New material harvests energy from water vapor

Jan. 10, 2013 ? MIT engineers have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing on a ubiquitous source: water vapor.

The new material changes its shape after absorbing tiny amounts of evaporated water, allowing it to repeatedly curl up and down. Harnessing this continuous motion could drive robotic limbs or generate enough electricity to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices, such as environmental sensors.

"With a sensor powered by a battery, you have to replace it periodically. If you have this device, you can harvest energy from the environment so you don't have to replace it very often," says Mingming Ma, a postdoc at MIT's David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and lead author of a paper describing the new material in the Jan. 11 issue of Science.

"We are very excited about this new material, and we expect as we achieve higher efficiency in converting mechanical energy into electricity, this material will find even broader applications," says Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT and senior author of the paper. Those potential applications include large-scale, water-vapor-powered generators, or smaller generators to power wearable electronics.

Other authors of the Science paper are Koch Institute postdoc Liang Guo and Daniel Anderson, the Samuel A. Goldblith Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and a member of the Koch Institute and MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science.

Harvesting energy

The new film is made from an interlocking network of two different polymers. One of the polymers, polypyrrole, forms a hard but flexible matrix that provides structural support. The other polymer, polyol-borate, is a soft gel that swells when it absorbs water.

Previous efforts to make water-responsive films have used only polypyrrole, which shows a much weaker response on its own. "By incorporating the two different kinds of polymers, you can generate a much bigger displacement, as well as a stronger force," Guo says.

The film harvests energy found in the water gradient between dry and water-rich environments. When the 20-micrometer-thick film lies on a surface that contains even a small amount of moisture, the bottom layer absorbs evaporated water, forcing the film to curl away from the surface. Once the bottom of the film is exposed to air, it quickly releases the moisture, somersaults forward, and starts to curl up again. As this cycle is repeated, the continuous motion converts the chemical energy of the water gradient into mechanical energy.

Such films could act as either actuators (a type of motor) or generators. As an actuator, the material can be surprisingly powerful: The researchers demonstrated that a 25-milligram film can lift a load of glass slides 380 times its own weight, or transport a load of silver wires 10 times its own weight, by working as a potent water-powered "mini tractor." Using only water as an energy source, this film could replace the electricity-powered actuators now used to control small robotic limbs.

"It doesn't need a lot of water," Ma says. "A very small amount of moisture would be enough."

A key advantage of the new film is that it doesn't require manipulation of environmental conditions, as do actuators that respond to changes in temperature or acidity, says Ryan Hayward, an associate professor of polymer science and engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

"What's really impressive about this work is that they were able to figure out a scheme where a gradient in humidity would cause the polymer to cyclically roll up, flip over and roll in the other direction, and were able to harness that energy to do work," says Hayward, who was not part of the research team.

Generating electricity

The mechanical energy generated by the material can also be converted into electricity by coupling the polymer film with a piezoelectric material, which converts mechanical stress to an electric charge. This system can generate an average power of 5.6 nanowatts, which can be stored in capacitors to power ultra-low-power microelectronic devices, such as temperature and humidity sensors.

If used to generate electricity on a larger scale, the film could harvest energy from the environment -- for example, while placed above a lake or river. Or, it could be attached to clothing, where the mere evaporation of sweat could fuel devices such as physiological monitoring sensors. "You could be running or exercising and generating power," Guo says.

On a smaller scale, the film could power microelectricalmechanical systems (MEMS), including environmental sensors, or even smaller devices, such as nanoelectronics. The researchers are now working to improve the efficiency of the conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy, which could allow smaller films to power larger devices.

The research was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology, the National Cancer Institute, and the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The original article was written by Anne Trafton.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Mingming Ma, Liang Guo, Daniel G. Anderson, Robert Langer. Bio-Inspired Polymer Composite Actuator and Generator Driven by Water Gradients. Science, 11 January 2013: Vol. 339 no. 6116 pp. 186-189 DOI: 10.1126/science.1230262

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electronics/~3/yy_rdoZywVw/130110142127.htm

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Synthetic stool can cure C. difficile infection, study suggests

Jan. 8, 2013 ? A synthetic "poop" developed at the University of Guelph can cure nasty gastrointestinal infections caused by Clostridium difficile, a toxin-producing bacterium.

A study on the artificial stool was published January 8 in the inaugural issue of Microbiome, a new peer-reviewed science journal.

The stool -- a "super-probiotic" called RePOOPulate -- was created by Guelph microbiologist Emma Allen-Vercoe to replace human fecal matter used in stool transplants, a known treatment for C. difficile.

She made the super-probiotic from purified intestinal bacterial cultures grown in "Robo-gut" equipment in a Guelph laboratory that mimics the environment of the large intestine.

Besides offering an effective therapy against the deadly superbug, the artificial poop is safer, more stable and adaptable, and less "icky" than treatments for C. difficile infection such as fecal bacteriotherapy, the study said.

"It's an exciting finding," said Allen-Vercoe, a professor in Guelph's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

She worked on the project with lead researchers Dr. Elaine Petrof, an infectious disease specialist at Kingston General Hospital and a professor at Queen's University, and Gregory Gloor, a biochemistry professor at the University of Western Ontario. Guelph pathobiology professor Scott Weese and researcher Michelle Daigneault were also involved.

C. difficile can overpopulate the colon when antibiotics kill healthy gut bacteria. C. difficile infection causes many gastrointestinal problems, including severe diarrhea, and often leads to outbreaks in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Few treatments exist for people with recurring C. difficile infections. Stool transplants are among the more effective therapies, but human fecal matter may contain unknown pathogens, Allen-Vercoe said. "That puts people at risk for future disease."

Stool transplants are also limited by lack of acceptance among patients and health-care facilities and lack of standardized treatment regimens.

Using synthetic poop for transplants eliminates the risk of transmitting an infectious disease through fecal bacteria because "the exact composition of the bacteria administered is known and can be controlled," Allen-Vercoe said.

The method may be modified to suit individual patient needs, is easily reproduced, and is more appealing to many patients and physicians, she said.

The researchers tested RePOOPulate on two patients with chronic C. difficile infections who had previously failed to respond to several rounds of antibiotics. After treatment with the synthetic poop, both were symptom-free within three days and tested negative for C. difficile six months later.

As well, later microbial profiles of both patients showed that some features of the synthetic stool stabilized in their colons. "In other words, the introduced microbes were able to persist," Allen-Vercoe said. "This is important because most commercially available probiotics only colonize transiently."

Allen-Vercoe hopes doctors will one day use the RePOOPulate concept to treat other GI conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and even autism by replacing abnormal gut microbial ecosystems.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/ahuQLTAk2-I/130108201651.htm

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David R. Ellis Dies; Director was 60

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/david-r-ellis-dies-director-was-60/

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CIA officials invisible at Washington premiere of bin Laden film

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There were journalists in droves, glasses of wine proffered by waiters and hors d'oeuvres devised by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck at the Washington premiere of a movie about the CIA, but prominent agency officials were nowhere to be seen.

Although official records show the spy agency cooperated generously with the makers of "Zero Dark Thirty," which dramatizes the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden, the movie's graphic depictions of torture have made it a political hot potato of the kind Washington thrives on but which mystifies Hollywood.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, is among those attacking the film, which in its opening scenes suggests the interrogation methods produced information that helped the CIA find bin Laden.

Feinstein's committee has launched a review of CIA dealings with the film's director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal.

Introducing the film on Tuesday evening, Bigelow said the Capitol Hill criticism was, "First of all...surprising, but I also respect their opinions and I think that unfortunately the film was kind of mischaracterized."

Boal mused about the fuss over a movie that has not even opened yet in theaters nationwide and noted the movie makes clear that many different intelligence-gathering methods led to the discovery of bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Outside the premiere, at Washington's Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue between Capitol Hill and the White House, a line of protesters dressed as detainees in orange jumpsuits and black hoods, held signs denouncing torture.

