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Please Protect Our Environment!
Our environment right now is in serious jeopardy because of our activities creating a misbalance of natural factors. We face many natural dangers like global warning, air pollution, water pollution, lack of coal, oil, gas, and etc… If we keep doing what we currently do, not for long, the world will become a dismal place as we have seen it thousands of years ago. To supply our needs of technology, coal, gas, and oil are necessary to be taken from Earth. But it is not right to totally blame those who did this because their goals are to supply us. Therefore, the responsibility of protecting the Earth is not just the people who are directly involved in destructive activities but it is of everyone.
I think the first step we can do to help the environment starts from the homes. All persons need to be informed to recycle and save as much natural resources as they could. Meanwhile, scientists need to create or discover substitutions for those natural resources so we can stop digging materials from the Earth which I think may create a foundation for future disasters. Engineers need to research and manufacture cars, and other electrical necessities to run on the minimum energy. By doing these, I think it would help reduce the use of electricity, gas, oil, and other materials to give the scientists time to come with what they can. However, as mentioned, little things are the start of this. WE as individuals need to be responsible with our actions everyday because they do not only affect ourselves but others as well. We need to pick up trash to reduce pollution, recycle to reduce use of resource, save energy to reduce the effort of producing electricity, and we need to watch carefully everything we do. With the effort of everyone is trying, I strongly believe that we have the ability to save and protect our environment for future generations to come.
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http://web-01.prd.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/195229/Please-Protect-Our-Environment
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Future Generations Briefing Event
Eurgain Powell, Policy Advisor at the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, will provide detailed information about how the Act applies to housing in Wales and its impact on equality.
This is a great opportunity for you to learn how you can apply the principles of the Act to your own work and help support your tenants in the long term.
At Tai Pawb, we placed the Well-being Goals of the Act at the heart of the design and development of our new strategic plan to ensure our ambitions and long term policy and influencing activities were in line with the new duties and responsibilities placed on public bodies and Welsh Government.
We want to support the Welsh housing sector to embrace the sentiment summed up perfectly by the Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe, in her blog post ‘Home is where well-being begins’ (2017) where she states:
The health effects of poor housing disproportionately affect vulnerable people: older people living isolated lives, young adults with disabilities and those without support networks.
The purpose of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is to facilitate improved decision making by public bodies in respect of the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales. Five key ways of working have been introduced to ensure public bodies work together to take account of the long-term, work to prevent problems occurring or getting worse, take an integrated and collaborative approach, and consider and involve people.
The Act places a legal requirement on Welsh Government, local government, local health boards and other specified public bodies to conduct assessments upon which objectives must be set to address seven well-being goals to make Wales a prosperous, resilient, healthier, more equal and globally responsible country with cohesive communities, a vibrant culture and a thriving Welsh language.
Together, the seven well-being goals and five ways of working provided by the Act are designed to support and deliver a public service that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The Tai Pawb office is accessible for wheelchair users. If you have any other access needs, please get in touch.
Cancellation Policy:
- If cancellation is notified to Tai Pawb within 10 working days of the date of the event, the full cost of the event will be incurred;
- If cancellation is notified to Tai Pawb within 15 working days of the date of the event, 50% of the cost will be incurred;
- If cancellation is notified to Tai Pawb more than 15 working days before the date of the event then no cost will be incurred.
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http://www.taipawb.org/product/future-generations-briefing-event/
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October is Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM). The youth criminal justice system is far from just — young people remain over-policed and over-criminalized, pushing Black children and other children of color into a system proven to cause long-lasting harm. YJAM is an opportunity to connect virtually, learn more about the harms of our current systems, and take action to support our young people!
Criminal records harm child and family well-being.
Criminal convictions create life-long barriers to employment, housing, and education that directly impact the conditions for children and families. Criminal records restrict opportunities, undermine economic mobility and success for families across generations, and push families deeper into poverty.
One of the most significant effects of a criminal conviction is exposure to the civil consequences which can permanently impair one’s future, even if the individual never reoffends. The Council of State Governments has found 1,052 civil consequences of conviction in New York. These legal and regulatory sanctions and restrictions attach to both felony and misdemeanor convictions and affect people’s lives in a wide range of ways, including the ability to access and keep jobs, housing, loans, credit, and education. These consequences ensure that punishments last far beyond the term of any court-imposed sanction, essentially becoming a life sentence of stigma and lost opportunity that impacts individuals and their families.
Research shows the deleterious intergenerational effects of parental criminal records across different domains of family well-being: income, savings and assets, education, housing, and family strength and stability. The impacts of having a criminal record do not disappear after one generation; rather, they continue to cause disadvantage for children and families.
Saddling people with permanent, life-long criminal records is unnecessarily harsh and does not make our communities safer or help families to thrive. Record sealing for people with convictions as adolescents and young adults will allow many young people to meaningfully join the workforce and contribute to our communities.
In New York, the Clean Slate Bill (S.1553B/A.6399A) would provide automatic record sealing and remove barriers for housing and most jobs.
Under Clean Slate, a person would be eligible for automatic criminal record sealing after 3 years for misdemeanors and 7 years for felonies if they have completed their sentence (jail, prison, probation, parole), the conviction is not a sex offense, and the person has not been charged or convicted again during the waiting period.
Recent advances in science demonstrate that the adolescent brain is not fully developed until the mid-twenties. While the law would apply to people of any age, Clean Slate offers people convicted of crimes as youth an important tool to mitigate the long-term burden that criminal records pose. Moreover, given the well-documented disproportionate impact of the criminal legal system on Black and Latinx youth, Clean Slate offers another policy remedy to help decrease the obstacles to their success.
Clean Slate is a crucial step toward racial and economic justice, addressing some of the deep racial disparities that are evident at every stage of the criminal legal system, and providing pathways to more full participation in our neighborhoods and communities, which is essential to the well-being of children, youth, and families.
You can read more about the Clean Slate Bill in New York and take action at https://www.cleanslateny.org.
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https://www.childrensdefense.org/blog/cdf-ny-pushes-for-criminal-record-sealing-this-month/
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in relation to the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf, and the waters above the continental shelf beyond the outer limits of the exclusive economic zone, to protect the environment from pollution by regulating or prohibiting the discharge of harmful substances and the dumping or incineration of waste or other matter.
(2)
In this Act, sustainable management means managing the use, development, and protection of natural resources in a way, or at a rate, that enables people to provide for their economic well-being while—
sustaining the potential of natural resources (excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and
safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of the environment; and
avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.
(3)
In order to achieve the purpose, decision-makers must—
take into account decision-making criteria specified in relation to particular decisions; and
apply the information principles to the development of regulations under section 27, 29A, 29B, or 29E and the consideration of applications for marine consent.
Section 10(1): replaced, on 31 October 2015, by section 7 of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 85).
Section 10(3)(b): amended, on 1 June 2017, by section 213 of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
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https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2012/0072/latest/DLM4670826.html
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Eco anxiety is defined as the anxiety that comes from the fear of ecological changes. It’s said to be a state of worry, tension, or dread, which is caused by concerns about nature and environmental issues. Experts say eco-anxiety is becoming more prevalent worldwide, especially with more mentioning of environmental changes on the news.
Why Is Eco Anxiety Happening?
Eco anxiety has become a serious issue for many people in recent years due to our increasing awareness of how nature affects us both physically and psychologically.
Although humans have always been conscious of how their actions are harming the planet, eco-anxiety has only recently begun to take shape as an actual social problem and mental health disorder. The experts are describing this phenomenon as “the new normal” because it feels like everyone is feeling anxious about something.
What Are The Eco Anxiety Symptoms?
Most people are not aware of the signs and symptoms of eco anxiety. There can be so many reasons for people to have this type of anxiety, but the most common one is the fear of harm to the planet, and nature.
Eco anxiety can stem from a number of different factors, such as the potential harm that humans or animals might cause to nature. For example, someone might worry about global warming and how it will affect future generations if they don’t act right now.
Eco-anxiety is typically characterized by a person’s fear or concern about environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, and deforestation. It can also manifest itself through feelings of guilt or shame about how much we consume or produce as a society.
It’s good to worry about the environment, and the planet as a whole, especially if you’re taking steps to be more eco-friendly, but making yourself anxious is going to make you ill, so use the energy to worry, to do something productive which will still help the environment, and it’ll make you feel a lot better for being positive.
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https://www.simplereveries.com/what-is-eco-anxiety-and-how-to-overcome-it/
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How Should Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Be Defined?
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are two widely used concepts. Corporate and government actions are partly judged according to them. Activists, politicians, and corporate leaders use them. But what exactly do they mean? Are they compatible with efficient management in a free society? To what extent are they even useful? This Economic Note will shed some light on these questions.
Media release: Corporate social responsibility and sustainability go hand in hand with the profit motive
Related Content
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Devrait-on limiter la recherche du profit des entreprises? (Le Devoir, January 30, 2017)
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Right-sizing corporate social responsibility (National Post, February 3, 2017)
How Should Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Be Defined?
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are two widely used concepts. Corporate and government actions are partly judged according to them. Activists, politicians, and corporate leaders use them. But what exactly do they mean? Are they compatible with efficient management in a free society? To what extent are they even useful? This Economic Note will shed some light on these questions.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The concept of corporate social responsibility has been defined in various ways. The first modern mention that launched the contemporary literature on this topic was in a book published by American economist Howard R. Bowen in 1953, Social Responsibilities of the Businessman. He defined it as “the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society.”
A more expansive definition would include further actions to promote socially desirable outcomes such as protecting the environment, above and beyond what is expected in the more neutral definition. If the main goal of a firm is still to maximize profits, then taking further steps toward the “social good” can improve the bottom line insofar as they lead to increased sales through a better image and reputation, reduced costs through decreased resource use, better employee engagement through intra-firm “green” activities, more social licence coming from a better perception of the firm, etc.
Such definitions of corporate social responsibility do not lead to harmful consequences and can be embraced by corporations without creating any problems.
Some people wish to go even further, however, by imposing on firms a definition of social responsibility that extends beyond the constraints already found in laws and regulations. This implies maximizing the welfare of all “stakeholders,” including workers, consumers, the wider community, and future generations. This more extreme definition is much more problematic for shareholders, and for society in general.
Milton Friedman, the 1976 economics Nobel laureate, famously argued against a more expansive kind of social responsibility, writing that “there is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition, without deception or fraud.”(1) As we have known since Adam Smith, this will lead to a general increase in society’s welfare, without it being a direct goal of the profitable activity. The danger of diverting business from its pursuit of profit is the slowing, or even the reversal, of this increasing welfare.
Is corporate social responsibility profitable or costly for a business? Can a firm “do well while doing good”? The answer depends on the sorts of activities being considered.
Corporations, in order to survive and thrive, must respond to their clients’ preferences. If certain forms of social responsibility are profitable for the businesses that implement them (leading to more engaged employees, better risk management, more satisfied clients), these practices will tend to spread by themselves thanks to the profit motive. On the other hand, if a firm cheats its clients, it won’t stay in business very long, as they will soon look for an alternative supplier.
But what about the sorts of practices that reduce efficiency, and that well-intentioned social responsibility agents often try to push within their companies? If they are implemented, shareholders, consumers, or employees will have to pay the cost in terms of reduced profits, higher prices, or lower wages.
Trying to regulate firms internally through aggressive social responsibility is much less efficient than having a government regulate activities (or simply allowing the market to do so). Think of the concrete example of working conditions. Trying to push companies to increase wages and other worker benefits (such as more vacation time or free daycare) above what is already determined by government regulations and market conditions will increase costs and have adverse effects on the competitiveness of the firm, and might even endanger its existence.
Why, then, do some push for an aggressive form of corporate social responsibility? Probably because they are unable to get their way in the political arena, either because their goals are unpopular in themselves, or because they are just too costly.
In short, corporate social responsibility, if interpreted narrowly, is neither a threat nor a panacea. If it is taken to extremes, it can distract companies from what they do best, which is to produce the goods and services that customers want at the lowest cost. It cannot and should not replace market discipline and government regulations.
Sustainability
Another widely used but loosely defined term is the concept of sustainability, which dates back to the 1960s and early 1970s.(2) Several books published around that time warned of impending disasters if humanity did not mend its ways. In her influential 1962 book, Rachel Carson(3) predicted that very soon, spring would be silent, with no birds chirping nor insects buzzing. In 1968, the famous environmentalist Paul Ehrlich(4) predicted widespread famines in the near future, including in Europe and in North America. The Club of Rome(5) announced in 1972 a coming worldwide depletion of basic resources, including metals and energy, as well as a global economic collapse.
These environmental scares did not materialize, but they did create movements dedicated to sustainability.
The basic idea behind sustainability deals with an important notion: that the multitude of individual choices must take into account the scarcity of resources. In other words, sustainability must be feasible from an economic viewpoint.(6)
Like corporate social responsibility, sustainability makes sense if we define it in a narrow way. In 1986, for instance, the Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”(7)
More recently, however, the United Nations produced a list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015, that have stretched the concept far beyond the intents of the original environmentalist thinkers. These include practically any proposal deemed good, such as to “[e]nsure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” (goal 3). The UN resolution states that “[s]port is also an important enabler of sustainable development.”(8)
UNESCO, itself a part of the UN, views culture as part of sustainable development.(9) And such a broad conception of “sustainability” is inevitably accompanied by calls for all sorts of government intervention. It is even used to argue for a guaranteed minimum income.(10)
Yet if sustainability means “whatever is good in terms of humanity’s and our planet’s future welfare,” it is not a very useful concept. Not everything can be done and not all goals can be attained. Trade-offs must be made. One cannot at the same time restrict growth, help the poor, and maintain the productive incentives of the non-poor.
If we adopt a narrower definition, then making sure pollution is limited and that we don’t run out of resources can remain the focus of sustainability. And in fact, markets are an ideal institution for ensuring sustainability thus defined.
First of all, they signal problems with resource scarcity, through higher prices. Whenever increased scarcity drives prices up, everyone adjusts by using less, substituting more abundant alternatives.
Second, a scarcer and costlier resource creates an incentive to find more. Copper is a good example, as reserves soared and prices plummeted over the past 200 years.(11) Just from 1995 to 2015, world conventional copper reserves more than doubled, from 310 Mt to 720 Mt.(12)
Third, since innovation to replace scarce resources can be very profitable, a free enterprise system usually takes care of shortages before they ever happen. Copper is again a good example, as the need for this metal in telephone lines more or less melted away with the invention of optic fibre and cell phones. In fact, the world has never run out of a resource critical for growth. Using regulation to restrict current growth for the purpose of ensuring that resources can be used by future generations is therefore unnecessary.
Finally, a free-market system promotes growth, rising living standards, and a cleaner environment.(13) Almost all the richest countries (in real GDP per capita) are ones in which economic freedom is high, and a richer society is one that can take the environment seriously and tackle any problems that arise, as illustrated in Figure 1.(14) According to the Environmental Performance Index from Yale University’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy, rich countries’ environments are in much better shape than those of developing countries.(15)
Conclusion
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are important concepts. However, understood too expansively, they can cause significant harm to businesses and our economy. Giving them a very concrete and operational meaning is essential. Corporate social responsibility should mean running a firm in a legal and responsible way. Sustainability should mean making sure our society does not run out of resources and that pollution is controlled.
Properly understood, these two operational concepts complement rather than oppose the profit motive, within a context of respect for society’s laws and regulations and reliance on the market price mechanism. They can help firms and society achieve a goal that everyone shares: a better life, now and in the future. (Table 1)
This Economic Note was prepared by Germain Belzile, Senior Associate Researcher at the MEI, in collaboration with Michel Kelly-Gagnon, President and CEO of the MEI.
