Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Nissan, Electric

The LA Auto Show’s Design Challenge has a victor from among its Youthmobile 2030 entries: the Nissan Vehicle-to-Grid, aka V2G. It envisions a nationwide electric highway system (the “grid”) driven on by Generation Z, and their cars will pay for use of the grid like a mobile phone plan. The V2G doesn’t offer much in the way of variety, but it’s ultra-efficient, cheap to run, and convoys of them can gather in interlocked formations called “flocks.”

But when the Gen Z’ers get their hacking fingers on it, they customize it so it can be taken off-grid, creating the V2G Unlimited and the Halo-esque future we are beginning to think is inevitable. Sadly, none of the customized demos feature guns, which is all the V2G Unlimited appears to lack and will make it difficult to deal with the Covenant.

When the V2G is finished providing useful service, it can be recycled. Made of bioresin impregnated carbon nanotube cloth, a specially yet-to-be-created bacteria would devour the bioresin and leave only the cloth, which can be used to build another V2G. Or something. Check out the V2G in the high-res gallery below and start studying for the future, now.

[Source: Car Body Design]

Nissan V2G wins LA’s 2009 Design Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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france entiere, Envirogen Recruitment Solutions

Envirogen recrute pour un de ses plus gros client des Chefs de Projet Eolien pour la region du Centre, Loire-Atlantique, Toulouse, Montpellier, Paris, Lilles.

En charge de la realisation et le suivit de projets eoliens (prospection, realisation et coordination).
Vous planifiez et pilotez l’élaboration de chaque dossier en concertation avec les acteurs de la filière et dialoguez avec tous les intervenants
concernés: les administrations et services de l’Etat, les riverains et propriétaires fonciers, les élus et
associations. Vous assurez un suivi rigoureux des procédures administratives et réglementaires pour
l’instruction des demandes de permis de construire.

Nous recherchons quelqu’un :
• Diplômé d’école d’ingénieur ou équivalent (une formation en énergies renouvelables serait un plus).
• Idéalement avec une expérience dans l’éolien ou la gestion de projets similaires.
• Maîtrise logiciels bureautiques, Autocad, Windpro ou WAsP.
• Langues : français et anglais
• Le poste implique de fréquents déplacementsn.
• Vous êtes rigoureux et doté d’un excellent relationnel, vous justifiez d’une bonne expérience de la concertation et de la communication.
N’hesitez pas a me contacter si vous avez des questions.
Si ces opportunites vous interessent faites moi parvenir votre cv et je vous recontacterais au plus vite.

Jerome Mosnier
Senior Consultant

Envirogen Recruitment Solutions LTD
UK Freephone Calls: 0800 612 4906 | International Calls: +44(0)208 464 9922
Direct Line: +44 (0)208 315 7475

Latest vacancies and company info: www.envirogen-recruit.com
 

When we first sat down to write this post, we had every intention of featuring white kitchen accessories from all across the web. But once we started looking, most things, although functional, really lacked the design (and price point) we wanted in a super special Christmas gift. So instead we went straight to the source for fabulous white kitchen finds—Jonathan Adler.

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KNOXVILLE — Col. Robin Akin, the first former University of Tennessee female cadet to be selected for the rank of brigadier general, will return to campus on Friday, Dec. 11, to commission two current ROTC cadets as second lieutenants in the Army.

Akin also will speak during the ceremony, which will be held at 2:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. The event is open to the public.

“There are only 22 female general officers in the entire Army, and Col. Akin’s selection is a significant achievement for her, UT and our ROTC program,” said

Lt. Col. Dave Leach, professor of military science and leadership.

The commissioning ceremony marks the end of cadets’ progression through the ROTC program and the beginning of their careers as Army officers. At the ceremony, Cadet Carly Berner of Media, Pa., and Cadet Zachary Schrandt of Sevierville will take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and enter the Army as second lieutenants. The two cadets also will be commissioned at the university-wide commencement on Dec. 13.

Akin was born in Nashville. She is a 1982 UT graduate and has a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a master of strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Upon graduation from UT, she was as a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. Her military schooling includes the Quartermaster Officer’s Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Parachute Rigger Course, Jumpmaster Course, Logistics Executive Development Course, Support Operations Course, Command and General Staff College and Armed Forces Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. She has received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Southwest Asia Battle Streamer. She holds the Master Parachutist Badge, Parachute Rigger Badge, Romanian and Germany Airborne Wings.

