statement, "It was important to us that this facility fosters positive student socialization and academic achievement while integrating leading sustainability strategies."
2012年3月26日 星期一
Auto LED lighting systems benefit from heat-dissipating formulations
PolyOne Corporation (Avon Lake, OH) chose the VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering conference in Mannheim, Germany, to introduce a series of innovations for automotive engineers. The launch included three new grades of Therma-Tech specialty engineered materials based on PBT, PPS and polyamide resins for automotive lighting systems now available globally.
With their outstanding heat dissipation functionality, the three new Therma-Tech formulations offer automotive OEM lighting engineers more design options. In addition to expanded design freedom, lightweighting potential and efficient manufacturability, these formulations help to manage hot spots and enable designers to employ high brightness light-emitting diodes (HB LEDs) in lighting systems for new cars and trucks. The new materials offer customers varying degrees of heat stability, enabling them to select the solution most appropriate for their application.
Kendall Justiniano, global automotive marketing director for PolyOne, said, "Our new Therma-Tech solutions for HB LED systems will be a welcome development for automotive OEMs as they incorporate this technology into new cars to reduce vehicle weight and CO2 emissions, create appealing new designs and improve driver safety."
The market for HB LED lighting systems is rapidly expanding as automobile manufacturers increasingly choose these systems for their vehicles. HB LED lighting systems consume up to 90 percent less energy than current automotive light bulb technologies. They also contribute to a reduction in total system costs, with reduced maintenance costs thanks to improved performance over the life of a vehicle, as well as the use of a smaller alternator.
In addition, the compact designs possible with HB LED systems mean designers and engineers can develop smaller lighting systems without compromising safety. The increased design flexibility and simplified reflector design possible with HB LEDs can also help automotive OEMs better differentiate their brands.
For road users, HB LEDs also offer a number of advantages compared to established automotive lighting systems. Because these lights switch "on" at full brilliance, drivers are provided with additional reaction time in critical situations. Drivers also have more control over HB LED systems. For example, the lights can be dimmed to prevent glare or offer increased brilliance when road conditions warrant.
In order to leverage the significant advantages of HB LED, lighting systems engineers must design for effective thermal management. Heat emitted by these systems needs to be efficiently dissipated in order to maintain the integrity, performance and life of the LED. Marc Mezailles, automotive market manager in Europe for PolyOne Global Specialty Engineered Materials, explained, "The three new grades of Therma-Tech thermally conductive polymer solutions can support the design and performance requirements of HB LEDs to effectively dissipate heat and eliminate hot spots."
With their outstanding heat dissipation functionality, the three new Therma-Tech formulations offer automotive OEM lighting engineers more design options. In addition to expanded design freedom, lightweighting potential and efficient manufacturability, these formulations help to manage hot spots and enable designers to employ high brightness light-emitting diodes (HB LEDs) in lighting systems for new cars and trucks. The new materials offer customers varying degrees of heat stability, enabling them to select the solution most appropriate for their application.
Kendall Justiniano, global automotive marketing director for PolyOne, said, "Our new Therma-Tech solutions for HB LED systems will be a welcome development for automotive OEMs as they incorporate this technology into new cars to reduce vehicle weight and CO2 emissions, create appealing new designs and improve driver safety."
The market for HB LED lighting systems is rapidly expanding as automobile manufacturers increasingly choose these systems for their vehicles. HB LED lighting systems consume up to 90 percent less energy than current automotive light bulb technologies. They also contribute to a reduction in total system costs, with reduced maintenance costs thanks to improved performance over the life of a vehicle, as well as the use of a smaller alternator.
In addition, the compact designs possible with HB LED systems mean designers and engineers can develop smaller lighting systems without compromising safety. The increased design flexibility and simplified reflector design possible with HB LEDs can also help automotive OEMs better differentiate their brands.
For road users, HB LEDs also offer a number of advantages compared to established automotive lighting systems. Because these lights switch "on" at full brilliance, drivers are provided with additional reaction time in critical situations. Drivers also have more control over HB LED systems. For example, the lights can be dimmed to prevent glare or offer increased brilliance when road conditions warrant.
In order to leverage the significant advantages of HB LED, lighting systems engineers must design for effective thermal management. Heat emitted by these systems needs to be efficiently dissipated in order to maintain the integrity, performance and life of the LED. Marc Mezailles, automotive market manager in Europe for PolyOne Global Specialty Engineered Materials, explained, "The three new grades of Therma-Tech thermally conductive polymer solutions can support the design and performance requirements of HB LEDs to effectively dissipate heat and eliminate hot spots."
2012年3月25日 星期日
A 'dark night' that led to light of freedom...
On its 41st Independence Day, the nation is remembering its martyrs done to death by Pakistani forces on Mar 25 1971 midnight and in the days ahead.
It was this very genocide by the occupation forces that had Bangladeshis giving the final war cry, and the nine-month War of Independence followed.
Thousands of people are expected to visit the Savar National Memorial since early morning to commemorate the three million people who made the supreme sacrifice to realise the dream of a new nation.
Several programmes are lined up to mark the day, which also happens to be the National Day of the country.
The day would break with 31 canon shots tearing through the skies at the National Parade Ground.
President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition chief Khaleda Zia are likely to place wreaths at the Savar memorial early in the morning.
A march-past of children has been organised at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the morning. The prime minister is scheduled to attend the programme.
The president will organise a reception of freedom fighters at Bangabhaban in the afternoon.
National flag will be hoisted at all government and semi-government offices, and all important buildings and streets will be decorated with lights.
Newspapers will publish supplementary issues to mark the day, while Bangladesh Television, Betar and other private radio and TV channels will broadcast special programmes marking the day.
Shilpakala Academy, Shishu Academy and other socio-cultural organisations will also organise special programmes.
All religious centres will hold special prayers, and prisoners, patients at hospitals, orphans and students will be served special diet.
The Bangladeshi embassies abroad will also organise Independence Day programmes.
The announcement followed weeks of protests, violent campaigns, the historic Mar 7 speech at the Race Course Maidan by Sheikh Mujib – the man who came to be known as Bangabandhu – and a bloody, mindless crackdown on innocent civilians on the fateful night of Mar 25, 1971.
Members of the Bangladesh Juba Union and the Chittagong unit of Prajanma 71 lighted candles at the Central Shaheed Minar in port city on Sunday.
Speakers at the programme demanded quick trial of the war criminals and preserving the correct history of the 1971 war.
The president, prime minister and the opposition leader have released separate messages greeting the people on the historical day.
Zillur in his message said, "On this Independence Day, I urge all, living at home and abroad, to work unitedly imbued with the spirit of War of Liberation to expedite economic self-reliance and democratic advancement of the country."
It was this very genocide by the occupation forces that had Bangladeshis giving the final war cry, and the nine-month War of Independence followed.
Thousands of people are expected to visit the Savar National Memorial since early morning to commemorate the three million people who made the supreme sacrifice to realise the dream of a new nation.
Several programmes are lined up to mark the day, which also happens to be the National Day of the country.
The day would break with 31 canon shots tearing through the skies at the National Parade Ground.
President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition chief Khaleda Zia are likely to place wreaths at the Savar memorial early in the morning.
A march-past of children has been organised at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the morning. The prime minister is scheduled to attend the programme.
The president will organise a reception of freedom fighters at Bangabhaban in the afternoon.
National flag will be hoisted at all government and semi-government offices, and all important buildings and streets will be decorated with lights.
Newspapers will publish supplementary issues to mark the day, while Bangladesh Television, Betar and other private radio and TV channels will broadcast special programmes marking the day.
Shilpakala Academy, Shishu Academy and other socio-cultural organisations will also organise special programmes.
All religious centres will hold special prayers, and prisoners, patients at hospitals, orphans and students will be served special diet.
The Bangladeshi embassies abroad will also organise Independence Day programmes.
The announcement followed weeks of protests, violent campaigns, the historic Mar 7 speech at the Race Course Maidan by Sheikh Mujib – the man who came to be known as Bangabandhu – and a bloody, mindless crackdown on innocent civilians on the fateful night of Mar 25, 1971.
Members of the Bangladesh Juba Union and the Chittagong unit of Prajanma 71 lighted candles at the Central Shaheed Minar in port city on Sunday.
Speakers at the programme demanded quick trial of the war criminals and preserving the correct history of the 1971 war.
The president, prime minister and the opposition leader have released separate messages greeting the people on the historical day.
Zillur in his message said, "On this Independence Day, I urge all, living at home and abroad, to work unitedly imbued with the spirit of War of Liberation to expedite economic self-reliance and democratic advancement of the country."
2012年3月22日 星期四
SRIA OKs wheel with hatchling-friendly LED lights
And, after promising to take steps to protect turtles, developers who want to erect an 18- story observation wheel on Pensacola Beach got the green light from the Santa Rosa Island Authority to move ahead with the approval process.
Al Mers Jr. and Todd Schneider of St. Louisbased Expo 60 Venture have applied to sublease land at 5 Via De Luna on the lot beside Soundside Market for the $10 million project, which they are calling 360 Pensacola Beach.
A study commissioned by the developers says that the proposed lighting, which features LED and stadium designs, will not disturb nesting sea turtles.
But two speakers at the March 14 meeting voiced their concerns.
Daniel R. Brown, superintendent of Gulf Islands National Seashore, said there are four types of sea turtles that nest on area beaches and all of them are either threatened or endangered. He said volunteers routinely go out at night to help hatchlings disoriented by the lights find their way to the water.
"Hatchlings head toward lighted areas," he said.
He urged the developers to consult with U.S. Fish and Wildlife experts about how to minimize impact to the turtles.
J.J. Waters of PBA Beachkeepers said she was pleased with the outcome of a meeting she had with developers regarding the lighting issue.
"They want to be eco-friendly," she said.
Waters said developers have agreed to turn off the stadium lighting at 10 p.m. during turtle hatching season and to work with the group when turtles are found. Turtles nest on the island from May through August, and the babies hatch from mid-July to the end of October.
"We really don't have any issues from this point forward," Waters said.
Schneider also agreed to report back to the SRIA on the lighting issue one year after opening.
Island Authority Executive Director W. A. "Buck" Lee is pushing for a quick approval of the project. The developers are hoping to open the giant wheel on May 24, but the project must still win approval from the Escambia County Development Review Committee.
