20150630 - black smokers

"Black Smokers" by Kathy Svitil

In the frigid depths far beneath the ocean surface, at the ridges where new crust is born, lies a landscape more alien than earthly. Here, strange long-necked barnacles, giant clams, and bizarre worms, their blood-red gills fanned out of bodies like bone-white tubes, clump beside towering spires of mineral. Nearby, sooty black clouds billow out from fissures in the seafloor, and organisms swim by, glowing with their own, otherworldly light.
The setting for this surreal scene is the submarine hydrothermal vents of Earth's mid-ocean spreading ridges. At the mid-ocean ridges, molten rock bubbles up from the mantle to the sea floor and cools to form new oceanic crust. Cold sea water percolates down through the fissures in these ridges, and many types of minerals -- like sulfur, copper, zinc, gold, and iron -- are transferred from the hot, new crust into the water.
 
The water, now rich with dissolved metals, is heated and then gushes back up through the cracks, forming hydrothermal vents. As the hot water -- which can reach temperatures of over 700 degrees Fahrenheit -- escapes from the vents and comes in contact with the near-freezing water of the ocean bottom, the metals quickly rain out of their solution. The result are surging clouds of particle-rich water called "black smokers," which often erupt out of tall chimneys of previously deposited solidified mineral.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/hellscrust/html/sidebar2.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrothermal_vent

20150629 - Greece and EU

Greece crisis: a disaster for Athens and a colossal failure for the EU

After three crises in as many days, the collective performance of the eurozones governments inspires little hope or confidence in their crisis management

Five years from its inception, the world’s biggest bailout of a sovereign state will grind to an excruciating halt on Tuesday, theoretically leaving Greece high and dry and on its own under a leftwing government bitterly accusing the EU elite of deliberately using the country as a neo-liberal laboratory.

If the experiment has been a disaster for Greece, it is also a colossal failure forEurope, with the result that at the very apex of leadership the EU nowadays resembles an unhappy assembly of squabbling politicians locked in what could not be called an “ever closer union”.

Take just the last few days. On Thursday leaders at a summit contemplated formally for the first time, however briefly, the prospect of Britain leaving the EU. By three o’clock on Friday morning they were all at one another’s throats in an unseemly quarrel over who should take part in accommodating a mere 40,000 refugees from Italy and Greece over two years, and on what terms. On Saturday, 18 governments of the eurozone cut Greece off and initiated a process that could end in pushing Athens out of the currency and perhaps out of the union.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/28/greece-crisis-disaster-athens-collosal-failure-eu

20150628 - ISS

Scientific research on the International Space Station is a collection of experiments that require one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit. The primary fields of research include human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences,astronomy and meteorology. The 2005 NASA Authorization Act designated the American segment of the International Space Station as a national laboratory with the goal of increasing the use of the ISS by other federal agencies and the private sector.

Research on the ISS improves knowledge about the effects of long-term space exposure on the human body. Subjects currently under study include muscle atrophy, bone loss, and fluid shift. The data will be used to determine whether space colonisation and lengthy human spaceflight are feasible. As of 2006, data on bone loss and muscular atrophy suggest that there would be a significant risk of fractures and movement problems if astronauts landed on a planet after a lengthy interplanetary cruise (such as the six-month journey time required tofly to Mars). Large scale medical studies are conducted aboard the ISS via the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). Prominent among these is the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity study in which astronauts (including former ISS Commanders Leroy Chiao and Gennady Padalka) perform ultrasound scans under the guidance of remote experts. The study considers the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions in space. Usually, there is no physician on board the ISS, and diagnosis of medical conditions is a challenge. It is anticipated that remotely guided ultrasound scans will have application on Earth in emergency and rural care situations where access to a trained physician is difficult.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_research_on_the_International_Space_Station

20150627 - maasvlakte 2

Maasvlakte 2 is the expansion of the port of Rotterdam. A new top European location for port activities and industry is being created immediately to the west of the present port and industrial area. When the construction of Maasvlakte 2 began in 2008, the sea there was 17 metres deep. Maasvlakte 2 existed on no map, except for the design drawings. Maasvlakte 2 will soon encompass 1,000 hectares net of industrial ground, located directly on deep water.

Expansion of the port

To stand still is to regress. This applies to the port of Rotterdam too. The port has already grown rapidly during recent decades. In order to meet increasing demand in the future also, and to maintain its leading role, the port must expand. If it fails to do so, there is a significant risk that shipping companies will pass it by in the future. With the construction of Maasvlakte 2, a high-grade location is being created in the heart of the European market, so that the port can continue to progress from 2013.

