This report investigates the interactions between household location decisions and community characteristics, including green space.

Sitka, Alaska, has substantial hydroelectric resources, limited driving distances, and a conservation-minded community, all suggesting strong opportunities for achieving a low community carbon footprint.

Lidl was given permission at Wednesday's meeting of the planning committee to open a new supermarket in the Co-op Store on Parsons Drive in Ryton

IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa on Thursday unveiled new sustainability goals for the next decade that — if accomplished — would cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half from...

Growing up on the Greenfield family farm outside a little town of 500, we worked hard and learned to look out for one another.

I’ve visited with folks in every corner of Iowa during my U.S. Senate campaign. The people I hear from want the dignity of providing for their families, and to know they can get a hand up when they need it. Now, as the coronavirus threatens our communities and Washington seems more focused on pointing fingers than getting results, Iowans want to know that we can get through this and come out stronger in the end. I’ve been through tough times, and I know from my own life that the only way we get through is by pulling together.

I was 24 when my first husband, an electrical worker, was killed in a workplace accident. Social Security and hard-earned union benefits helped me get back on my feet and pursue a career where I could support my two young sons. I’ll fight to protect and strengthen Social Security so every Iowan can get that same hand up.

So, I know what it’s like to have a loved one not come home from work. When I hear about workers having to choose between staying home safely or earning a paycheck, I say no way. Since March, I’ve put out two plans calling for more testing, personal protective equipment, paid sick leave, premium pay, and stronger protections for our front-line workers.

I also believe health care is a right — not a privilege. This shouldn’t be partisan.

As a businesswoman and a mom, I know the tough decisions our small businesses and families are making right now. That’s why I’ve called for more urgent economic aid and faster help for our small businesses and workers — not more bailouts for corporate CEOs. We also need a robust infrastructure plan and to invest in more skills training to create opportunity in all of our hometowns.

None of this will happen unless we make Washington work more like we do by ending political corruption. I’m not taking a dime of corporate PAC money and I will work to overturn Citizens United, and ban dark money and corporate PACs.

Sen. Joni Ernst broke her promise to be different. Instead, she’s voted with Mitch McConnell and her corporate PAC donors for tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest — while hardworking Iowans fall further behind.

Iowans deserve a senator who shares their grit and their resolve, who will carry the fight for our small towns and our working families in her heart. It’s how we get through this pandemic and how we create more opportunity for our state. In the Senate, I’ll never forget where I’m from or who I’m fighting for, and I’ll always put Iowa first.

Theresa Greenfield is a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors consists of five at-large members. Recently some people in the rural community have advocated for a board elected from districts within the county. A House Study Bill a few years ago would have required counties with a population greater than 150,000 to elect supervisors from districts, though a similar bill had failed earlier.

While districting a board of supervisors may appear to provide more representation to rural residents, the opposite would result. Currently, any resident anywhere in the county has five supervisors to whom they can communicate their needs. With districts, residents would have only one supervisor representing them.

There are many reasons electing supervisors from districts is not a good idea for Johnson County. But here is why, in fact, it’s a bad idea.

In Johnson County, our current practice for funding projects is determined using a needs assessment approach. This can be seen in our Five-Year Road Plan and works quite well. It is a triage of sorts, with the greatest need addressed first. With districts, it would become necessary to rotate projects based on the district in which it is located rather than the greatest need.

Imagine what might have happened in the 2016 emergency situation on the Highway 965 bridge over the Iowa River! During routine bridge inspections, county engineers determined repairs to that bridge to be our county’s greatest road need. It was an issue of public safety. Our at-large Board of Supervisors approved that project for immediate repairs.

Had we had districts, that project would land within my district and might have been put on hold, waiting for my district to have its turn at a big roads project. Just a couple years later, Swan Lake Road bridge over I-380, also in “my district” was deemed in need of immediate repair. While there is not a lot of traffic on that bridge, it is an essential route for farmers in the area. The closure was inconvenient during one farming season, but is now open and in good repair.

With districts, that bridge, in particular, would still be closed because it would be unfair for one district to have two big bridge repair jobs done before other districts had one done.

There are many other reasons why Johnson County’s Board of Supervisors should continue as an at-large body. Each county should be allowed to determine its own board of supervisors structure.

Lisa Green-Douglass is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa on Thursday unveiled new sustainability goals for the next decade that — if accomplished — would cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half from a decade ago and transform the campus into a “living laboratory for sustainability education and exploration.”