Maureen LaMar, executive director of Pensacola Beach Visitor Information Center, delivered some positive news. She said the center logged 2,156 total visitors in February.
"That is up about 1,000 from last year," she said.
She credited the American Express gift card program for helping bring visitors to the beach.
She said the top five states represented were Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Michigan and Georgia and the top three countries represented were Canada, Germany and England.
Al Mers Jr. and Todd Schneider of St. Louisbased Expo 60 Venture have applied to sublease land at 5 Via De Luna on the lot beside Soundside Market for the $10 million project, which they are calling 360 Pensacola Beach.
A study commissioned by the developers says that the proposed lighting, which features LED and stadium designs, will not disturb nesting sea turtles.
But two speakers at the March 14 meeting voiced their concerns.
Daniel R. Brown, superintendent of Gulf Islands National Seashore, said there are four types of sea turtles that nest on area beaches and all of them are either threatened or endangered. He said volunteers routinely go out at night to help hatchlings disoriented by the lights find their way to the water.
"Hatchlings head toward lighted areas," he said.
He urged the developers to consult with U.S. Fish and Wildlife experts about how to minimize impact to the turtles.
J.J. Waters of PBA Beachkeepers said she was pleased with the outcome of a meeting she had with developers regarding the lighting issue.
"They want to be eco-friendly," she said.
Waters said developers have agreed to turn off the stadium lighting at 10 p.m. during turtle hatching season and to work with the group when turtles are found. Turtles nest on the island from May through August, and the babies hatch from mid-July to the end of October.
"We really don't have any issues from this point forward," Waters said.
Schneider also agreed to report back to the SRIA on the lighting issue one year after opening.
Island Authority Executive Director W. A. "Buck" Lee is pushing for a quick approval of the project. The developers are hoping to open the giant wheel on May 24, but the project must still win approval from the Escambia County Development Review Committee.
Maureen LaMar, executive director of Pensacola Beach Visitor Information Center, delivered some positive news. She said the center logged 2,156 total visitors in February.
"That is up about 1,000 from last year," she said.
She credited the American Express gift card program for helping bring visitors to the beach.
She said the top five states represented were Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Michigan and Georgia and the top three countries represented were Canada, Germany and England.
2012年3月21日 星期三
Fluorescent bulbs: Lighting up a greener future in UAE
Light bulbs that are not energy efficient will be banned across the country from mid-2013 as the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) expands its range of efficiency standards to cover more electrical equipment and appliances.
The move will also affect washing machines and refrigerators.
The new standards will require all light bulbs sold and used in the country to be eco-friendly as per the rating system, which will be announced early next year.
Only the likes of compact fluorescent light bulbs and LED bulbs will fall into the approved category, under the ratings system currently being devised.
"We are covering different electrical equipment and appliances gradually on a priority basis and early next year we will announce the new set of appliances covered under the ratings system," said Mohammad Saleh Badri, acting director-general of Esma, speaking exclusively to Gulf News.
The authority is currently in discussions with different stake holders — including distributors, manufacturers as well as retailers of light bulbs — to study the impact of the ban and making sure all ends are covered before any such move is made.
"We want to make sure nobody is adversely affected, most importantly the consumers. We don't want to put an additional burden on the consumers because of the ban on normal bulbs, so we are studying the impact of the ban and, if possible, we will [proceed with the ban] if the government can subsidise eco-friendly bulbs to bring the prices down," Badri elaborated.
The fluorescent energy-efficient bulbs are four to five times costlier than the normal incandescent bulbs. However, fluorescent energy-efficient bulbs consume up to five times less power and in the long run save a lot of money.
Fluorescent bulbs also last up to ten times longer, which in effect means they are much more cost-effective in the long run.
Once the difference is ascertained and the regulations are drafted, which are likely to be ready with Cabinet ratification by the end of this year, incandescent bulbs will be effectively banned.
"The regulations would effectively ban incandescent and halogen bulbs as they consume a lot of energy and would not make the cut. We urge all consumers to stop buying these bulbs and replace them with energy efficient white bulbs, which will save a lot of power as well as money," Badri said as he highlighted the benefits behind the move.
Interestingly, the first phase of implementation will require all government departments to replace their lighting systems with the more-efficient alternatives.
"We are coordinating with different government departments to implement [the plan] at the government level first. We are in talks with the Roads and Transport Authority Dubai (RTA), the Department of Transport Abu Dhabi and several municipalities to see whether they can replace street lamps with energy-efficient bulbs. If this happens it will be a great achievement," Badri said.
The move will also affect washing machines and refrigerators.
The new standards will require all light bulbs sold and used in the country to be eco-friendly as per the rating system, which will be announced early next year.
Only the likes of compact fluorescent light bulbs and LED bulbs will fall into the approved category, under the ratings system currently being devised.
"We are covering different electrical equipment and appliances gradually on a priority basis and early next year we will announce the new set of appliances covered under the ratings system," said Mohammad Saleh Badri, acting director-general of Esma, speaking exclusively to Gulf News.
The authority is currently in discussions with different stake holders — including distributors, manufacturers as well as retailers of light bulbs — to study the impact of the ban and making sure all ends are covered before any such move is made.
"We want to make sure nobody is adversely affected, most importantly the consumers. We don't want to put an additional burden on the consumers because of the ban on normal bulbs, so we are studying the impact of the ban and, if possible, we will [proceed with the ban] if the government can subsidise eco-friendly bulbs to bring the prices down," Badri elaborated.
The fluorescent energy-efficient bulbs are four to five times costlier than the normal incandescent bulbs. However, fluorescent energy-efficient bulbs consume up to five times less power and in the long run save a lot of money.
Fluorescent bulbs also last up to ten times longer, which in effect means they are much more cost-effective in the long run.
Once the difference is ascertained and the regulations are drafted, which are likely to be ready with Cabinet ratification by the end of this year, incandescent bulbs will be effectively banned.
"The regulations would effectively ban incandescent and halogen bulbs as they consume a lot of energy and would not make the cut. We urge all consumers to stop buying these bulbs and replace them with energy efficient white bulbs, which will save a lot of power as well as money," Badri said as he highlighted the benefits behind the move.
Interestingly, the first phase of implementation will require all government departments to replace their lighting systems with the more-efficient alternatives.
"We are coordinating with different government departments to implement [the plan] at the government level first. We are in talks with the Roads and Transport Authority Dubai (RTA), the Department of Transport Abu Dhabi and several municipalities to see whether they can replace street lamps with energy-efficient bulbs. If this happens it will be a great achievement," Badri said.
2012年3月20日 星期二
Wind powered light the first of its kind
NEW technology has been used in Memorial Park, Tuncurry with the installation of a wind powered solar light on a Surefoot foundation system.
Designed in the US by Urban Green Energy (UGE), the SANYA Streetlamp was donated to Great Lakes Council for the upgrade of the park by local company Innovation ReCreation.
The streetlamp is a first of its kind on the east coast of Australia and just the third system to be installed in Australia. It was donated to council for trial and evaluation.
The streetlamp has a vertical axis 600 watt wind turbine on top, a small 150 watt backup solar panel and an LED light. The standalone system is not connected to the electrical grid.
The streetlamp harnesses the power of the wind and the sun to charge the LED light, providing clean, renewable energy that removes the cost to light the area.
The customised system has been incorporated into the design of the playground which is a boat theme, with the tower being the mast, the banner the sail, and the turbine the crows' nest.
The streetlamp was installed on the Surefoot foundation system, an Australian invention that does not require concrete or large excavation. The designer, Neil Despotellis installed four Surefoot foundation plates on his own with a steel grid structure on top. It took about three hours. The pile foundation system reduces carbon emission and labour requirements.
The system featured on the New Inventors last year. It has the potential for many different applications and can be easily removed and reused.
Its bending moment is reportedly greater than anything else currently on the market.
Each plate has a load capacity from seven tonnes to 20 tonnes, subject to design and location.
All up it took about 10 hours to install the UGE Sanya Streetlamp and Surefoot foundation.
The combination of streetlamp and foundation system allows the system to be environmentally friendly.
Mr Gleeson said although it was difficult to quote a price per se, the recommended retail price for the streetlamp - LED light, turbine and solar panel is about $9,500 to $10,000. With additional costs for foundation, installation, circuit breaker, enclosure and batteries, total cost is between $15,000 and $17,000 depending on location.
With street lighting being a big part of a council's costs, Mr Gleeson believes the hybrid system is cost effective.
Designed in the US by Urban Green Energy (UGE), the SANYA Streetlamp was donated to Great Lakes Council for the upgrade of the park by local company Innovation ReCreation.
The streetlamp is a first of its kind on the east coast of Australia and just the third system to be installed in Australia. It was donated to council for trial and evaluation.
The streetlamp has a vertical axis 600 watt wind turbine on top, a small 150 watt backup solar panel and an LED light. The standalone system is not connected to the electrical grid.
The streetlamp harnesses the power of the wind and the sun to charge the LED light, providing clean, renewable energy that removes the cost to light the area.
The customised system has been incorporated into the design of the playground which is a boat theme, with the tower being the mast, the banner the sail, and the turbine the crows' nest.
The streetlamp was installed on the Surefoot foundation system, an Australian invention that does not require concrete or large excavation. The designer, Neil Despotellis installed four Surefoot foundation plates on his own with a steel grid structure on top. It took about three hours. The pile foundation system reduces carbon emission and labour requirements.
The system featured on the New Inventors last year. It has the potential for many different applications and can be easily removed and reused.
Its bending moment is reportedly greater than anything else currently on the market.
Each plate has a load capacity from seven tonnes to 20 tonnes, subject to design and location.
All up it took about 10 hours to install the UGE Sanya Streetlamp and Surefoot foundation.
The combination of streetlamp and foundation system allows the system to be environmentally friendly.
Mr Gleeson said although it was difficult to quote a price per se, the recommended retail price for the streetlamp - LED light, turbine and solar panel is about $9,500 to $10,000. With additional costs for foundation, installation, circuit breaker, enclosure and batteries, total cost is between $15,000 and $17,000 depending on location.
With street lighting being a big part of a council's costs, Mr Gleeson believes the hybrid system is cost effective.
2012年3月19日 星期一
Efficiency's Promise: Too Good to Be True
Amory Lovins once famously characterized energy efficiency as "the lunch you're paid to eat"; Steven Chu, the secretary of energy, has called efficiency a tool for reducing energy consumption and carbon output with minimal personal sacrifice.