Sustainability

The future of the port does not, of course, depend solely on its position in the market. Quality of life and the environment are at least equally important. This is why sustainability is high on Maasvlakte 2's list: both during construction and in the selection of companies who wish to establish themselves there. So in this selection, more things than financial yield alone are considered. Environmental aspects too, such as the amount of air pollution, or how the transshipment of containers to the hinterland is organised, are taken into account. To summarise, customers who carry out their activities sustainably are expressly being sought for Maasvlakte 2.

 https://www.maasvlakte2.com/en/index/show/id/94/project

20150626 - teu

Twenty-foot equivalent unit

The twenty-foot equivalent unit (often TEU or teu) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals. It is based on the volume of a 20-foot-long (6.1 m) intermodal container, a standard-sized metal box which can be easily transferred between different modes of transportation, such as ships, trains and trucks.
There is a lack of standardisation in regard to height, ranging between 4 feet 3 inches (1.30 m) and 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m), with the most common height being 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m). Also, it is common to designate 45-foot (13.7 m) containers as 2 TEU, rather than 2.25 TEU.

Container shipping is different from conventional shipping because it uses 'containers' of various standard sizes - 20 foot (6.09 m), 40 foot (12.18 m) , 45 foot (13.7 m), 48 foot (14.6 m), and 53 foot (16.15 m) - to load, transport, and unload goods. As a result, containers can be moved seamlessly between ships, trucks and trains. The two most important, and most commonly used sizes today, are the 20-foot and 40-foot lengths. The 20-foot container, referred to as a Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) became the industry standard reference so now cargo volume and vessel capacity are commonly measured in TEU. The 40-foot length container - literally 2 TEU - became known as the Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (FEU) and is the most frequently used container today.
The container sizes need to be standardized so that the containers can be most efficiently stacked - literally, one on top of the other - and so that ships, trains, trucks and cranes at the ports can be specially fitted or built to a single size specification. This standardization now applies across the global industry, thanks to the work of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that in 1961, set standard sizes for all containers.
Proper loading or "stuffing" of containers is very important to the safety and stability of the containers and the ships, trucks and trains that transport the containers. In 2008, the World Shipping Council (WSC), together with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), published Transport of Containers by Sea - Industry Guidance for Shippers and Container Stuffers to aid those loading containers.
In 2010, WSC and ICS issued a joint statement calling on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to establish an international legal requirement that all loaded containers be weighed at the marine port facility before they are stowed aboard a vessel for export.
Containers are generally constructed of aluminum or steel with each container size and type built according to the same ISO specifications, regardless of where the container is manufactured.
Shipping containers are available in a variety of types in addition to the standard dry cargo container often referred to as "special" equipment. These special containers include open end, open side, open top, half-height, flat rack, refrigerated (known as "reefer"), liquid bulk (tank), and modular all built to same exterior lengths and widths as the standard dry cargo containers. Containers in the global container fleet equate to more than 34 million TEU.
Open tops are used for easy loading of cargo such as logs, machinery and odd sized goods. Flat racks can be used for boats, vehicles, machinery or industrial equipment. Open sides may be used for vegetables such as onions and potatoes. Tank containers transport many types of liquids such as chemicals, wine and vegetable oil.
Every container has its own unique unit number, often called a box number that can be used by ship captains, crews, coastguards, dock supervisors, customs officers and warehouse managers to identify who owns the container, who is using the container to ship goods and even track the container's whereabouts anywhere in the world.

 http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/containers
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-foot_equivalent_unit

20150625 - sea container

Impact of the sea container

In the old days, the loading and unloading of mixed cargo cost a great deal of time and money. This was all changed by the container: transport became a lot more affordable, the loading and unloading process took up less time and transporting the cargo became safer than ever.

The container was first used in the United States, in 1956. A decade later, the first container ship arrived in Rotterdam. Nowadays, over 90% of all goods worldwide are transported by container.

In the old days, the loading and unloading of mixed cargo cost a great deal of time and money. This was all changed by the container: transport became a lot more affordable, the loading and unloading process took up less time and transporting the cargo became safer than ever.