References
1. Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom, University of Chicago Press, 1982, p. 112.
2. Edward B. Barbier, “The Concept of Sustainable Economic Development,” Environmental Conservation, Vol. 14, No. 2, July 1987, p. 102.
3. Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, Houghton Mifflin Company, Anniversary edition, 2002.
4. Paul R. Ehrlich, The Population Bomb, Sierra Club, 1968; Pierre Lemieux, “Running Out of Everything,” Library of Law and Liberty, June 3, 2014.
5. Donella H. Meadows et al., The Limits to Growth: A Report for the Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind, Universe Books, 1972.
6. Lawrence Reed Watson, “Enviropreneurship in Action,” in Terry L. Anderson and Donald R. Leal, Free Market Environmentalism for the Next Generation, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.
7. World Commission on Environment and Development, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future, Transmitted to the General Assembly of the United Nations, 1987, p. 41.
8. United Nations General Assembly, Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, October 21, 2015, pp. 10 and 16.
9. UNESCO, Culture for Sustainable Development.
10. Wouter Achterberg, “From Sustainability to Basic Income,” in Michael Kenny and James Meadowcroft (eds.), Planning Sustainability, Routledge, 1999, pp. 128-147.
11. Bjorn Lomborg, The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World, Cambridge University Press, 2001, Figure 79.
12. USGS, National Minerals Information Center, Copper, Statistics and Information, 2016.
13. Johan Norberg, In Defense of Global Capitalism, Cato Institute, 2003, pp. 63-104.
14. Tom Murphy, “Air pollution is deadly and hurts the world’s poor the most,” Humanosphere, May 16, 2016. To learn more about the environmental Kuznets curve, shown in Figure 1, see Matt Welch, “Capitalism Makes You Cleaner,” Reason, October 2015.
15. Environmental Performance Index, Global Metrics for the Environment: The Environmental Performance Index Ranks Countries’ Performance on High-Priority Environmental Issues—2016 Report, Yale University, 2016, pp. 18-19.
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https://www.iedm.org/66732-how-should-corporate-social-responsibility-and-sustainability-be-defined/
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Resources are finite but human needs and desires are uncontrollable and limitless. This statement made by an economist made the mantra edition popped out in my head with the most common mantra of the generation: Sustainable development plan. It is where economic growth and environmental growth go hand in hand.
We have not inherited this planet from our ancestors, but borrowed it from our children. Perfectly quoted it is. So we need to set aside the limited resources for the future generations since these resources take up millions of years to replenish and come into use again.
Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as a “Resource”. Thus any part of our environment such as land, air, water, wildlife, minerals, forest and even human population that human beings themselves can utilise to promote their welfare by their intellectual efforts and technologies may be regarded as resource. In other words one can say that the five basic ecological variables i.e., energy, matter, space, time and diversity together can be known as resource. These resources form the backbone of the economy and prosperity of a nation.
What is the sustainable development, resource management technique?
Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It implies economic growth together with the protection of the environmental quality, each reinforcing the other. The essence of this form of development is a stable relationship between human activities and the natural world, which does not diminish the prospects for future generations to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own. The guiding rules are that people share with each other and care for the earth. Humanity must take no more from nature that nature can replenish. This in turn means adopting lifestyles and development paths that respect and work within nature’s limits. It can be done without rejecting many benefits that modern technology has brought, provided that; technology also works within those limits.
Environmental sustainability applies at many levels including individual, community, regional, national, and global levels.
• We must consider the effects of our actions on the health and well being of the natural environment, including all the living things.
• Earth’s resources are not present in infinite supply. We must live within limits and let renewable resources such as fresh water regenerate for future needs.
• We must understand all the costs of products we consume to the environment and to society.
• We must each share in the responsibility for environmental sustainability.
• We are using non renewable resources such as fossil fuels as if they were present in unlimited supplies.
• We are using renewable resources such as fresh water and forests faster that they are replenished naturally.
• We are polluting the environment with toxins as if teh capacity of the environment to absorb them is limitless.
• Our numbers continue to grow despite Earth’s finite ability to feed and sustain us and absorb our wastes.
If left unchecked, these activities may reach the point of environmental catastrophe, threatening the life support systems of earth to such a degree that recovery is impossible.
In general, the researchers say that degradation of self governing resources has occurred in the past and is occurring today also. As one goes from local to regional to global levels, the challenges of sustainably managing resources become more complex. No individual, jurisdiction, or country owns the resources and they are susceptible to over use. Although exploitation may benefit only a few, everyone on Earth must pay for the environmental cost of exploitation.
These are the problems beyond the ability of a single nation to resolve. Everybody on this Earth must have a shared responsibility for the sustainable care of this planet, co-operation and commitment at the international level are essential if we are to alleviate poverty, stabilize the human population and preserve our environment and its resources for future generations.
Therefore, being and acting Green is the new cool. Never go for grabbing resources like a selfish beast, and limit you needs and desires to the minimum possible resources which might just be of use to you own children.
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https://followgreenliving.com/resource-management-sustainable-development-mantra-rtr/
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The Principal of the University, Professor Sir Graeme Davies, signed the Talloires declaration and the Copernicus charter. He affirmed the University of Glasgow's support for sustainable development, defined by the Brundtland report as "that which meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
The preamble to the Talloires declaration explains why the University of Glasgow has pledged support for critical action both within the academic environment and also in the wider community.
"We, the presidents, rectors, and vice chancellors of universities from all regions of the world are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of environmental pollution and degradation, and the depletion of natural resources.
Local, regional, and global air and water pollution; accumulation and distribution of toxic wastes; destruction and depletion of forests, soil, and water; depletion of the ozone layer and emission of "green house" gases threaten the survival of humans and thousands of other living species, the integrity of the earth and its biodiversity, the security of nations, and the heritage of future generations. These environmental changes are caused by inequitable and unsustainable production and consumption patterns that aggravate poverty in many regions of the world. We believe that urgent actions are needed to address these fundamental problems and reverse the trends. Stabilization of human population, adoption of environmentally sound industrial and agricultural technologies, reforestation, and ecological restoration are crucial elements in creating an equitable and sustainable future for all humankind in harmony with nature. Universities have a major role in the education, research, policy formation, and information exchange necessary to make these goals possible. Thus, university leaders must initiate and support mobilization of internal and external resources so that their institutions respond to this urgent challenge."
By signing the Talloires Declaration and the Copernicus Charter the Principal recognises the importance of the teaching and management of these issues and of the research in this area that is already taking place across the University. In this way Glasgow joins other leading Universities around the world in addressing the environmental, social and economic factors that will help to create a sustainable future for the planet.
For more details see http://www.elec.gla.ac.uk/Environment/ ...
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https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2002/march/headline_29718_en.html
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Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The seven well-being goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 apply to local authorities, public service boards, local health boards, HEFCW, most public bodies and the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government has produced a number of guidance documents to support understanding of the legislation and its application.
Although universities and colleges are not directly included, they are referred to within the legislation as being invitees to sit on public service boards who in turn are charged with responsibility for:
- assessing the state of economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being in its area setting objectives (‘local objectives’) that are designed to maximise their contribution within their area to achieving those goals
- taking all reasonable steps by members of the board (in exercising their functions) to meet those objectives
The Future Generations Commissioner has identified four priority to progress:
- Climate change
- Economic change
- Population change
- Citizen disengagement
We believe higher education has much to contribute to this agenda through research, teaching, and civic engagement, and we will seek to support the HE sector through our own strategic engagement with universities and colleges.
We have developed our own Well-being Statement and associated objectives. We will seek to contribute towards the delivery of the seven goals of the Act through implementing the sustainable development principle and the actions that will be set out within our new corporate strategy and operational plan.
We will seek to work with those in HE who are supportive of this agenda, particularly the Higher Education Wales Future Generations Group, The United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise Wales and Advance HE’s Future Generations Group.
Environment (Wales) Act 2016
We have published an Environmental Report to meet our Section 6 duty under the Environmental (Wales) Act 2016.
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https://www.hefcw.ac.uk/en/about-us/operational-policies/the-well-being-of-future-generations-wales-act-2015/
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Pre-reading questions:
- Are you an advocate for climate rights? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, what are the most pressing climate-related issues facing the world today?
Vocabulary:
- concept /KON-sept /
- extreme /ik-STREEM/
- current /KUR-uhnt/
- ensure /en-SHOOR/
- reality /ree-AL-i-tee/
[noun] – a principle or idea
A concept is an abstract idea, and it can be difficult to understand without concrete examples.
[adjective] – very severe or bad
Exercising for a long time in hot weather can be extreme and potentially dangerous if you don’t take proper precautions.
[adjective] – of the present time
The current situation in the world is challenging, but we must remain optimistic and work together to overcome it.
[verb] – to make something certain to happen
In order to ensure that everyone stays safe, it is important to wear a mask and practice social distancing during the pandemic.
[noun] – the state of things as they are, rather than as they are imagined to be
While it is important to have dreams and aspirations, it is also important to face reality and make plans based on what is realistically achievable.
Article reading:
At their core, climate rights are about justice between generations. Past and present generations have contributed to a warming planet, rising sea levels, and extreme weather conditions that threaten the survival of future generations. Advocates of climate rights argue that those who will bear the brunt of these impacts have the right to a livable future and that it is the responsibility of current governments and individuals to take action to ensure that they are not left to suffer the consequences of our collective inaction. Despite the compelling argument for climate rights, there are significant obstacles to making it a reality.
In conclusion, as we tackle the challenges of climate change, it is crucial that we consider the needs and rights of those who will inherit the planet from us. Climate rights are an essential step towards a more sustainable future, and we must work together to make it a reality.
Comprehension questions
- What is the concept of “climate rights” about?
- Why do advocates of climate rights argue that future generations have the right to a livable future?
- What are some of the consequences of our collective inaction on climate change?
- What are some of the significant obstacles to making climate rights a reality?
- Why is it crucial to consider the needs and rights of future generations as we tackle the challenges of climate change?
Discussion questions
- Could you give me an example of a concept of climate rights that was integrated into policy-making in your country? Could you tell me more about it?
- Based on your experience, what are some of the most effective strategies for increasing awareness and support for the concept of climate rights?
- If future generations were able to speak for themselves, how do you think they would advocate for their own rights?
- Do you agree that future generations have a fundamental right to a stable and habitable environment?
- How do the actions of current and past generations affect the ability of future generations to thrive, and what can be done to address this issue?
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https://news.weblioph.com/2023/02/19/the-people-supporting-future-generations-in-the-fight-against-climate-change-intermediate/
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World Environment Day 2022: Working Together for a Sustainable Future
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) celebrates World Environment Day 2022 and its theme “Only One Earth” by highlighting the importance of robust international cooperation and public participation to conserve, protect and enhance our shared environment.
Supporting community-led efforts that empower individuals and organizations to drive sustainable development is a vital part of the trinational work we do. As issues like climate change and natural disasters are inherently transboundary issues, multilateral organizations like the CEC that bring together countries and communities have unparalleled importance as we strive for a brighter future of shared well-being and prosperity.
Since we all share just this one Earth, it is our planet that remains our common ground as we come together as countries and as individuals to rise to the common challenges ahead of us. Promoting a strong sense of shared responsibility and stewardship is key for a paradigm shift in how we balance our environmental, economic and social well-being.
Most importantly, our words and ambitions must be embodied in our actions. For the CEC, our mission and vision are underpinned by our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, which clearly provides our North Star: sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations. Our actions today are shaping the lives and livelihoods of those for generations to come.
It is all the more clear that reaching our common goals depends on bringing together the whole of society and unlocking the latent potential in our young people, in our communities, in the private sector, and in concert with a whole of government approach.
The CEC proudly works with the Governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States on a host of priority environmental issues, ranging from North American-wide climate adaptation to on-the-ground resilience and promoting environmental justice for vulnerable and underserved communities.
Today we join the United Nations Environment Programme as the global host of World Environment Day and celebrate the value of our ongoing collaborative efforts that demonstrate the importance of working together to raise awareness and drive action on some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
We remain committed to expanding our collaboration and facilitating win-win solutions with private- and public-sector partners as we raise awareness, facilitate knowledge-sharing and drive real world, evidenced-based solutions that positively impact all of us.
The CEC’s cooperative work program and initiatives reflect the North American commitment to drive meaningful actions to move the needle on regional and global issues related to trade and the environment.
All Eyes on #CEC29: A Hybrid Approach to our Annual Council Sessions
Each year, the CEC convenes the three environment Ministers of Canada, Mexico and the United States and invites the public to engage in multiple dialogues on pressing environmental issues facing our region. This year’s annual Council Session and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Public Forum will take place on 14 and 15 July 2022, in Mérida, Mexico as a hybrid event with in-person as well as virtual participation available. Secretary María Luisa Albores González of Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) will host her counterparts, United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.
For more information and to register for #CEC29 now, click here.
The CEC will continue to promote awareness and participation in environmental governance while fostering sustainable growth, reducing pollution, and managing and responsibly using our vital natural resources so that we can meet today’s needs without compromising the ability of our environment to provide future generations with a secure quality of life.
About the CEC
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established in 1994 by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, a parallel environmental agreement to NAFTA. As of 2020, the CEC is recognized and maintained by the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, in parallel with the new Free Trade Agreement of North America. The CEC brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, Indigenous people, youth, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the business sector, to seek solutions to protect North America’s shared environment while supporting sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations
The CEC is governed and funded equally by the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of the United States of Mexico through the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and the Government of the United States of America through the Environmental Protection Agency.
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http://www.cec.org/newsletter/world-environment-day-2022-working-together-for-a-sustainable-future/
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By Jaime V. Pitner, MSN, RN, CEN, MICP, NRP |
Having a consistent and reliable pain rating scale is extremely valuable for EMS providers in the treatment of pain and for continued patient assessment.3 The 0 to 10 pain scale has become the most widely utilized and accepted measure of pain in all settings.5 Assessment terms like mild, moderate and severe have previously been used to assess pain prior to the numeric pain scale.
The 0 to 10 pain scale originally appeared after World War II, not as a patient assessment tool, but as a research survey method. The 0 to 10 pain scale has since emerged as the required tool in pain assessment and documentation in all areas of healthcare. But how the pain scale is used can make a world of difference in the patient’s experience of pain relief, comfort and healing.
The problem with the 0 to 10 pain scale is that clinicians don’t always want to believe it and they may not understand how to apply it well. When a medic asks a patient to rate their pain on the 0 to 10 scale and the patient replies “15,” the medic may be skeptical. This is also true when the patient rates the pain as an “8” but the medic doesn’t think the patient looks that uncomfortable. Is the problem the patient or the way the assessment tool being is used?
We all know that people have their own individual pain tolerance. Pain, in fact, is a perception.2 Because pain is perceived differently from one person to another and under different circumstances, this provides us an opportunity to modify the experience. The goal is to always do your best to modify the perception of pain to bring the most comfort. So, when you use the 1 to 10 pain scale, what is your goal? Are you asking for what you want? Repeatedly asking the patient for their pain rating may be counterproductive. Are you seeking a pain rating or do you really want to assess the patient’s comfort?
Most EMS providers have never really been instructed on how to use the 0 to 10 pain scale. There is no formal training. People just expect you to know it. It’s simple; just rate the pain with a number from 0 to 10. However, it’s common practice to hear healthcare providers say: Rate your pain on a zero to ten scale with ten being the worst possible pain you ever experienced.4 Is this really the best way to utilize this scale? You’ve just asked the patient to recall previous painful experiences; on top of the pain they are actually experiencing now.