But the goals fall short of what a collective of Iowa City “climate strikers” have demanded for more than a year — that the UI end coal burning immediately at its power plant, commit to using only renewable energy by 2030 and unite with the city of Iowa City in a “town-gown” climate accord.

“It’s ridiculous for the UI to announce a 2030 climate plan as it continues to burn coal for years and burn methane-spewing natural gas for decades at its power plant,” said Massimo Paciotto-Biggers, 14, a student at Iowa City High and member of the Iowa City Climate Strike group.

The university’s new 2030 goals piggyback off its 2020 goals, which former UI President Sally Mason announced in 2010 in hopes of integrating sustainability into the campus’ mission.

Her goals included consuming less energy on campus in 2020 than in 2010, despite projected growth; diversifying the campus’ energy portfolio by using biomass, solar, wind and the like to achieve 40 percent renewable energy consumption by 2020; diverting 60 percent of solid waste; reducing the campus transportation carbon footprint with a 10 percent cut in per capita transportation and travel; and increasing learning and research opportunities.

The university, according to a new report made public Thursday, met or surpassed many of those goals — including, among other things, a slight dip in total energy use, despite 15 new buildings and major additions across campus.

The campus also reported 40 percent of its energy consumption comes via renewable energy sources, and it reduced annual coal consumption 75 percent.

As for waste production, the university diverted 43 percent from the landfill and reported diverting 70 percent more waste than in 2010.

In just the first phase, the new 2030 goals — a result of collaboration across campus involving a 2030 UI Sustainability Goal Setting Task Force — involve fewer numbers and hard percentages. Aside from the aim to cut greenhouse emissions by 50 percent compared to a 2010 baseline, the phase one goals aim to:

• Institutionalize and embed sustainability into campus culture, allowing individual units across campus to develop plans to meeting campus sustainability goals.

• Expand sustainability research, scholarship and other opportunities.

• Use the campus as a “living laboratory” capable of improving campus sustainability and ecosystems.

• Prepare students to live and work in the 21st century through sustainability education.

• Facilitate knowledge exchange among the campus community and with the state, nation, and world.

PHASE 2 EXPANDS ON GOALS

As the campus moves into phase two of its 2030 plan, it will expand on first-phase goals by identifying specific and measurable tasks and metrics.

Leadership plans to finalize that second phase later in the fall semester.

“This approach has meant including units engaged in activities such as academics, research, operations, planning, engagement, athletics, and student life,” Stratis Giannakouros, director of the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, said in a statement.

‘Ambitious and forward-looking’

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who serves as outreach and community education director for the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, told The Gazette the new goals are “ambitious and forward-looking.”

“The new goals will engage students and research faculty to help build a sustainable path for the campus and broader community,” he said.

The university recently made big news on the utilities front by entering a $1.165 billion deal with a private French company to operate its utility system for 50 years. The deal nets the university a massive upfront lump sum it can invest and pull from annually. It gives the private operator decades of reliable income.

And the university, in making the deal, mandated its new provider pursue ambitious sustainability goals — promising to impose penalties if it failed to do so.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com

By Jill Richardson Other Words If environmental solutions aren’t systemic, living green will always mean going against the grain — and usually failing. Every year around Earth Day, I’m reminded of papers I graded in an environmental sociology class. The … Continue reading →

By Jill Richardson Other Words If environmental solutions aren’t systemic, living green will always mean going against the grain — and usually failing. Every year around Earth Day, I’m reminded of papers I graded in an environmental sociology class. The … Continue reading →

A process is disclosed for producing plastic materials by providing a biology based feedstock and reacting the biology based feedstock to form a feedstock capable of reaction to form the plastic material, wherein the plastic material is selected from polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The present invention discloses metal (III) complex of a biuret-amide based macrocyclic ligand as green catalysts that exhibit both excellent reactivity for the activation of H2O2 and high stability at low pH and high ionic strength. The invention also provides macrocyclic biuret amide based ligand for designing of functional peroxidase mimics. Further, the present invention discloses synthesis of said metal (III) complex of a biuret-amide based macrocyclic ligand.

Disclosed are novel processing methods for green coffee beans that result in novel green coffee bean products, including products that incorporate whole green coffee beans. Methods include selecting whole coffee beans in their fresh green unroasted state with naturally-occurring levels of phytonutrients, sterilizing and drying them, applying iterative grinding processes and stabilization techniques, all while avoiding high temperatures. Whole green coffee bean products created and defined by these methods have unexpectedly been found to increase focus and concentration in users, and are believed useful in the treatment of attention and concentration deficits and related disorders, such as attention deficit (AD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and various related and/or comorbid disorders.