The container was first used in the United States, in 1956. A decade later, the first container ship arrived in Rotterdam. Nowadays, over 90% of all goods worldwide are transported by container. Containers primarily owe their success to the fact that they are easy to transfer and can be effortlessly moved by various modes of transport. Furthermore, virtually any product can be transported in a container.

https://www.maasvlakte2.com/en/index/show/id/671/impact-of-the-sea-container

20150624 - Arthur Holmes

Arthur Holmes FRS(14 January 1890 – 20 September 1965) was a British geologist who made two major contributions to the understanding of geology. He pioneered the use of radioactive dating of minerals and was the first earth scientist to grasp the mechanical and thermal implications of mantle convection, which led eventually to the acceptance of plate tectonics.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Arthur_Holmes

20150623 - minions

Minions is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated comedy film and a prequel/spin-off to Despicable Me (2010) and Despicable Me 2 (2013). Produced by Illumination Entertainment for Universal Pictures, the film was written by Brian Lynch, directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. The film stars Pierre Coffin (as the Minions), Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, and Geoffrey Rush. The film premiered on June 11, 2015, in London, United Kingdom, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 10, 2015.The film was first foreshadowed in the ending credits of Despicable Me 2, where Stuart, Kevin and Bob, three of the Minions, are seen auditioning for the film.


 ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minions_%28film%29}

20150620 - extinction

Sixth mass extinction is here: 

Humanity's existence threatened

Date: June 19, 2015

Source: Stanford University

There is no longer any doubt: We are entering a mass extinction that threatens humanity's existence.

That is the bad news at the center of a new study by a group of scientists including Paul Ehrlich, the Bing Professor of Population Studies in biology and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Ehrlich and his co-authors call for fast action to conserve threatened species, populations and habitat, but warn that the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.
"[The study] shows without any significant doubt that we are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event," Ehrlich said.
Although most well known for his positions on human population, Ehrlich has done extensive work on extinctions going back to his 1981 book, Extinction: The Causes and Consequences of the Disappearance of Species. He has long tied his work on coevolution, on racial, gender and economic justice, and on nuclear winter with the issue of wildlife populations and species loss.
There is general agreement among scientists that extinction rates have reached levels unparalleled since the dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. However, some have challenged the theory, believing earlier estimates rested on assumptions that overestimated the crisis.
The new study, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that even with extremely conservative estimates, species are disappearing up to about 100 times faster than the normal rate between mass extinctions, known as the background rate.
"If it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover, and our species itself would likely disappear early on," said lead author Gerardo Ceballos of the Universidad Autónoma de México.


 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150619152142.htm

20150619 - design derby

Design Derby - Netherlands - Belgium (1815-2015)

from June 20 2015 until September 13 2015

In this ‘design derby’ the design icons of the Netherlands and Belgium will face each other in an exciting confrontation. From the sumptuous and elegant Belgian Art Nouveau to the more austere Dutch version and from the contemporary traditional tours de force from Belgium to the level-headed Dutch Design of today. Who will be the winner of this match or will it end in a draw?

In the summer of 2015, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen will be staging a retrospective of Dutch and Belgian design over the past 200 years. Five hundred objects will be on show from the two neighbouring countries, varying from silver, glass, ceramics and posters to furniture, fashion and cars. The objects will be presented next to each other, in chronological order. At each moment of the time-line from 1815 to 2015, the visitor can see the most interesting items from the Netherlands and what Belgium, in turn, considered as exemplary at this juncture. After Rotterdam, the exhibition will, in the autumn of 2015, travel to the Design Museum in Ghent.

Berlage & Van de Velde

Belgian design is seen as craftsman-like, aesthetic, with the occasional surrealistic detail. For Dutch design, descriptions frequently mentioned include simple, sober and conceptual. How have the Netherlands and Belgium related to each other during the past 200 years in the field of design? What differences, for example, can be seen in the decorative and utility objects from the start of the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution in Belgium propelled the country forward, while this development would not take place in the Netherlands until 50 years later? And what did both countries use to compete with each other during international challenges such as the Art Deco exhibition in 1925? But similarities emerge just as frequently as differences, when the two neighbouring countries shared the same inspiration or when an unmistakeable exchange took place. Where names such as Berlage, the Bruynzeel kitchen and Philips set the tone in Dutch design history, these positions in Belgium were assumed by Henry Van de Velde, the Cubex kitchen and the household products of Nova and Kalorik. The comparison between the Netherlands and Belgium offers insight into the design history of these two neighbours, and at the same time allows people to look more closely at the development of design in their own country.