Here are some simple and effective ways to enhance your use of the 0 to 10 pain scale to provide a consistent and effective approach with every patient that will promote greater comfort, improved clinical outcome and also express compassion.
Initial Pain Assessment
This is the new approach to communicating the use of the 0 to 10 pain scale.
The clinician says: Please rate the pain on a zero to ten scale with “0” being no pain and “10” being the highest.
When you say 10 is the highest, this caps the scale and avoids the patient going over 10. Remember pain is a perception that you must capture on a numeric scale. Putting feelings into numbers is not always easy for people. You must be clear and specific. It’s important for you to provide an accurate reassessment of pain, and to do that, you must provide a good starting point.
Notice the choice of words: “0” being no pain. It is critical that you provide a qualifier for both ends of the scale. Why only emphasize the “10” with a descriptor of severe pain? Don’t describe it “as the worst possible pain you ever experienced”. The reason for this is that you may be unwittingly leading the patient to recall or imagine previous severely painful experiences. Simply use the phrase; and 10 is the “highest”. Notice the subtle but profound difference. This is a neutral and more accurate descriptor for the numeric scale that does not have any mental or emotional associations with previous painful experiences.
Why is This Important?
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The Power of Association. Recalling past painful experiences may enhance the current experience of pain. All sensory information, including painful sensations, are processed in the outside layer of the brain, the primary somatosensory (S1) cortex. These pain memories manifest themselves in alterations in the S1 cortex and may contribute to hypersensitivity even in the absence of peripheral stimulation.2
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The Stress Response. Recalling past painful experiences can trigger the stress response. The pain experience may be worsened with increased stress, which results in tight muscles, increased pulse rate and blood pressure and the release of stress hormones.1
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Your Goal. You always want to bring comfort and reduce discomfort. Begin thinking of the pain scale as a tool to measure comfort as well.
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http://www.ramseyfoundation.org/a-new-approach-to-the-0-to-10-pain-scale/
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A survey of various medical schools across Canada found that some two-thirds of programs could not identify any specified curriculum time for pain education. In contrast, a study published in 2009 found that 100% of veterinary faculties had a pain education curriculum.Reference Watt-Watson, McGillion and Hunter 18 Researchers have long recognized that lack of pain management education is associated with a lack of knowledge in practicing health care professionals.Reference Maclaren and Cohen 19 Understanding the EM residents’ perspective of pediatric pain management has the potential to help tailor education programs for these learners. The objectives of this study were to describe the following amongst EM residents: (a) the extent and type of training received in pediatric pain management; (b) the approach to common painful pediatric presentations; (c) the level of comfort in assessing and treating pediatric pain; (d) the perceived facilitators and barriers to optimally managing pediatric pain; and (e) the attitudes towards education and management of pediatric pain in the ED.
Materials and Methods
Study design and participants
A descriptive, cross-sectional survey of emergency medicine residents at three Canadian universities was undertaken during the 2012-2013 academic year: McGill University, The University of Alberta, and The University of Calgary. The study population was comprised of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Emergency Medicine residents (FRCP-EM) and clinical fellows (CF), College of Family Physicians of Canada Emergency Medicine residents (CCFP-EM) and CFs, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) residents and CFs.
Survey tool
A survey instrument was created after literature review and with the guidance of an expert panel, in keeping with previously established methods.Reference Burns, Duffett and Kho 20 The five main themes of the instrument were: (a) demographic characteristics; (b) knowledge and education regarding pain assessment and treatment; (c) perceptions of pediatric pain management; (d) current practices; and (e) perceived barriers and facilitators. Questions were multiple choice or short-answer; open-ended questions were thematically coded by two of the team members (HA, SA). The expert panel consisted of experts in medical education, pediatric pain management, and emergency medicine (both faculty and trainees). The survey required less than 15 minutes for completion.
Survey distribution methodology
The electronic implementation of the survey was coordinated by the Clinical Research Informatics Core (CRIC, University of Alberta). Checkbox.com was used to create and distribute the survey. Consent to participation in the study was implicit in completion of the survey. An advance email notification was sent, followed by an information letter and the survey link 7 days later. Non-responders were sent a reminder email 21 days after the initial notification and the study was closed to further responses at 42 days after the initial notification.
Data Analysis
Standard descriptive statistics (means, medians, standard deviations, and ranges) were generated for continuous variables, and frequency distributions were generated as categorical variables. The 95% confidence intervals were calculated as appropriate. In all assessments of level of comfort, the variable in question was collapsed to a dichotomous (comfortable/uncomfortable) response. Comparisons between groups (e.g., junior versus senior residents) were assessed using Fisher’s exact test. Comparisons among three or more groups were assessed using either the Fisher-Freeman-Halton test for categorical groups (e.g., training program) or the Cochrane-Armitage trend test for ordinal groups (e.g., level of pediatric experience). McNemar’s test was used to assess differences in physicians’ level of comfort treating one year olds and nine year olds. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
Demographic characteristics
Of 122 residents surveyed (80 FRCP-EM, 26 CCFP-EM, and 16 PEM) 56 were enrolled (46%). The mean age of the participants was 29.5 years and they had a median of 12 weeks of experience in a pediatric ED (range 3-104 weeks). Demographic information on study participants is provided in Table 1. Seventy-one percent (40/56) of participants did not have children, and 15% (8/54) had personally used prescription pain medications within the last six months.
PGY=post-graduate year
Pediatric pain assessment
Forty-five percent (25/55) of participants reported that they did not receive any training in pediatric pain assessment. Of the 33% (18/55) who did, 33% (6/18) received both formal and informal training, and 28% (5/18) received only informal training. Twenty-two percent of participants (12/55) reported they were unsure if they had received any training on pediatric pain management. Sixty-one percent (11/18) of educational sessions reported on pediatric pain assessment were taught by emergency physicians, 17% (3/18) by residents, and 17% (3/18) by other physicians (including anesthesiologists and intensivists).
The most common assessment tools that residents reported they had been taught about were the Faces Pain Scale (FPS) (29%, 16/56), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (25%, 14/56), the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) (14%, 8/56), and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale (FLACC) (7%, 4/56). In contrast, 13% (7/56) reported that they used the VAS, 7% (4/56) the FPS, 7% (4/56) the NRS, 5% (3/56) the FLACC. Eleven percent (6/56) stated that they did not use any tool to assess pediatric pain. (See Figure 1, which summarizes the findings regarding participants’ reported level of comfort assessing pediatric pain.)
All years of residents reported that they were uncomfortable with the assessment of pain in 0-2 year olds (p=0.07); for patients aged 2-12 years; level of comfort with pain assessment increased with years of training (p=0.02). Table 2 provides information on participant level of comfort with assessment of children’s pain, categorized by weeks of pediatric ED experience. There was no statistically significant difference in level of comfort in assessing pediatric pain for any age group across different training programs.
* Results represent the number of respondents that were “comfortable” or “very comfortable.”
Eighty-three percent (45/54) of respondents reported they were “extremely” or “somewhat” uncomfortable with the assessment of pain in a disabled, non-verbal child; 85% (47/55) had not received any training on how to assess pain in this population. Eleven percent (6/55) of respondents were unsure if they had had any training on this subject.
Treatment of pediatric pain
Sixty-nine percent (38/55) of respondents reported having received post-graduate training on how to treat pediatric pain, 18% (10/55) did not recall receiving any such training and 13% (7/55) reported they were unsure. Thirty-five percent of respondents (13/37) indicated that their training was formal, 27% (10/37) informal, and 38% (14/37) reported that they received both. The teachers providing this training were emergency physicians (89%, 33/37), residents (38%, 14/37), other physicians (14%, 5/37), and nurses (3%, 1/37).
Fifty-eight percent (32/55) of respondents reported having received teaching on non-pharmacologic interventions for the management of pediatric pain, 13% (7/55) had not and 29% (16/55) were unsure. Most respondents reported using various distraction techniques (n=42); some reported using glucose/sucrose (n=18), the help of parents or caregivers (n=16), and child life specialists (n=7).
Figure 2 illustrates participants’ reported comfort level with the use of various pain medications for a one and nine year old child. When treating pain for a nine year old, there was no statistical difference in level of comfort of junior residents (year 1-2) compared to senior residents (year 3-6) regarding the use of oral oxycodone (p=0.70), oral morphine (p=0.27), IV morphine (p=0.12), oral codeine (p=0.57), intranasal fentanyl (p=1.00), distraction techniques (p=0.72), or regional nerve blocks (p=0.18). All residents reported they were more comfortable using opioid pain medications for a nine year old, as compared to a one year old (oral oxycodone p<0.001, oral morphine p<0.001, IV morphine p=0.004). Table 3 describes the top two medications of choice for mild (2/10), moderate (5/10) and severe (7/10) pain scenarios.
IV=intravenous, PO=per os, SC=subcutaneous, NSAID=non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
* n=54
Participants reported that they would wait a median of 30 minutes (range 15-120 minutes) after the administration of one dose of oral ibuprofen before reassessing the patient’s level of pain. After the administration of one dose of intravenous fentanyl, residents reported that they would wait a median of 5 minutes (range of 1-60 minutes).
When asked how analgesic medications affected parent/caregiver satisfaction, 49/54 (83%) of participants felt that it significantly improved satisfaction, 8/54 (15%) felt it somewhat improved satisfaction, and 1/54 (2%) felt it somewhat worsened satisfaction. When participants were asked how important it was for patients to be pain free when discharged from the ED, the mean level of importance on a scale of 0 to 100 was 76; when asked how important it was for patients’ pain scores to be less than 3/10 when discharged from the ED, the mean level of importance was 88.
Barriers to managing children’s pain
Table 4 outlines the barriers reported by participants to assessing pain in a pediatric patient. The most commonly cited barrier was self-reported lack of comfort in the participant’s ability to assess degree of pain (especially in young infants or those with developmental disabilities).
Multiple responses were permitted.
Pediatric pain management teaching
When participants were asked how important they felt it was to receive education about pediatric pain management, 98% (54/55) felt it was “extremely important” or “somewhat important.” The methods reported as best to teach pediatric pain management included role modeling (61%, 34/56), lecture format (57%, 32/56), simulation (32%, 18/56), or web-based learning (29%, 16/56).
Discussion
To our knowledge, this study is the first to survey the knowledge and attitudes of EM residents caring for children with pain. Our findings indicate that EM residents have limited overall exposure to children and minimal formal training in pediatric pain management. Specific deficiencies we identified include the care of very young children and children with developmental disabilities. Residents do, however, report a desire to be proficient in the care of children in pain.
Residents participating in our study reported limited training in the assessment of pediatric pain, with a large percentage of unable to recall receiving any training. The first step to appropriate pain management is the assessment of pain, and our findings suggest residents receive insufficient training in this skill. Pain assessment tools are well studied, and several have been validated for use in children as young as 3 years of age; however, a gold standard amongst these has yet to be identified.Reference Tomlinson, von Baeyer and Stinson 21 The large array of tools available, and the lack of consensus regarding the best choice, may contribute to their inconsistent and infrequent use. The authors of a recent systematic review suggested that a single pain assessment tool be used within an institution, as the change in score is a more important variable than the absolute number.Reference Tomlinson, von Baeyer and Stinson 21
Residents participating in our study reported feeling very uncomfortable when attempting to assess pain in the age group of 0-2 years. This trend was reversed once the child was 13 years or older, likely because the assessment of this group is very similar to that in adults. There has been limited research on pain assessment in very young children; however, preliminary studies suggest that the FLACC observational tool can be successfully used in children aged 6-42 months, and accurately identifies pain and distress.Reference Babl, Crellin and Cheng 22 Resident educational interventions should be specifically directed at the assessment of pain in this patient population.
One of the most striking and novel findings in our study was that residents reported lack of comfort in the assessment of pain in a child with a developmental disability, specifically one that rendered them non-verbal. The majority of residents reported feeling uncomfortable in such a scenario, and indicated they had not received any training on how to assess pain in such patients. Previous research has suggested that children with cognitive impairment experience pain frequently, and those with the fewest abilities experience the most pain.Reference Clancy, McGrath and Oddson 23 , Reference Breau, Camfield and McGrath 24 To address this, the Pediatric Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (Ped-IMMPACT) group has called for “specific planning and co-ordination” for communicating with non-verbal and/or cognitively impaired children. 25 , Reference Malviya, Voepel-Lewis and Burke 26 The revised FLACC observational tool has been studied and found to be reliable and valid in children with cognitive impairment in some settings, and while challenging to apply in the ED, may provide a starting point for development of a tool in this environment. This underscores the importance of directing educational initiatives for residents on the assessment of pain in non-verbal, developmentally disabled children.
We found a marked difference in the reported level of comfort for pharmacological treatment of the pain of a non-verbal one-year-old infant compared to a verbal child of nine years of age. This unease with pharmacologic agents in very young children likely contributes to the under-treatment of pain that has been previously reported in this population.Reference Alexander and Manno 27 Several explanations have been suggested for this, including physician lack of comfort with medication dosing, the belief that children don’t feel pain like adults and/or will not remember it, fear of adverse effects, inability of young children to verbalize their needs, potential for opioid dependency, risk of over-sedation, and lack of clear guidelines.Reference Alexander and Manno 27 , Reference Lewis, Lasater and Brooks 28 Residents should be comfortable using a variety of opioid medications across the spectrum of pediatric age groups; this would encourage use of stronger pain medications when clinically indicated and reduce the risk of under-treating pain in non-verbal children.
Residents appropriately choose potent opioids for severe pain, a combination of moderate-potency opioids and NSAIDs for moderate pain, and either acetaminophen or NSAIDs for mild pain. Current best evidence suggests ibuprofen and acetaminophen are the appropriate first-line oral analgesic agents for mild to moderate acute pain in children, and that an opioid such as morphine should be used for persisting pain, or pain of severe intensity. 29 - Reference Morris, Stulberg and Stevermer 31 Our results suggest that this evidence-based approach is followed by EM residents.
Although many residents participating in our study reported using and being taught about non-pharmacologic techniques to reduce pain, there were also many who were not taught this or did not recall being taught. Evidence exists for the efficacy of several non-pharmacologic modalities in the reduction of pediatric pain in the ED, including psychological therapies, complementary and alternative medicine, massage, and music.Reference Ali, Drendel and Kircher 30 , Reference Eccleston, Palermo and Williams 32 - Reference Hernandez-Reif, Field and Largie 34 Lack of resident use of these effective, non-pharmacologic techniques could be rectified through educational initiatives.
Residents assigned a high importance to patients being completely pain-free upon discharge; however, they assigned an even higher importance to pain being classified as at least mild (<3/10) prior to discharge. This is in agreement with the WHO recommendations that pain be at least mild prior to discharge from the ED. 29 This is also important for caregiver satisfaction with their health care experience, as parents of children who experience frequent pain at home report higher dissatisfaction with their child’s care.Reference Gill, Drendel and Weisman 35
Our results suggest that residents appear to recognize that pediatric pain management is an essential part of residency curriculum, and want it to be taught in various formats. Multiple approaches to teaching pain management have been previously reported for non-EM programs. These include online interactive modules, seminars and didactic teaching over a course of days or weeks, small group teaching, interactive conference series, inter-professional discussions, and use of standardized patients; application of these techniques has yielded mixed results.Reference Gehlhar, Tauschel and Lux 36 - Reference Puljak and Sapunar 39 One undergraduate medical education program in the US found that the integration of elements to strengthen emotional skills is an effective educational approach when teaching students about pain.Reference Murinson, Nenortas and Mayer 37 The investigators in this study reported that learners who used personal, reflective portfolios to build awareness of the affective dimensions of pain demonstrated attainment of foundation knowledge, robust engagement in tasks addressing emotional development, and high levels of learner satisfaction. One internal medicine program in the US used a combination of interactive sessions, didactic teaching, provision of pocket reference cards, and emailing of clinical vignettes in their training program.Reference Scott, Borate and Heitner 38 The investigators in this study administered pre- and post-intervention surveys and found that while knowledge and overall documentation of pain did not improve, use of pain scales and “opioid-phobia” did. It is interesting to note that the EM residents in our study ranked traditional teaching formats (specifically role-modeling and lectures) as preferable to simulation, suggesting that pain assessment and treatment may be better taught using more traditional teaching techniques.