"Zero Dark Thirty" is not unkind to the CIA: it shows the extraordinary lengths operatives and analysts went to find the al Qaeda chief, with several dying during the manhunt.

A person close to the filmmakers confirmed that invitations to the screening had been sent to CIA officials but it was not apparent that any had attended.

The CIA had no immediate comment.

The absence of identifiable CIA officials at the event contrasted sharply with the audience at a Washington screening in October of "Argo," which depicts how agency operatives and Canadian diplomats smuggled a group of U.S. diplomats out of Tehran during the 1979-1981 Iran hostage crisis.

The Argo premier was attended by then CIA director David Petraeus, his deputy (and current acting CIA chief) Michael Morell as well as other senior intelligence officials. Pictures of Petraeus with the actor Bryan Cranston are posted on the Internet.

One U.S. official familiar with the matter said because of the political heat surrounding "Zero Dark Thirty," intelligence officials who were invited probably opted to stay home.

"Given all the political nonsense surrounding the movie, folks likely decided to wait for it to come out on cable on-demand," the official said.

The CIA wasn't always so stand-offish toward the movie.

Agency documents released to the conservative group Judicial Watch showed that senior officials at both the CIA and the Pentagon, including Morell and Michael Vickers, now the Pentagon's intelligence chief, met with Bigelow and Boal while they were developing the film.

Of course, no one can say there were no spies in the audience on Tuesday night. They could have been under cover.

(Editing by Warren Strobel and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cia-officials-invisible-washington-premiere-bin-laden-film-021240692.html

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Alcoa earnings as expected, revenue tops forecasts

NEW YORK (AP) ? Alcoa Inc. on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter earnings that met Wall Street's expectations, and the company said it expects slightly higher demand for aluminum this year.

The sluggish global economy has weakened prices for aluminum used in everything from airplanes to soda cans.

But Alcoa forecast demand growing 7 percent in 2013, up from a 6 percent gain in 2012. It sees the best prospects in aerospace but slower improvement in demand for autos, packaging, and building and construction materials.

Separately, the company announced that Chief Financial Officer Charles D. McLane Jr., 59, will retire and be replaced by William F. Oplinger, the chief operating officer of Alcoa's primary-products business unit. The change will happen April 1.

Oplinger, 45, joined Alcoa in 2000 and has held several finance and planning jobs. He is on the executive council, which plots company strategy.

In the fourth quarter, Alcoa's net income was $242 million, or 21 cents per share. That includes one-time gains like income from selling a hydroelectric project on the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

Without those gains, the company would have made 6 cents per share ? exactly what analysts expected, according to FactSet ? on revenue of $5.90 billion. Sales were higher than the $5.58 billion that analysts predicted.

A year ago, the company posted a fourth-quarter loss of $191 million, or 18 cents per share, on revenue of $5.99 billion, and a loss after special items of 3 cents per share.

The company said it hit record profits in its aluminum-rolling and product-making businesses while cutting costs in its mining and refining or "upstream" segment.

Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said the company overcame volatile aluminum prices and global economic weakness and was in "strong position to maximize profitable growth" in 2013.

Kleinfeld said aerospace sales were helped by aircraft-order backlogs at Airbus and Boeing, plus improved profits at the world's airlines.

The price that Alcoa received for aluminum fell 2 percent from a year ago but rose nearly 5 percent from the third quarter. Shipments were flat from a year ago.

The low prices were a factor in the announcement last month by Moody's Investor Service that it could downgrade Alcoa's credit rating to junk status. Alcoa has been trying to reduce debt to keep its investment-grade rating. In the fourth quarter, it cut spending by 12 percent to $6.23 billion.

Alcoa is the first company in the Dow Jones industrial average to report fourth-quarter earnings. Because it makes aluminum for so many key industries, investors study Alcoa's results for clues about the health and direction of the overall economy.

Alcoa shares ended regular trading where they began, unchanged at $9.10. In after-hours trading following the earnings report, the stock rose 8 cents to $9.18.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alcoa-earnings-expected-revenue-tops-forecasts-212422061--finance.html

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Proper planning for business rescue could save ailing construction ...

on January 8, 2013 at 11:43 am /

Tunga Changamire, claims and risk management executive at PCBS

A surge in construction companies ailing from a post-World Cup slump, has led to a dramatic increase in liquidations and highlighted the need for comprehensive business rescue plans in the industry.

A release from Statistics South Africa during October last year indicates that the total number of liquidations and insolvencies within the construction industry has nearly doubled from August to September 2012.

According to specialist guarantee construction underwriting management agency, Performance and Customs Bond Services (PCBS), the increase in liquidations can largely be attributed to many financially ailing construction companies applying for business rescue under the new Companies Act without proper planning before lodging their application.

PCBS?s claims and risk management executive, Tunga Changamire, says that many companies appoint business rescue practitioners with no pre-determined rescue plan in place, relying solely on the appointed business rescue practitioner to rescue or rehabilitate the company from financial duress.

?Essentially, the business rescue practitioner is coming in blind with no prior knowledge of the company?s financials and very often without valuable industry-specific knowledge. The problem is compounded by extremely tight time constraints, with the practitioner assigned a mere 21 working days to find a workable solution, or the company will be forced to go forward with official liquidation proceedings,? says Changamire.

Because the power to appoint a business rescue practitioner falls to the company?s board of directors, companies need to carefully consider who they assign the role to, and ensure that an agreed upon rescue plan is put in place prior to applying for business rescue. ?This will allow the practitioner to step-in and make decisions quickly and accurately,? he adds.

?Unfortunately, it is often a case of companies operating in complete panic mode due to the external pressures from creditors and shareholders. This often sees potentially financially viable companies with a realistic chance of continuing on a solvent basis making rash decisions, which ultimately leads to their demise.?

With an increase in construction companies applying for business rescue, this has brought about a new dimension to guarantee businesses operating in the sector. ?As part of the business rescue process, guarantors are increasingly replacing financially stressed companies with reputable alternatives in an effort to salvage contracts.?

While the replacement process offers companies the opportunity to minimise financial damage, many are unwilling to release contractual information until it?s too late. All guarantors require speedy and detailed access to the relevant information if they are to stand any chance of easing financial pressure through contract replacement.

Although the business rescue process is relatively new within the local context and still being tested, Changamire predicts a growth surge in construction companies opting for business rescue over the next five years. ?There?s no question that business rescue is a good option. However, it is essential that the company in question operates with transparency during the process and that careful planning takes place before the application is filed. After all, everyone stands to lose if liquidation goes ahead,? he concludes.

Look out for our January 2013 issue, where we chat to PCBS, as well as Lombard, Policy Provider and others, about the potential of performance bonds to mitigate the risks associated with the liquidation of construction companies.

Source: http://www.risksa.com/proper-planning-for-business-rescue-could-save-ailing-construction-industry/

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Congress members seek investigation of Shell barge

A salvage team moves an emergency towing system across the deck of petroleum drilling ship Kulluk in this photo made Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, and provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

A salvage team moves an emergency towing system across the deck of petroleum drilling ship Kulluk in this photo made Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, and provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

This aerial image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. No leak has been seen from the drilling ship that grounded off the island during a storm, officials said, as opponents criticized the growing race to explore the Arctic for energy resources. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

Coast Guard Capt. Paul Mehler briefs reporters on the status of salvage operations for the Shell drill ship Kulluk at a press conference in the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012, in Anchorage, Alaska. The drill ship ran aground on Monday, Dec. 31, off Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

Royal Dutch Shell PLC incident commander Sean Churchfield briefs reporters on the status of salvage operations for the Shell drill ship Kulluk at a news conference in the Dena?ina Civic and Convention Center on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012, in Anchorage, Alaska. The drill ship ran aground on Monday, Dec. 31, off Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? Members of Congress are calling for an investigation of Royal Dutch Shell PLC's Arctic offshore drilling operations as salvagers develop plans to move a company drill ship off rocks near an Alaska island, where it ran aground in a fierce year end storm.