 http://www.boijmans.nl/en/7/calendar-exhibitions/calendaritem/1608/design-derby

20150618 - waterloo 1815

200 years after Waterloo

On June 18, 1815 the course of European history was changed when French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte found himself outmatched on the fields near Waterloo, Belgium. Britain's Duke of Wellington would become a celebrated hero and eventually Prime Minister, while Napoleon would retreat to Paris and soon after head into exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. It all came down to a cool day in June that began with heavy rains. By nightfall some 10 hours after it began, the battle was over, as was the French leader's 100-day comeback.
For 200 years the Battle of Waterloo has been debated time and time again. In part it has been argued that it was a battle Napoleon could have won, and even should have won. However, the modern thinking is that the battle actually might not have been as decisive as suggested.


http://www.nam.ac.uk/waterloo200/
https://www.waterloo2015.org/en/history
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/06/18/200-years-later-experts-seek-to-unearth-battle-waterloos-secrets/

November 1814

After Napoleon’s first abdication and his exile on the island of Elba, a European congress (including a representative of France)  comes together in Vienna to determine the fate of the territories reconquered from Napoleon I, sign a peace treaty, draw up national borders and try to establish a lasting, peaceful new order in Europe.
- See more at: https://www.waterloo2015.org/en/history#sthash.IV4PAEv7.dpuf

November 1814

After Napoleon’s first abdication and his exile on the island of Elba, a European congress (including a representative of France)  comes together in Vienna to determine the fate of the territories reconquered from Napoleon I, sign a peace treaty, draw up national borders and try to establish a lasting, peaceful new order in Europe.
- See more at: https://www.waterloo2015.org/en/history#sthash.IV4PAEv7.dpuf

20150617 - herbicide

Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells

Used in gardens, farms, and parks around the world, the weed killer Roundup contains an ingredient that can suffocate human cells in a laboratory, researchers say

By Crystal Gammon and Environmental Health News | June 23, 2009

Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells.
The new findings intensify a debate about so-called “inerts” — the solvents, preservatives, surfactants and other substances that manufacturers add to pesticides. Nearly 4,000 inert ingredients are approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, is the most widely used herbicide in the United States.  About 100 million pounds are applied to U.S. farms and lawns every year, according to the EPA.
Until now, most health studies have focused on the safety of glyphosate, rather than the mixture of ingredients found in Roundup. But in the new study, scientists found that Roundup’s inert ingredients amplified the toxic effect on human cells—even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns.
One specific inert ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, was more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself – a finding the researchers call “astonishing.”
“This clearly confirms that the [inert ingredients] in Roundup formulations are not inert,” wrote the study authors from France’s University of Caen. “Moreover, the proprietary mixtures available on the market could cause cell damage and even death [at the] residual levels” found on Roundup-treated crops, such as soybeans, alfalfa and corn, or lawns and gardens.
The research team suspects that Roundup might cause pregnancy problems by interfering with hormone production, possibly leading to abnormal fetal development, low birth weights or miscarriages.
Monsanto, Roundup’s manufacturer, contends that the methods used in the study don’t reflect realistic conditions and that their product, which has been sold since the 1970s, is safe when used as directed. Hundreds of studies over the past 35 years have addressed the safety of glyphosate.
“Roundup has one of the most extensive human health safety and environmental data packages of any pesticide that's out there,” said Monsanto spokesman John Combest. “It's used in public parks, it's used to protect schools. There's been a great deal of study on Roundup, and we're very proud of its performance.”


 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/

20150616 - geography

Welcome!
Can you point out Sudan on the map? How about the Strait of Hormuz? This website will bring you many entertaining and stimulating map games to improve your geographical knowledge. The quizzes include questions about countries, capitals, flags, regions, bodies of water, mountains, deserts, metropolitan areas and other topics that will test and challenge your brain. For everyone who wants to explore and learn about the world, you've come to the right place!

All countries of the world?
All 193 members of the United Nations (UN) are included in the quizzes. Added to these lists are Taiwan, Kosovo and Vatican City. Not-sovereign nations and territories - e.g. Greenland and Puerto Rico - are not included. Russia is added to the quizzes about Europe and Asia.