Assignments have taken her to Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Lee, Va.; Camp Smith, Hawaii; Korea; Germany; Southwest Asia and Iraq.

Akin is currently serving as commander, 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Fort Knox, Ky. In August, she was nominated for promotion to brigadier general.

—

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

Almost 80 million smallholder farmers in Africa, supply about 80 percent of its food. In order for Africa to establish a prosperous and sustainable economic future, the voices of its farmers must be amplified.

To enable this, journalists from across the West Africa region attended a media workshop in Accra, Ghana, hosted by Inter Press Service IPS Africa on behalf of the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

The workshop aimed to build the capacity of local journalists and editors from West and Central Africa to gain the skills and knowledge they need to report on the food crisis and how it can be solved, particularly with the contribution of smallholder farmers.

This forms part of the activities for the “Communication Campaign on Farmers and the Food Crisis: Focus on West and Central Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean” small grant funded by IFAD.

The goal of this grant is to amplify the voice of farmers by ensuring their needs; perspective, experience and expertise are heard as part of the continuing global debate on rising food prices and how to achieve global food security.

Training was facilitated by IPS Africa’s regional Editor Terna Gyuse in collaboration with Farm Radio International, a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organization working in direct partnership with approximately 300 radio broadcasters in 39 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity.

The training was planned to coincide with the IFAD Regional Project Implementation Workshop for West and Central Africa, providing an opportunity for reporters to not only network with IFAD officials but also hear first-hand of the challenges and success of small-holder interventions in the region.

Guest speakers included Mohamed Beavogui IFAD Director for West and Central Africa, who answered critical questions about the ‘Challenges of Agriculture in West Africa’. Participants also appreciated the session on ‘Web 2.0 Tools for journalists’ presented by Roxana Samii.

Annina Lubbock, IFAD’s Senior Technical Adviser on Gender and Poverty Targeting, facilitated a discussion on ‘Gender, Agriculture and Climate Change’, and told particpants that “a gender perspective and a focus on women’s empowerment is essential both to feed the world and for climate change. The majority of farmers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa are women. Women’s contribution to food crops vary between 40 percent in Latin America and up to 80 percent in sub-Saharan Africa”, she added.

The bilingual sessions in French and English also included a role-play exercise on interviewing techniques, where participants teamed up with each other during mock interviews.

An IFAD organised field trip on December 4, provided a timely opportunity for participants to meet with farmers at the local celebration of a nation-wide Farmers’ Day (public holiday in Ghana).

Read some of the latest stories on our ‘Farming the Future Africa‘ project website.

Quick question: how many of you were hoping that the Star Wars game that’s supposed to be announced (psp/news/new-star-wars-game-to-be-announced-at-the-spike-vgas.html) during the Spike VGAs would be a

A group of Bronx residents have been asking City Council members not to give a developer permission to open a mall in the long vacant Kingsbridge Armory. Surely this is a sign that the economy, at least in New York City, isn’t doing so badly.

“Oh, our armory. Oh, our armory,” a small group sang on the step of City Hall last week. “Before we take minimum wage, we’ll be buried in our graves and go home to our Lord and be free.”

Community activisits have been opposing a plan to build a shopping mall at the 575,000-square foot landmark. They’ve been arguing that the developer should have to guarantee that stores in the mall will pay at least $10 an hour plus benefits. The developer points out that many retailers simply won’t open stores in the mall if the cost of labor is artificially inflated.

One of the main opponents of the mall is a local grocery store whose owners fear that they might face price competition from a chain grocery that would open in the mall. They are asking the mall developers to guarantee that no grocery store will be given space in the mall.

It’s as if none of these people have ever heard of the crisis in commercial real estate. And they probably haven’t. We can’t help but suspect that when community activists continue to oppose job creation, the community members must not be doing so badly.

See more at WNYC–>

Join the conversation about this story »

Whatever trade statistics you may be reading, here's a simple dose of reality:

There's an armada of empty shipping vessels lying idle off the coast of Singapore.

Yet Singapore is supposed to be one of the busiest ports in the world. It is a major transhipment hub for global trade. But today, it still looks relatively dead.