Shell incident commander Sean Churchfield said Thursday that the first salvage crew on board the Kulluk, a 266-foot diameter barge with a 160-foot derrick, reported back with details that will be used to begin planning. He would not speculate on when a salvage report might be ready.

"There is still a lot of work to do to bring a safe conclusion to this incident," he said.

The vessel is upright and stable, with no indication of a fuel leak, Churchfield said.

The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, meanwhile, said in a statement that the New Year's Eve grounding should trigger a look at Shell's entire Arctic Ocean drilling operation by the Interior Department and the Coast Guard.

The coalition is made up of 45 House Democrats.

"The recent grounding of Shell's Kulluk oil rig amplifies the risks of drilling in the Arctic," they said in a joint statement. "This is the latest in a series of alarming blunders, including the near-grounding of another of Shell's Arctic drilling rigs, the 47-year-old Noble Discoverer, in Dutch Harbor and the failure of its blowout containment dome, the Arctic Challenger, in lake-like conditions."

The coalition believes these "serious incidents" warrant thorough investigation, the statement said.

Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith said in an email that the company is in full support of, and is providing resources for, the investigation of the grounding by the Unified Incident Command, made up of federal, state and company representatives. Smith said the findings will be available to the public.

The Kulluk is a non-propelled vessel with a reinforced funnel-shaped hull designed to operate in ice. It is carrying more than 140,000 gallons of diesel and about 12,000 gallons of lube oil and hydraulic fluid. It drilled during the short open-water season last year in the Beaufort Sea.

A 360-foot anchor handler, the Aiviq, was towing the Kulluk from Dutch Harbor to Seattle last week for maintenance and upgrades when the tow line snapped south of Kodiak. Lines were reattached at least four times but could not be maintained. A lone tugboat still attached Monday night in a vicious storm couldn't control the vessel and cut it loose as it neared land.

After the grounding, critics quickly asserted it has foreshadowed what will happen north of the Bering Strait if drilling is allowed.

Environmentalists for years have said conditions are too harsh and the stakes too high to allow industrial development in the Arctic, where drilling sites are 1,000 miles or more from the closest Coast Guard base.

Two national organizations kept up the criticism Thursday by calling for a halt to all permitting for Arctic offshore drilling in the wake of the grounding.

"This string of mishaps by Shell makes it crystal clear that we are not ready to drill in the Arctic," said Chuck Clusen of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Shell is not Arctic-ready. We have lost all faith in Shell, and they certainly don't have any credibility left."

Lois Epstein, a civil engineer who works for The Wilderness Society in Anchorage, said Shell has made troubling, non-precautionary decisions that put workers and the Coast Guard at risk.

"These ongoing technical and decision-making problems and their enormous associated costs and risks taken by our military personnel once there were problems should lead the federal government to reassess its previous permitting decisions regarding Shell," Epstein said.

Shell has maintained it has taken a heads-up approach to anticipating and reacting to problems.

Shell officials say the Kulluk had been towed more than 4,000 miles and has experienced similar storm conditions. Shell staged additional towing vessels along the route in case problems occurred, said Smith, the Shell spokesman.

"We know how to work in regions like this," Smith said. "Having said that, when flawless execution does not happen, you learn from it, and we will."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-01-04-Shell-Arctic%20Drill%20Ship/id-5c37882b44ce416ca0965d0df83d3218

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APNewsBreak: $5M paid Iraqis over Abu Ghraib abuse (The Arizona Republic)

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Epson adds the Home Cinema 750HD to its line of home theater projectors, ships in March for $899

Looking to finally convert that guest bedroom into an in-home movie theater this spring? If so, you're in luck as Epson has announced the 3LCD Powerlite Home Cinema 750HD projector here at CES 2013. The home theater unit offers 2D and 3D 720p capabilities for viewing at up to 120 inches or larger. Touting up to 3,000 lumens of both color and white brightness, the 750HD sports Bright 3D Drive tech and Easy-Slide image correction to power viewing sessions from DVD / Blu-ray players, cable boxes, gaming consoles, PC, Apple devices and smartphones -- without the need for an additional format converter. Of course, HDMI and USB connections are here as well alongside five color modes for adapting the picture to each viewing environment. Epson's RF 3D glasses are also along for the ride that boasts 40 hours of viewing or up to three hours after a three-minute quick charge. The Home Cinema 750HD is set to arrive in March, hitting wallets up for $899 in order to procure one.

Continue reading Epson adds the Home Cinema 750HD to its line of home theater projectors, ships in March for $899

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/epson-3lcd-powerlite-home-cinema-750hd-to-its-line-of-h/

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Weekly Climate and Energy News Roundup | Watts Up With That?

The Week That Was: 2013-01-05 (January 5, 2013) Brought to You by SEPP (www.SEPP.org) The Science and Environmental Policy Project

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Quote of the Week: It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (1907-1988)

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Number of the Week: A 10 percent certainty of 10,000,000 is equal to a 100 percent certainty of 1,000,000.

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THIS WEEK:

By Ken Haapala, Executive Vice President, Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)

Annual 2012 Temperatures: According to Roy Spencer and John Christy, based on comprehensive satellite measurements, 2012 was the ninth warmest year since the satellite record began 34 years ago. It was the warmest year for the continental US (Alaska included). No doubt alarmists will proclaim that this is proof of human caused global warming. However, the US comprises less than 2% of the earth?s surface, hardly global. There are indications the NOAA will announce that 2012 was the warmest for the US since surface-air record keeping began about 1890. However, the statistical manipulation that has taken place in the historic record, particularly a later day calculated cooling of the 1930?s, makes the historic record somewhat questionable. Of course, none of this goes to cause. Please see link under Challenging the Orthodoxy.?

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Greenhouse Skeptics: On his web site, Roy Spencer posted a provocative essay on some misconceptions by those who reject the greenhouse theory, as compared with those who are skeptical of the claim that humans are causing unprecedented and dangerous global warming. Among the misconceptions Spencer discusses are: the greenhouse effect violates the second law of thermodynamics; energy input alone determines temperatures; and that the rate of infrared absorption in the atmosphere equals the rate of infrared emission.

On his web site, Lubos Molt fully agrees with Spencer and restates Spencer?s points somewhat differently. Molt also addresses some of the early criticism of Spencer?s post. Both are an excellent follow-up on Fred Singer?s provocative essay, ?Climate Deniers Are Giving Us Skeptics a Bad Name,? published in American Thinker on February 29, 2012.

As to the greenhouse effect violating the second law of thermodynamics, it is useful to recall Vincent Gray?s reminder that the laws of thermodynamics were articulated before the discovery of energy transfer by radiation, thus initially applied only to conduction and convection. The timing has resulted in a confusion lasting for generations. Please see links under Challenging Greenhouse Skeptics and http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/climate_deniers_are_giving_us_skeptics_a_bad_name.html

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IPCC AR5 WGI: New Zealander Vincent Gray has been an expert reviewer on all five of the Assessment Reports by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) is due out in 2013 ? 14. The second draft of the scientific section, called Working Group I (WGI), was posted on the internet by Alec Rawls. Subsequently, Vincent Gray provided SEPP with his comments on WGI. Gray?s general comments are in this TWTW and a summary of his specific comments will be in next week?s TWTW. Please see Article # 2.

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Bridging the Political Divide: Nature published a provocative essay by Daniel Sarewitz calling for scientists, regardless of political affiliation or ideology, to work together to prevent politicians, particularly conservative politicians, from attacking science. To Sarewitz, the US community must decide if it wishes to be an independent national asset or a special interest group supporting the Democratic Party.