Lovins, Chu and other efficiency enthusiasts are undoubtedly correct when they argue that we Americans could live regally on little more than we currently waste. But turning efficiency improvements into environmental gains isn't as easy as they make it sound. When I replaced the incandescent bulb in my desk lamp with a compact fluorescent, I expected the amount of electricity used by my desk lamp to decrease — and it did. But the broader, long-term impacts of that switch — both for my own life and for the world — are certain to be more complex.
Increasing the efficiency of energy-using machines has the practical effect of making energy cheaper, and when we make useful things cheaper we use more of them. This isn't an abstract argument, because the history of civilization has played out in exactly this way. Nearly every energy-consuming device I use today is vastly more efficient, in multiple senses, than whatever its equivalent was back in the early 1970s. Yet my energy consumption has soared, and so has the world's — not only over all, but also per capita and within every income stratum. Of course, correlation doesn't prove causation. But when the long-term correlations all run in one direction, we should take notice.
The challenge with efficiency gains is that we don't compost our energy savings: we inevitably re-invest the money in additional consumption. A study published in 2010 showed that, over the past three centuries, steady improvements in the energy efficiency of lighting have been almost exactly offset by the growth of new lighting applications.
And the actual impact of these new uses has been far greater, because growth in lighting has also had indirect energy consequences, such as lengthening the workday and making nighttime travel and recreation easier. Such changes have dramatically improved our quality of life, but they haven't shrunk our energy consumption, our carbon output, or our environmental footprint. On the contrary.
One way to see the flaw in the efficiency arguments of Lovins and Chu is to imagine that the global economy truly resembles the misleadingly simplistic problem that they say efficiency can solve. Imagine a primitive village in which the only energy input is food and the only way to transport anything is to carry it or drag it over the ground. Now invent the wheel.
If the village were Lovinsland, this increase in efficiency would cause food consumption and production to fall. In the real world, though, we know that the villagers will reinvest their sudden energy surplus, leading to a cascade of mutually reinforcing increases in consumption of all kinds. And we know this is true because, in the real world, it's exactly what we've done.
Lovins, Chu and other efficiency enthusiasts are undoubtedly correct when they argue that we Americans could live regally on little more than we currently waste. But turning efficiency improvements into environmental gains isn't as easy as they make it sound. When I replaced the incandescent bulb in my desk lamp with a compact fluorescent, I expected the amount of electricity used by my desk lamp to decrease — and it did. But the broader, long-term impacts of that switch — both for my own life and for the world — are certain to be more complex.
Increasing the efficiency of energy-using machines has the practical effect of making energy cheaper, and when we make useful things cheaper we use more of them. This isn't an abstract argument, because the history of civilization has played out in exactly this way. Nearly every energy-consuming device I use today is vastly more efficient, in multiple senses, than whatever its equivalent was back in the early 1970s. Yet my energy consumption has soared, and so has the world's — not only over all, but also per capita and within every income stratum. Of course, correlation doesn't prove causation. But when the long-term correlations all run in one direction, we should take notice.
The challenge with efficiency gains is that we don't compost our energy savings: we inevitably re-invest the money in additional consumption. A study published in 2010 showed that, over the past three centuries, steady improvements in the energy efficiency of lighting have been almost exactly offset by the growth of new lighting applications.
And the actual impact of these new uses has been far greater, because growth in lighting has also had indirect energy consequences, such as lengthening the workday and making nighttime travel and recreation easier. Such changes have dramatically improved our quality of life, but they haven't shrunk our energy consumption, our carbon output, or our environmental footprint. On the contrary.
One way to see the flaw in the efficiency arguments of Lovins and Chu is to imagine that the global economy truly resembles the misleadingly simplistic problem that they say efficiency can solve. Imagine a primitive village in which the only energy input is food and the only way to transport anything is to carry it or drag it over the ground. Now invent the wheel.
If the village were Lovinsland, this increase in efficiency would cause food consumption and production to fall. In the real world, though, we know that the villagers will reinvest their sudden energy surplus, leading to a cascade of mutually reinforcing increases in consumption of all kinds. And we know this is true because, in the real world, it's exactly what we've done.
2012年3月18日 星期日
Pedal power lights up Rwanda
The lights Daniel Ntibaziyandemye uses for his nocturnal fishing trips are charged by pedal-powered generators that offer an affordable means of creating energy, even for the poor.
The small generator, which stands knee-high inside a wooden frame, is operated by what looks like a recumbent exercise bike and charges batteries for small but bright light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. The light created is cheaper and more efficient than solar power.
"Previously we used torches to find our traps at night," said Ntibaziyandemye, aged 28, who fishes at night on the remote crocodile-infested Akanyaru river.
"But the batteries were so expensive that it left us with little profit. Now with the new LED lights, we can fish for a week for less money than it used to cost for one night."
He lays his traps just before dusk among heavy brush, waving away mosquitoes and listening out for crocodiles, waiting until night to venture into the water to collect his catch.
Five lights can be recharged with 20 minutes of pedalling and each light lasts more than 25 hours - enough for a week for most users. One minute spent pedalling generates almost 400 minutes of light.
Rwandan firm Nuru Energy, is behind the innovation, which earned it a $200 000 prize in the 2008 World Bank Lighting Africa Prize.
The company gives the generators and lights to small traders, allowing them to pay for them later, in instalments, with the money they make from the equipment. Villagers then pay a small fee to the traders to have the lights charged every week.
"The company gave me gave me six months to repay the loan for my first lights, but with the money I made from recharging the lights, I was able to repay my loan in two months," said 25-year-old Martin Uwayezu.
More than 90% of households use paraffin and exposure to the fumes can be as bad as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.
"In addition to being dangerous, it's inefficient and costly," said Sloan Holazman, Nuru marketing director. "Households spend 10 to 25% of their income on paraffin for light alone."
The company's CEO and co-founder Sameer Hajee said they studied energy use by rural Rwandans to come up with the cheap and clean energy technology that many can easily afford and depend on.
"Paraffin is expensive, unhealthy, environmentally unfriendly and it's unsafe. But it's also portable, reliable and affordable," he said.
Nuru has also signed an agreement with the US Bank Merrill Lynch allowing the bank to purchase credits to offset its carbon print, and injecting funds into the coffers of the Rwandan firm to expand its business.
In addition to charging LED lights, the firm also plans to expand the use of its generators to charge mobile phones and other devices in rural areas with no electricity.
The company now boasts 10 000 customers across Rwanda and hopes to expand to other east African countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda later this year.
The small generator, which stands knee-high inside a wooden frame, is operated by what looks like a recumbent exercise bike and charges batteries for small but bright light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. The light created is cheaper and more efficient than solar power.
"Previously we used torches to find our traps at night," said Ntibaziyandemye, aged 28, who fishes at night on the remote crocodile-infested Akanyaru river.
"But the batteries were so expensive that it left us with little profit. Now with the new LED lights, we can fish for a week for less money than it used to cost for one night."
He lays his traps just before dusk among heavy brush, waving away mosquitoes and listening out for crocodiles, waiting until night to venture into the water to collect his catch.
Five lights can be recharged with 20 minutes of pedalling and each light lasts more than 25 hours - enough for a week for most users. One minute spent pedalling generates almost 400 minutes of light.
Rwandan firm Nuru Energy, is behind the innovation, which earned it a $200 000 prize in the 2008 World Bank Lighting Africa Prize.
The company gives the generators and lights to small traders, allowing them to pay for them later, in instalments, with the money they make from the equipment. Villagers then pay a small fee to the traders to have the lights charged every week.
"The company gave me gave me six months to repay the loan for my first lights, but with the money I made from recharging the lights, I was able to repay my loan in two months," said 25-year-old Martin Uwayezu.
More than 90% of households use paraffin and exposure to the fumes can be as bad as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.
"In addition to being dangerous, it's inefficient and costly," said Sloan Holazman, Nuru marketing director. "Households spend 10 to 25% of their income on paraffin for light alone."
The company's CEO and co-founder Sameer Hajee said they studied energy use by rural Rwandans to come up with the cheap and clean energy technology that many can easily afford and depend on.
"Paraffin is expensive, unhealthy, environmentally unfriendly and it's unsafe. But it's also portable, reliable and affordable," he said.
Nuru has also signed an agreement with the US Bank Merrill Lynch allowing the bank to purchase credits to offset its carbon print, and injecting funds into the coffers of the Rwandan firm to expand its business.
In addition to charging LED lights, the firm also plans to expand the use of its generators to charge mobile phones and other devices in rural areas with no electricity.
The company now boasts 10 000 customers across Rwanda and hopes to expand to other east African countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda later this year.
2012年3月15日 星期四
Obama's Dim Bulbs
The Department of Energy paid Dutch energy-giant Philips Global $10 million for its newest LED light bulb. Now the two are trying to figure out what to do with it.
The bulb, which is slated to replace the 60-watt incandescent light bulb lawmakers banned in 2007, costs $50, well above the $1 consumers are used to spending on traditional bulbs and double the price of many existing LED lights.
The department has gone from judge to partner to help Philips sell the product. It is now trying to coax utility companies to grant discounts and rebates to customers in order to create demand for the light bulb.
"We are actively working with (utilities) to hammer out deals to introduce the product to their region," said an official familiar with the L-Prize. "DOE's mission is energy savings and in order to get that there needs to be widespread market adoption."
Thirty-one utility companies have partnered with the department and Philips to grant rebates to customers who purchase bulbs, the highest being a $25 rebate from Efficiency Vermont.
Philips Lighting USA has splashed references to the L-Prize bulb—a name assigned to the product by the federal government—and is doing its best to market the product to businesses before launching residential sales next month.
"I know everyone is looking at the $50 price tag, but Philips has been actively working to get those rebates," company spokeswoman Silvie Casanova said. "The price reflects that it's harder to make this bulb than existing 60 watt LEDs."
That technology is also constructed at more expensive plants in Wisconsin and San Jose, rather than the Chinese factories that churn out the company's existing line of energy efficient bulbs.
Other officials familiar with the project told the Washington Free Beacon that there is little the department or Philips can do to lower the price in the short-term except wait for consumers to adapt the new bulb, as traditional incandescents are phased out.
"The point of the award is to help reduce the cost of this domestically produced technology over time—just like the price of plasma TVs has fallen from $25,000 in 1998 to $500 today," said Jen Stutsman, spokeswoman for the Energy Department.