Don't believe us? Check out the stunning pics we captured on a recent trip:

See Amazing Pictures of Singapore's Ghost Fleet >>>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• The Port Of Singapore Is Eerily Quiet... Too Quiet
• Need A Job? They'll Hire You In Singapore, China, And Brazil
• Singapore Homebuyers Leave Blank Checks With The Broker

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Mini

The Mini Coupe and Roadster concepts have been making their way around the auto show circuit since Frankfurt in September, and when we saw the two vehicles at the LA Auto Show we got the impression that the high end micros were near production ready. If a story from MotoringFile is to be believed, the next two Mini variants could be even closer to production than we thought.

The Mini-obsessed site is claiming that its sources tell them that engineering for the the Coupe and Roadster is well under way. Further, the final model could hit the assembly plant in Oxford by next June with full production commencing in October. If that time line holds true, the first Mini two doors could be hitting dealer showrooms in Europe by early 2011 at the latest, with models crossing the Atlantic soon after.

[Source: MotoringFile]

Rumormill: Mini Coupe and Roadster could go on sale as early as 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After last year’s Spore DRM fiasco, EA and its CEO John Riccitiello seem to have learned that the stick approach to dealing with pirates backfired badly, and it was time to try out the carrot. It started, earlier this year with Riccitiello talking about how they were trying to view pirated software as a really good demo product, with the impetus then being on them to convert those users into paying customers. Later, they started actively embracing the claim that their pirated software could lead to additional sales of in-game content and offerings. The latest, as sent in by william, again has Riccitiello in an interview saying that he now sees “pirates” as a new marketplace, again with the emphasis being on how it’s EA’s responsibility to give those users something to buy. He still says that he wants people to buy the legit versions of the game, and he thinks it’s very wrong to make an unauthorized copy, but he says that reality dictates that they should embrace those users, rather than attack them, and look for ways to make money off of them:

“There’s a sizable pirate market and a sizable second sale market and we want to try to generate revenue in that marketplace.”

Furthermore, he notes that this approach seems a lot more reasonable than the music industry’s approach of just trying to punish people:

He said the music industry erred in “demonizing” its consumers rather than reacting to them. He believes that EA has an obligation to make it enticing for people to play games legitimately. And he hopes that services such as EA Sports’ community hub or the BioWare social site that hooks into Dragon Age will make it so alluring that it will be “increasingly less likely that people will pirate because there is so much value on the other side of the door.”

None of this necessarily addresses some of EA’s past sins relating to aggressive use of DRM, but it does suggest that Riccitiello (or at least his savvy PR staff) have recognized that giving people a reason to buy is a better way forward than trying to attack those who use unauthorized copies of the games.

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Using Google Maps, or Google Earth for that matter, can be a lot of fun, but there’s certainly a utilitarian side to it. Recently Google has greatly expanded the usefulness of Maps by adding Place Pages, entries for many interesting and important places around the world filled with information, photos and other content. The feature is still in the early stages, but Google eventually wants to have a Page for every “place” on Earth. But information isn’t of a lot of use without a way of accessing it, so Google has now made it possible to view Place Pages inside Google Earth, allowing users to also learn things as they’re exploring our planet in 3D.

“When I’m exploring my neighborhood or planning a trip, I often find places I want to know more about. That’s why I love using Place Pages for Google Maps to see lots of great information about a place on a single page,” Matt Holden, associate product manager, Google Earth Team writes.

“Starting today, you can see the same rich Place Page content in Google Earth, while browsing the world in 3D. You can see a summary whenever you click on a business or place of interest, and then click the View more information » link if you’d like to see more.”

The Places layer is enabled by default if you have the Geographic Web layer … (read more)

Civic Engagement of Undergraduates in United States Research Universities

Findings from a survey of the members of The Research Universities Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN) prepared by Liz Holllander, Senior Fellow, Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts in the fall 2009. This report provides a snapshot of how 15 members of TRUCEN approach the civic education of undergraduates. It maps current practice and frames an agenda for continuing dialogue and action. The survey confirms that a growing number of research universities are being creative and assertive in expanding their civic engagement efforts. It also suggests that there is ample room to extend and improve their efforts, and it frames an agenda for continued dialogue and action toward that end.

Delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, had quite a day.