Limitations
Our study gathered data through the use of a novel survey instrument, which has not been previously validated. We included three sites in our study, which may limit the generalizability of our results; however, the self-identified deficiencies were common regardless of EM training program, thus suggesting that they are likely generalizable to other Canadian programs. Our response rate and sample size was smaller than desired, despite an effort to have the study championed by local site leads. A higher response rate and resulting greater sample size may have led to more robust and reliable results, and additional statistical power for the training-program-based sub-group analyses. As with all surveys, recall bias may have taken place. Despite these limitations, we feel that this study provides important insights into an area of medical education that, to date, has been largely ignored.
Conclusion
Under-treatment of children’s pain is a ubiquitous problem in the ED. Our study identified three main areas of reported discomfort for EM residents: pediatric pain assessment, management of pain in very young children, and pain management in children with developmental disabilities. We hope that our results will facilitate medical educators at the three involved sites, as well elsewhere in Canada, in gaining further understanding into existing knowledge needs, as well as barriers and facilitators that will affect the implementation of effective EM resident education on acute pain management for children. However, given our small sample size, further inquiry may be prudent to confirm that similar findings exist in other settings. Post-graduate EM curricula should be adjusted to reflect the self-reported weaknesses in the area of children’s pain management that we identified.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the attending physicians and residents who pilot tested our study tool, and Mr. Ben Vandermeer of the Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence program who provided statistical support for this study. We also thank Ms. Pam Marples and the Clinical Research Informatics Core team for their invaluable help with survey dissemination, and Ms. Melissa Gutland for her administrative support.
Competing interests: Dr. Huma Ali secured a McGill University Emergency Medicine Resident Research Grant to support this study. The authors have no financial or other conflicts of interest to disclose.
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https://core-cms.prod.aop.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-of-emergency-medicine/article/canadian-emergency-medicine-residents-perspectives-on-pediatric-pain-management/3058470DE205819CA8890FC151AC1C43
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Background: Measuring pain in patients whose home language is not English can be difficult as there may not be a scale available in their home language. Scales devised in other countries may also not be accurate after translation.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop and test a new verbal pain descriptor scale in a Tswana-speaking population in South Africa with low back pain.
Method: Two separate Tswana-speaking groups (20 males and 20 females) of patients with low back pain were asked to describe each of four categories of pain: mild, moderate, severe and worst. They then voted and descriptions obtaining more than 70% of the vote were taken to the next round of voting with both groups together. A final scale of one description for each category of pain (Tswana Verbal Pain Descriptor Scale – TVPDS) for both males and females was tested on a sample of 250 patients with low back pain and against three other non-verbal pain scales.
Results: All items on the final scale were approved by at least 70% of both male and female participants. The scores for the TVPDS correlated well with present pain perception (r = 0.729, p < 0.0001) measured on the numerical visual analogue scale. The TVPDS correlated well with the Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (r = 0.695, p < 0.0001) and the Pakistani Coin Pain Scale (r = 0.717, p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: The TVPDS has the potential to be a useful clinical scale but more testing in other languages is still required.
Clinical implications: This pain scale has the potential to be a useful scale to use for Tswana-speaking persons with low back pain and could also be useful for persons of other languages, if translated.
Whenever health care practitioners are required to assess and manage low back pain (LBP) they rely on patient descriptions of pain to judge the severity of the expressed pain. The expression of pain is dependent on language and people of different cultures and languages express increasing severity of pain in ways that are meaningful for them (Callister 2003). This is a particularly important issue if the health care practitioner and patient speak different languages, making the expression of pain difficult for the health care practitioner to understand.
This difficulty is frequently seen in a country like South Africa that has 11 official languages. This may lead to tension and misunderstanding between a health care practitioner from a different language needing to understand pain severity and the patient being unable to relate to a given pain scale or, as often happens, simply being asked to describe their pain (Callister 2003). A Zulu-speaking patient describing the pain of peripheral neuropathy as ‘cramping’, which is not the word a health care practitioner might expect, is an example of the difficulty patients and health care providers may have in understanding each other (Shaikh, Bentley & Kamerman 2013).
Numerous pain rating scales have been developed, both verbal and non-verbal, given the subjective nature of pain and the difficulty most people have in describing their pain (Gentile et al. 2011; Wong & Baker 1988). Most of these scales have been developed in Western societies and few, if any, take into consideration the differing language usage of patients. The verbal scales usually require knowledge of English or else are translated into local languages without considering the specifics of local language usage.
Most pain scales describe pain severity in categories of increasing pain intensity, examples being ‘mild, moderate, severe and worst’ (Collins, Moore & McQuay 1997; Jensen et al. 2007; Jones et al. 2007). This may be difficult for someone whose first language is not English and whose language may not have the same nuances to describe increases in pain severity. Asking people to describe the severity of their pain in their first language may be useful (Schott 2004; Semino 2010; Stewart 2014). Pain can be described using words, metaphors or verbal phrases. The use of everyday phrases to describe pain is common, where people try to match their pain to well-known situations in which pain occurs (Schott 2004; Semino 2010; Stewart 2014).
The first author, a practising physiotherapist in an area where most of her patients are Tswana speaking (one of the official South African languages), found that her patients did not understand the visual analogue scale (VAS), commonly used in clinical practice, when asked to rate their LBP. This left her unable to evaluate the level of pain being experienced. Her patients tended to be unsure of where on the VAS they should ‘place’ their perception of their pain (Yazbek, Stewart & Becker 2009). She therefore felt that a pain scale through which patients could describe their pain in their first language might be worth considering.
So this study aimed to develop a pain scale using everyday Tswana descriptions for increasing severity of pain and to test the relationship of this scale with existing pain scales.
This cross-sectional study was divided into two parts: Part 1, the development of the Tswana Verbal Pain Descriptor Scale (TVPDS), and Part 2, testing the TVPDS in a mixed group of Tswana-speaking individuals with LBP.
Forty adult participants (older than 18 years) with LBP attending a spinal clinic at a provincial public hospital in South Africa were asked to participate in Part 1. The study process was explained to them in Tswana and they signed informed consent. All participants had chronic LBP because of various causes and were only excluded if they had other diseases that could cause pain. The specific causes of back pain were not considered important in this study as it was the participants’ ability to verbalise their pain that was of interest. There were 20 males and 20 females who were Tswana speakers with varying educational levels. All were interviewed on the same day in two groups, first the females and then the males to obtain gender-specific descriptors of LBP severity. The first author was present while a Tswana-speaking research assistant conducted the interviews.
The female participants were each invited to suggest two or more different Tswana descriptors or terms that they felt best described each of the following categories of pain, namely, mild, moderate, severe and worst possible pain. This was done in an open forum and once consensus was reached the suggested descriptors were written on a blackboard. The group then voted for the descriptors for each category by a show of hands. All descriptors that received over 70% of the votes were included in the second phase, one for mild pain, three for moderate, two for severe and one for worst possible pain, ranked and recorded on the blackboard in ascending order. The same process was followed for the male group, who ended up with one descriptor for mild pain, two for moderate, three for severe and one for worst possible pain. Both groups appeared to have difficulty in agreeing on only one description for moderate and one for severe pain.
These sessions were followed by a lunch break and an hour’s rest in separate venues. The male and female descriptors were paired, resulting in seven sets. The combined group of males and females were then asked to vote for one of both the male and female descriptors in each pain category of mild, moderate, severe and worst pain. Seventy per cent (or the highest value if less than 70%) was taken as the cut-off for acceptance of an appropriate descriptor for each category of pain. The final scale thus had the most popular descriptor for each of the four levels of pain for each gender. This process of data collection took a total of 8 hours. The descriptors were then translated into English using the translation process described by Beaton, Bombardier, and Guillemin (2000) and Ostlund, Gustavsson and Furst (2006). This scale was then named the TVPDS.
Two hundred and fifty participants with LBP, who were either packers from four supermarket groups or patients at clinics for LBP in the same South African province where Part 1 was conducted, were approached and asked to participate in Part 2 of the study. The inclusion criteria were the same as for Part 1. The sample size was calculated according to Jenson, Turner and Romano (1994), who suggest that 10 participants per scale item are required to test a scale (Jensen et al. 1994). Only people with LBP were included but there was no assessment regarding details of the pain.
Participants were asked to provide basic demographic data on age, gender and level of education and then to rate their present pain (PP) perception out of 10 (nought being ‘no pain’ and 10 ‘worst possible pain’) and this was recorded. They then selected their perceived level of PP on the TVPDS, a numerical visual analogue scale (NVAS) (in integers between 0 and 10 with the numbers below a 10 cm line), the Pakistani Coin Heap Scale on a 10 cm line (modified from Salim 1993 to have South African rand coins) and the Wong–Baker FACES pain rating scale (WBFPS) (Salim 1993; Wong & Baker 1988). The TVPDS in Tswana, NVAS, Pakistani Coin Heap Scale and WBFPS are presented in Appendix 1.
The median PP intensity was calculated for each of the four categories of the TVPDS. These medians were then used to compare to the other scales. The medians of the six faces of the WBFPS were taken as 0, 1.6, 3.7, 5.7, 7.4 and 9.5 as described by Garra et al. (2010). Pain level on the coin scale was measured from the right anchor and described in centimetres (Salim 1993).
Age was described using means and standard deviations and comparisons were done with an unpaired t-test. Percentages were used to describe categorical data. All pain data were described using medians and ranges. Non-parametric analysis was used for all comparisons. Thus, Spearman correlation, Mann–Whitney test and Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA with Dunn’s post-hoc test were used for numerical data and Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data. Wilcoxon matched pairs test was used to compare PP data with TVPDS data.
All participants signed informed consent forms and institutional ethical clearance was obtained from the University of the Witwatersrand (M091121). Permission was obtained from the hospital, clinics and various businesses involved in the study.
The mean age of the group of 40 participants was 44 years of age, and there was no significant difference between the group of males (mean [SD] = 44.4 [11.7]) and the group of females (mean [SD] = 44.1 [10.3], p = 0.932 unpaired t-test). Both groups had a wide range of educational levels.
The most common original verbal pain descriptors developed by both genders to describe varying degrees of severity of pain, as translated into English, are indicated in Table 1, as well as the percentage of the gender that agreed to that description for both rounds of voting. All data presented on phrase choice indicate the English version of the Tswana phrases to allow for easy reading.
TABLE 1: English phrases used to describe four levels of severity in low back pain in Tswana-speaking patients for both genders.
After selection of the final items the votes for the phrases for mild and worst pain either stayed the same or improved, while the phrases for moderate and severe pain had a loss of votes. Less than 30% of the opposite gender voted for any particular item during the second round of voting.
The distribution of pain scores for PP in the 250 participants with LBP is indicated in Figure 1. There was a good spread of pain perception across the participants.
FIGURE 1: Distribution of present pain perception of participants.
The median present PP for each of the categories of the TVPDS is indicated in Figure 2. The median confidence intervals (CI) of PP for each category of the TVPDS were as follows: mild, 4 (3.51–4.49); moderate, 5 (5.0–5.0); severe, 8 (7.52–8.58); and worst, 10 (9.51–10.0), indicating a non-linear distribution. The medians of all groups were significantly different from each other (p < 0.0001: Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA) except for the comparison between mild and moderate pain, which was not significantly different (p > 0.05).
FIGURE 2: Categories of Tswana Verbal Pain Descriptor Scale (TVPDS).
The correlation matrix analysis (R values) between the four different scales indicated that the correlations were all moderate to high (p < 0.0001) (Table 2).
TABLE 2: A correlation matrix analysis of the four pain scales.
When comparing females and males on their PP perception the 178 females had a significantly higher level of pain than the 72 males (females 7 [range 1–10] and males 5 [range 1–10] – Mann–Whitney test p = 0.0023). This significant difference was maintained on the TVPDS (females 8 [range 4–10] and males 5 [range 4–10] – Mann–Whitney test p = 0.0303). The scores on the TVPDS scale were weakly, correlated with age (r = 0.153, p = 0.016) but not with level of education (r = –0.0951, p = 0.135 – all non-parametric Spearman correlations).
The TVPDS has the potential to be a useful clinical tool for the measurement of LBP in persons who speak Tswana, of both genders, differing education levels and ages. It was developed by a group of Tswana-speaking individuals with LBP and then tested in a cohort of 250 persons also with LBP, correlating well with their perception of pain, measured on the NVAS. In addition it correlated well with the six-face Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and the Pakistani Coin Heap Scale (Garra et al. 2010; Wong & Baker 1988). The development of this scale means that Tswana-speaking patients with LBP now have an incremental verbal descriptor pain scale that has the potential to be used clinically.
The African prevalence of LBP is similar to the rest of the world, with a lifetime prevalence of 62% (Louw, Morris & Grimmer-Somes 2007). LBP is therefore a common health problem managed by health care professionals in a variety of different facilities and in patients from different languages in South Africa (Callister 2003). Health care professionals and patients need to understand one another as they attempt to establish the level and type of pain being experienced. Patients must be able to express their pain in a way that is meaningful to them (Schott 2004; Semino 2010; Stewart 2014) but that is also meaningful to practitioners. There is always the difficulty that patients and health-care practitioners express pain using different descriptions if they are from different cultures and languages (Stewart 2014). Thus this scale provides Tswana-speaking patients with LBP a meaningful way of expressing pain categories that, when translated into English, are understandable to health-care practitioners as well.
The process of developing this scale, we believe, should be used more often. Pain scales are usually developed by health-care practitioners and not by patients (Garra et al. 2010; Wong & Baker 1988). The uniqueness of the development of this scale lies firstly in it being a pain scale using everyday pain descriptions developed solely by a group of patients and secondly in how they were facilitated. The TVPDS was developed from first principles by patients with LBP without using or comparing any established pain scales, which may have influenced their thinking. Similarly the participants were not inhibited by the guidance of a health-care practitioner. The group attended the same clinic; lived in similar socio-economic circumstances; and were from the same cultural and language backgrounds (Wagstaff, Smith & Wood 1985). The facilitator lived in the same area, was Tswana speaking and familiar with the nuances of the language, socio-economic status and culture of the group. This meant that patients were comfortable in expressing themselves in their first language and were given the opportunity to choose and debate everyday phrases that they felt best described their pain (Callister 2003; Schott 2004; Semino 2010; Stewart 2014). Those descriptors finally chosen had at least a 70% agreement among participants.
The abstract concepts of levels of pain severity usually presented in an unfamiliar language were now articulated in the participants’ first language by using descriptions of known everyday situations that cause pain. The use of these everyday descriptions to promote understanding of increasing levels of pain severity by providing concrete examples of abstract ideas is well illustrated here (Jones et al. 2007; Manyani & Mathipa 2014; Wagstaff, et al 1985). The descriptions developed for pain in this study are not specific to a rural population and so could possibly be used across a wider socio-economic spectrum of patients, although this would need further testing (Manyani & Mathipa 2014; Wagstaff et al. 1985).