The invention provides a laser converter for converting a laser radiation of shorter wavelength to a laser radiation of longer wavelength using a single stage conversion. The laser converter comprises a laser diode for emitting a laser radiation in a first wavelength range, a cylindrical microlens for transferring and focusing the laser radiation to a laser chip and the laser chip for absorbing the laser radiation and emitting the laser radiation in a second wavelength range.

A sintered fuel pellet for a water nuclear reactor fuel rod including a peripheral wall extending along a central axis and two end faces. At least one of the end faces includes at least a first chamfer extending from the peripheral wall towards the central axis with a first non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis and a second chamfer extending from the first chamfer towards the central axis with a second non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the first slope is different from the second slope.

A method to collect soil cores from a green comprises the steps of providing a soil core collector, extracting soil cores from a green, allowing the cores to dry for at least fifteen minutes, and utilizing the core collector to gather the cores from the green.

An object is to overcome the drawbacks of conventional blue phthalocyanine pigments upon the formation of images, and to develop a blue pigment that can satisfactorily exhibit a greenish blue color high in chroma and excellent in colorfulness, brightness, dispersibility, hue, tinting power and the like and that is applicable to various image recording methods. The object can be achieved by a greenish blue pigment, which exhibits a greenish blue hue of high chroma and contains a pigment represented by the following formula (I): wherein the number, m, of substituent phthalimidomethyl group(s) is in a range of 1.0≦m≦5.0, and the number, n, of a substituent sulfonic group R1 is in a range of 0.05≦n≦1.0.

A green-light device for driving mice away includes a casing and a control circuit in the casing, wherein the control circuit comprises a power conversion circuit, a voltage regulating integrated circuit (IC), an amplifying circuit, a control knob, an ultrasonic frequency oscillator circuit, a logical-determination circuit and multiple green-light emitting diodes (LED) coupled to and controlled by the logical-determination circuit. The control knob is configured to be switched to lead the control circuit to create an ultrasonic wave or a special light wave such that mice can be cheated or driven away.

A highly alkalized humic and fulvic filter reagent for the removal of multiple contaminants from a gas is provided. The contaminants removed from the gas stream may include, but are not limited to, Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Oxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Hydrogen Sulfides, radionuclides, mercaptans, ammonia, toxic metals, particulates, volatile vapors, and organics. The present invention further includes the disposal of the filter reagent by way of using the highly alkalized humic and fulvic filter for soil fertility, releasing the carbon dioxide from the filter reagent, converting the liquid filter reagent into a solid for disposal or for use as a contaminant removal filter for waters, wastes, and chemicals.

To compete with the increasing global food demand, it is necessary to increase the food production. Fertilizers which are in practice now a days has major disadvantage that 50% of nutrient contents loss due to leaching and also leads to ground water contamination. Slow release nitrogenous fertilizers are good in this regard in that they have minimum nutrient loss due to leaching. Potassium aluminum silicate (Leucite) nanoparticles occluded by calcium ammonium nitrates are slow release fertilizers and are synthesized by hydrothermal method. Its application as slow released nitrates fertilizers was determined by observing nitrate release for 16 days.

A green ball grinding method includes the step of supplying a green ball between a first surface of a first member and a second surface of a second member constituting a grinding apparatus, and the step of grinding the green ball between the first surface and the second surface while the green ball rotates around its own axis and in orbital motion. In the step of grinding the green ball, the step of causing the green ball grinding to proceed while applying load between the green ball and each of the first surface and the second surface, and the step of modifying the rotation axis of the green ball by reducing the load lower than in the step of causing the green ball grinding to proceed are executed alternately.

There is provided a greenhouse system. An exemplary greenhouse system comprises at least one plant culture. At least part of a glazing of the greenhouse system comprises at least one functional layer that is adapted to the plant culture.

The invention refers to a greenhouse screen comprising strips of film material that are interconnected by a yarn system by means of hosiery, knitting, warp-knitting or weaving process to form a continuous product. At least some of the strips comprise a film material in the form of a multilayer polyester film having a thickness less than 60 μm and comprising at least two layers, wherein at least one layer is white and at least one layer is black, the at least one white layer comprises polyester and a white pigment in an amount between 5 and 50 weight-% based on the total weight of the white layer, and the at least one black layer comprises polyester and a black opacifying agent.