The steep price tag is not the competition's first brush with controversy.
A House Appropriations Committee report issued in June slammed the department for announcing the $10 million prize without prior approval from Congress.
"The Committee strongly opposes the Department announcing funding opportunities when those funds have not yet been made available by Congress," the report reads. "In the case of the L Prize, the Department risks damaging its credibility."
Philips received about $5.6 million from the federal stimulus to advance its LED lighting technology. It spent nearly as much—$4.5 million since 2008—lobbying Congress and the Obama administration for bills friendly to lighting appropriations.
The bulb, which is slated to replace the 60-watt incandescent light bulb lawmakers banned in 2007, costs $50, well above the $1 consumers are used to spending on traditional bulbs and double the price of many existing LED lights.
The department has gone from judge to partner to help Philips sell the product. It is now trying to coax utility companies to grant discounts and rebates to customers in order to create demand for the light bulb.
"We are actively working with (utilities) to hammer out deals to introduce the product to their region," said an official familiar with the L-Prize. "DOE's mission is energy savings and in order to get that there needs to be widespread market adoption."
Thirty-one utility companies have partnered with the department and Philips to grant rebates to customers who purchase bulbs, the highest being a $25 rebate from Efficiency Vermont.
Philips Lighting USA has splashed references to the L-Prize bulb—a name assigned to the product by the federal government—and is doing its best to market the product to businesses before launching residential sales next month.
"I know everyone is looking at the $50 price tag, but Philips has been actively working to get those rebates," company spokeswoman Silvie Casanova said. "The price reflects that it's harder to make this bulb than existing 60 watt LEDs."
That technology is also constructed at more expensive plants in Wisconsin and San Jose, rather than the Chinese factories that churn out the company's existing line of energy efficient bulbs.
Other officials familiar with the project told the Washington Free Beacon that there is little the department or Philips can do to lower the price in the short-term except wait for consumers to adapt the new bulb, as traditional incandescents are phased out.
"The point of the award is to help reduce the cost of this domestically produced technology over time—just like the price of plasma TVs has fallen from $25,000 in 1998 to $500 today," said Jen Stutsman, spokeswoman for the Energy Department.
The steep price tag is not the competition's first brush with controversy.
A House Appropriations Committee report issued in June slammed the department for announcing the $10 million prize without prior approval from Congress.
"The Committee strongly opposes the Department announcing funding opportunities when those funds have not yet been made available by Congress," the report reads. "In the case of the L Prize, the Department risks damaging its credibility."
Philips received about $5.6 million from the federal stimulus to advance its LED lighting technology. It spent nearly as much—$4.5 million since 2008—lobbying Congress and the Obama administration for bills friendly to lighting appropriations.
2012年3月14日 星期三
Lumenpulse Wins Prestigious red dot award for Lumenbeam LBX
Lumenpulse Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of high performance, architectural LED-based lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, and urban environments, today announced that it won a prestigious red dot award for its high-performance projector, the Lumenbeam LBX.
The competition is hotly contested by manufacturers from all fields of industrial design including makers of cars, computers and furniture. Lumenpulse's Lumenbeam LBX was selected by a 30-member expert jury after evaluating 4,515 designs -- a record-number of submissions to the red dot competition. The red dot design award dates back to 1955 and is now one of the world's largest and most distinguished design competitions.
The Lumenbeam LBX is a high performance architectural lighting projector, which uses energy-efficient, high-power LEDs for the illumination of large spaces and structures. Half the size and weight of existing solutions, the fixture is unique for its slim form factor and 120,000-hour lumen maintenance (L70). The powerful output and extended lifetime is the result of an innovative thermal design that allows cool air to flow through the system, while a chimney effect uses natural convection to rapidly eject hot air.
The Lumenbeam LBX is part of a broad family of Lumenbeam luminaires designed to solve multiple lighting challenges with a single consistently designed form factor, and is particularly effective for large-scale projects. It is available with a choice of four different optics and various mounting options, which gives greater scope to specifiers, lighting designers and architects.
"We founded Lumenpulse because we felt there is strong demand for a design-centric approach to LED fixtures -- that design could be a defining and compelling feature in an industry that has seen little design innovation since Edison, and that design excellence combined with technology leadership make a winning formula," said Francois-Xavier Souvay, Founder, President and CEO of Lumenpulse. "Winning the coveted red dot award is strong validation of Lumenpulse's expertise and our ability to deliver value to the market."
"The experts thoroughly examined, tested and evaluated each individual entry applying the highest standards. With their performances, the laureates did not only demonstrate an extraordinary design quality but they also showed that design is an integral part of innovative product solutions. At this high level, the winners are able to increase their potential for success on the market considerably by purposefully using our design prize," said Dr. Peter Zec, CEO of the red dot design award.
The competition is hotly contested by manufacturers from all fields of industrial design including makers of cars, computers and furniture. Lumenpulse's Lumenbeam LBX was selected by a 30-member expert jury after evaluating 4,515 designs -- a record-number of submissions to the red dot competition. The red dot design award dates back to 1955 and is now one of the world's largest and most distinguished design competitions.
The Lumenbeam LBX is a high performance architectural lighting projector, which uses energy-efficient, high-power LEDs for the illumination of large spaces and structures. Half the size and weight of existing solutions, the fixture is unique for its slim form factor and 120,000-hour lumen maintenance (L70). The powerful output and extended lifetime is the result of an innovative thermal design that allows cool air to flow through the system, while a chimney effect uses natural convection to rapidly eject hot air.
The Lumenbeam LBX is part of a broad family of Lumenbeam luminaires designed to solve multiple lighting challenges with a single consistently designed form factor, and is particularly effective for large-scale projects. It is available with a choice of four different optics and various mounting options, which gives greater scope to specifiers, lighting designers and architects.
"We founded Lumenpulse because we felt there is strong demand for a design-centric approach to LED fixtures -- that design could be a defining and compelling feature in an industry that has seen little design innovation since Edison, and that design excellence combined with technology leadership make a winning formula," said Francois-Xavier Souvay, Founder, President and CEO of Lumenpulse. "Winning the coveted red dot award is strong validation of Lumenpulse's expertise and our ability to deliver value to the market."
"The experts thoroughly examined, tested and evaluated each individual entry applying the highest standards. With their performances, the laureates did not only demonstrate an extraordinary design quality but they also showed that design is an integral part of innovative product solutions. At this high level, the winners are able to increase their potential for success on the market considerably by purposefully using our design prize," said Dr. Peter Zec, CEO of the red dot design award.
2012年3月13日 星期二
Students calculate carbon footprints
Calculating her carbon footprint led Woodstock High School senior Cecelia Long to find ways to be more earth friendly.
"Last year, I was surprised, but this year, I'd cut way down," said Long.
She convinced her parents to buy locally grown produce at the Woodstock Farmers Market and also encouraged friends to eat healthier, plant-based diets.
"There's a lot of transportation when you buy food from a big store," she said.
Eddie Grogg, a senior, said seeing his carbon footprint made him encourage his family to switch to energy efficient light bulbs.
"It was interesting to see all the carbon I put out and how I can change," he said.
This spring, Long, Grogg and classmates in Bill Donato's Environmental Science and AP Environmental Science classes are sharing their ideas with students around the world as they participate in the Student Carbon Footprint Challenge, sponsored by Stanford University and the University of Gothenburg.
The online initiative combines environmental education and social media. Students from 30 high schools in 25 nations calculate their carbon footprints and converse online about ways to be more environmentally conscious. The educational social media site is known as Einztein.
Countries participating in the project include the U.S., Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, the Maldives, New Zealand, Japan, England and the United Arab Emirates.
Donato learned about the project when he attended a science teachers conference.
"I met the person who created it and decided to get involved," he said. This is the third semester that classes from WHS have participated.
A carbon footprint is determined by factors such as transportation use; food consumption; home energy use, including appliances and technology; shopping habits and recycling.
Donato says eating locally grown food is an interest around the world.
"I posted something about it, and a guy from Croatia was talking about his garden," he said.
He added that the Woodstock students' footprints were lower than students from California and Texas, where long commutes are common. Students from the Maldives Islands had the lowest footprints.
"Their transportation was zero," said Donato. "They walk everywhere."
Arlinda Fasliu, a junior, said she enjoyed watching a video posted by a group of Lithuanian students and reading magazine recycling suggestions by a European student.
Fasliu said she tries to be more environmentally conscious by shopping in thrift stores.
"It's a way to recycle, and it reduces the energy needed for transportation and to make the clothes," she said.
"Last year, I was surprised, but this year, I'd cut way down," said Long.
She convinced her parents to buy locally grown produce at the Woodstock Farmers Market and also encouraged friends to eat healthier, plant-based diets.
"There's a lot of transportation when you buy food from a big store," she said.
Eddie Grogg, a senior, said seeing his carbon footprint made him encourage his family to switch to energy efficient light bulbs.
"It was interesting to see all the carbon I put out and how I can change," he said.
This spring, Long, Grogg and classmates in Bill Donato's Environmental Science and AP Environmental Science classes are sharing their ideas with students around the world as they participate in the Student Carbon Footprint Challenge, sponsored by Stanford University and the University of Gothenburg.
The online initiative combines environmental education and social media. Students from 30 high schools in 25 nations calculate their carbon footprints and converse online about ways to be more environmentally conscious. The educational social media site is known as Einztein.
Countries participating in the project include the U.S., Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, the Maldives, New Zealand, Japan, England and the United Arab Emirates.
Donato learned about the project when he attended a science teachers conference.
"I met the person who created it and decided to get involved," he said. This is the third semester that classes from WHS have participated.
A carbon footprint is determined by factors such as transportation use; food consumption; home energy use, including appliances and technology; shopping habits and recycling.
Donato says eating locally grown food is an interest around the world.
"I posted something about it, and a guy from Croatia was talking about his garden," he said.
He added that the Woodstock students' footprints were lower than students from California and Texas, where long commutes are common. Students from the Maldives Islands had the lowest footprints.
"Their transportation was zero," said Donato. "They walk everywhere."
Arlinda Fasliu, a junior, said she enjoyed watching a video posted by a group of Lithuanian students and reading magazine recycling suggestions by a European student.
Fasliu said she tries to be more environmentally conscious by shopping in thrift stores.
"It's a way to recycle, and it reduces the energy needed for transportation and to make the clothes," she said.