In commenting on the essay, Roger Pielke Jr, points out that scientific institutions, such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), have taken political positions. Pielke further points out that the journal for AAAS, Science, has taken political positions as well. [One could also add that the journal of the AGU, EOS, published a highly misleading survey supposedly showing that scientists support the claim that human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are causing dangerous global warming.] Pielke buttresses his arguments by stating that scientific integrity appears to be an issue to the scientific community only when a Republican is president.

As Pielke states, ?our scientific institutions are far too important to be allowed to become pawns in the political battles of the day.? The issues go not only to the scientific community, but also to the funding authorities and their administrators. Many government funded studies contain lax scientific standards. For example, numerous studies are based on long term projections from climate models used by the IPCC. But the models have never been verified and validated, thus the results are purely speculative. In the past, members of SEPP have suggested to senior administrators of the National Science Foundation that a small portion of the climate science funding be allocated to global warming skeptics, but to no avail. Please see links under Seeking a Common Ground.

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Another ?Nature Trick?? A number of articles appeared reporting that the West Antarctic ice sheet shows one of the strongest warming trends on the globe. On Watts Up With That, David Middleton exposes the study in Nature on which these reports are based. According to Middleton, the data cover two separate time frames: 1957 to 1975 and 1980 to 2012. The first set show a moderately significant warming trend and the second set show an insignificant warming trend, with no warming after 1991. The researchers just stitch the data together to provide a long term warming trend. Please see links under Communicating Better to the Public ? Exaggerate, or be Vague?

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Lisa Jackson: The first recipient of the SEPP April Fools Award, a lump of coal named in her honor, Lisa Jackson announced she is leaving as administrator of the EPA after President Obama?s inauguration. The announcement came shortly after the Inspector General of the EPA announced that the office is investigating Ms. Jackson?s use of private email accounts to conduct government business ? some 7100 emails. EPA has agreed to begin releasing the emails after the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) successfully sued under the Freedom of Information Act. One can only speculate if the events are related.

Under Ms. Jackson, the EPA has greatly expanded the regulation of many industries, particularly the coal-fired electricity utility industry. Many of the EPA scientific claims, such as the toxic effect of mercury emissions from coal-fired plants, are highly questionable at best. TWTW considers the EPA?s ruling that greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, endangers public health and welfare is without scientific merit. At this time, it is not known who will replace Ms. Jackson and if that person would be an improvement or not. Please see Article # 3 and links under EPA and other Regulators on the March.

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Wind Subsidies: This week Congress passed a tax and spending bill to prevent the so called ?fiscal cliff.? The bill provided for increasing income tax rates to high income households, and extending certain tax benefits to selected groups such as the production tax credit for the wind industry. The extension is for projects that are started in 2013, even though they do not come on line. Past TWTWs have articulated at least five reasons why wind is inferior to traditional methods of generating electricity. The new bill demonstrates the hypocrisy that underlines many of Washington?s actions. Only households or corporations with high taxable income can take advantage of a tax credit. It is of no benefit for those who pay little or no income taxes. Many of those politicians who demanded high income groups be taxed more, were among the most strident in demanding tax credits for wind, which benefit high income groups. Please see link under Subsidies and Mandates Forever

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Changing Climate: Several controversial articles have appeared on climate change. One article suggested that rapid climate change, namely in precipitation, in Africa two million years ago triggered cognitive development in early humans. A second study suggested that changes in the El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) resulted in the demise in an artistically advanced culture in Australia some 7,000 years ago. On her web site, Jo Nova has some striking examples of the aboriginal art.

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Number of the Week (Actually the Logic of the Week): A 10 percent certainty of 10,000,000 is equal to a 100 percent certainty of 1,000,000. Professor of Musicology Richard Parncutt of the University of Graz, in Austria, proposed on a University web site that global warming deniers (skeptics) be tried and subject to the death penalty. Normally, TWTW does not bother discussing such rants but there are two points that are illuminating: 1) his logic; and 2) how he, and others who use similar reasoning, would apply this reasoning to those who have promoted misguided policies that resulted in the preventable deaths of millions.

One, the professor states: ?If ten million people are going to die with a probability of 10%, that is like one million people dying with a probability of 100%.? Apply this logic to a 10% chance of receiving $10,000,000. Yet, similar logic underlies the EPA linear, no threshold model in determining health hazards ? if a massive dose is toxic to humans, than a tiny dose applied to many humans will be toxic to some.

Two, by the early 1950s British colonial doctors demonstrated that the indoor spraying of native dwellings with DDT about every six months was very effective in controlling malaria in the tropics. In 1972, EPA Administrator William Ruckelshaus banned the use of DDT on the scientifically unsupported claim that it may cause cancer in humans. By then, malaria was no longer a health issue in the US. Using this claim, certain US government agencies and environmental nongovernment organizations (NGOs) demanded the banning of all use of DDT in other countries, including indoor spraying, as a condition for receiving US governmental aid. In countries that did so, malaria rates soared, millions died, and hundreds of millions suffered from preventable malaria. Please see links under Below the Bottom Line.

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ARTICLES:

For the numbered articles below please see this week?s TWTW at: http://www.sepp.org. The articles are at the end of the pdf.

1. Climate Science vs Politics: The Road Ahead

By S. Fred Singer, American Thinker, Dec 27, 2012

http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/12/climate_science_vs_politics_the_road_ahead.html

[SEPP Comment: Please note that the Supreme Court did not specifically require independent review, but EPA procedures do.]

2. Expert Review of IPCC Assessment Report (AR5WGI), Reviewer of All Five Reports

By Vincent Gray, New Zealand, Nov, 2012

http://www.sepp.org/science-editorials.cfm?whichcat=Report&whichsubcat=IPCC%20Assessment%20Report

3. The Jackson Damage

The economic harm the EPA chief wrought.

Editorial, WSJ, Dec 27, 2012

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324669104578205570067758176.html

4. Silicon Valley?s Green Energy Mistake

Political venture capital turns out to be a loser.

Editorial, WSJ, Dec 27, 2012

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323401904578159660625274422.html

[SEPP Comment: The Silicon Valley investors are realizing the folly of green energy while Washington promotes it.]

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NEWS YOU CAN USE:

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Challenging the Orthodoxy

Comments on US Atmospheric Temperatures

By Roy Spencer and John Christy, Roy Spencer?s Blog, Jan 3, 2012 [H/t Gordon Fulks]

http://www.drroyspencer.com/2013/01/uah-v5-5-global-temperature-update-for-december-2012-0-20-deg-c/

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Op-Ed: EPA?s carbon regs not based on sound science

By Joe D?Aleo, Washington Examiner, Dec 27, 2012

http://washingtonexaminer.com/op-ed-epas-carbon-regs-not-based-on-sound-science/article/2516956#.UONZom-X8Z4

Is Weather More Extreme In A Warmer World? The Answer is in the Ice

By Art Horn, Energy Tribune, Dec 26, 2012

http://www.energytribune.com/69116/is-weather-extreme-in-a-warmer-world

German Scientists Shoot Down Recent Claims Of ?Rapid Warming? In Antarctica ? Overall Continent Is Cooling!

By P. Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Dec 28, 2012

Translated from Western Antarctica warms more quickly than thought ? however, hardly at all in the last 25 years

By Sebastian L?ning and Fritz Vahrenholt

http://notrickszone.com/2012/12/28/german-scientists-shoot-down-recent-claims-of-rapid-warming-in-western-antarctica-overall-continent-is-cooling/

Defending the Orthodoxy

US science: The Obama experiment

Nearly four years after US President Barack Obama pledged to put science in its rightful place, Nature asks if he kept his word.