The week leading up to the conference, a report was circulating that Denmark, host of the conference, had a drawn up a text that was sure to come under fire. Yesterday afternoon Britains’ The Guardian Newspaper published what they claimed to be this text. Further the paper also claims to have read “a confidential analysis by developing countries” which “shows deep unease”.


The draft acknowledges that 2020 as the year which global emission should peak, while also acknowledging that developed countries have collectively peaked and that the timeframe will be longer for developing countries. The text goes on to specify emission reduction targets for both developed and developing countries.


What as the latter up in arms is possible shift of control of enforcement of any agreement to developed countries.


Confused yet?



Under the present agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, developing countries are exempt from obligations, but industrialized countries have stressed that this will not be feasible in the future. The Danish text says that “developing countries, except the least developed which may contribute at their own discretion, commit to nationally appropriate mitigation actions”. According to The Guardian’s sources, “developing countries are infelicitous about the new proposed division between the ‘least developed’ and other developing nations.


Another sticky point is the suggestion to transfer more control over the enforcement of the Copenhagen agreement from the UN administration, to the World Bank. Such a move would indirectly shift more control over to the industrialized world.


In other news, UPI is reporting the period from 2000 -2009 will be considered to be one of the warmest on record. Additionally the World Meteorological Organization said 2009 will rank among the 10 warmest years since 1850. The WMO said temperatures for the current year stand between 0.6 degrees and 1 degree Fahrenheit higher than the average from 1961-1990.


The WMO said the period from 2000-2009 was warmer than the 1990-99 decade, which was warmer than the 1980-1989 time span.
Forecasters cited El Nino conditions and human-caused global climate change for the increases. Only in North America were lower average temperatures recorded.


“We are in a warming trend – we have no doubt about it” said WMO Secretary General, Michel Jarraud.


And from the “Did they really do that file”, you may remember when CEO’s of the former Big Three Automakers arrived in Washington, hands held out, looking for a big influx of cash, but they all arrived via private jet. Only to be scolded by the commission and ordered to dispose of the luxury items. Fox news is reporting that delegates haven’t been arriving in fleet of Smart cars, but rather the city airport has been swarmed with 140 private jets, and over 1200 hired limousines and “a carbon footprint the size of a small country”.

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related.posts:

1. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Nearing The End
2. We Have A Deal: The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference Result
3. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Day 8 Recap

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet

It’s long been presumed that the Chevrolet Volt (and its Opel/Vauxhall Ampera twin) would not be the only car rolling out of General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant after late 2010. After all, Volt volumes are unlikely to be sufficient in the first several years to justify an entire plant. However, when a future product plant was leaked out after the 2007 UAW contract was signed, it was assumed the new Chevy Orlando would join the Volt. After all, the Orlando shares the Delta platform with the Volt and Cruze.

Following the announcement Monday of the investment in the Detroit factory to build the Volt, The Detroit News believes it has learned that the next-generation Malibu will also be built in Detroit. The new Malibu is slated to debut in 2011 as a 2012 model. Current Malibu assembly takes place in Fairfax, Kansas. The General’s Orion, Michigan plant had also been building the mid-sized sedan, but it is now being re-tooled build the next generation Aveo. With Fairfax now also building the Buick LaCrosse, a second plant may be needed to meet demand if the new model is successful.

[Source: The Detroit News]
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

REPORT: Chevrolet Malibu to join Volt in Detroit-Hamtramck plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It seems Gearbox Software has more love on the way for Borderlands players, if these newly sighted Trophies are anything to go by.

Raquel and Oscar from Bilbao, Spain, send us a trio of hacks. I’m pretty taken by the bench, composed from Lack side tables and Adel drawer fronts. Nice one. If you have a tight corner, this is definitely a solution you can consider.

Kitchen bench
Bench for the kitchen, made with four Lack side tables (4,99€ x 4 units= 19,96€), covered with Ädel drawer fronts taken from the as-is section (0,50€ x 44 units = 22,00€). Everything fixed with carpenter’s glue and small metal squares. All the set for 41,96 €. Very cheap!! The back is topped with ceramic mosaic.

Carved Snudda
The Snudda lazy susan, carved by my father. Smart!

Reusable shopping bag
From the Elisabet fabric, hand sewn.