2012年3月12日 星期一
Toolbox Shines Some Light on the New NEXTORCH Range
NEXTORCH is a world-renowned designer and manufacturer of torches and equipment. The company specialises in a range of high power LED torches, as well as pocket sized torches, rechargeable torches and firearm torches. The company currently supplies China's national standard issue police flashlight.
The latest NEXTORCH products to be uploaded to the Toolbox website include the myTorch range. These smart torches can be plugged into a computer using USB and programmed to the user's specification. With unlimited modes, the user can programme personalised settings to the torch using the NEXTUNER software.
Also included in the new upload are powerful pocket and pen torches, the latest Viker Star head-torch, hands free Clip-Lite LEDs as well as a number of batteries and accessories.
Lee Taylor, General Manager at Toolbox, said: "NEXTORCH are a massive name when it comes to torches and we're really pleased to be able to have them on our website. The variety in the new range is astonishing. There are your typical key-ring flashlights and pockets torches but also some super powerful LED torches and hunting kits. These kits in particular are very exciting; they include barrel mounts, replacement bulbs and remote pressure switches – and of course a powerful NEXTORCH LED torch."
The NEXTORCH flashlights are all constructed from aerospace grade aluminium and high quality glass lenses. They feature type II hard-anodized finishes, making them not only great looking but long lasting and suited to a number of industrial and outdoor uses.
The brightness of torches is measured in lumens, the amount of visible light emitted by a source. The latest NEXTORCH torches range from 40 lumens in a key ring torch to 200 lumens in the myTorch 18650 and T12D Premium models and right through to a whopping 500 lumens in the T12G Premium model. This all-encompassing range includes something for every eventuality.
Lee continued: "This is just one of the reasons we're so pleased to be able to offer these new NEXTORCH products. There is something for every section of the torch and flashlight market, whether it's someone who just wants a handy torch to attach to their keys or a contractor or professional security guard who needs impressive brightness, reliability and affordability. Add the firearm torches and hunting kits and there isn't really anything not covered by the NEXTORCH range. We're certainly expecting them to be a massive hit with our customers. We're sure they'll be very popular."
Toolbox.co.uk is the sister company of the ever expanding Plumbworld empire. Plumbworld was an early pioneer of online trading, started by James and Anita Hickman in 1999 and was sold to the Grafton Group PLC in December 2006, Plumbworld now employ more than 50 people in their purpose built warehouse and offices and boast an astonishing 50+ websites selling everything from heated towel rails and chainsaws to a multi tool and Franke sinks. The business has a turnover in excess of 18 million and is growing at more than 20% year on year.
The latest NEXTORCH products to be uploaded to the Toolbox website include the myTorch range. These smart torches can be plugged into a computer using USB and programmed to the user's specification. With unlimited modes, the user can programme personalised settings to the torch using the NEXTUNER software.
Also included in the new upload are powerful pocket and pen torches, the latest Viker Star head-torch, hands free Clip-Lite LEDs as well as a number of batteries and accessories.
Lee Taylor, General Manager at Toolbox, said: "NEXTORCH are a massive name when it comes to torches and we're really pleased to be able to have them on our website. The variety in the new range is astonishing. There are your typical key-ring flashlights and pockets torches but also some super powerful LED torches and hunting kits. These kits in particular are very exciting; they include barrel mounts, replacement bulbs and remote pressure switches – and of course a powerful NEXTORCH LED torch."
The NEXTORCH flashlights are all constructed from aerospace grade aluminium and high quality glass lenses. They feature type II hard-anodized finishes, making them not only great looking but long lasting and suited to a number of industrial and outdoor uses.
The brightness of torches is measured in lumens, the amount of visible light emitted by a source. The latest NEXTORCH torches range from 40 lumens in a key ring torch to 200 lumens in the myTorch 18650 and T12D Premium models and right through to a whopping 500 lumens in the T12G Premium model. This all-encompassing range includes something for every eventuality.
Lee continued: "This is just one of the reasons we're so pleased to be able to offer these new NEXTORCH products. There is something for every section of the torch and flashlight market, whether it's someone who just wants a handy torch to attach to their keys or a contractor or professional security guard who needs impressive brightness, reliability and affordability. Add the firearm torches and hunting kits and there isn't really anything not covered by the NEXTORCH range. We're certainly expecting them to be a massive hit with our customers. We're sure they'll be very popular."
Toolbox.co.uk is the sister company of the ever expanding Plumbworld empire. Plumbworld was an early pioneer of online trading, started by James and Anita Hickman in 1999 and was sold to the Grafton Group PLC in December 2006, Plumbworld now employ more than 50 people in their purpose built warehouse and offices and boast an astonishing 50+ websites selling everything from heated towel rails and chainsaws to a multi tool and Franke sinks. The business has a turnover in excess of 18 million and is growing at more than 20% year on year.
2012年3月11日 星期日
Local inventor lights up in Walmart race
Brad Krabill's invention wasn't born of necessity as much as frustration.
Now that he's fixed the problem, he's hoping others with the same issues will be so thankful they'll vote for his invention, with the chance for it to be placed on a Walmart shelf.
Krabill and his wife, Brenda, are owners of American Allied Pest Control. When not killing bugs, Krabill can be found in his garage tinkering and perfecting his latest invention.
He thinks he has a winner on his hands with The Blazer, a portable light that uses cool-burning light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs and a small 12-volt battery.
Krabill entered The Blazer in a competition sponsored by Walmart. Winners will be selected by the number of votes cast, and Krabill is asking for support for his invention. Top prize is $12,000 and a spot on a shelf at Walmart.
"It would be awesome," Krabill said of the possibility of winning.
Even if he doesn't win the top prize, Krabill could earn money for placing second, or third in the competition. And if none of that happens, he at least will gain exposure.
Voting started Wednesday and lasts a month. From those votes, 10 finalists will be selected, and voting on them will continue two more weeks. Then the top three will be in a runoff.
He said he feels certain others will have the same frustrations he did when camping, fishing or hunting: Typical battery-powered lights didn't last long enough, and lantern lights burned too hot.
And he found that when doing outdoor activities or even jobs around the house, he had to rely on too many different types of lights.
"I just got tired of having to deal with all those lights," he said.
So Krabill headed to his workshop in the garage and started tinkering. He chose a small 12-volt rechargeable battery similar to those used to power some medical devices, including scooters. He contacted Pelican, a California company that manufactures custom cases.
When he got the various parts he needed, he put them all together to form the 6 pound Blazer.
"It's smaller than most purses," Krabill said.
The Blazer features two LED lights, which together last more than 12 hours on a charge and are not hot to the touch, on 12-inch flexible arms. The device has a long strap so that it can be hung on a tree limb or hook.
Krabill said that if The Blazer catches on, he could turn out several hundred a day in his garage. If it really catches on, he foresees an assembly process that would move out of the garage and employ several people.
"If we get one large order, then everything changes," Krabill said.
Krabill is in the process of getting a patent for The Blazer.
The Walmart competition is divided into various categories, and the one in which The Blazer is included has 4,000 entries.
Now that he's fixed the problem, he's hoping others with the same issues will be so thankful they'll vote for his invention, with the chance for it to be placed on a Walmart shelf.
Krabill and his wife, Brenda, are owners of American Allied Pest Control. When not killing bugs, Krabill can be found in his garage tinkering and perfecting his latest invention.
He thinks he has a winner on his hands with The Blazer, a portable light that uses cool-burning light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs and a small 12-volt battery.
Krabill entered The Blazer in a competition sponsored by Walmart. Winners will be selected by the number of votes cast, and Krabill is asking for support for his invention. Top prize is $12,000 and a spot on a shelf at Walmart.
"It would be awesome," Krabill said of the possibility of winning.
Even if he doesn't win the top prize, Krabill could earn money for placing second, or third in the competition. And if none of that happens, he at least will gain exposure.
Voting started Wednesday and lasts a month. From those votes, 10 finalists will be selected, and voting on them will continue two more weeks. Then the top three will be in a runoff.
He said he feels certain others will have the same frustrations he did when camping, fishing or hunting: Typical battery-powered lights didn't last long enough, and lantern lights burned too hot.
And he found that when doing outdoor activities or even jobs around the house, he had to rely on too many different types of lights.
"I just got tired of having to deal with all those lights," he said.
So Krabill headed to his workshop in the garage and started tinkering. He chose a small 12-volt rechargeable battery similar to those used to power some medical devices, including scooters. He contacted Pelican, a California company that manufactures custom cases.
When he got the various parts he needed, he put them all together to form the 6 pound Blazer.
"It's smaller than most purses," Krabill said.
The Blazer features two LED lights, which together last more than 12 hours on a charge and are not hot to the touch, on 12-inch flexible arms. The device has a long strap so that it can be hung on a tree limb or hook.
Krabill said that if The Blazer catches on, he could turn out several hundred a day in his garage. If it really catches on, he foresees an assembly process that would move out of the garage and employ several people.
"If we get one large order, then everything changes," Krabill said.
Krabill is in the process of getting a patent for The Blazer.
The Walmart competition is divided into various categories, and the one in which The Blazer is included has 4,000 entries.
2012年3月8日 星期四
Arab Spring led to the fall of the first wives' club
As they sat demurely with their husbands at a butterfly-print tablecloth dominated by a pastel flower arrangement, a photographer was ushered in to grab a picture for French celebrity magazines. After all, this was a communion of fashion's high priestesses: a former Italian supermodel turned folk-singer entertaining a Chanel-loving, London-raised, former banker and conveniently Westernised Middle Eastern first lady.
French Elle had recently voted Asma "the most stylish woman in world politics", Paris Match called her "an eastern Diana", a "ray of light in a country full of shadow zones".
Only days after the lunch, a desperate Tunisian vegetable seller would set himself alight, sparking the first revolution of the Arab Spring.
Even as the Sarkozys' butlers served the Assads freshly squeezed juice in crystal glasses from silver platters, there was unease among some diplomats about the French president schmoozing the ruler of an oppressive dictatorship known for torture, brutality and political prisoners.
But Nicolas Sarkozy, an expert on the importance of photogenic wives in politics, saw Asma as his insurance policy. "When we explained that this was the worst kind of tyrant, Sarkozy would say: 'Bashar protects Christians and, with a wife as modern as his, he can't be completely bad'," the former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner later confided to journalists.