By Jeff Tollefson, Nature, Sep 26, 20112

http://www.nature.com/news/us-science-the-obama-experiment-1.11481

Time to Confront Climate Change

Editorial, NYT, Dec 27, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/28/opinion/time-to-confront-climate-change.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1&

Challenging Greenhouse Skeptics

Misunderstood Basic Concepts and the Greenhouse Effect

By Roy Spencer, His Blog, Jan 1, 2012

http://www.drroyspencer.com/2013/01/misunderstood-basic-concepts-and-the-greenhouse-effect/

Greenhouse effect doesn?t contradict any laws of physics

By Lubos Motl, Reference Frame, Jan 1, 2012

http://motls.blogspot.com/2013/01/greenhouse-effect-doesnt-contradict-any.html#more

Questioning the Orthodoxy

Global Climate Planning: Down But Not Out (Doha?s ?bitter defeat? does not mean it?s over)

By Craig Rucker, Master Resource, Dec 31, 2012

http://www.masterresource.org/2012/12/doha-defeat-but-not-over/#more-23472

Welcome to a Kyoto-free-world: Best use was to show how bad a nanny-state-unfree-market is.

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jan 1, 2013

http://joannenova.com.au/2013/01/welcome-to-a-kyoto-free-world-best-use-was-to-show-how-bad-a-nanny-state-unfree-market-is/#more-26237

This Is Called Cheating (Part 2)

By Donna Laframboise, NFC, Dec 22, 2012

http://nofrakkingconsensus.com/2012/12/22/this-is-called-cheating-part-2/

Time for an Adult Approach to Climate Change

By Tom Harris, Caribarena Antigua, Dec 29, 2012

http://www.caribarena.com/antigua/opinions/opinion-pieces/102692-time-for-an

Questioning European Green

Poland and Czech Republic Ban German Green Energy

By Daniel Wetzel, Die Welt, via GWPF, Dec 29, 2012

http://www.thegwpf.org/poland-czech-republic-ban-germanys-green-energy/

Growing Criticism: Germany?s Transition To Renewable Energy Is Leading To All Pain And No Gain

By P. Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Dec 31, 2012

http://notrickszone.com/2012/12/31/growing-criticism-germanys-transition-to-renewable-energy-is-leading-to-all-pain-and-no-gain/

Greenest Government Ever: ?Bribes? to Halt Wind Farm Opposition

By Jonathan Leake, Sunday Times, via GWPF, Dec 30, 2012

http://www.thegwpf.org/greenest-government-ever-bribes-halt-wind-farm-opposition/

[SEPP Comment: Everyone wins except those who use electricity.]

Questioning Green Elsewhere

Ottawa must get real on climate change

From trying to reduce CO2 emissions to throwing money away on wind and solar power, the federal government is on the wrong track

By Tom Harris, Vancouver Sun, Dec 26, 2012

http://www.canada.com/business/Opinion+Ottawa+must+real+climate+change/7745889/story.html

A Running Leap Off the Green Energy Cliff

By Keith Kohl, Energy & Capital, Jan 4, 2013 [H/t Cooler Heads]

http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/running-leap-off-green-energy-cliff/2956

Problems in the Orthodoxy

Russia will not renew its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

By Staff Writers, Voice of Russia, Dec 31, 2012 [H/t GWPF]

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_12_31/Russia-wont-renew-Kyoto-Protocol/

Kyoto climate change treaty sputters to a sorry end

Kyoto Protocol aimed for 5% cut in carbon emissions ? instead, we got a 58% increase

By Max Paris, CBC News, Dec 31, 2012

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/12/20/pol-kyoto-protocol-part-one-ends.html

As the Kyoto Protocol Dies, Remember Those Who Called It (Part II)

By Robert Bradley Jr., Master Resource, Dec 27, 2012

http://www.masterresource.org/2012/12/kyoto-quotes-ii/#more-23461

?This Agreement Will be Good for Enron Stock!!? (Enron?s Kyoto memo turns 15)

By Robert Bradley Jr, Master Resource, Dec 24, 2012

http://www.masterresource.org/2012/12/enron-kyoto-memo-15/#more-23360

Seeking a Common Ground

Science must be seen to bridge the political divide

Scientists in the United States are often perceived as a Democratic interest group. For science?s sake this has to change,

By Daniel Sarewitz, Nature, Jan 2, 2013

http://www.nature.com/news/science-must-be-seen-to-bridge-the-political-divide-1.12119

A New Year?s Resolution for Scientists

By Roger Pielke Jr, His Blog, Jan 2, 2013

http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-new-years-resolution-for-scientists.html

There is of course nothing wrong with partisanship or with scientists participating in politics, they are after all citizens. However, our scientific institutions are far too important to be allowed to become pawns in the political battles of the day.

[SEPP Comment: See link immediately above.]

The Misunderstood Greenhouse effect.

By Geoff Brown, NCTCS, Jan 3, 2013

http://theclimatescepticsparty.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-mis-understood-greenhouse-effect.html

German/Austrian Academia Descends Into Madness ? A Reaction To Parncutt?s Death Penalty Calls For Science Critics

By P. Gosselin, Dec 27, 2012

http://notrickszone.com/2012/12/27/germanaustrian-academia-descends-into-madness-reaction-to-parncutts-death-penalty-calls-for-free-speechers/

Dire tones from the University of Graz: music professor calls for the death penalty for climate science dissenters

By Sebastian L?ning and Fritz Vahrenholt

Trans: P. Gosselin

Climate fast attack plan

By Judith Curry, Climate Etc, Feb 18, 2012

http://judithcurry.com/2012/02/18/climate-fast-attack-plan/

[SEPP Comment: Judith Curry?s choice of the most important climate story of the year.]

Link for other lists: http://judithcurry.com/2012/12/30/year-in-review/#more-10817

Communicating Better to the Public ? Exaggerate, or be Vague?

Antarctic warming courtesy of Mr. Fix-it

By David Middleton, WUWT, Dec 27, 2012

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/12/27/antarctic-warming-courtesy-of-mr-fix-it/

Link to Article: Central West Antarctica among the most rapidly warming regions on Earth

http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1671.html

W. Antarctic warming among world?s fastest

By Staff Writers, Columbus, Ohio (UPI), Dec 24, 2012

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/W_Antarctic_warming_among_worlds_fastest_999.html

AR5 Chapter 11; Hiding the Decline (Part II)

By David Hoffer, WUWT, Dec 30, 2012

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/12/30/ar5-chapter-11-hiding-the-decline-part-ii/

Changing Weather

Updated: Normalized Hurricane Losses 1900-2012

By Roger Pielke Jr, His Blog, Dec 31, 2012

http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2012/12/updated-normalized-hurricane-losses.html

What does the reinsurance market say about all this? Willis Re explains:

?most reinsurers are still within their annual catastrophe budgets for 2012 and not facing any capital impact? In the absence of Superstorm Sandy, reinsurers would have found it difficult to resist buyer pressure for further concessions. As such, Sandy?s impact has helped to stabilize market pricing on an overall basis and reinsurers have largely delivered to their clients in terms of capacity and continuity.?

In other words, thank goodness for Sandy.

The Political Superstorm that Devastated New York

By Paul Driessen, Townhall, Dec 29, 2012

http://townhall.com/columnists/pauldriessen/2012/12/29/the-political-superstorm-that-devastated-new-york-n1475682?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Jan. 1 snow cover set U.S. record

By Staff Writers,State College, Pa. (UPI) Jan 3, 2012

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Jan_1_snow_cover_set_US_record_999.html

[SEPP Comment: A ten year record.]