The everyday descriptions of pain chosen for the scale differed between genders as expected. The females in this study, who were mostly homemakers, associated the categories of pain with their household activities, by using the description ‘like being cut with a knife’ at the mild end of the scale and ‘like being burnt with water’ as the worst possible pain. The males, who worked in a largely farming and mining community, described concepts ‘like being hit with a hammer’ (moderate pain) and ‘like being burnt by fire’ (worst pain) (Wagstaff et al. 1985). Both genders had difficulty in finding one description to describe the differences between mild and moderate pain and did not accept the descriptive phrases used by the other gender. This could either be a reflection of their stoicism as a result of living in poor, difficult circumstances (Yong et al. 2001) or that people involved in the usual manual activities of these communities tend to be more affected by LBP and thus their experiences of pain tend always to be more severe (Punnet 2006). Both these possibilities need further exploration. The significantly greater pain experienced by the female group may suggest the differences in pain perception between genders (Channing et al. 2009). The increasing levels of pain experienced by the older participants are also not unexpected, given the possible increasing levels of pathology (Thomas et al. 2004).
The differences in the number of females versus males in this study illustrate the reality of public health care in South Africa. It is mostly women who attend public health care facilities because the men are likely to be in full-time employment. The educational levels also illustrate the employment categories of people attending public health care facilities (Harris et al. 2011).
The good correlation found in the 250 participants with LBP between their perception of pain rated on a scale of 1–10 and the TVPDS suggests that this scale can be used to distinguish among incremental categories of pain using descriptions that are potentially more meaningful to patients than are numbers, as they describe familiar pain-provoking situations. The moderate to good correlations seen with the TVPDS and both the WBFPS and the Pakistani Coin Heap Scale imply that this scale is equivalent to established pain scales that have been used in similar socio-economic situations (Garra et al. 2010; Wong & Baker 1988). The TVPDS can thus be substituted for scales like these and used in situations where Tswana is the language of choice of patients, demonstrating the usefulness of language to describe levels of pain.
The limitations of the study include the use of only one language of the 11 South African languages and the fact that the results cannot be extrapolated to other language groups. However, the descriptions used by our participants were not specific to this population so testing them in other South African languages should be considered. It is also not clear what, if any, influence the rural nature of the surroundings had on the descriptors used.
The everyday pain descriptors in this study were developed by patients with LBP. As the descriptors they used are not specific to a particular group of people, the scale could be useful in a variety of different South African clinical situations but needs further translation and testing. The manner in which the scale was developed is unique, being patient driven. The moderate to good correlations found with the NVAS, the WBFPS and the Pakistani Coin Heap Scale suggest that in addition to being able to describe pain in Tswana using everyday pain descriptors, the scale can be used in place of pain scales developed elsewhere.
There were no conflicts of interest for any of the authors.
M.Y. conceptualised the study, collected and analysed the data and approved the final draft. A.S. conceptualised the study, analysed the data, wrote up the first draft and edited the article. A.B. conceptualised the study, analysed the data, wrote up the first draft and edited the article.
Funding for this study was provided by the National Research Foundation.
Gentile, D.A., Woodhouse, J., Lynch, P., Maier J. & McJuskin, T., 2011, ‘Reliability and validity of the Global Pain Scale with chronic pain sufferers’, Pain Physician 14, 61–70.
Jensen, M.P., Smith, D.G., Ehde, D.M. & Robinsin, L.R., 2007, ‘Pain site and effects of amputation pain: Further meaning of mild moderate and severe pain’, Pain 91(3), 317–322.
Manyani, R.B. & Mathipa, E.R., 2014, ‘The interdependence of Setswana proverbs, metaphors and folktales in their role in human behavior’, Medical Journal of Social Science 5(20), 2144–2150.
Salim, B.M., 1993, ‘Pakistani coin pain scale’, Pain 52(3), 373–374.
Wong, D. & Baker, C., 1988, ‘Pain in children: Comparison of assessment scales’, Pediatric Nurse 1, 9–11.
TABLE 1-A1: Tswana version of the Tswana Verbal Pain Descriptor Scale showing male and female descriptors.
FIGURE 1-A1: The Wong–Baker FACES Scale.
FIGURE 2-A1: The Pakistani Coin Heap Scale.
FIGURE 3-A1: SetlhabiSepe Sethlhabi se se tseneletseng (o thlabiwa ke setlhabi). The numerical visual analogue scale.
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https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/460/699
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Introduction: The general public's preferences for modes of communication (other than in-person communication) for medical test results were investigated. We hypothesized that patients would prefer a variety of methods to receive common tests results (blood cholesterol and colonoscopy) compared with genetics test results.
Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey.
Results: A total of 409 participants responded to the survey. Among these participants, ≥50% reported that they were comfortable receiving results for a blood cholesterol test or colonoscopy via 4 of the 7 non–in-person communication methods (password-protected website, personal voicemail, personal E-mail, and letter were preferred over home voicemail, fax, and mobile phone text message). In comparison, >50% of participants were comfortable with only 1 non–in-person communication method for non-HIV sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and none for genetic tests. Patients were least comfortable receiving any information via fax, regardless of test type. There were statistical differences among comfort levels for blood cholesterol and colonoscopy tests and both STIs and genetic testing for personal voicemail, personal E-mail, mobile phone text message, and password-protected website, but there were no differences between STIs and genetic testing. No correlation was found between “familiarity” with test and “comfort” of receiving information about specific test.
Conclusions: Participants demonstrated preferences in how they received test results by non–in-person communication methods, preferring personal E-mail and password-protected websites, but did not prefer fax. Importantly, participants also demonstrated that preference was dependent on test type.
- Communication
- Doctor-Patient Relations
- Electronic Medical Records
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Patient-Centered Care
- Patient Preference
Effective patient–physician interactions depend on trust, suitable communication, and appropriate, timely interventions. Proper delivery of primary health care information is the foundation of this success. Patients undergo medical tests for a wide variety of reasons, including diagnosing a disease or determining the likelihood of developing a disease.1 The results from tests range from simple and straightforward, such as blood cholesterol levels, to potentially more complex and sensitive, such as inheriting a mutation that leads to a predisposition to a genetic disorder. It is necessary for health professionals to deliver results using the most confidential and patient-oriented method possible. Despite these needs, no standardized delivery method has been established, nor have preferences been clearly delineated.2
The availability of various and newer forms of communication permits delivery of information in a variety of ways, some of which physicians or patients may prefer. Older research has shown that patients are apprehensive about using E-mail because of privacy concerns.3 However, this is an older study conducted when most patients' access to E-mail was limited to the work environment. It has been demonstrated that patients from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds support shared medical records. Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial showed patients given access to portals demonstrated increased satisfaction.4,5 Given concerns with the privacy of health information, Congress addressed the importance of protecting the privacy of personal health information by developing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) in 1996 (reviewed in ref.6). Since the passage of HIPPA, however, there has been an expansion to new Internet-based methods, such as E-mail and password-protected websites, and the potential use of emerging technologies such as mobile text messages (reviewed in ref.7). Interestingly, the Department of Health and Human Services now requires laboratories to provide to patients direct access to results and suggests, but does not require the delivery of test results through patient portals or personal health records.8
Reported preferences for these methods vary; some studies suggest US mail as a preference, whereas others reflect a preference for telephone communication.9⇓–11 These studies report a lack of preference in electronic methods of delivering test results, stressing a concern over the security of information with this form of communication.10,11 However, technology has advanced remarkably, and consumers are more familiar with working with private information over the Internet.
This study was conducted to gain greater insight into the general public's preferences to modes of communication between them and their health care provider with regard to specific medical test results. Understanding these factors could greatly improve patient satisfaction while minimizing suboptimal patient care within the primary health care system. We hypothesized that there would be differences in preferences of method of delivery of test results, and both the method and the type of test itself will affect these preferences. Specifically, we believed that participants would be most comfortable receiving the results of common tests, such as blood cholesterol and colonoscopy, in a variety of ways but would be more cautious about how they received information regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and genetic diseases.
Methods
Study Design and Participants
A cross-sectional sample survey was conducted. The Georgetown University Institutional Review Board approved this study, and all participants gave implied informed consent.
The survey included questions on patient demographics, familiarity with certain medical tests, and patient preferences for delivery of medical test results from their health care provider. Self-described knowledge of their comfort level for certain medical tests was obtained. In addition, comfort levels with certain delivery methods of medical test results were also collected, defined on a Likert scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents “not comfortable at all” and 10 represents “very comfortable.” Six specific medical tests were described: cholesterol levels, colonoscopy, a test for a non–human immunodeficiency virus STI, and 3 genetic tests (predisposition to genetic mutations, inherited genetic mutations, and carrier of genetic mutations). The 7 delivery methods were fax, personal voicemail, home voicemail, personal E-mail, letter, mobile phone text message, and password-protected website.
The survey was administered electronically and by Article, through intercept surveying on the Georgetown University campus. It was electronically administered through SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com). The URL to the survey was made available on a public invitation page on Facebook (www.facebook.com) and distributed through personal E-mail. Any person 18 years of age and older who was able to read the survey (in English) was eligible to participate. No compensation was provided to participants.
Data Analysis
All survey data were compiled in Excel (Microsoft Office; Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) and screened for completion and accuracy. Few questions were not answered, and thus no imputed values for missing data were required for statistical analysis. Age was grouped (18 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 54, ≥55 years) for statistical comparisons. Before examining data, it was decided that Likert scale responses of the comfort levels would be classified into 3 categories: “not comfortable” (score 1 to 3), “ambivalent” (score 4 to 7), and “comfortable” (score 8 to 10). Percentages of each category were determined for descriptive comparisons. Pearson correlations were used to calculate the strength of the linear relationships between the demographic question, “How familiar are you with blood tests for cholesterol levels?” and the “cholesterol” response from the common test type. Similarly, the correlation between “How familiar are you about genetic testing?” with the average across the 3 genetics areas was calculated.
To test differences in the comfort levels between the types, the 2 blood cholesterol and colonoscopy tests were averaged and the 3 tests within the genetics type were averaged. STI had only 1 question and it was used alone. Since participants answered questions for each of the 3 types of tests (common tests, STI, and genetic), their responses were correlated, and no loss of information or bias was observed after averaging the tests within the common and genetic types. Repeated-measures analysis of variance methods were used to compare the means between the 3 types. In the repeated measures tests, an exchangeable correlation matrix was incorporated in the estimation of the standard errors. Because of the multiplicity in testing the various combinations of types (common tests vs STI, STI vs genetic, and common tests vs genetic), P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons (P < .05) using Tukey's method.
Descriptive statistics and frequency tables were calculated using SPSS version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), whereas the inferential statistical tests were done using SAS version 9 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).
Results
A total of 409 participants responded to the survey, of whom 255 were women. Regarding surveys, 324 were completed through SurveyMonkey and 85 were completed on Article through local intercept surveying. The average age of participants was 37 years old, with the majority (88%) being white. Table 1 shows the full demographic distribution of participants.
Comfort Level of Receiving Test Results by Method
The tests responses were grouped into 3 categories: common test results (cholesterol and colonoscopy), STIs, and genetic tests (predisposed, inherited, and carrier). For the purposes of comparison, Figure 1 shows the percentages observed for the “comfortable,” “ambivalent,” and “not comfortable” classifications for each method of communication. This figure shows that participants were, by a wide margin, least comfortable receiving any information via fax: 13.4% were comfortable receiving common test results via fax, compared with 5.9% for STI and 7.3% for genetic tests. This was followed by participants not comfortable receiving information via home voicemail: 32.6% were comfortable receiving the common test results, compared with only 15.3% for STI and 18.1% for genetic tests. This is in contrast to personal voicemail, through which participants were comfortable receiving information: 62.4% were comfortable receiving blood cholesterol test and colonoscopy results via personal voicemail, compared with 47.2% for STI and 43.8% for genetic tests. This higher level of comfort was similar to that of receiving results via a password-protected website: common tests, 58.8%; STI tests, 50.9%; and genetic tests, 46.3%. In 4 of the 7 communication categories, participants reported ≥50% comfort levels for different methods of receiving information for a common test, whereas, in comparison, >50% of patients were comfortable with only 1 method for STI (password-protected website; 50.9%) and none for genetic tests.
Mean Differences in Comfort Level
Mean responses in comfort levels for the 3 types of tests were examined and statistically compared (Table 2). Table 2 shows that, for every method of communication, some if not all combinations were statistically different. However, even though some differences in the means were not clinically large, important patterns are still worth noting. For instance, for the fax method of communication, the mean comfort scores were relatively low (1.93 to 3.52) across all the questions. Consistent with our hypothesis for personal voicemail, personal E-mail, mobile phone text message, and password-protected website, there were statistical differences among common tests and both STI and genetic testing, but not between STI and genetic testing.
Further, some methods of communication were related to age. For example, 71% of participants over age 55 were comfortable receiving a letter for a common test result compared with only 35% of participants ages 18 to 24 years. Surprisingly, however, we did not observe differences with technology, as personal E-mail and password-protected website preferences were not affected by age (data not shown).
Knowledge and Method Preference Association
When examining the relationship between “familiarity” with blood tests and “comfort” with receiving information via different methods, in all cases there was little to no correlation. For cholesterol testing, the largest r correlation coefficient was 0.21, similar to genetic testing, for which the largest r correlation coefficient was 0.14. The distributions of responses were symmetric; there were no outliers or gaps in the graphs to help account for the low correlations.
Discussion
This study was conducted to determine whether patients have a preference in the method of delivery of specific test results. Regardless of the type of test, we found that the majority of participants were not comfortable with delivery via fax. Although no method was preferred by a majority of participants regardless of the test, the largest portion of participants were comfortable receiving test results through password-protected websites. This is consistent with past research that demonstrated that, for those who enrolled in patient portals, messaging systems were preferred over phone calls.12 More recent research indicates that patient enrollment in password-protected websites (patient portals) ranges from 40% to 69%, although this varies depending on medical practice and is often associated with racial/ethnic disparities.13⇓–15 Considering these studies, it is not surprising that password-protected websites was the method most preferred by participants in this study. However, much of the information about patient portal use has been disseminated via conferences and informal means, and has not been extensively studied in the published literature. In addition, patient portal use is encouraged to fulfill the requirement by the Department of Health and Human Services for direct access of patients to their test results.8 There are concerns that providing patients with this direct information may result in patients misinterpreting results; however, our data show that patients prefer patient portals, even for highly sensitive information such as STI and genetic results.16
We also found that the type of test affects the overall comfort level with methods of delivery. This may be because of the range of types of results and subsequent follow-up treatment. How people perceive a specific illness or condition, the potential treatments for each condition, and adherence to these treatment plans could affect their preferred method of delivery for the results of specific tests.17 This may be especially true in genetic testing, since there is a widespread belief that genetic conditions are not treatable.17
As hypothesized, the preferences of methods for delivery of non-HIV STI test results were more similar to those of genetic tests than blood cholesterol and colonoscopy tests. While most participants were comfortable with a variety of methods to deliver blood cholesterol and colonoscopy tests (participants reported ≥50% comfort levels for 4 of 7 communication categories), only with password-protected website were a majority of participants, at 50.9% for STI, comfortable receiving results. As previously discussed, the most preferred method for both of these test types was password-protected websites. Both STI and genetic test results have potential implications for the individual patients as well as related family members; as such, there may be a difference in preference for the method of communicating these results. While studies suggest that results from a cancer susceptibility tests have the same impact on patients whether they are delivered in person or over the telephone, this is, to our knowledge, the first study to date that has addressed the preference of communication methods that are not in-person.18,19 In addition, related to the sensitive nature of specific types of tests is the impact of patients' trust in the confidentiality of the information. Studies reporting a preference for US mail or telephone call reflect patients' perceptions that these are the most secure forms of communication.11 More sensitive test results could therefore affect the degree to which patients are concerned with confidentiality. This study suggests that patients may prefer the option to choose the method of delivery of medical test results, depending on the type of test administered.