Now, after 11 months of bloody repression of the pro-democracy uprising in Syria, with thousands dead and tens of thousands of refugees spilled over Syria's borders, Asma's careful public-relations strategy as the gentle British-born face of the regime has crumbled. When she appeared smiling and immaculately dressed on February 26 alongside her husband to vote in a referendum on a new Constitution, it only deepened opposition accusations that she has become a modern-day Marie Antoinette.
The row over a shockingly fawning, lengthy puff piece in Vogue last year describing Asma's Louboutin shoes and charity work, as well as a recent appearance at a rally hugging her children in support of her husband and an email to the London Times explaining her backing of him, has reopened the debate about the role of dictators' wives in the Arab Spring.
French Elle had recently voted Asma "the most stylish woman in world politics", Paris Match called her "an eastern Diana", a "ray of light in a country full of shadow zones".
Only days after the lunch, a desperate Tunisian vegetable seller would set himself alight, sparking the first revolution of the Arab Spring.
Even as the Sarkozys' butlers served the Assads freshly squeezed juice in crystal glasses from silver platters, there was unease among some diplomats about the French president schmoozing the ruler of an oppressive dictatorship known for torture, brutality and political prisoners.
But Nicolas Sarkozy, an expert on the importance of photogenic wives in politics, saw Asma as his insurance policy. "When we explained that this was the worst kind of tyrant, Sarkozy would say: 'Bashar protects Christians and, with a wife as modern as his, he can't be completely bad'," the former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner later confided to journalists.
Now, after 11 months of bloody repression of the pro-democracy uprising in Syria, with thousands dead and tens of thousands of refugees spilled over Syria's borders, Asma's careful public-relations strategy as the gentle British-born face of the regime has crumbled. When she appeared smiling and immaculately dressed on February 26 alongside her husband to vote in a referendum on a new Constitution, it only deepened opposition accusations that she has become a modern-day Marie Antoinette.
The row over a shockingly fawning, lengthy puff piece in Vogue last year describing Asma's Louboutin shoes and charity work, as well as a recent appearance at a rally hugging her children in support of her husband and an email to the London Times explaining her backing of him, has reopened the debate about the role of dictators' wives in the Arab Spring.
2012年3月7日 星期三
Landscape With Artifact
This past October, I traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, to meet a man named Timothy Hursley. Hursley is one of the foremost architectural photographers in America, and his portfolio includes images of buildings by Frank Gehry, Moshe Safdie, and I.M. Pei. These photos aim to understand and render visible the architect’s intent: the play of light on a cornice, the shadows of a sunset on a facade. Yet if Hursley’s work is subtle, it’s also essential and beautiful. For many people, the only time they will ever see one of, say, Gehry’s or Safdie’s buildings—most of which are scattered far apart across America and the world—is in a Hursley photo. In other words, when you look at a piece of art by one of America’s famed architects, you’re often, unknowingly, also looking at a work of art by Timothy Hursley.
Mild-mannered—and almost Zen-like—Hursley is the consummate obsessive photographer. On an average workday, he will log fourteen hours of shooting.
When you are with Hursley, discovery lurks around every corner or, at least, past the next stoplight. As soon as he sees something he would like to photograph, he will park the car, methodically set up his tripod, and, almost without a sound, begin shooting. He is so stealthy, he almost disappears into the scene. This contrasts to the way he shoots buildings for architects, which requires hours, perfect lighting, and loads of cumbersome equipment. Both processes are formulaic and meticulous, but the noncommercial work, Hursley says, “brings him a certain amount of joy” that his other work doesn’t.
Since he picked up a camera in his late teens, Hursley has been drawn to taking pictures of humble environments: brothels in Nevada, polygamist communities in Utah, and, of late, funeral homes and weatherworn farm equipment.
On the day I visit him, he allows me to join him on a mission to photograph a silo in Hale County, Alabama. Hursley explains that in addition to wanting to photograph the structure, he had also decided to buy it (for $2,000): “To save it from being discarded for scrap-metal parts.”
Hursley’s battered 1999 Ford Explorer is littered with empty cigarette packs and film packaging. Along with us is Hursley’s former assistant, Nathan Kirkman—Hursley wants Kirkman’s help setting up a surveillance camera to photograph and transmit images of the silo and the surrounding landscape on the Internet.
“On its face, this all does sound crazy,” says Hursley, who is wearing a faded green coat and has a neat goatee and ashen-white hair, “until you see the landscape that surrounds the silo.”
Hursley says that when he first spotted the silo, “It spoke to me.” To him, it is a piece of sculpture, and by capturing hundreds of thousands of images on a surveillance camera and broadcasting them on the Internet, he hopes to share the beauty of this “sculpture” with viewers who will never come to Greensboro, Alabama.
Yet, as we near the silo and park at a home nearby, the structure stands flaccid, broken in half by the weather and shadowing the landscape. It doesn’t look like much.
“It sort of reminds me,” Hursley says, “of something out of H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds.”
Hursley got his start back in suburban Detroit, where he grew up. His brother worked as an assistant for the Hungarian architectural photographer Balthazar Korab, and, as a teenager, Hursley raked the leaves in Korab’s yard, “but it ended up a photo apprenticeship. I developed an abstract style, which I took into architecture. My time with Korab—throughout most of the ’70s—those were my formative years.”
After moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1980, Hursley—whose brother, Greg, at one time was also an architectural photographer working in Arkansas—set up his photo studio, The Arkansas Office. But not everyone agreed with his decision to move South. “Korab told me I was leaving a prestigious studio for the boonies,” Hursley says. “But I’ve always held a deep gratitude for his mentorship and the window into the world of architecture and photography he provided.”
Mild-mannered—and almost Zen-like—Hursley is the consummate obsessive photographer. On an average workday, he will log fourteen hours of shooting.
When you are with Hursley, discovery lurks around every corner or, at least, past the next stoplight. As soon as he sees something he would like to photograph, he will park the car, methodically set up his tripod, and, almost without a sound, begin shooting. He is so stealthy, he almost disappears into the scene. This contrasts to the way he shoots buildings for architects, which requires hours, perfect lighting, and loads of cumbersome equipment. Both processes are formulaic and meticulous, but the noncommercial work, Hursley says, “brings him a certain amount of joy” that his other work doesn’t.
Since he picked up a camera in his late teens, Hursley has been drawn to taking pictures of humble environments: brothels in Nevada, polygamist communities in Utah, and, of late, funeral homes and weatherworn farm equipment.
On the day I visit him, he allows me to join him on a mission to photograph a silo in Hale County, Alabama. Hursley explains that in addition to wanting to photograph the structure, he had also decided to buy it (for $2,000): “To save it from being discarded for scrap-metal parts.”
Hursley’s battered 1999 Ford Explorer is littered with empty cigarette packs and film packaging. Along with us is Hursley’s former assistant, Nathan Kirkman—Hursley wants Kirkman’s help setting up a surveillance camera to photograph and transmit images of the silo and the surrounding landscape on the Internet.
“On its face, this all does sound crazy,” says Hursley, who is wearing a faded green coat and has a neat goatee and ashen-white hair, “until you see the landscape that surrounds the silo.”
Hursley says that when he first spotted the silo, “It spoke to me.” To him, it is a piece of sculpture, and by capturing hundreds of thousands of images on a surveillance camera and broadcasting them on the Internet, he hopes to share the beauty of this “sculpture” with viewers who will never come to Greensboro, Alabama.
Yet, as we near the silo and park at a home nearby, the structure stands flaccid, broken in half by the weather and shadowing the landscape. It doesn’t look like much.
“It sort of reminds me,” Hursley says, “of something out of H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds.”
Hursley got his start back in suburban Detroit, where he grew up. His brother worked as an assistant for the Hungarian architectural photographer Balthazar Korab, and, as a teenager, Hursley raked the leaves in Korab’s yard, “but it ended up a photo apprenticeship. I developed an abstract style, which I took into architecture. My time with Korab—throughout most of the ’70s—those were my formative years.”
After moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1980, Hursley—whose brother, Greg, at one time was also an architectural photographer working in Arkansas—set up his photo studio, The Arkansas Office. But not everyone agreed with his decision to move South. “Korab told me I was leaving a prestigious studio for the boonies,” Hursley says. “But I’ve always held a deep gratitude for his mentorship and the window into the world of architecture and photography he provided.”
2012年3月6日 星期二
LED lights can save 1,600 MW
The replacement of conventional streetlights with that of light emitting diode (LED) lights across the country could save 1,600MW, suggests a presentation on LED technology to Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Based on the projections and returns, LED lighting project is not only financially viable, but also provides additional electricity to the national grid and is in the national interest, an official said on Monday.
The Capital Development Authority plans to replace 65,000 conventional streetlights in Islamabad with that of LED lights that would save over 50 percent energy, he said. According to the documents available with The News, the project would reduce the CDA's electricity bill by 50 percent.
At present, the annual bill of the CDA is around Rs1.2-Rs1.4 billion that continues to rise. The project was approved by the CDA Development Working Party comprising technical and financial experts.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) made a concept clearance to the project after getting a nod from the cabinet to take immediate measures for the conservation of energy in the prevailing difficult times of crisis, the official said.
In the backdrop of future energy crisis, the National Energy Conservation Centre , Ministry of Environment, in a letter dated January 12, 2010 advised the CDA to replace the conventional public lighting system with LED lights to reduce energy consumption.
The letter says, “We believe that the systems such as HID/LED lights can save approximately two megawatts plus electrical energy on an immediate basis in the CDA's streetlight load.”
With a total cost of Rs6.524 billion, the CDA would spent only Rs1.631 billion on the project, while the remaining amount would be borne through less debt financing in five to seven years, the money which would be saved through reducing the energy consumption in the city after installing LED lights, according to the letter.
The LED European technology will substantially save the replacement cost of conventional lighting, as at present, the existing lights are replaced after every one-and-a-half-year on an average.
The useful life of LEDs is 20 years . “No maintenance is required as the system is maintenance-free and environment-friendly. With the replacement of the existing conventional lights to LED lights, the cost of wiring in the new areas will be reduced by 60 percent due to reduced load and the line losses will be reduced because of the reduced flow of current. An inbuilt “Intelligent Lighting Control System” is present in this European technology, which saves over 70 percent of electricity,” the presentation suggested.