Changing Climate

Fluctuating Environment May Have Driven Human Evolution

By Staff Writers, Science Daily, Dec 24, 2012

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121226080906.htm

Link to study: Water, plants, and early human habitats in eastern Africa

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/12/20/1209405109

Evidence of ENSO mega-drought triggered collapse of prehistory Aboriginal society in northwest Australia

By McGowan, et al, Geophysical Research Letters, Nov 23, 2012

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2012GL053916/abstract

Two million years of climate change made us what we are

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jan 3, 2013

http://joannenova.com.au/2013/01/climate-change-made-us-human/#more-26249

Changing Sea Ice

The great Arctic cyclone of August 2012

By Ian Simmonds & Irina Rudeva, University of Melbourne, GRL, Dec 15, 2012 [H/t WUWT]

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2012/2012GL054259.shtml

Record Arctic Storm Melted Sea Ice

By Just the Facts, WUWT, Dec 27, 2012

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/12/27/record-arctic-storm-melted-sea-ice/

Changing Earth

Trees worldwide a sip away from dehydration

Plumbing systems operate on a razor?s edge, leaving forests vulnerable

By Susan Milius, Science News, Dec 29, 2012 [H/t Clyde Spencer]

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346630/description/Trees_worldwide_a_sip_away_from_dehydration

Link to letter in Nature: http://people.fas.harvard.edu/~eebutler//Homepage/Plants_and_Climate_files/Choat_etal_2012.pdf

[SEPP Comment: Not one word about increased atmospheric carbon dioxide increases the ability of plants to survive stress.]

NTU?s ground-breaking study warns of more great quakes in the Himalayas

By Staff Writers, Singapore (SPX) Jan 01, 2013

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/NTUs_ground_breaking_study_warns_of_more_great_quakes_in_the_Himalayas_999.html

Review of Recent Scientific Articles by NIPCC

For a full list of articles see www.NIPCCreport.org

Sea Surface Temperatures of the Southern Okinawa Trough

Reference: Wu, W., Tan, W., Zhou, L., Yang, H. and Xu, Y. 2012. Sea surface temperature variability in the southern Okinawa Trough during last 2700 years. Geophysical Research Letters 39: 10.1029/2012GL052749.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2012/dec/25dec2012a1.html

Cyanobacteria of the Subtropical North Atlantic Ocean

Reference: Lomas, M.W., Hopkinson, B.M., Losh, J.L., Ryan, D.E., Shi, D.L., Xu, Y. and Morel, F.M.M. 2012. Effect of ocean acidification on cyanobacteria in the subtropical North Atlantic. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 66: 211-222.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2012/dec/25dec2012a2.html

?ocean acidification [reduction of alkalinity] would likely result in a positive feedback on the growth and physiology of natural populations, resulting in a positive change in their role in ocean carbon and nitrogen cycles,? which is, of course, great news for the biosphere!

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2012/dec/25dec2012a2.html

Just How Icy was the Little Ice Age?

Reference: Osborn, G., Menounos, B., Ryane, C., Riedel, J., Clague, J.J., Koch, J., Clark, D., Scott, K. and Davis, P.T. 2012. Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier fluctuations on Mount Baker Washington. Quaternary Science Reviews 49: 33-51.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2012/dec/26dec2012a2.html

Earth?s Land and Water Surfaces: Net Sources or Sinks for CO2?

Reference: Ballantyne, A.P., Alden, C.B., Miller, J.B., Tans, P.P. and White, J.W. 2012. Increase in observed net carbon dioxide uptake by land and oceans during the past 50 years. Nature 488: 70-72.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2012/dec/26dec2012a3.html

The Political Games Continue

Election over, administration unleashes new rules

By Matthew Daly, AP, Dec 13, 2012

http://news.yahoo.com/election-over-administration-unleashes-rules-081641511?finance.html

Litigation Issues

Will the Supreme Court Review EPA?s Greenhouse Gas Regulations?

By Marlo Lewis, Global warming.org, Jan 4, 2013

http://www.globalwarming.org/2013/01/04/will-the-supreme-court-review-epas-greenhouse-gas-regulations/

Subsidies and Mandates Forever

Wind PTC Extension Approved as Lawmakers Strike Fiscal Cliff Package Deal

By Staff Writers, Power News, Jan 3, 2013

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/5284.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=2591459&hq_l=5&hq_v=5e660500d0

EPA and other Regulators on the March

Did EPA Chief Lisa Jackson resign because emails she sent from a secret alias account will go public next month?

It was revealed in November that EPA Chief Lisa Jackson, 50, had sent thousands of emails tied to coal regulation from a secret alias account

The EPA chief announced on Thursday that she will resign after four years on the job for ?new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference?

Chris Horner, of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said the scrutiny over the alias emails regarding the Obama administration?s alleged ?war on coal,? is clearly a factor behind Jackson?s decision to step down

Jackson?s resignation is effective following the President?s State of the Union address next month

By Damian Ghigliotty, Daily Mail, UK, Dec 27, 2012

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253999/Did-EPA-Chief-Lisa-Jackson-resign-secret-emails-public-month.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

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EPA Finalizes Standards for Industrial Boilers, Certain Incinerators

By Sonal Patel, Power News, Jan 3, 2013

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/5281.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=2591459&hq_l=6&hq_v=5e660500d0

Is The EPA?s Lisa Jackson Trying To Dodge A Federal Probe?

Editorial, IBD, Dec 27, 2012

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/122712-638555-lisa-jackson-resigns-while-inspector-general-investigates-emails.htm

Lisa Jackson leaving EPA and path of economic destruction

By Steve Goreham, Washington Times, Jan 2, 2012

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/climatism-watching-climate-science/2013/jan/2/lisa-jackson-leaving-epa-and-path-economic-destruc/

EPA?s illegal human experiments could break Nuremberg Code

Agency claims unfettered discretion in treatment of test subjects

By Steve Milloy, Washington Times, Dec 31, 2012

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/31/epas-illegal-human-experiments-could-break-nurembe/

Lisa Jackson?s Destructive Crusade

By Henry Payne, National Review, Dec 28, 2012 [H/t ICECAP]

http://www.nationalreview.com/planet-gore/336534/jacksons-destructive-crusade-henry-payne#

Energy Issues ? Non-US

The New Era of Oil Renaissance

By EconMatters, NASDAQ, Dec 30, 2012

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/the-new-era-of-oil-renaissance-cm202887#.UORLO3eQmbV

US, Canada, and Oz Prepare for the Asian Gas Wars

By Walter Russell Mead, Via Media, Dec 29, 2012 [H/t GWPF]

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/12/29/us-canada-and-oz-prepare-for-the-asian-gas-wars/

Don?t Fall for the Shale Boom Hype ? Chris Martenson Interview

An interview by James Stafford for oilprice.com, London, UK (SPX) Dec 31, 2012

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Dont_Fall_for_the_Shale_Boom_Hype_Chris_Martenson_Interview_999.html

Energy Issues ? US

Assessing Energy Policy

By Donn Dears, Power for USA, Jan 2, 2013

http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/assessing-energy-policy/

[SEPP Comment: The US energy policy is highly distorted by the fear that CO2 causes unprecedented and dangerous global warming.]

Trains carry more oil across U.S. amid boom

By Matthew Brown and Josh Funk, AP, Dec 30, 2012

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/30/trains-oil-boom-economy/1796505/

Oil and Natural Gas ? the Future or the Past?

Fracking and Elizabeth Barrett Browning

By Donn Dears, Power for USA, Dec 28, 2012

http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/fracking-and-elizabeth-barrett-browning/

New York State Health Department: Fracking is safe, but don?t tell anyone

By Staff Writers, ACSH, Jan 3, 2013

http://www.acsh.org/new-york-state-health-department-fracking-is-safe-but-dont-tell-anyone/

Link to NYT article: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/nyregion/hydrofracking-safe-says-ny-health-dept-analysis.xml

Saudis Sweat Bullets As Energy Revolution Changes the Rules

By Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia, Dec 29, 2012 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/12/29/saudis-sweating-bullets-over-energy-revolution/

Exxon Mobil moves ahead with $14-billion Hebron oil field off Newfoundland

Jeffrey Jones, Reuters, Jan 4, 2013

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/01/04/exxon-mobil-moves-ahead-with-14-billion-hebron-oil-field-off-newfoundland/

Washington?s Control of Oil and Gas

Obama?s Energy Dilemma: Back Energy-Fueled Growth or Please Green Lobby

By Joel Kotkin, New Geography, Dec 7, 2012 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://www.newgeography.com/content/003293-obama-s-energy-dilemma-back-energy-fueled-growth-or-please-green-lobby

Don?t Kill The Economically Beneficial Shale-Gas Boom

By Robert J. Samuelson, IBD, Dec 24, 2012

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-viewpoint/122412-638223-shale-gas-fracking-most-important-energy-event-in-decades.htm

Even With Bipartisan Push, Is Keystone XL Still A Pipe Dream?