A system of systems to monitor data for carbon flux, for example, at scales capable of managing regional net carbon flux and pricing carbon financial instruments is disclosed. The system of systems can monitor carbon flux in forests, soils, agricultural areas, body of waters, flue gases, and the like. The system includes a means to identify and quantify sources of carbon based on simultaneous measurement of isotopologues of carbon dioxide, for example, industrial, agricultural or natural sources, offering integration of same in time and space. Carbon standards are employed at multiple scales to ensure harmonization of data and carbon financial instruments.

"So the last time we played here was September 6th, 1993," announced Billie Joe Armstrong. He was on stage at storied Berkeley venue 924 Gilman Street, flanked by Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, Jason White, and Jason Freese.…

Last week, Oakland artist Jet Martinez finished his largest mural yet, on the side of the I. Magnin Building in downtown Oakland — to stunning effect. 

The Mexico-born artist  is known internationally for his gorgeous floral patterning inspired by motifs in Mexican folk art. But, according to a recent statement released about his new mural, he recently decided he wanted to contribute more directly to the community in which he lives by doing more local art.…

News you don't want to miss for May 1:

1. Oakland's lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL over the team's relocation to Las Vegas was dismissed by a federal court judge on Thursday, according to Bleacher Report.…

HAMPSHIRE legend Gordon Greenidge has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year honours list.

In this month's edition of AppleVis Unleashed, Thomas Domville, Randy Rusnak, and Mike Malarsie discuss recent Apple news and other topics of interest. Topics featured in this podcast include:

• iPad at 10: Why apps made the iPad a success
• Apple Q1 2020: The company cracks $90B in a single quarter for the first time as the iPhone returns to glory
• Things Apple Didn't Want to Talk About in its Q1 Earnings Report
• Apple rings in new era of Services following landmark year
• Apple's App Store generates over a billion dollars per week
• Apple Releases iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 with Some Improvements to Smart Invert
• Apple Planning to Make Original Podcasts Promoting Its TV Shows
• Apple Requiring Notarization for Non Mac App Store Apps Starting February 2020
• Apple's Upcoming Low-Cost iPhone Could Launch as Early as March
• Kuo: Apple to Launch AirTags, Small Charging Mat, New iPads and Macs, High-End Headphones, and More in First Half of 2020
• Rumor: iOS 14 to support all of the devices as iOS 13
• How to Enable Low Data Mode on iPhone Cellular to Reduce Mobile Data Use
• How to clear all your notifications at once on Apple Watch

You can contact the Unleashed Team with feedback or questions at unleashed@applevis.com

Regional transport system expands into Worcestershire.

Young people are often portrayed in the media as being feral creatures up to no good. A Birmingham Press reader offers the alternative, and more common, view of children just enjoying themselves in the holidays.

Bus scheme driving cleaner air and better facilities for Solihull town centre.

A £1.4m University of Wolverhampton scheme funded by the Government to help economic growth and job creation is now inviting grant bids from regional businesses.

This week, we have a two-part treat! In the first half of the show, we talk to hip-hop stars old and new at the NYC premiere of Ice-T’s documentary The Art of Rap. Guests include Marley Marl, Fabolous, Raekwon, and Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg. In part two, we have an extended chat with Jay-Z biographer and Forbes hip-hop writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg about Hov’s business mind, hip-hop branding good and bad, and lots more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/11/ for full show notes and comments.

We talk to author Robert Greene, who’s famous bestseller, The 48 Laws of Power, took ideas from students of legends like Machiavelli and Sun Tzu, and distilled their teachings into simple principles anyone can follow. The book became beloved by rappers like Jay Z, Kanye West, and even 50 Cent, who loved Greene’s work so much that the two ended up writing a book together.

Greene’s latest book, just out in paperback, is Mastery. It focuses on how one can discover and excel at their “life’s work” — the skill that one is uniquely good at. Greene engages with problems in modern day society, thought, and practice through a multi-disciplinary approach, taking each issue on a variety of playing fields — this multi-faceted perspective is part of what makes his opinions so hard-hitting. We talk that magical 10,000 hours moment when the master bypasses logic, the similarities between Napoleon Bonaparte and 50, the decline of empathy in today’s society, his feelings about that famous Richard Sherman interview, and much more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/61/ for full show notes and comments.