After installing the LED lights in the city, a stock of 65,000 conventional lights would be sold to Afghanistan and, in this regard, negotiations between the two countries are underway, an official said.
According to the documents, the project will also allow income from the sale of carbon credits, estimated approximately one million euros per annum, he said. LED lighting is a paradigm shift in the outdoor lighting industry.
Though there is a little criticism on the use of this new technology, the LED lighting is gradually getting global acceptance as most of the cities in America and Japan are shifting to LED system of lighting and saving 50 percent of the energy consumption.
“LED lights in Islamabad can serve as a model and can pave the way for introduction of the energy-efficient lights throughout Pakistan,” the official added.
Based on the projections and returns, LED lighting project is not only financially viable, but also provides additional electricity to the national grid and is in the national interest, an official said on Monday.
The Capital Development Authority plans to replace 65,000 conventional streetlights in Islamabad with that of LED lights that would save over 50 percent energy, he said. According to the documents available with The News, the project would reduce the CDA's electricity bill by 50 percent.
At present, the annual bill of the CDA is around Rs1.2-Rs1.4 billion that continues to rise. The project was approved by the CDA Development Working Party comprising technical and financial experts.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) made a concept clearance to the project after getting a nod from the cabinet to take immediate measures for the conservation of energy in the prevailing difficult times of crisis, the official said.
In the backdrop of future energy crisis, the National Energy Conservation Centre , Ministry of Environment, in a letter dated January 12, 2010 advised the CDA to replace the conventional public lighting system with LED lights to reduce energy consumption.
The letter says, “We believe that the systems such as HID/LED lights can save approximately two megawatts plus electrical energy on an immediate basis in the CDA's streetlight load.”
With a total cost of Rs6.524 billion, the CDA would spent only Rs1.631 billion on the project, while the remaining amount would be borne through less debt financing in five to seven years, the money which would be saved through reducing the energy consumption in the city after installing LED lights, according to the letter.
The LED European technology will substantially save the replacement cost of conventional lighting, as at present, the existing lights are replaced after every one-and-a-half-year on an average.
The useful life of LEDs is 20 years . “No maintenance is required as the system is maintenance-free and environment-friendly. With the replacement of the existing conventional lights to LED lights, the cost of wiring in the new areas will be reduced by 60 percent due to reduced load and the line losses will be reduced because of the reduced flow of current. An inbuilt “Intelligent Lighting Control System” is present in this European technology, which saves over 70 percent of electricity,” the presentation suggested.
After installing the LED lights in the city, a stock of 65,000 conventional lights would be sold to Afghanistan and, in this regard, negotiations between the two countries are underway, an official said.
According to the documents, the project will also allow income from the sale of carbon credits, estimated approximately one million euros per annum, he said. LED lighting is a paradigm shift in the outdoor lighting industry.
Though there is a little criticism on the use of this new technology, the LED lighting is gradually getting global acceptance as most of the cities in America and Japan are shifting to LED system of lighting and saving 50 percent of the energy consumption.
“LED lights in Islamabad can serve as a model and can pave the way for introduction of the energy-efficient lights throughout Pakistan,” the official added.
2012年3月5日 星期一
How Climate Change Could End Outdoor Hockey
I don’t usually watch hockey — with a job like this, you have to apply sports-watching triage, and Linsanity! — but I was looking forward to the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. The annual event is the only NHL game played outdoors in the cold, the way Gordie Howe intended it, and the 2012 match was set to be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where I’m from (as you can tell from this prescient piece of writing). The hometown Flyers were playing the hated New York Rangers, which promised on-ice fisticuffs and an entertainingly drunken crowd.
But the Winter Classic almost wasn’t. Unusually warm weather in Philadelphia — including patches of rain — left the ice a slushy mess. In the end, NHL officials had to delay the game until the late afternoon to ensure that temperatures would stay cold enough to keep the ice. The same problem happened the year before when the Winter Classic was played in Pittsburgh. Temperatures in Steeltown were in the 50s in the days leading up to the game, which had to be pushed back. And now a new study suggests that as the climate warms, outdoor hockey could become an endangered sport.
Researchers from McGill University and Concordia University in Canada studied historical weather data in the country going back to the 1950s. Using that information they calculated the beginning and end of what they called the outdoor-skating season (OSS) each year — the months when the temperature was consistently cold enough to support outdoor ice hockey.
Of the 142 weather stations they surveyed, the vast majority reported temperature data that meant the OSS was getting steadily shorter, with warmer winters and less time for outdoor hockey. They found that the biggest decrease in the skating season was occurring in the prairies and southwestern Canada. Extrapolating into the future, they estimated that outdoor hockey soon go extinct in warmer parts of the country like British Columbia and southern Alberta.
The loss of outdoor hockey might not seem like a big deal to Americans — after all, we usually think of hockey as an indoor sport, which is why there are American NHL teams in balmy cities like Phoenix. But outdoor hockey is a Canadian tradition, and nearly every Canadian NHL player has stories about playing outside as a kid. Said study co-author Damon Matthews in a statement:
Of course, the current Canadian government has made it very clear that it has little interest in participating in a global climate deal, and the country seems to be far more interested in growing its oil-sands industry than in reducing carbon emissions. If anything might make Prime Minister Stephen Harper — a huge puckhead — change his mind on climate policy, hockey might do the trick.
In the meantime, the NHL would be wise to restrict its Winter Classic games to real winter cities — like, say, Whitehorse in the Yukon territories, where the average January temperatures are –17.7°F. Although, in the end, the Philadelphia game turned out fine, with a light dusting of snow through the third period. The only drawback was the ending: Bad Guys 3, Good Guys 2.
But the Winter Classic almost wasn’t. Unusually warm weather in Philadelphia — including patches of rain — left the ice a slushy mess. In the end, NHL officials had to delay the game until the late afternoon to ensure that temperatures would stay cold enough to keep the ice. The same problem happened the year before when the Winter Classic was played in Pittsburgh. Temperatures in Steeltown were in the 50s in the days leading up to the game, which had to be pushed back. And now a new study suggests that as the climate warms, outdoor hockey could become an endangered sport.
Researchers from McGill University and Concordia University in Canada studied historical weather data in the country going back to the 1950s. Using that information they calculated the beginning and end of what they called the outdoor-skating season (OSS) each year — the months when the temperature was consistently cold enough to support outdoor ice hockey.
Of the 142 weather stations they surveyed, the vast majority reported temperature data that meant the OSS was getting steadily shorter, with warmer winters and less time for outdoor hockey. They found that the biggest decrease in the skating season was occurring in the prairies and southwestern Canada. Extrapolating into the future, they estimated that outdoor hockey soon go extinct in warmer parts of the country like British Columbia and southern Alberta.
The loss of outdoor hockey might not seem like a big deal to Americans — after all, we usually think of hockey as an indoor sport, which is why there are American NHL teams in balmy cities like Phoenix. But outdoor hockey is a Canadian tradition, and nearly every Canadian NHL player has stories about playing outside as a kid. Said study co-author Damon Matthews in a statement:
Of course, the current Canadian government has made it very clear that it has little interest in participating in a global climate deal, and the country seems to be far more interested in growing its oil-sands industry than in reducing carbon emissions. If anything might make Prime Minister Stephen Harper — a huge puckhead — change his mind on climate policy, hockey might do the trick.
In the meantime, the NHL would be wise to restrict its Winter Classic games to real winter cities — like, say, Whitehorse in the Yukon territories, where the average January temperatures are –17.7°F. Although, in the end, the Philadelphia game turned out fine, with a light dusting of snow through the third period. The only drawback was the ending: Bad Guys 3, Good Guys 2.
2012年3月4日 星期日
Henryville, regroups after tornado
As snowflakes fell on the ruined homes and businesses Sunday, many residents gathered in the parking lot of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
Few people have power, so they hunched around propane fueled heaters, drinking hot coffee and eating eggs scrambled on an outdoor grill.
Two days after his home was severely damaged by the tornado that devastated the town, trucker Charles Boughton was not bowed by the work ahead.
“We’ll be fine,” said Boughton, 43. “We’ll make it happen.”
The tornadoes that ripped across much of the Midwest and South on Friday killed an estimated 40 people in five states, 22 of them in Kentucky and 13 in Indiana, including a 15-month-old toddler who had survived the same tornado that killed her parents and two siblings, according to the Courier-Journal in Louisville. Angela Babcock had been found in a field near her southern Indiana home, and died Sunday afternoon of a traumatic brain injury, the Courier-Journal reports. The deaths also included three in Ohio and one each in Alabama and Georgia. Death numbers, however, fluctuated Sunday, and Kentucky Emergency Management was reporting 21 people died in that state. The National Weather Service said the four twisters in Kentucky were the worst in the region in 24 years. The most severe damage appeared centered in small towns in southern Indiana and eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian foothills.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear formally requested an expedited major disaster declaration, and that move will get assessment and assistance teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency into communities more quickly, Beshear said at a news conference in Frankfort, Ky., on Sunday.
The country’s freakishly warm weather may have played a role in this early-season tornado outbreak.
“This year’s unusually mild winter has led to ocean temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico that are approximately 1 degrees C (1.8 F) above average,” says meteorologist Jeff Masters of the Weather Underground. This places it among the top ten warmest values on record for this time of year, going back to the 1800s, he says.
The preliminary tornado count for this outbreak is 74, says Weather Channel tornado expert Greg Forbes. If the final number is higher, it would be a record for the month of March, Forbes says.
In Henryville, an EF-4 tornado — the second-highest on the Fujita scale that measures tornadic force — brought 175-mph winds and stayed on the ground for more than 50 miles.
Two days later, all the talk was of the future. And of rebuilding.
Andrew Moore, 46, said he lost an addition to his 1910 house. “Lost three cars, lost part of the house,” he said. “Got the family.”
Inside St. Francis during Sunday Mass, the only light came from candles on the altar and pale sunlight coming through stained glass windows. There was no power and no heat.
The congregation of about 150 people compared notes about damage to their homes, the safety of their families.
Margaret Short, 62, said it was important to pray together “because we’re a small community and this is our church and we have so much to be thankful for.”
Tears fell as she spoke of her own family’s scary moments Friday — her daughter took shelter in a closet — and the generosity of her neighbors and church family.
Gesturing at the pile of donated items, she said, “It’s not remarkable. This is normal in our community.”