http://world-geography-games.com/

20150615 - philae

The Philae Comet Lander Has Awoken From Hibernation

By Lisa Raffensperger | June 14, 2015 11:09 am

It was a thoroughly modern announcement: before a blog post or a news conference there was the tweet. The Philae lander on Comet 67P tweeted the message, “Hello Earth! Can you hear me?” at 5:30am EDT today by way of announcing that the months of wait were over, and the lander had resumed operation.
Scientists have been trying to regain contact with Philae since mid-March, listening for signals via the orbiting Rosetta spacecraft. Now the hope is that the lander will make contact again and scientists can download some of the data it has been collecting in the meantime.
After not quite sticking the landing on its 4 billion-mile journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko last November, the Philae lander managed to complete its primary science mission in just 64 hours before losing power. It conducted all the planned experiments and sent the data to Earth, including the first images ever taken from a comet’s surface.
The lander lost power because its solar panels were lying in shadow, but the hope was that the obstructions might melt as the comet neared the sun, allowing Philae to return to life.
Today scientists confirmed that for 85 seconds yesterday Philae “spoke” with its team on ground, in the first contact since going into hibernation in November.


 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2015/06/14/philae-comet-awoken/#.VX7vAVKvbEQ

20150614 - science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginative content such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. It usually eschews the supernatural, and unlike the related genre of fantasy, its imaginary elements are largely plausible within the scientifically established context of the story. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a "literature of ideas."

 https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Science_fiction

20150613 - Nijntje/Miffy

Miffy (Dutch: Nijntje, is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. The original Dutch name, Nijntje, is a shortening of the diminutive konijntje, "little rabbit".
The first Miffy book was produced in 1955, and almost 30 others have followed. In total they have sold over 85 million copies, and led to two separate television series as well as items such as clothes and toys featuring the character. A feature-length film, Miffy the Movie, was released in 2012.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miffy

20150512 - tidal energy

Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy.

During the 20th century, engineers developed ways to use tidal movement to generate electricity in areas where there is a significant tidal range—the difference in area between high tide and low tide. All methods use special generators to convert tidal energy into electricity.

Tidal energy production is still in its infancy. The amount of power produced so far has been small. There are very few commercial-sized tidal power plants operating in the world. The first was located in La Rance, France. The largest facility is the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea. The United States has no tidal plants and only a few sites where tidal energy could be produced at a reasonable price. China, France, England, Canada, and Russia have much more potential to use this type of energy.

 In the United States, there are legal concerns about underwater land ownership and environmental impact. Investors are not enthusiastic about tidal energy because there is not a strong guarantee that it will make money or benefit consumers. Engineers are working to improve the technology of tidal energy generators to increase the amount of energy they produce, to decrease their impact on the environment, and to find a way to earn a profit for energy companies.

 http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/tidal-energy/?ar_a=1

20150611 - hydropower

Hydropower or water power (from the Greek: ύδρω, "water" ) is power derived from the energy of falling water or running water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower from many kinds of watermills has been used as arenewable energy source for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as gristmills, sawmills, textile mills,trip hammers, dock cranes, domestic lifts, and ore mills. A trompe, which produces compressed air from falling water, is sometimes used to power other machinery at a distance.

In the late 19th century, hydropower became a source for generating electricity. The first hydroelectric power plant was built at Niagara Falls in 1879. In 1881, street lamps in the city of Niagara Falls were powered by hydropower.

Since the early 20th century, the term has been used almost exclusively in conjunction with the modern development ofhydroelectric power. International institutions such as the World Bank view hydropower as a means for economic developmentwithout adding substantial amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, but in some cases dams cause significant social orenvironmental issues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropower

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for 16 percent of global electricity generation – 3,427 terawatt-hours of electricity production in 2010, and is expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years.

Hydropower is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generating 32 percent of global hydropower in 2010.China is the largest hydroelectricity producer, with 721 terawatt-hours of production in 2010, representing around 17 percent of domestic electricity use.

The cost of hydroelectricity is relatively low, making it a competitive source of renewable electricity. The average cost of electricity from a hydro station larger than 10 megawatts is 3 to 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.^[1] It is also a flexible source of electricity since the amount produced by the station can be changed up or down very quickly to adapt to changing energy demands. However, damming interrupts the flow of rivers and can harm local ecosystems, and building large dams and reservoirs often involves displacing people and wildlife.^[1] Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, the project produces no direct waste, and has a considerably lower output level of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) than fossil fuel powered energy plants.

20150610 - cartoon

20150609 - wind energy

Wind energy in Holland

Wind energy has been used in Holland since the inception of the country. Windmills have harnessed the power of the wind to drain the wetlands, saw logs for building, grind grain for food, and many other industrial purposes. This has not changed as time progressed, though the type of wind power used has certainly changed. No longer large wooden or stone windmills but modern wind turbines spin to create the electricity that a modern country like Holland needs.