The increasing use of electronic methods of delivery and the familiarity of different patient populations with emerging technologies is likely affected by age. Previous research has shown that young patients preferred electronic mail as a delivery method significantly more than older patients, who preferred US mail as the first choice of method of notification.9 We also observed an increase in comfort with receiving test results via letter as the age of the patient increased. However, personal voicemail preferences decreased with age, and we observed a limited change in the preference for methods requiring computer access, such as personal E-mail and password-protected website.
Patient education of the specific field or test result may influence their preference for the method of test result delivery. A qualitative study of preferences for obtaining mammogram results among urban women found that many of the women had difficulty interpreting the results in a typical results notification letter.20 Many women misinterpreted their results because they could not understand the language their providers used in the letter. However, we did not observe a significant correlation between a patient's self-described understanding of a test and their comfort level with the delivery of test results. This is important information because it suggests that, regardless of a patient's familiarity with the medical testing process, patients are consistent in their comfort levels with how the results are delivered. A recent report showing that patient education regarding the importance of colorectal cancer screening for at-risk patients had a minimal effect on overall screening rates supports our findings.21
Limitations of this study include that we did not observe physicians and patients in practice but queried participants' perceived preferences. Our approach does give valuable ideal information for physicians to consider when relaying information, but practice patterns and resources also dictate how information is provided. We are unable to provide a survey response rate because of the survey distribution method. While a portion of respondents completed the survey through Article (85 of 409), a large proportion of surveys were completed through Facebook and E-mail (324 of 409). Those respondents who completed the survey electronically may be more comfortable with electronic test delivery methods than the overall patient population. In addition, our sample population is representative of many health care provider offices in the United States, but, clearly, different ethnicities, income levels, education levels, language preferences, and other variables may change preferences.
Results reported here contribute to the growing body of work aiming to improve patient–physician communication. While there are many communication opportunities in a patient–physician relationship, the preference of how medical test results are delivered has not been extensively analyzed. Specifically, both the type of test results and different means of communication need to be considered. Our study suggests that this is indeed the case, and that the ideal method of delivery of test results differs depending on the context and sensitivity of the test itself. Importantly, it seems that for common results such as colonoscopy and cholesterol, there are many means through which patients are comfortable receiving information. For more sensitive tests, however, such as STI and genetic test results, physicians need to consider using password-protected websites. Further research should attempt to examine these issues in real time, as patients are receiving information, to better understand preferences.
Notes
This article was externally peer reviewed.
Funding: none.
Conflict of interest: none declared.
- Received for publication January 15, 2015.
- Revision received June 2, 2015.
- Accepted for publication June 8, 2015.
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https://www.jabfm.org/content/28/6/759
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For all three indicators, a positive relationship was hypothesized, such that a higher number of credits, actors, and categories would positively predict the perceived complexity of the program (e.g., programs with more actors are perceived as more complex by users).
Using the BBC ViSTA-TV data, we selected the five programs with the lowest and highest number of credits, actors, and categories. As such, a total of 30 programs was rated by the participants. The selected programs can be found here: SIRUP Preliminary study 1, Complexity – Selected programs.
For each of the programs, participants were provided with a program episode description informing about the program title and season number, the episode number and title, and the episode synopsis, genre, format, and release year. Below an example of such a description is provided for the program Family Guy (low number of credits; see Figure 2).
For each of the programs participants were asked whether they had watched the program or not. If they had watched the program, they were asked to rate the perceived complexity of the program. If they had not watched the program, they were asked to rate the perceived complexity of the program based on its description. In both cases participants rated complexity on a 7-point semantic scale, with “simple” on the left and “complex” on the right (see Figure 3).
Data were collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk and a total of 172 participants from the United States of America participated in the study. Unfortunately, the results showed that none of the indicators we selected was related to complexity. This means that the number of credits, actors, and categories of a program did not predict the perceived complexity of a program. This finding was replicated when we distinguished between participants that had watched the show and those that had not. More information about the results of the preliminary study for complexity can be found here: SIRUP Preliminary study 1, Complexity – Results.
In short, we have not yet successfully indentified indicators that predict the perceived complexity of a program. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave us a message below!
The dataset for the SIRUP preliminary study for complexity has been made publically available and can be found here: SIRUP Preliminary study 1, Complexity – Dataset.
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http://sirup.wmprojects.nl/uncategorized/preliminary-study-1-complexity/
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This paper is part of the ongoing research endeavor to investigate the feasibility and advisability of computerized testing (CT) for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Among the many issues surrounding this research is the development of an acceptable CT interface design. The development of the interface thus far can be divided into two research phases. The first phase of research is described in this paper, and consists of the development and demonstrations of seven LSAT CT prototypes from the years 1995 to 1998. The main purpose of this first development and demonstration phase was to expose potential law school candidates to these prototypes during the Law School Recruitment Forums and elicit their feedback.
A total of 27 prototype demonstrations were conducted during the Forums, which take place in major cities around the continental U.S. and Canada. These day- or weekend-long Forums draw thousands of candidates each year who attend free of charge for the purpose of obtaining information from LSAC and the attending law school recruiters and admission officers; thus, these candidates are the perfect subject pool for the CT demonstrations. The breakdown of ethnicity and sex percentages of the candidates who viewed the seven prototypes over the 27 demonstrations was fairly comparable to the percentages of LSAT test takers, although African Americans were somewhat over-sampled.
The seven prototypes that were used varied across the four years of demonstration, and changes were often made within years and in between Forums in response to candidates’ comments. All seven prototypes included 10 items from one or more of the three LSAT sections, Analytical Reasoning (AR), Logical Reasoning (LR), and Reading Comprehension (RC), and followed the same basic format of introductory screens, tutorial screens, example screens, item screens, and (for some versions) scoring screens. The modifications to the prototypes over the years generally took one of three forms: (1) expanding the tutorial, (2) adding new features or functions, and (3) developing innovative versions of the LSAT AR, LR, and RC item types. The data that were collected regarding these prototypes came in the form of surveys. The surveys were developed to gather a range of information including participants’ prior computer usage and their evaluation of the CT prototypes.
The other types of survey questions asked the candidates to give their opinions on a computerized LSAT in general or rate the specific prototypes they viewed. On the positive side, the prototypes tended to be rated as “Very Easy/Somewhat Easy” to use by a majority of the candidates, and the screen formats and features were also highly regarded. The welcoming pages that described the prototype study and gave some additional LSAC information were not seen as superfluous by the candidates but were instead highly rated.
On the negative side, it was seen that providing additional features as the prototypes were revised sometimes reduced the perceived usability of the prototypes. The highlighting feature was added because paper-and-pencil LSAT test takers tend to mark up passage text, but this feature was not seen as easy to use relative to the other features, perhaps because of the number of steps needed to activate it. Additional candidate concern was expressed over the need for reading lengthy text from the screen, as on the RC section, with 50.5% of the candidates reporting they would find that somewhat or very difficult, and 62.1% reporting they would definitely choose to print out the reading passage if they could do so. Over 70% of the candidates thought the font was too small. Most alarmingly, when test takers were asked to rate their comfort with taking a computerized LSAT both before and after viewing the prototype, they reported being less comfortable after viewing the prototype. This suggests that it isn’t safe to make the assumption that high computer literacy and comfort translates to high comfort with taking a high-stakes standardized test on the computer. It also suggests that the current prototypes should be revised to address this problem.
Despite these concerns, the results as a whole are encouraging for the plan to computerize the LSAT. More development and research is required. The next phase of CT research should take a step back and begin with revision of the current prototypes, followed by formal usability testing, in which the only feedback from the candidates is on each specific feature of the new prototypes. This will give a better picture of which features should be retained, perhaps with modification. Once the usability tests have confirmed that the software interface is usable, then some of the more important underlying concerns can be addressed, the revised prototypes can be formally field-tested, and hopefully, a more stress-free computerized LSAT can be produced.
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https://lsacnet.org/Research/Survey-Results-Demonstration-Preliminary-Computerized-LSAT-Prototypes-1995-1998-Law-School-Recruitment-Forums.htm
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To better understand the unique nature and context of service provision in sport and exercise settings, sport scientists have attempted to assess the perceived characteristics and qualities of competent and successful sport psychology practitioners (Anderson et al., 2004; Gould et al., 1991; Lubker et al., 2005 & 2008). These studies have helped determine the characteristics and qualities of practitioners that are perceived to increase the quality and effectiveness of sport psychology service provision. However, these studies have used traditional rank order techniques, which have resulted in overall positively skewed data making it difficult to discern the relative importance placed on the various characteristics and qualities in relation to one another (Johnson, 1974; Maholtra, 2004). Therefore, the purposes of this study were to use conjoint analysis to: (a) develop a series of sport psychology practitioner profiles that hierarchically place various attributes (gender, ethnicity, interpersonal skills, physical appearance, athletic background, professional status, and sport culture) in relation to one another, and (b) to determine which profile(s) athletes value the greatest. Participants were male (n = 60) and female (n = 33) college student-athletes (N = 98; 3 unidentified gender) from Division I and II institutions. Participants were asked to rate (11-point scale ranging from 0 (do not prefer) to 10 (strongly prefer)) their preference for consulting with 16 different sport psychology practitioner profiles displaying variations of the aforementioned attributes. Overall, the practitioner profile with male gender and matching ethnicity of the participant, high interpersonal skills, athletic background and physical build, and a high level of knowledge about sport culture was most preferred. The most influential and important factors were (1) professional status (20.3); (2) athletic background (15.3) and interpersonal skills (14.3). The largest positive impact of an attribute was high interpersonal skills and the largest negative impact was lack of proper credentialing.
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https://appliedsportpsych.org/grants/aasp-grant-program/2009-grant-recipient-qualities-of-effective-sport-psychology-consultants-a-conjoint-analysis/
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Analysis of the Patients Feelings about Treatment with the ReidSleeve.
At the conclusion of the study we asked the patients if they noted a difference in the hardness of their arm.
85% reported that their limb was significantly softer.
We also asked if they noticed a difference in the suppleness of their arm.
85% reported the limb was more supple.
We then asked them to rate the ReidSleeve on comfort. The scale was 1 to 5 with 1 being uncomfortable and 5 being very comfortable.
Patients reported the ReidSleeve was very comfortable with a mean comfort score of 4.5 out of a possible 5.0.
We then asked the patients to assess their impression of the effectiveness of the ReidSleeve. Again the scale was 1 (ineffective) to 5 (very effective)
The ReidSleeve was judged highly effective with a score of 3.7 out of a possible 5.0.
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http://lymphedema.com/survey.htm
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Objective: Based on patient-centred approaches to communication skills training, the study aimed to investigate the effect of amount of communication training received by doctors and medical students on their perceived similarity of patients. It was hypothesized that participants who have received more communication training will see patients as less similar to one another. Methods: Thirty-six hospital consultants, 35 general practitioners and 56 clinical medical students in the United Kingdom who were recruited via the snowballing technique and medical student societies took part in this observational study. They indicated hours and form of communication skills’ training received and completed a 3-item semantic differential scale on which they were to rate the two last patients they had seen suffering from a similar medical condition. Pearson Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyse the data. Results: Participants with greater communication skills’ training (≥ 30 hours) perceived patients as more different from each other than participants with medium (between 10 and 30 hours) and smaller communication skills’ training (≤10 hours), Kruskal-Wallis test (2, 119) = 6.78, p = .034. Conclusion: Communication training appears to decrease perceived similarity of patients but more research is needed to establish causality. Implications for patient satisfaction and doctors’ respect for patients are discussed.
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https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/relationship-between-communication-skills-training-and-doctors-pe
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Today, Vault released its annual ranking of the 50 Most Prestigious Internships. This year, the ranking was based on a survey of more than 11,000 interns and former interns at more than 100 firms. Our survey asked interns to rate the prestige of other employers in order to determine which internships are the most desirable.
During our survey, respondents were presented with a list of top companies and asked to rate each on how prestigious its internship is on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest ("It's a dream job") and 1 being the lowest ("No one wants to work there"). Interns were asked to rate only those companies that they were familiar with. Vault averaged the rating for each employer, then ranked the companies in order from No. 1 down to No. 50.
In addition, our survey asked interns to rate and review their own internship experiences. From these ratings, we compiled our 2017 Best Internships Rankings, as well as our annual internship rankings in various industries, including consulting, accounting, investment banking, tech & engineering, energy, media & telecom, healthcare, retail & consumer products, and financial services.
What follows are this year's big winners: the top 25 firms of the 50 Most Prestigious Internships for 2017. All of our new internship rankings can be found here.
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http://www.vault.com/blog/internships/50-most-prestigious-internships/
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Advancing the effective use of light for society and the environment
A common method of controlling the light output of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting systems is the use of pulse-width modulation, involving rapid switching on and off of an LED source with different duty cycles (defined as the percentage of time the LED is switched on). This technique can result in flicker. In addition, some LED lighting systems are designed to operate directly on alternating current (AC), which can also create flicker.
There are two pathways to the visual perception of flicker. Flicker can be perceived directly if the frequency is low enough (below 100 Hz). Even at frequencies where flicker cannot be directly perceived, it can be perceived indirectly through stroboscopic effects, sometimes called phantom arrays or wagon-wheel effects.
In addition to frequency and duty cycle, perception of flicker could also be affected by:
To assess the ability of individuals to perceive flicker directly and indirectly, and to understand the role of flicker characteristics on comfort, ASSIST and the LRC conducted laboratory studies under flickering patterns differing in frequency, modulation depth, duty cycle and waveform shape. Different correlated color temperatures (CCTs) were also compared. Findings from the first study were followed up with a second study to further examine the relationships between the variables involved with light source flicker.
Methods
Using a controllable LED task luminaire in a laboratory environment (see photo, right), ten healthy study participants performed visual assessments of the environment while working on a computer, while looking directly at the luminaire, while looking at the wall of the laboratory space, while gazing back and forth between two locations in the laboratory, and while waving their hands underneath the luminaire. They also rated the overall comfort level experienced under each of several lighting conditions with different flicker characteristics, summarized as follows:
Findings
Consistent with published literature, flicker was directly visible (and rated as unacceptable) at frequencies of 60 Hz and lower, and was invisible (and acceptable) at frequencies of 100 Hz or higher, with 50% duty cycles and 100% modulation depths. Indirect perception of flicker through stroboscopic effects was strongest when waving one's hand underneath the luminaire, where multiple finger patterns were strongly evident to most people, even at 300 Hz.
Modulation depth, duty cycle, waveform shape and CCT were all assessed at 120 Hz, the most common flicker frequency for AC LED lighting systems in North America. Only modulation depth showed reliable differences in the perception of stroboscopic effects (most people did not detect multiple finger patterns at 33% modulation depth), and duty cycle showed reliable differences in comfort (the 10% duty cycle was judged slightly less comfortable). There were no differences in flicker perception, either direct or indirect, for different waveform shapes, nor for different CCTs.