Steve Schaftlein, the parish priest, described driving into town after the tornado. When he saw the intact cross atop the steeple, he said, he knew “we were still here, we had meaning, and we had purpose.”
In his sermon, he said, “We can choose how we are going to frame this experience. We can choose to begin anew.”
In Chelsea, about a 25-minute drive northeast of Henrysville, there was ample warning before “a bomb went off” that destroyed Annette Cartwright’s home and barn on Friday, she says.
A fire truck stopped outside the house to warn her mother-in-law, daughter and son-in-law, who were outside watching the approaching storm.
“They told them to get inside,” says Cartwright, 40, who was at work.
Local TV stations also were sounding alarms, she says. “They kept saying ‘this is really bad,’” she recalls. “The warnings saved three lives at my house.”
Chelsea, an unincorporated area that’s more a sprawling neighborhood than a town, has no warning sirens, Cartwright says, as do most nearby towns. “We can sometimes hear the ones in New Washington,” she says.
Word of the likelihood of bad weather had been on the news for a couple days, Cartwright says. “If you didn’t realize something was coming, there’s something wrong with you.”
Retiree Jim Gray, 62, who also lives in Chelsea, had enough warning to pick up his 6-year-old grandson from school Friday. The boy ended up in the basement of Gray’s home, which was not damaged.
“Everybody knew it was coming,” says Gray, who first heard about the potential for tornados on Wednesday. “They kept saying, ‘It’s going to be a bad one,’” he said.
The subject of the warning system came up during a Saturday evening National Weather Service briefing in Henryville, during which the agency’s Joe Sullivan called the advance notice of the storms “a great success of the entire warning program.”
Few people have power, so they hunched around propane fueled heaters, drinking hot coffee and eating eggs scrambled on an outdoor grill.
Two days after his home was severely damaged by the tornado that devastated the town, trucker Charles Boughton was not bowed by the work ahead.
“We’ll be fine,” said Boughton, 43. “We’ll make it happen.”
The tornadoes that ripped across much of the Midwest and South on Friday killed an estimated 40 people in five states, 22 of them in Kentucky and 13 in Indiana, including a 15-month-old toddler who had survived the same tornado that killed her parents and two siblings, according to the Courier-Journal in Louisville. Angela Babcock had been found in a field near her southern Indiana home, and died Sunday afternoon of a traumatic brain injury, the Courier-Journal reports. The deaths also included three in Ohio and one each in Alabama and Georgia. Death numbers, however, fluctuated Sunday, and Kentucky Emergency Management was reporting 21 people died in that state. The National Weather Service said the four twisters in Kentucky were the worst in the region in 24 years. The most severe damage appeared centered in small towns in southern Indiana and eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian foothills.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear formally requested an expedited major disaster declaration, and that move will get assessment and assistance teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency into communities more quickly, Beshear said at a news conference in Frankfort, Ky., on Sunday.
The country’s freakishly warm weather may have played a role in this early-season tornado outbreak.
“This year’s unusually mild winter has led to ocean temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico that are approximately 1 degrees C (1.8 F) above average,” says meteorologist Jeff Masters of the Weather Underground. This places it among the top ten warmest values on record for this time of year, going back to the 1800s, he says.
The preliminary tornado count for this outbreak is 74, says Weather Channel tornado expert Greg Forbes. If the final number is higher, it would be a record for the month of March, Forbes says.
In Henryville, an EF-4 tornado — the second-highest on the Fujita scale that measures tornadic force — brought 175-mph winds and stayed on the ground for more than 50 miles.
Two days later, all the talk was of the future. And of rebuilding.
Andrew Moore, 46, said he lost an addition to his 1910 house. “Lost three cars, lost part of the house,” he said. “Got the family.”
Inside St. Francis during Sunday Mass, the only light came from candles on the altar and pale sunlight coming through stained glass windows. There was no power and no heat.
The congregation of about 150 people compared notes about damage to their homes, the safety of their families.
Margaret Short, 62, said it was important to pray together “because we’re a small community and this is our church and we have so much to be thankful for.”
Tears fell as she spoke of her own family’s scary moments Friday — her daughter took shelter in a closet — and the generosity of her neighbors and church family.
Gesturing at the pile of donated items, she said, “It’s not remarkable. This is normal in our community.”
Steve Schaftlein, the parish priest, described driving into town after the tornado. When he saw the intact cross atop the steeple, he said, he knew “we were still here, we had meaning, and we had purpose.”
In his sermon, he said, “We can choose how we are going to frame this experience. We can choose to begin anew.”
In Chelsea, about a 25-minute drive northeast of Henrysville, there was ample warning before “a bomb went off” that destroyed Annette Cartwright’s home and barn on Friday, she says.
A fire truck stopped outside the house to warn her mother-in-law, daughter and son-in-law, who were outside watching the approaching storm.
“They told them to get inside,” says Cartwright, 40, who was at work.
Local TV stations also were sounding alarms, she says. “They kept saying ‘this is really bad,’” she recalls. “The warnings saved three lives at my house.”
Chelsea, an unincorporated area that’s more a sprawling neighborhood than a town, has no warning sirens, Cartwright says, as do most nearby towns. “We can sometimes hear the ones in New Washington,” she says.
Word of the likelihood of bad weather had been on the news for a couple days, Cartwright says. “If you didn’t realize something was coming, there’s something wrong with you.”
Retiree Jim Gray, 62, who also lives in Chelsea, had enough warning to pick up his 6-year-old grandson from school Friday. The boy ended up in the basement of Gray’s home, which was not damaged.
“Everybody knew it was coming,” says Gray, who first heard about the potential for tornados on Wednesday. “They kept saying, ‘It’s going to be a bad one,’” he said.
The subject of the warning system came up during a Saturday evening National Weather Service briefing in Henryville, during which the agency’s Joe Sullivan called the advance notice of the storms “a great success of the entire warning program.”
2012年3月1日 星期四
31st Annual Duquesne Light Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show
Park at Heinz Field lots on the North Shore for $6 - Ride the FREE continuous shuttles to the Show.
Suddenly it's Spring! The 31st annual Duquesne Light Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, March 2 - 11 at the Pittsburgh Convention Center Downtown, will present more than 1500 exhibits covering over 9 acres. During those ten days in March, hundreds of thousands of homeowners from across the tri-state will shop the region's most trusted marketplace, the largest home event in Pennsylvania.
John DeSantis, Executive Director of the Show, noted "Spring is just around the corner, and once again we've gathered everything for the home and garden in one place, at one time. Area homeowners know that this is the place to get ideas, to shop and compare, and to see what's new for their home. It's also the place to find the best products and services, the best expert advice, and the best prices."
The life journey of the beloved princess - mother, fashion icon, and humanitarian - is told through a carefully crafted presentation of her personal possessions, including a sampling of the royal dresses Diana chose to auction for charity. This professionally curated exhibit, in Pittsburgh for ten days only, features film, photos, personal objects, and panels explaining Diana's journey from childhood to Royal Princess to Global Humanitarian.
It may be a renovated bath, exterior remodeling, a new garage door, modifications for accessibility, or even alternative energy solar panels - one lucky visitor to the Home & Garden Show will win $50,000. worth of these improvements for their home!
Cutting edge technology meets culinary flair in this spectacular concept kitchen. Show visitors will stroll into a stunning collection of the latest kitchen appliances - multiple cooktops, ovens, refrigerators and more - all powered and operating. Popular local chefs provide tips and tastings, while putting all of this new equipment to the test. Much more than simply seeing the next level in kitchens, visitors will experience how these new devices work - and taste the results!
Homeowners in Western Pennsylvania have always been avid gardeners, whether they are tending a tiny backyard or a swath of rolling countryside. New at the 2012 Home & Garden Show is one central area where everyone from beginner to Master Gardener will find the answers, help, and advice that they need. Created by the horticultural programs at Bidwell Center, and drawing together garden and plant societies from across the region, this is the one-stop solution to every garden question.
It's August, and the kids are playing hockey on the ice rink in the back yard. That expanse of white ice doesn't melt a drop, because it's made of durable plastics instead of water. Show visitors of all ages are encouraged to lace up their ice skates , glide out onto our 2,000 square foot surface, and see for themselves that synthetic ice is just like the real thing - all year round!
Suddenly it's Spring! The 31st annual Duquesne Light Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, March 2 - 11 at the Pittsburgh Convention Center Downtown, will present more than 1500 exhibits covering over 9 acres. During those ten days in March, hundreds of thousands of homeowners from across the tri-state will shop the region's most trusted marketplace, the largest home event in Pennsylvania.
John DeSantis, Executive Director of the Show, noted "Spring is just around the corner, and once again we've gathered everything for the home and garden in one place, at one time. Area homeowners know that this is the place to get ideas, to shop and compare, and to see what's new for their home. It's also the place to find the best products and services, the best expert advice, and the best prices."
The life journey of the beloved princess - mother, fashion icon, and humanitarian - is told through a carefully crafted presentation of her personal possessions, including a sampling of the royal dresses Diana chose to auction for charity. This professionally curated exhibit, in Pittsburgh for ten days only, features film, photos, personal objects, and panels explaining Diana's journey from childhood to Royal Princess to Global Humanitarian.
It may be a renovated bath, exterior remodeling, a new garage door, modifications for accessibility, or even alternative energy solar panels - one lucky visitor to the Home & Garden Show will win $50,000. worth of these improvements for their home!
Cutting edge technology meets culinary flair in this spectacular concept kitchen. Show visitors will stroll into a stunning collection of the latest kitchen appliances - multiple cooktops, ovens, refrigerators and more - all powered and operating. Popular local chefs provide tips and tastings, while putting all of this new equipment to the test. Much more than simply seeing the next level in kitchens, visitors will experience how these new devices work - and taste the results!
Homeowners in Western Pennsylvania have always been avid gardeners, whether they are tending a tiny backyard or a swath of rolling countryside. New at the 2012 Home & Garden Show is one central area where everyone from beginner to Master Gardener will find the answers, help, and advice that they need. Created by the horticultural programs at Bidwell Center, and drawing together garden and plant societies from across the region, this is the one-stop solution to every garden question.
It's August, and the kids are playing hockey on the ice rink in the back yard. That expanse of white ice doesn't melt a drop, because it's made of durable plastics instead of water. Show visitors of all ages are encouraged to lace up their ice skates , glide out onto our 2,000 square foot surface, and see for themselves that synthetic ice is just like the real thing - all year round!
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