For tight muscles, sore muscles or tender trigger points, on treatment option is to use a natural pain relief gel like icy hot, bengay, or biofreeze.

A recent University of Louisville study compared Biofreeze and ice, and their effect on pain, blood flow, and muscle function.
While they both reduced blood flow, Biofreeze Natural Pain Relief Gel actually did it much quicker. Both the ice and Biofreeze reduced pain. The one difference was that Biofreeze showed significant increase in muscle function where the ice did not.

Biofreeze works similar to ice in how it helps to heal. Ice therapy initially constricts local blood vessels and decreases tissue temperature. This constriction decreases blood flow and cell metabolism, which can limit hemorrhage and cell death in an acute traumatic injury.
The fact that Biofreeze was able to help restore muscle function was significant because allowing muscles and ligaments to work like they should reflects that nerve function is also better.

In our Central CT office, we use ice after muscle therapy and sometimes following adjustments, or we give home icing instructions. We also do the same with Biofreeze. The reason is to speed the healing process. We have found both to be natural means of getting our patients better faster. One of the nice things is that you don’t need to be in the office to use them; both can be utilized right at home.

Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Treat Tight Muscles Using Biofreeze
• Hot and Cold Therapy for Pain Relief
• My Trapezius Really Hurts, How Do I Find Relief?
• Neck Muscles Most Responsible For Your Stiff Neck And Trigger Points: The Levator Scapulae and Trapezius
• Treating Neck Pain without Surgery or Medication

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.

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London, Envirogen Recruitment Solutions

A fantastic opportunity with a real global blue chip company. We are looking for an experienced Energy Policy Advisor to be based in London.

Job Purpose

Support the management of stakeholder relationships in order to understand and influence energy policy within the United Kingdom and European Union.
 

Key Accountabilities
Lead understanding in development of UK and European policy and regulatory instruments for renewable energy and linked climate change issues.
Track the business, technical and commercial threats and opportunities from emerging instruments for renewable energy and climate change, taking account of developments.
Develop Company lobbying positions consistent with Company policy and ambitions. Ensure that the companies interests are fully represented and promoted, including representing the Company’s views in a variety of forums.
Identify the need and provide supporting analysis to influence the key decision makers in the energy environment and support the development of Energy Branch energy policy positions.
Provide regular updates, advice and guidance to management on energy policy issues.
Document policy compliance issues affecting Energy Branch, analysing the compliance requirements. Ensure the requirements are communicated to the Business Operations team.
 

Scope of Role
This post is empowered to take decisions necessary to the performance of the Job Purpose and Key Accountability areas of this role.
The post will also be expected to contribute to decisions related, for example, to changes in major processes or accountabilities, which will be made by the manager of the Strategy, Regulation & Planning team.
 

Key Knowledge and Skills Required
A wide and developed knowledge of the UK Energy sector, particularly in terms of environmental legislation, market operation, regulation and compliance requirements.
Detailed understanding of renewable energy policy & legislation.
Strong analytical skills and a demonstrated ability to provide detailed analysis in support of business decisions.
Understanding of the development of International and European regulatory instruments looking to address climate change, including the Kyoto Protocol.
Detailed knowledge of Energy Policy issues.
Experience in lobbying and developing legislation through political channels.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop a strong network of contacts in industry and Government.

 

 

I’ve been following in recent weeks the horrifying bill in Uganda that would allow for death sentences for LGBT people with HIV and life sentences for others. While some are still predicting that the bill will pass, the international outrage over the proposal seems to be growing, and there’s still hope that Ugandan lawmakers will wake up to the human rights atrocity they’re committing and change course on this law.

Protesters will rally against the bill tomorrow outside the Ugandan High Commission in London, on International Human Rights Day.

Michael Jones wrote last week on the change.org Gay Rights blog that a high profile Ugandan Christian leader is urging leaders to abandon the bill, comparing it to a “gay genocide.” (And this is from a guy who calls homosexuality ‘unacceptable’ and ‘sinful’). Michael also reported that Sweden has announced it will cut aid to Uganda if the bill passes. Other countries should follow Sweden’s lead.

The bill goes even further than the death and life sentences I mentioned above. It also includes prison sentences for people who fail to turn in LGBT acquaintances, and even for landlords who rent to LGBT people. It’s a witch hunt.

(more…)