The area's culture celebrated over eleven days.

Gaming festival's eco village set for debut at i66.

Region awarded funding for zero industrial carbon plans.

The government feels this will allow shopping and leisure activities to start up while maintaining physical distancing as traffic will be less than usual and easy to control. On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh notified retail stores to open from 6am until midnight.

"The Swerve: How the World Became Modern" by Stephen Greenblatt is the biography of a man named Poggio Bracciolini, and the history of a poem titled "On the Nature of Things." Bracciolini began adult life as a scribe, which is the 15th Century version of a notary public. It was a useful, but not unique, position in what is now Italy. Despite his humble beginnings, Bracciolini used his intelligence, charm, and exceptional penmanship to become the personal secretary to Pope John XXII. That was quite an achievement for a person of common birth. But, it was Bracciolini’s avocation as a book collector that gave him a place in history. Bracciolini spent much free time - and money - searching for rare manuscripts in the monastic libraries of Europe. In particular, he looked for manuscripts containing the works of ancient Greek philosophers. In January 1417, he found a manuscript of the poem, "On the Nature of Things.” Written by Titus Lucretius Carus around 50 B.C.E., "On the Nature of Things

As per estimates by Forrester Research, regions in Green and Orange zones accounted for 30-35% sales of ecommerce firms prior to the lockdown.

STRIKING the right balance between decision making and maintaining robust scrutiny and accountability is a constant conversation at the best of times, and is ever more important during a crisis. This played out strongly at the Scottish Parliament this week, and raises important questions for our own council too.

LAST week, the council announced plans for a Covid-19 Recovery Group to steer the city’s response to the profound economic shock that has accompanied the public health crisis.

It's easy to lose track, but Golden Week is upon us! Let's celebrate Golden Week's Greenery Day (Monday, May 4) together!. We can all reminisce about Greenery Day events through the ages, exchange Greenery Day trivia (surprisingly, Greenery Day has nothing to do with the American rock band called Green Day), and discuss how Greenery Day has affected our lives. Do you remember where you were the year that "GD" was moved from April 29 to May 4?

As usual we will be on Zoom, so download the Zoom client in advance for an optimal experience, and sign up here to receive an invitation to the event. We're scheduled for 8-10pm (roughly), Monday May 4. The following day is also a government holiday. Suggestions for non Greenery Day-related topics of discussion are also welcome. And does anyone want to play Trivial Pursuit?

Mon May 4 at 8:00 PM, Zoom Zoom Zoom

Enchanting singer and instrumentalist Leah Senior has just shared her charming new track "Evergreen," via Flightless Records, label of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. This joyful tune comes after a long wait from Senior, whose last full length album, Pretty Faces, came in 2017. "Evergreen" also comes with an exciting announcement, the release of a new album The Passing […]

The post Leah Senior shares baroque "Evergreen" music video appeared first on EARMILK.

Season 3 of The Secret Ingredient will focus on The Green New Deal (GND). Listen this season as Raj Patel, Tom Philpott and Rebecca McInroy discuss the future of agriculture, climate change, economic inequality and what it will take to create The Green New Deal in an effort to save the planet!

The Secret Ingredient with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy, Raj Patel, author of A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things, and food and agriculture correspondent for Mother Jones, Tom Philpott to talk about what the Green New Deal is, what it could mean for the future of agriculture, and what it will take to revive...

Explore the future of the Green New Deal and what it means for Texas with Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez. Tzintzún is challenging John Cornyn for the 2020 US Senate seat for the State of Texas. She is the Co-founder of the Workers Defense Project and Jolt, and she talked with The Secret Ingredient team–Raj Patel, Tom...

“We need to change society so everybody can fit in and everyone can afford to live in a decarbonized society.” – Jim Goodman  In this episode of The Secret Ingredient host Raj Patel plays double-duty — he is not just a host, but joins Jim Goodman as a guest. The two discuss what A Green...

“The climate crisis is an emergency, it is a crisis and so we need to make major, major changes in our agriculture system.” Ben Lilliston is the Director of Climate Change and Rural strategies at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. He spoke with The Secret Ingredient team–Raj Patel, Tom Philpott, and Rebecca McInroy,...

Thom Green from Alt-J discusses his musical influences from Nirvana to Yamaneko. And the members of the band Ume each talk about a musical experience that helped them figure out what they wanted to accomplish with their music.