How much energy are we talking about here?

Wind power in Holland is seen as a renewable energy source. From the early windmills that provided an alternative to the water-powered mills of the time to the modern era where wind power is being harnessed both on and off shore, Holland is a leader in the field. Onshore wind turbines in Holland, especially in the north, were generating almost 2000 megawatts in 2009. Offshore, two windfarms have been generating about 250 megawatts. To compare, a typical coal power station can produce between 600 and 700 megawatts.

From long ago to today

Holland is the place to experience wind power first hand. With over 1000 historic windmills and many modern wind turbines throughout the country, it's the place to explore both the history of wind power and where the field is going. Although the new windmills are very sustainable, the old ones keep such a romantic and nostalgic touch that in Schiedam, where five historic windmills still stand, a new wind turbine was disguised to look like one of the historic mills.

 http://www.holland.com/us/tourism/article/wind-energy-in-holland.htm

 http://www.offshorewind.biz/2014/04/10/workshop-on-new-wind-farm-software-to-be-held-in-den-helder/

20150608 - solar energy

Solar Energy Facts

The consumption of non-renewable sources like oil, gas and coal is increasing at an alarming rate. The time has finally come to look after some other renewable sources of energy i.e. solar, wind and geothermal energy. Although many countries have started utilizing solar energy extensively but still they have to go a long way to exploit this energy to fulfill their daily demand for energy. Here are few facts on solar energy that can help you assess the potential of solar energy to meet global requirements.


 http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-solar-energy-facts.php

20150607 - multiculturalism

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism refers to the evolution of cultural diversity within a jurisdiction, introduced by its selection policies and institutionalized by its settlement policies.
As a descriptive term, multiculturalism refers to the selection policies that formed the demography of a specific place. This may have come about endogenously through the conjunction of two or more ethnic groups into one jurisdiction (e.g. Quebec and Canada) or exogenously through immigration from different jurisdictions around the world (e.g. Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and many other countries).
As a prescriptive term, multiculturalism refers to one type of settlement policy that promotes the institutionalization of cultural diversity. This is often contrasted to other settlement policies such as social integration, cultural assimilation and racial segregation. Multiculturalism has been described as a "salad bowl" or "cultural mosaic" rather than a "melting pot".
Multicultural ideologies or policies vary widely, ranging from the advocacy of equal respect to the various cultures in a society, to a policy of promoting the maintenance of cultural diversity, to policies in which people of various ethnic and religious groups are addressed by the authorities as defined by the group to which they belong.
Two main different and seemingly inconsistent strategies have developed through different government policies and strategies. The first focuses on interaction and communication between different cultures. Interactions of cultures provide opportunities for the cultural differences to communicate and interact to create multiculturalism; this approach is also often known as interculturalism. The second centers on diversity and cultural uniqueness which can sometimes result in intercultural competition.^{[citation needed]} Cultural isolation can protect the uniqueness of the local culture of a nation or area and also contribute to global cultural diversity. A common aspect of many policies following the second approach is that they avoid presenting any specific ethnic, religious, or cultural community values as central.



 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiculturalism

20150605 - honeybee

Honeybees are flying insects, and close relatives of wasps and ants. They are found on every continent on earth, except for Antarctica.

Bees of all varieties live on nectar and pollen. Without bees, pollination would be difficult and time consuming - it is estimated that one-third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination. Bees have a long, straw-like tongue called a probiscus that allows them to drink the nectar from deep within blossoms. Bees are also equipped with two wings, two antennae, and three segmented body parts (the head, the thorax, and the abdomen).  Honeybees are social insects that live in colonies.  The hive population consists of a single queen, a few hundred drones, and thousands of worker bees.

The honeybees we know and love here at Honeybee Centre forage for nectar and pollen from flowering plants.  They use the nectar collected  to create our favourite sweet treat - honey!  When carrying the nectar back to the hive, their bodies break down the complex sucrose of the nectar into two simple sugars, fructose and glucose. Tucking it neatly into a honeycomb cell, the bees will then beat their wings furiously over top of this syrupy sweet liquid to fan out the moisture and thicken the substance. When it is complete, the bees will cap that cell with beeswax, sealing the perfected honey for consumption later on.


 http://www.honeybeecentre.com/learn-about-honeybees#.VXHrDlKvbEQ
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bee
 http://www.orkin.com/stinging-pests/bees/honey-bees/

www.beesonline.nl

20150604 - apple