Conclusions
The results demonstrate that when LED light sources flicker at frequencies of at least 100 Hz, direct perception of flicker is neither visible nor objectionable, but stroboscopic effects can be detected indirectly even at frequencies of 300 Hz, the highest studied by ASSIST. Mitigation of stroboscopic effects can be accomplished through decreasing modulation depth, by ensuring that light sources do not switch entirely off when they flicker. Avoiding low duty cycles near 10% may help prevent visual discomfort.
Building on results from the first study, ASSIST and the LRC performed a follow-up study to systematically evaluate the tradeoff between frequency and modulation depth and to look more closely at the relationship between frequency and percent flicker.
In a dark, windowless room, ten subjects participated in a study to evaluate the detection and acceptability of stroboscopic effects produced by flickering light sources. The experimental setting and apparatus were the same as those used in the previous study.
Subjects were seated at a workstation equipped with an LED task luminaire, and experienced each of 20 combinations of frequency and percent flicker in randomized order, as summarized below:
Under each condition, subjects were asked to wave a white, plastic rod back and forth underneath the luminaire and to report whether they could detect any flicker or stroboscopic effects, such as the presence of multiple or striated images of the rod.
If subjects responded that they detected stroboscopic effects, they were then asked to rate the acceptability of the effect on a scale
of –2 (very unacceptable) to +2 (very acceptable).
Duty cycle (50% at 100% flicker; for the other flicker conditions, the minimum and maximum light output were each produced 50% of the time), waveform shape (rectangular) and CCT (4000 K) were held constant for all experimental conditions.
The contour plot figures below show mean detection percentages (top) and mean acceptability ratings (bottom), both as a function of frequency and percent flicker.
Conclusions
The results suggest that indirect perception of stroboscopic effects from flicker is systematically affected by both frequency and the amount of modulation of flicker. Although the trends for detection and acceptability are similar, they differ in one important way. Once the flicker frequency was about 1000 Hz or higher, differences in modulation were unimportant for acceptability, but the amount of modulation had a large impact on detection of stroboscopic effects. In other words, even when many subjects were able to detect stroboscopic effects, most of them did not judge the flicker to be unacceptable. Such data might be especially helpful in the design of solid-state lighting systems, many of which can use pulse-width modulation and other modes of driving that produce flicker.
Technical Reports & Publications
ASSIST. 2012. ASSIST recommends...Flicker Parameters for Reducing Stroboscopic Effects from Solid-state Lighting Systems. Volume 11, Issue 1. Lighting Research Center: Troy, N.Y.
ASSIST. 2014, Revised 2015. ASSIST recommends...Application Considerations Related to Stroboscopic Effects from Light Source Flicker. Volume 11, Issue 2. Lighting Research Center: Troy, N.Y.
ASSIST. 2015. ASSIST recommends…Recommended metric for assessing the direct perception of light source flicker. Volume 11, Issue 3. Troy, N.Y.: Lighting Research Center.
ASSIST. 2017. ASSIST recommends...Evaluating Light Source Flicker for Stroboscopic Effects and General Acceptability. Volume 11, Issue 4. Troy, N.Y.: Lighting Research Center.
Bierman, A. 2017. A model for predicting stroboscopic flicker. Proceedings of the IES 2017 Annual Conference, August 10-12, Portland, Oregon.
Bodington, D., A. Bierman, and N. Narendran. 2016. A flicker perception metric. Lighting Research and Technology 48(5): 624–641; doi: 10.1177/1477153515581006.
Bullough, J. D., N. P. Skinner and K. Sweater Hickcox. 2013. Visual task performance and perceptions of lighting quality under flickering illumination. Journal of Light and Visual Environment 37(4): 189–193.
Bullough, J. D., N. P. Skinner and K. Sweater Hickcox. 2012. Visual performance and perceived lighting quality under flickering illumination. Light Sources 2012: Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Lighting, June 24-29, 2012, Troy, New York, pp. 375–376. Sheffield, UK: Foundation for the Advancement of the Science and Technology of Light Sources.
Bullough J.D., K. Sweater Hickcox, T.R. Klein, and N. Narendran. 2011. Effects of flicker characteristics from solid-state lighting on detection, acceptability and comfort. Lighting Research and Technology 43(3): 337–348.
Bullough J.D., K. Sweater Hickcox, T.R. Klein, A. Lok, and N. Narendran. 2012.
Detection and acceptability of stroboscopic effects from flicker. Lighting Research and Technology 44(4): 477–483.
Tan, J. and N. Narendran. An approach to reduce AC LED flicker. Journal of Light and Visual Environment 38, advance publication online August 26, 2014; doi: IEIJ130000531.
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https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/solidstate/assist/flicker.asp
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Coaches are helping breast cancer survivors prepare for one of several local triathlon events in the Milwaukee area. Piacentine and her colleagues wanted to know if better results could be achieved with the unique triathlon program. Over 14 weeks, they provide five sessions per week — 2 supervised and three unsupervised. The events vary slightly but include a 0.25 to 0.5-mile swim, a 12 to 15-mile bicycle ride, and a 3.1-mile run.
Standard exercise guidelines
The researchers mailed a survey to 156 breast cancer survivors 1 to 6 years after they had participated in a triathlon. Their ages ranged from 28 to 68 years. Of the 106 respondents (68%), 80 (75%) had a leisure score index above 24, which is the cutoff for standard exercise guidelines, and works out to 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
When asked how often they engaged in the exercise that made them sweat, 51 (48%) of the respondents said often, and 10 (9%) said never. And 69 (65%) reported participating in an organized physical activity in the previous 12 months, such as another triathlon, a footrace, a group bicycling event, or a fitness class.
This study was subject to selection bias because those most likely to respond to the survey were also more likely to have continued exercising. But with a 68% response rate, even if those who did not respond were not exercising at all, "it still seems like we're making a difference," Piacentine explained. This triathlon program might be more effective than others because of the bonding that occurs among the participants
In another study presented at the meeting, Sheehan et al. assessed cancer survivors at least six weeks after they completed surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. All scored below 45 on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: Fatigue (FACT-F). The scale ranges from 0 to 52, and a score of 30 indicates severe fatigue.
Getting Active
Of the 37 participants, 30 had survived breast cancer, and the remaining seven were survivors of other types of cancer. The average age was 55 years, and average time since treatment was 2.3 years.
The 19 participants assigned to the exercise group met for exercise instruction twice a week for the first five weeks and then once a week for the second 5 weeks. Under the supervision of Sheehan, who is a personal trainer, they worked incrementally up to 65% to 85% of their age-adjusted maximum heart rate and to a score of perceived exhaustion of 11 to 13 on a 20-point scale, where 6 indicates no exertion and 20 is maximal exertion.
The other 18 participants, assigned to health education, met once a week with Sheehan to receive instruction about food and nutrition, cognitive behavior therapy, and sleep management. She discussed exercise with them only in response to their questions. She also provided support by text. After week 10, the members of this group were encouraged to enroll in the exercise program.
The improvement was seen in both groups, not only on the FACT-F index, but also on multiple measures of psychologic well-being, quality of life, and physical function.
In the exercise group, improvements on all domains measured were significant, except pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness, and C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. In the education group, the only improvement that was significant was in the fatigue score (P < .05).
Most of the fatigue score changes occurred in the first four weeks, Sheehan reported. And the improvements were greater than those documented by other researchers. After the presentation, a member of the audience asked why the participants had such a fear of exercise, and how they were able to overcome it.
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https://news.medsbla.com/medical-news/anaesthesiology/cancer-survivor-prepared-for-triathlon-events/
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Russell Webb.DEPUTY mayor Russell Webb has reacted with dismay and disgust at the latest sporting-ground vandalism – and he’s backed up calls for public help to catch the crims.
The chairman of the city’s crime watchdog committee was speaking after the extraordinary response from cricket authorities, who are outraged over the latest damage at Riverside 2 – and the huge cost in dollars and lost play – and have offered a reward to track down the culprits.
Cr Webb was very keen to get measures in place immediately to deter and catch future perpetrators.
“We’re looking at getting a report to council to look at ways to close off traffic access to the ovals earlier but keep the parking near the baseball fields open,” he said.
“We’ll also look at installing fixed cameras and sending mobile CCTV units to help catch perpetrators and discourage future vandalism.”
This is the second time in less than a month the oval has been targeted, and Cr Webb said the petty act would affect the whole community.
“As a community representative, I am disgusted by the damage and, ultimately, the community bears the cost,” he said.
On initial inspection, Cr Webb said the field would be out of action for some time.
Cr Webb is also chairman of the council’s crime prevention committee. While he listed surveillance and limiting access as top of his agenda to curb vandalism, he also said the harshest possible punishment should be passed down once the vandals were caught.
“We can’t let them get off with a slap on the wrist,” he said.
“We have to make sure there is a heavy deterrent there.”
The latest act of vandalism comes just days after a violent armed robbery at the Hillvue Convenience Store sparked calls for more fixed CCTV surveillance in Tamworth’s outer suburbs.
“There have been numerous requests for CCTV in the wider community,” Cr Webb said.
The deputy mayor said the mobile surveillance units had been successful in identifying criminals and leading to a number of charges being laid.
Cr Webb encouraged residents to contact the council if they felt they were in an area where CCTV could help.
With the successes of the mobile CCTV system, Cr Webb said the council would be looking for funding from the state and federal governments to expand fixed and mobile surveillance services.
This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.
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http://www.cnit118.com/councillordisgusted-by-damage-at-cricket-fields/
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Booze ban adopted across the coast
A 24/7 BAN on alcohol in all of Coffs Harbour's city centre parks and reserves has been endorsed by Coffs Harbour City Councillors.
The ban was proposed following complaints about anti-social behaviour and public safety concerns from the community and CBD businesses.
Local police also requested that the previous 9pm to 9am prohibition on alcohol in CBD reserves be extended so that they can take enforcement action when required.
The proposal was put out for public comment for 30 days last year. One submission was received during that time which supported the ban.
"Bringing in this blanket CBD ban will address the primary issue of drunken behaviour and will also help stop the problem simply moving from one location to another," Mick Raby the council's Director Sustainable Infrastructure said.
"The request is somewhat at odds with Council's strategy to have some reserve areas available for limited alcohol consumption at specific events.
"But, to avoid any issues, Council staff can suspend the alcohol prohibited area in parks and reserves at the request of groups or individuals for specified purposes such as sporting and other events."
Enforcement of Alcohol Prohibited Areas is the responsibility of the NSW Police and Coffs Clarence Local Area Command is planning to conduct additional patrols within the known problem areas to reinforce the new prohibition.
The areas that will be covered by the new ban are:
- Rotary Park
- Baden Powell Park
- Lions Safety Park
- Coffs Harbour Community Village
- Fitzroy Oval - the Old Camp Yaam Nguura Jalumgal
- Coffs Street Reserves
- Reserve on the corner of Vernon and Castle Streets
- Brelsford Park
The ban will come into effect once new signage has been installed.
Councillors also voted to commission a further report, based on consultations with CBD stakeholders and businesses, to consider extending alcohol bans on Harbour Drive, Park Avenue, Park Avenue Lane between Gordon Street and Curacoa Street, Curacoa Street between Harbour Drive and Coff Street and Albany Street between Market Street and Curacoa Street.
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https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/booze-ban-adopted-across-the-coast/3330899/
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It may be the “Crown Jewel of San Diego,” but it’s a jewel with no security cameras or guards.
Balboa Park's lack of surveillance became a sore spot to park officials after Saturday night’s vandalism of the historic Lily Pond. The flash mob-style water gun fight left valuable fish killed, a vital pipe broken and thousands of dollars in damage to the area.
“Balboa Park is obviously our crown jewel,” Parks and Recreation Department Director Stacey Lomedico said. “For the most part, people are respectful and treat it as such – not only in the middle of the night but also during the day.”
The park is about 1,100 acres. Overall San Diego is home to approximately 40,000 acres of parks. The vast majority of urban parks like Balboa Park do not have security cameras, Lomedico said.
However, Balboa Park is the country’s largest urban cultural park and one of the city’s most treasured public spaces. With the amount of historical value invested in the park, the vandalism on Saturday night should be a wake-up call to the department, said Bruce Coons, executive director of the Save Our Heritage Organisation.
“I’m surprised they’ve gotten away with it as much they have,” Coons said of the park’s security. “There should be rangers there at night. It’s a dangerous place at night even when there aren’t parties that turn into vandalism.”
Lomedico says for the past month-and-a-half, she and her colleagues have indeed been talking about getting security cameras installed in the park.
The logistical issue with the security cameras is that someone would have to watch the surveillance at all hours of the day. That will have to be factored into the costs of installing the cameras, Lomedico said.
Even if there were cameras, Coons said, vandalism may continue to damage other areas in the park. After the park stopped hiring security guards to patrol the area at night, other acts of vandalism began appearing throughout the park, such as the 2004 vandalism of the Alcazar Garden fountains by skateboarders.
“We have plenty of [video footage] of the vandalism,” he said. “There really needs security on the ground.”
Local
The installation of the cameras within Balboa Park would correspond with the upcoming centennial celebration of the park in 2015.
The department is planning for site visits over the next couple of weeks to determine the best locations for security cameras. They expect the cameras to be installed at the core of the park. Costs for installing cameras and repairs are unknown at this time.
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https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/balboa-vandalism-highlights-need-for-added-security/1884566/
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Officials: Vandalism at local parks an expensive, time-consuming problem
OTTAWA COUNTY — Deputies were called just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14, to an ongoing structure fire in Chester Township.
Upon arrival, first responders learned Grose Park, managed by Ottawa County Parks and Recreation, had been the latest victim of vandalism.
More:Police suspect arson, vandalism at Grose Park in Chester Township
By the time the fire was extinguished, a storage building containing several maintenance vehicles sustained heavy damage. Nearby restroom fixtures were also broken. In the end, the park was closed until further notice.
And so the process of cleanup began again.
This isn't an uncommon occurrence in state, county or township-owned parks — and according to the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Department, there's been an uptick in vandalism over the past few years.
"Most vandalism we see in the parks involves carving initials into a picnic table or spray painting something in the park," wrote Jason Boerger, coordinator of park maintenance and operations for Ottawa County.
"Spray paint is often found in buildings, sidewalks, pavement or picnic shelters, and it does often contain lewd images or foul language that needs to be cleaned up immediately to maintain the family atmosphere."
Other types of vandalism have included smashing the window out of a park vehicle, smashing toilets, ripping shingles off a building, stealing signs, ramming park gates, doing donuts or spinning tires in gravel parking lots, cutting unapproved trails and even disassembling a dock and setting it afloat in the river.
While Boerger noted vandalism in Ottawa County is less prevalent than he's encountered at other park systems in larger metropolitan areas, the cost of repairs run into the thousands of dollars each year.
"Some larger things like the vehicle damage is covered by insurance," he wrote. "But most repairs are just a lot of labor that takes park staff away from the tasks that we could be doing to maintain and improve the parks."
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Boerger added not all vandalism is made with bad intentions.
"Sometimes people do things in the parks with good intentions that are contrary to our management plans and end up costing staff time to repair, just like intentional vandalism," he wrote. "These include mowing trails to their own backyards, cutting down trees for a better view, picking flowers, feeding waterfowl and more."
Vandalism is also on the rise in Holland Township, according to Township Manager Steve Bulthuis. The municipality manages six parks, ranging in size from one acre to 167 acres.
"Unfortunately, our parks occasionally experience vandalism," Bulthuis wrote in an email to The Sentinel. "Acts of vandalism include graffiti, as well as destruction of park property and grounds."
Bulthuis reported an increase in park vandalism over the past four to six months, resulting in increased costs and staff time to repair and replace damaged items.