By Larry Bell, Forbes, Dec 30, 2012

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2012/12/30/even-with-bipartisan-push-is-keystone-xl-still-a-pipe-dream/

Keystone XL pipeline reroute avoids most ecological areas: Nebraska report

By Staff Writers, Reuters, Jan 4, 2013

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/01/04/keystone-xl-pipeline-reroute-avoids-most-ecological-areas-nebraska-report/

Return of King Coal?

Coal News

By Dennis Ambler, SPPI, Jan 1, 2013

http://sppiblog.org/news/8926#more-8926

In fact, the world will burn around 1.2 billion more tonnes of coal per year by 2017 compared to today ? equivalent to the current coal consumption of Russia and the United States combined.

Oil Spills, Gas Leaks & Consequences

Transocean to pay $1.4 billion in civil, criminal fines for 2010 Gulf spill

By Zack Colman, The Hill, Jan 3, 2013

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/275425-transocean-to-pay-14-billion-in-fines-for-2010-gulf-spill

Alternative, Green (?Clean?) Solar and Wind

Wind farms vs wildlife

The shocking environmental cost of renewable energy

By Clive Hambler, The Spectator, UK, Jan 5, 2013 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/8807761/wind-farms-vs-wildlife/

Wind Power?s Negative Externalities: Here Come the Lawsuits (Part II)

By Sherri Lange, Master Resource, Jan 3, 2013

http://www.masterresource.org/2013/01/wind-powers-negative-externalities-here-come-the-lawsuits-part-ii/

[SEPP Comment: Will wind farms become the new asbestos in providing incomes to lawyers?]

Alternative, Green (?Clean?) Vehicles

Fisker Failures May Prevent Delaware From Getting Its Money Back

By Paul Chesser, NIPC, Dec 28, 2012 [H/t Cooler Heads]

http://nlpc.org/stories/2012/12/27/fisker-failures-may-prevent-delaware-getting-its-money-back

Environmental Industry

The GM Reactionaries

By Henry Miller, Project Syndicate, Dec 31, 2012

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-economic?health?and-environmental-benefits-of-gm-crops-by-henry-i?miller-and-graham-brookes

[SEPP Comment: ?Pathological science? is on the rise.]

Gore Takes Big Oil Cash From Anti-Semitic Al Jazeera

Editorial, IBD, Jan 3, 2013

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/010313-639260-gore-helps-oil-financed-anti-semitic-platform.htm

Other Scientific News

Did the PBSG game the polar bear listing process?

By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, Dec 26, 2012 [H/t GWPF]

http://polarbearscience.com/2012/12/26/did-the-pbsg-game-the-polar-bear-listing-process/

??for the sake of polar bear conservation, views that run counter to human induced climate change are extremely unhelpful.?

Other News that May Be of Interest

New York State Health Department: Fracking is safe, but don?t tell anyone

By Staff Writers, ACSH, Dec 17, 2012

http://www.acsh.org/vaccines-news-part-2-the-return-of-thimerosal/

[SEPP Comment: The dangers of misleading studies trumpeted by alarmists.]

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BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:

Death threats anyone? Austrian Prof: global warming deniers should be sentenced to death

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Dec 24, 2012

http://joannenova.com.au/2012/12/death-threats-anyone-austrian-prof-global-warming-deniers-should-be-sentenced-to-death/#more-26127

Parncutt Death Threat: Uni of Graz ?shocked?, Monckton gets it withdrawn with apology. John Cook says nothing.

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Dec 28, 2012

http://joannenova.com.au/2012/12/parncutt-death-threat-uni-of-graz-shocked-monckton-gets-it-withdrawn-with-apology-john-cook-says-nothing/#more-26183

2012: Global warming became reality

Record melting of Arctic Ocean ice. Record heat and droughts. New York under water. Believe climate change now?

By Seth Borenstein, AP, Dec 26, 2012

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/2012_global_warming_became_reality/

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Source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/01/07/weekly-climate-and-energy-news-roundup-75/

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Directing Actors Workshop with Peter D. Marshall - Film Directing Tips

I have partnered again with Raindance Canada (Toronto) to bring you another 2-day advanced directing workshop called Directing Actors.

This directing workshop builds on my previous Advanced Blocking workshop and creates an intense, experiential environment in which directors and actors learn critical skills for working together effectively on set.

Working with actors can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a film director ? or one of the most traumatic! And the difference between a good experience and a bad experience usually comes down to one word: TRUST!

Actors begin by trusting the director ? and it?s the director?s trust to lose. If an actor feels they cannot trust the director to know a good performance from a bad performance, the actor will begin to monitor his own performances.

And when an actor begins to watch himself, he begins to direct himself ? and when he does this, he starts to become Director Proof.

As?Mark Travis (author of the book Directing Feature Films) says: ?As far as relationships go, I think the one between actors and directors is the most challenging. It is simultaneously?demanding and misunderstood.

Yet it?s very clear that actors and directors all have the best of intentions for making this relationship work. I have not met a director who did not have a clear idea of what she wanted. And every actor I have worked with has an intuitive instinct for their character and how a scene can be played.

Why then does this relationship so often begin to fall apart when actors and directors begin talking to each other? The answer is quite simple: different languages and different ideas of how this relationship should or could work.?

And Judith Weston, in her book Directing Actors, says: ?All interaction between actor and director is experienced by the actor as direction, so think of every conversation with actors as part of the ?rehearsal? process. By ?rehearsal? I mean any time spent considering the work seriously.

Rehearsal includes getting to know the actors, not just in a superficial social way, but as human beings and as artists. Take time to get below the social mask with them. Find common ground. Find out their values and ideas. Find out their problems, concerns, and insecurities.?

The main objective of this Directing Actors workshop is to demonstrate how directors and actors can work effectively together to build trust; to maximize performance on set; and understand how to work together cooperatively in a tense, time-sensitive and often challenging creative environment.

By the end of this 2-day workshop, you should be able to:

- Recognize the importance of the actor/director relationship
- Effectively analyze every scene in your script
- Know how to run a proper casting session
- Create a collaborative rehearsal process with actors
- Improve your skills for getting believable performances from actors

Day One ? Saturday, March 9 (9:00am ? 7:00pm)

1. Introduction
2. The Director/Actor Working Relationship
3. The Film Director?s Performance Mantra
4. REVIEW: The Director?s Script Prep
- Text, Subtext and Context
- Script and Scene Analysis
- Character Analysis and Objectives
5. The Director?s Audition Process
- What Directors Look for in the Casting Session
- How it Works: The Audition (Casting Session)
- How it Works: The First Callback
- How it Works: The Second Callback
- What Directors Look for when Reviewing Auditions
- Creating Good Character Descriptions (Bios)
6. DEMO: How to Conduct a Proper Casting Session
7. DEMO: The Script Read-Through
8. DEMO: The Cast Rehearsal
9. REVIEW: The Blocking and Rehearsal Process
- The Actor?s Language
- The Five Stages of Shooting a Scene
- 15 Questions Directors Must Ask Before Blocking
- The 10 Step Actor/Director Blocking Process
10. The Director?s 8 Part Scene Breakdown Process
11. CLASS WORK: Prepare Scenes for Day 2 Presentations

Day Two ? Sunday, March 10 (9:00am ? 6:00pm)

1. CLASS EXERCISE: Scene Presentations with Actors
2. Playback Scene Presentations for Class Review
3. That?s a Wrap

For more information on this workshop, and to find out how to register, please visit Raindance Canada.

