CHINA ENERGY REPORT
January 13, 2007 at 7:32 pm | Posted in China, Economics, Globalization, History, Oil & Gas | Leave a comment
China’s Energy Future within an
International Context Report
CIVIC EXCHANGE DISCUSSION FORUM REPORT
Michele Weldon mweldon@civic-exchange.org
China’s Energy Future within an International Context
Civic Exchange is pleased to announce the release of the summarised transcript from a forum held on October 20 2006 on China’s Energy Future within an International Context.
Thomas Heller, who was the guest speaker at the forum, is a professor of law at Stanford Law School and an economist by training. He has worked extensively in the energy sector in developing countries and with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its exploration of sustainable development and climate. His work focuses on the intersection of energy and climate issues with economic development. Professor Heller came to Hong Kong on Civic Exchange’s invitation to discuss recent developments in China’s energy markets; the status of the international regime on climate change; and prospects for a post-Kyoto climate strategy.
Energy supply and production in China and the region are central to Civic Exchange’s research agenda on air pollution, energy and climate change. This was the second in a series of three forums that we have organised to stimulate discussion of energy and environment in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.
The third forum in the series, Emissions Trading – for REAL or is it Hot Air? will be held on 25 January 2007. A copy of the invitation is attached. Please RSVP if you would like to attend and have not already registered, and feel free to send it on to others who may be interested.
To access the document click on the following link:
http://www.civic-exchange.org/publications/2006/Oct06EnergyForum.pdf
Please visit our website for further information on Civic Exchange’s research www.civc-exchange.org or contact Michele Weldon mweldon@civic-exchange.org
Michele Weldon
Environmental Programme Manager
Civic Exchange
Room 701, Hoseinee House, 69 Wyndham
Street, Central, Hong Kong
tel 2893 0213
email mweldon@civic-exchange.org
website www.civic-exchange.org
China’s Energy Future within an International Context Report
“Climate Change Info Mailing List“
climate-l@lists.iisd.ca
“Michele Weldon” mweldon@civic-exchange.org
Thursday, January 11, 2007
PALESTINE & THE GLOBAL FUTURE
January 13, 2007 at 4:14 pm | Posted in Arabs, Globalization, History, Middle East, Zionism | Leave a comment
CENTRALITY OF PALESTINE
ISSUE FOR GLOBAL FUTURE
Palestine cannot be understood as another Kashmir or Belfast or regional “hornet’s nest.”
This is because Palestine symbolizes Third World status while Israel stands for neo-colonial anti-Third World violence and apartheid.
American conservatives are often hungry to negate the so-called “Vietnam Syndrome” and Israel is intent on reversing the outcome of the 1954-1962 Algerian War, symbolically speaking.
Hence the current Iraq War, which flows from a fusion of the two syndromes: Vietnam and Algeria. Sharon’s Wall is a global symbol of the “Ziocon” desire to “win the future” by marginalizing the Third World, particularly the Arab and Muslim fraction.
In the end, this “hysterical violence” will accelerate the eventual rapprochement between the West and the Third World and Israel’s attempt to symbolically defeat the Third World by bludgeoning and assassinating the Palestinians into a bantustan will simply add to the current “traffic jam” which characterizes the world as a system.
The way out of this traffic jam consists of establishing Palestine along the 1967 borders and a West/Third world development alliance.
This will all be concealed behind militarism…in other words, America will wind up with a policy of “developmental militarism” for the Third World.
One begins to see this in Iraq.
This means that America and Israel are “in the same bed, but with different dreams.”
In other words, Israel and the Israelization of Washington are the main roadblock to the global future.
“Ziono-fear” controls and paralyzes Washington and is thus the main obstacle to the construction of tomorrow’s world.
AFRICAN WATER
January 13, 2007 at 5:14 am | Posted in Africa, Earth, Globalization, History, Science & Technology | Leave a comment
African Water Facility
African Development Bank
www.africanwaterfacility.org
www.afdb.org
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
African Water Facility fights against desertification in Northern Africa (French-language version below).
AWF supports Transboundary Management and Knowledge Improvement of Northern Sahara Aquifer System Tunis, 10 January 2007: The African Water Facility (AWF) and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) signed on Wednesday 3 January 2007 in Tunis a grant agreement worth 487,800 to finance the GEO-AQUIFER knowledge improvement and the Northern Sahara Aquifer System (SASS) Project. The main objective of the project is to improve the living conditions of the population through the enhancement of knowledge and the sustainable management of transboundary groundwater resources thanks to the use of satellite data, in the perspective of increasing concerted action among Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. For more information please read the attached Press Release or contact:
HADJADJ AOUL Sabrina Communications and Coordination Officer
African Water Facility (AWF)
African Development Bank
BP 323 – 1002 Tunis Belvedere Tunisia
Tel : + 216 71 10 36 98 Fax: + 216 71 10 37 44
Email: s.hadjadjaoul@afdb.org
Website : www.africanwaterfacility.org
www.afdb.org
African Water Facility fights against desertification in Northern Africa
“Water Issues Announcement List”
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
STEAM ENGINES
January 13, 2007 at 2:23 am | Posted in Globalization, History, Research, Science & Technology | Leave a comment
Steam Engine Operation
Steam engines were the first engine type to see widespread use. They were first invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1705, and James Watt (who we remember each time we talk about “60-watt light bulbs” and the such) made big improvements to steam engines in 1769. Steam engines powered all early locomotives, steam boats and factories, and therefore acted as the foundation of the Industrial Revolution.
Steam Engine Operation
| The following diagram shows the major components of a piston steam engine. This sort of engine would be typical in a steam locomotive. |
The engine shown is a double-acting steam engine because the valve allows high-pressure steam to act alternately on both faces of the piston. The following animation shows the engine in action:
You can see that the slide valve is in charge of letting the high-pressure steam into either side of the cylinder. The control rod for the valve is usually hooked into a linkage attached to the cross-head, so that the motion of the cross-head slides the valve as well. (On a steam locomotive, this linkage also allows the engineer to put the train into reverse.) You can see in this diagram that the exhaust steam simply vents out into the air. This fact explains two things about steam locomotives:
- It explains why they have to take on water at the station — the water is constantly being lost through the steam exhaust.
- It explains where the “choo-choo” sound comes from. When the valve opens the cylinder to release its steam exhaust, the steam escapes under a great deal of pressure and makes a “choo!” sound as it exits. When the train is first starting, the piston is moving very slowly, but then as the train starts rolling the piston gains speed.
The effect of this is the “Choo….. choo…. choo… choo choo-choo-choo” that we hear when it starts moving.
On a steam locomotive, the cross-head normally links to a drive rod, and from there to coupling rods that drive the locomotive’s wheels. The arrangement often looks something like the above.
CFG BlOG
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: RICHARD MELSON
ANALYZING GLOBALIZATION
THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE WORLD-SYSTEM
Cambridge Forecast Group Blog 