Source: http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/7734

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Handset makers scurry to join Year of the Phablet

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Call it phablet, phonelet, tweener or super smartphone, but the clunky mobile phone - closer in size to a tablet than the smartphone of a couple of years back - is here to stay.

A surprise hit of 2012, it is drawing in more users, more handset makers and is shaping the way we consume content.

"We expect 2013 to be the year of the phablet," said Neil Mawston, UK-based executive director of Strategy Analytics' global wireless practice.

While Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has blazed a trail with its once-mocked Galaxy Note devices, now other manufacturers are scurrying to catch up.

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Chinese telecommunications giants ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd will launch their own.

ZTE, which collaborated with Italy's designer Stefano Giovannoni for the Nubia phablet, is scheduled to launch its 5-inch Grand S, while Huawei brings out the Ascend Mate, sporting a whopping 6.1-inch screen, making it only slightly smaller than Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet.

"Users have realized that a nearly 5-inch screen smartphone isn't such a cumbersome device," said Joshua Flood, senior analyst at ABI Research in Britain.

Driving the phablet's shift to the mainstream is a confluence of trends. Users prefer larger screens because they are consuming more visual content on mobile devices than before, and using them less for voice calls - the phablet's weak spot.

And as WiFi-only tablets become more popular, so has interest among commuters in devices that combine the best of both, while on the move.

According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, the monthly data traffic for every smartphone will rise fourfold between now and 2018 to 1,900 megabytes.

The upshot is a market for phablets that will quadruple in value to $135 billion in three years, according to Barclays. Shipments of gadgets that are 5 inches or bigger in screen size will surge by nearly nine-fold to 228 million during the same period, though estimates vary because no one can agree on where smartphones stop and phablets start.

But that's the point, some say.

"I think phone size was a preconceived notion based on voice usage," said John Berns, a Singapore-based executive who works in the information technology industry. He recently upgraded his Note for the newer Note 2 and bought another for his girlfriend for Christmas. "Smaller was better until phones got smart, became visual."

Samsung has been both the engine and beneficiary. While other players shipped devices with larger screens earlier - Dell Inc launched its Streak in 2010 - it was only when the Korean behemoth launched the Galaxy Note in late 2011, with its 5.3-inch screen, that users took an interest.

"The Streak was launched at a time when 3-inch smartphones were standard and the leap to a 5-inch Streak was a jump too far for consumers," says Strategy Analytics' Mawston.

"The Galaxy Note was launched when 4-inch smartphones had become commonplace, and the leap to 5-inch was no longer such a chasm."

THE BIGGER, THE BETTER

Since then Samsung has bet big on bigger: its updated Note has a 5.5-inch screen and its flagship Galaxy S3 - the best-selling smartphone in the third quarter of 2012 - has a screen that puts it in the phablet category for some analysts.

Samsung accounted for around three quarters of all phablets shipped last year, according to Barclays' Taipei-based analyst Dale Gai.

Samsung's marketing heft has paved the way for others. LG Electronics Inc accounted for 14 percent of shipments in the third quarter of last year, according to Strategy Analytics.

HTC Corp's 5-inch Butterfly - called the Droid DNA in the United States - has been selling well in places where Samsung is less dominant, according to Taipei-based Yuanta Securities analyst Dennis Chan. The first batch sold out soon after its December launch in Taiwan.

"I don't think we can say that Samsung invented phablets," said Lv Qianhao, head of handset strategy at ZTE. "But it did do a lot to promote this product category, which helped create tremendous demand."

Phablets are also proving popular in emerging markets.

A poll of nearly 5,000 readers of Yahoo's Indonesian website chose Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 as their favorite mobile phone of 2012, ahead of the iPhone 5.

Kristian Tjahjono, a technology journalist who posted the poll, said phablets were a natural fit for Indonesians who liked tablets but also liked making phone calls.

But while those in such markets who can afford them are going for the high-end devices, the door is opening for cheaper models. Tjahjono pointed to Lenovo's 5-inch S880, which has a lower resolution screen and sells for about $250, which is around a third of the price of Galaxy Note 2.

SWEET SPOT

Falling component prices will add to demand. The total cost of an upper-end phablet, its bill of materials, will likely fall to 2,000 yuan ($323) this year, says Gai from Barclays, and will halve within two years.

"One thousand yuan is a very sweet spot for China," he said.

India is also a fan.

Vivek Deshpande, who manages global strategy for Shenzhen-based mobile phone maker Zopo, says that while the Indian and Chinese markets are different, they both share a common appetite for aspirational devices: phones big enough for their owners to show off. This is changing the direction of lower end players.

"Zopo's primary focus is now on phablets," said Deshpande.

Even Samsung is pushing its own creation downmarket: In Las Vegas it will unveil the Galaxy Grand, a 5-inch device that lacks some of the resolution and muscle of its bigger brethren but will be aimed at markets like India. There is a version offering a dual SIM slot, a popular feature for those wanting to arbitrage cheaper call and data plans.

As phablets slide into the mainstream, handset makers are trying to find ways of differentiating.

As well as hiring Italian designer Giovannoni better known for his minimalist, sleek bathrooms, ZTE also came up with an onscreen keypad that inclines to one side of the screen, depending on whether the user is left- or right-handed.

Samsung, however, not only has first mover advantage, it can also build on its expertise in display.

Barclay's Gai says Samsung is expected to introduce a thinner, unbreakable AMOLED screen which will leave room for bigger batteries.

"That will put Samsung in good stead to still dominate the market," he said. Despite pressure in China, Gai estimates Samsung's share of smartphones with 5-inch or larger screens to fall only from 73 percent in 2012 to 58 percent in 2016, which is still the lion's share.

By then consumers will see the phablet for what it is, says Horace Dediu, a Finnish analyst who runs a technology blog asymco.com. Its rise is part of a wider march of computing power into wherever we reside - the living room, the train, bed or work.

"It makes sense that we're moving towards a time where we are served not by a computer or a netbook or a phone, but rather that we have these screens scattered around and available for us to play with," he said. "In a way the phablet is not a bulky phone but a very delicate computer."

(Editing by Emily Kaiser)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/handset-makers-scurry-join-phablet-211558347.html

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Aide: Obama's Hagel nomination could come Monday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to be his defense secretary, and an announcement could come on Monday, a congressional Democratic aide said on Sunday.

The choice will likely set up a confirmation battle in the Senate over whether the former Nebraska senator strongly supports key U.S. ally Israel. Hagel also has been criticized for comments he made questioning the effectiveness of sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program.

This fight would come after the Obama administration backed down from a tough Senate confirmation battle over Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations who was Obama's first pick to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Rice withdrew her name from consideration after drawing heavy fire from Republicans for remarks she made in the aftermath of a September 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

"The administration has a lot of work to do on Hagel. He is in a weaker position now than Rice ever was because Rice would have rallied Democrats behind her," a Senate Democratic aide said. "The administration floated Hagel's name, then neglected to defend him effectively when his critics started taking shots," the aide said.

Last month Obama offered strong support for Hagel as a possible replacement for Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who had said he wanted to leave early in the second term.

"I've served with Chuck Hagel. I know him. He is a patriot. He is somebody who has done extraordinary work both in the United States Senate, somebody who served this country with valor in Vietnam," Obama told NBC's "Meet the Press" on December 30.

(Reportiing by Thomas Ferraro; Writing by Vicki Allen; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-name-former-senator-hagel-defense-secretary-democratic-150706951.html

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