Park Township, which manages an extensive park system, hasn't seen an increase in vandalism — but takes the issue very seriously.
"We want to make sure that, when there is vandalism, not only do we try to identify and investigate the culprit, but more importantly, institute measures to discourage and prevent vandalism from happening in the future," said Township Manager Howard Fink.
For example, after one of the township's soccer fields was damaged by a vehicle doing donuts, large boulders were installed to prevent cars from accessing the field.
"We've done that kind of thing in a number of locations," Fink said. "We've also done that with signs. When we place external signage in the parks, we use material that makes it more challenging to destroy or damage the sign, and also makes cleanup easier."
In Holland Township, surveillance equipment helps police apprehend those engaging in acts of vandalism — but the public is also encouraged to help.
Bulthuis and Fink encourage anyone witnessing an act of vandalism to call 911. In Holland Township, vandalism can be reported by calling 616-399-5496 or sending an email to [email protected]. In Park Township, call 616-399-4520.
Ottawa County Parks and Recreation can be reached at 616-738-4810.
— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.
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https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/crime/2021/09/17/vandalism-local-parks-expensive-time-consuming-problem/8346007002/
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• Philippa Pearson from Barton Park introduced herself. Philippa was co-opted onto the Parish Council. (Cllr S Mills proposed, Cllr J Penn seconded). It was noted the Declaration of Acceptance of Office would be signed at the next available meeting whereby councillors attend in person.
4. Public questions on items of business included in the agenda.
• There were no members of the public or press present.
5. Covid 19 Support & Emergency Action Plan
• The Council agreed to formally adopt the Preshute Parish Council Covid 19 Emergency Action Plan as a ‘Working Draft’. (Cllr S Mills proposed, Cllr J Penn seconded). It was noted under disposal of household waste local farmers no longer have incinerators but the Wroth brothers have kindly agreed should there be an issue they would be happy to provide a place to store excess household waste prior to collection by the contractors appointed by Wiltshire Council. It was noted the local Community PCSO is Mark Braithwaite.
6. Annual Meeting & further meetings
• It was noted the new legislation in place up to May 2021 removes the requirement for Parish Councils to hold an Annual Meeting in May, the Council can choose to hold it in an alternative month if desired or not at all. The Council discussed the implications of not holding an Annual Meeting and decided it would be desirable to hold one in a couple of months time once Covid19 restrictions were eased. It was agreed to provisionally book a date for July 28th for the next meeting but if a meeting was deemed necessary earlier one could be called. Once restrictions have been lifted it was agreed the Council would revert back to the original dates booked at the Manton Village Hall.
7. Finance
• AGAR – The new timescale for approving the AGAR has now been published and provided the accounts can be internally audited soon this can be approved at the proposed July meeting.
• Bank Account – The bank balance at 1st May 2020: £18902.41.
• The Precept of £4021.00 has been received from Wiltshire Council.
• The following cheques were retrospectively approved having been signed the previous week by Cllr P Morgan & Cllr J Penn:
100521 D Pittams – Bus shelter repairs £300.00
100522 Clerk Salary
100523 Clerk expenses
100524 WALC – annual membership subscription 2020/21 £57.73
100525 SLCC – Clerk’s Training courses x 2 £108.00
100526 P Morgan – postage & envelopes COVID 19 mailing £67.50
8. Highways
• Following a request from Wiltshire Council for submissions of proposed Highway measures to support safer cycling and walking Preshute Parish Council has requested the footpath on the A4 from Fyfield to Clatford to be cleared of vegetation and a dedicated cycle lane be provided on the A4 from Beckhampton to Marlborough. It was noted Fyfield & West Overton Parish Council has also requested their section of the same footpath clearing and also for a cycle route on the A4.
• It was noted the Manton Residents Association are in support of and had also previously requested a cycle route on the A4 from Manton to Marlborough.
• Cllr S Mills raised the issue of large groups of motorcycles – it was agreed this was something to be possibly discussed by CATG.
9. Rights of Way
• A complaint had been received regarding the lack of signage for PRES27 at Rockley. Stephen Leonard at Wiltshire Council has agreed to contact the owners of the Martyn Meade Stables to request the signage be reinstated.
• Cllr S Mills has kindly agreed to look at the other Rights of way within the Parish to identify which ones require signage and any, which are currently not passable. Action Cllr S Mills
10. Planning
• It was noted a lot of work has been carried out at the Martyn Meade Racing Stables, Manton Park SN8 4HB. The Clerk has agreed to investigate previous planning applications on this site. Action Clerk
• MANP – All Councillors present formally approved the submission of comments made to the MANP in respect of the draft AECOM report.
• The next MANP meeting was due to take place last Thursday but has been postponed with no further date yet provided.
• Cllr Jane Davies provided positive feedback in respect of our objection to the housing proposals and comments on the AECOM report.
11. Website
• Cllr Peter Morgan has studied the Website Accessibility Regulations and where possible updated the website to make it as compliant as possible. He has also added an Accessibilty Statement. The Council thanked Peter and his wife for all their hard work on this project.
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https://preshutepc.org.uk/meetings/PPCMinutes020620.html
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The Leader will make a presentation on the Beach Management Plan and the main focus of the presentation would be to address the following question:
“How is the Beach Management Plan working out and in the light of experience so far, are there any changes likely to be made?"
Minutes:
Councillor Everitt, the Leader of Council made a presentation and made the following points:
· The Beach Manage Plan was developed and shared with the public via the council website;
· Alongside the Plan was the Beach Safety Booklet which would be useful for the public and Council’s partners that include the RNLI and Your Leisure;
· Council was taking action on issues that the public had raised as concerns. This included issues like anti social behaviour;
· Bye laws were now in the safety booklet which would be circulated to the public. In the booklet were bye laws for managing the beach. These required updating. The updated version would be in place hopefully by next summer;
· Council was taking action against irresponsible and inconsiderate parking
· Council had reacted to the request for more public toilets to be opened for extended hours. Extra cleaning staff were now on duty for the busy beaches;
· Seafront lifts were currently closed because of the current social distancing regulations and council was trying to find ways to re-opening the use of this facility;
· Council was ensuring that all businesses using the beaches and foreshores had sufficient licenses and insurances for trading;
· Council was also enforcing appropriate behaviour for launching of boats;
· Although there were some challenges, beach huts were now in place. Council had worked with Your Leisure on this issue;
· Council staff had worked hard to deal with the large amount of litter left on beaches and foreshores; Another 50 large bins were going to be provided at designated points along the beaches. This was a continuing challenge for the council, but the council was working hard to resolve these issues;
· This summer a number of agencies were working together much more than before to resolve the issue;
· There was a communications plan to deal with the messaging of information relating to the beaches.
In response Members made comments and asked questions as follows:
· What enforcement did the council take in connection with barbeques at beaches?
· There would be more notification of bye laws on signage? Can we put more layman’s terms on those bye laws for greater clarity for the public, particularly regarding access to the beaches?
· The enforcement policy of use of laughing gas canisters?
· Was there a list for the seaweed removal? There was a problem at points in Westgate and Birchington (Apple Bay, West Bay and Saint Mildreds). Can there be a review of how this can be removed?
· Weekend Beach Supervisor. Could councilors contact the supervisors? What was the process for turning bye laws into PSPOs?
· Can there be district wide PSPOs?
· Foreness Bay is not indicated as a PWC user. However it should as they have two jet ski clubs and they have strict boat and jet ski users codes of conduct. They should be reflected as that in the safety booklet;
· Are there any measures to target dogs' mess?
Responding to Member queries and questions, Councillor Everitt sad the following:
· Barbeques were not permitted before 6.00pm;
· Yes council was working on new bye laws and it was hoped that the language used would provide clarity for the public;
· The canisters were legally obtained and the district commanders were aware of this challenge;
· The council had requested Kent Police to make a presentation at a Members briefing in relation to issues relating to beaches;
· Access to smaller beaches was a problem. Material is taken to a farm on a special licence. Quantity removal would be linked to what the council could lawfully dispose of on landfill available;
· Signage for cycling on the promenades;
· Signage will be put up on pinch points;
· The role for members would be to highlight issues for officers to consider, but not to ask officers to come and collect bins?
· Council would continue to look at the possibilities of having beach huts in Ramsgate;
· Turning Bye Laws into PASPOs is a complicated exercise. Council would be going through some of the bye laws and review whether there can be turned into PSPOs;
· Having district wide PSPO would be problematic in terms of enforcement because the council would need to enforce that. Officers were could consider that option;
· It is quite a large area but we do have enforcement officers. Most of the offending takes place in the mornings.
Thereafter Members thanked the Leader and noted the presentation.
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https://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=37056
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The number of people who are visibly camping in our parks and on the street, has increased markedly over the last several years. As I pointed out yesterday, the number of people who are experiencing homelessness in Metro Vancouver has been increasing over the last decade.
A recent series of court rulings allows people to camp in parks and on city property between 7pm and 9am under the condition that their shelter be temporary and be removed daily. Anyone has the right to be in a park during the day.
As I posted about this week and in the past, there are solutions to reducing homelessness in our region and in Langley City. It will take all orders of government, service providers, and the faith-community to address this challenge. This is why Langley City created the Homelessness Action Table. The Action Table has all the players at the table who can address the root causes of homelessness in our community.
Our Langley City budget also includes funding for a Community Liaison Coordinator. The role of this position is to work with social service agencies, the RCMP and the business community to address the root causes of critical social issues in our community.
While the Action Table does its work, we must also address the symptoms of homelessness in our community.
Last year, Langley City resources were stretched to the limits addressing the symptoms of homelessness. Our bylaw department had very little time to address any other matter. Significant resources were directed to cleaning up garbage, needles, and addressing vandalism.
Langley City council and staff were fully aware that City resource would need to increase to both address symptoms relating to homelessness, as well as address other matters such as parking enforcement and dog off-leash issues.
Langley City hired a new bylaw enforcement officer as well as a new manager of bylaw enforcement. As you can see in the following chart, the number of calls for service relating to homelessness matters increases during the summer months.
|Bylaw enforcement calls for services relating to symptoms of homelessness between 2014 and 2017. Select chart to enlarge.|
Langley City is hiring an additional temporary bylaw officer for the busy summer months. At the same time, the City is also ensuring that cleaning up of garbage and needles, plus fixing vandalism is addressed in a timely manner.
Langley City is working both to address the root causes of homelessness while dealing with the symptoms. It is certainly not an ideal situation, and I hope that with new funding and programs at the provincial and federal levels, the number of people who are homeless will decrease.
If you see anything in our community that needs addressing, please use Request for Service. If you see something unsafe or you feel unsafe, please call the RCMP at (604) 532-3200. If there is an emergency, please call 911.
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https://sfb.nathanpachal.com/2017/06/langley-city-addressing-symptoms-of.html
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Information collected may be used to assist in the development of a Nuisance Deer Management Assistance Program. The survey will remain open until Friday, November 9, 2018.
In response to a resolution of Common Council, the City is undertaking measures to assist with the management of deer population and Lyme disease in residential neighbourhoods such as Millidgeville and Milford. Part of those measures include the launch of a Deer Management survey to determine residents’ views and concerns toward the urban deer population. The information collected in the survey may be used to assist in the development of a comprehensive nuisance deer management assistance program intended to control the deer population and reduce negative associations between residents and deer. Examples of negative associations include vehicle accidents, property damage, and increased risk of Lyme disease. The City has installed signage to caution motorists in high accident rate areas. Once the survey closes, results will be reported to Common Council. A decision will then be made as to whether the City proceeds to the next steps to a) develop a by-law to prohibit the feeding of deer and b) send a request to the Minister of Energy and Resource Development to develop and implement the program. The program, as implemented in other communities, would allow landowners within certain neighbourhoods to receive a special permit authorizing bow hunters to kill one antlerless deer on their property. Similar programs and hunts have been developed for Rothesay, Quispamsis, St. Andrews, and Hampton as an efficient approach to address the issue while allowing public benefit of the resource. Suitability for the program will be determined by the Department of Energy and Resource Development, and will take into account lot size, safety concerns, and number of permits issued. The survey will remain open for citizens to respond to until Friday, November 9, 2018. Once the survey results are compiled and, if they demonstrate an interest from the community to proceed (50% +1 of respondents in support of the program), representatives from the Department of Energy and Resource Development and City staff will host a public information session to collect further feedback and address any questions residents may have. The Report to Council (section 12.6) provides further information behind the administration of the survey and other measures being undertaken by the City. Click here for the FAQ document developed for active programs in neighbouring communities. A similar document will be available for Saint John if the program is implemented. The City encourages all citizens to be responsible when interacting with wildlife. The public can help manage deer populations on their properties and in their neighbourhoods by: • not feeding deer, or any wild animal. • choosing appropriate vegetation for gardens and lawns that are not appealing to deer to eat. • considering fencing and other barrier options.
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https://www.saintjohn.ca/en/home/news/newsreleases/citizen-survey-the-city-wants-to-hear-from-you-on-.aspx
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Local naturists have reason to hope that they will have an official clothing optional beach to sunbathe on this summer.
After debate, Penticton city council voted to direct staff to investigate installing signage to control clothing optional usage of the beach or installing landscaping that would segregate usages, such as a closing optional area.
All six councillors voted in favour of this option, with Mayor Andrew Jakubeit making it unanimous, albeit reluctantly.
“That’s unanimous, I guess,” said Jakubeit as he counted votes. Jakubeit had also wanted to include investigating relocating the clothing optional beach. “I do have some reservations. We have two lakes and lots of beach access. I think we need to look at alternative locations as options too.”
Interim city manager Chuck Loewen said he expects a report will be available at the first regular council meeting in April.
Three Mile Beach has a long history as Penticton’s unofficial beach, but that usage became a subject of controversy last year after a local landowner closed access through his property to a secluded portion of the beach. Naturists began both moving to a more public area of the beach and protesting the closure of the other section of the beach.
A delegation of nearby residents came before council in February 2015 to request council take action to end the clothing optional usage.
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https://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/penticton-investigates-creating-a-nudist-beach/
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TRENTON — The city took the next step in the process of properly identifying Monguagon Memorial Park by approving requests made by the city’s cultural commission.
During its June 20 meeting, the City Council unanimously receive and placed on file City Administrator Dean Creech’s response to the cultural commission’s letter of intent regarding the park.
The city clerk also was requested to forward a copy of the response to the commission.
Creech accompanied his June 8 letter with responses to the four suggestions the commission made to the city in May.
Requests included erecting a permanent sign, typical in size and design for municipal parks, on the site, identifying its name at the city’s expense. Also, requested was that the park be permanently added to the list of 15 other city parks on the city’s website.
Creech said the city plans to replace all park signs over the next two to three years, and that this could be easily addressed with a uniform sign at that time.
The commission requested permission to install a permanent educational plaque at the site, to provide historical information regarding the origin of Monguagon Township’s name.
Creech said the commission is welcome to pursue proposed verbiage and design to address the vision.
“When the verbiage, design, costs and placement have been approved by the commission, the Potawatomi Nation and the recreation director, the full proposal can be presented to council for requested approval and review,” Creech said.
The final request from the commission was that a new resolution be drafted and adopted so the parcel can be declared a permanent green space.
Creech said he doesn’t recommend the request of that motion.
“By and large, they’re all pretty easily done,” he said. “Probably the only one I would not recommend pursuing is a supplemental motion or resolution that would declare the parcel as a permanent green space and prohibiting the addition of playground equipment, playscapes, and ball courts with the exception of park benches.
“I don’t think there’s an anticipated issue with changing the property in that way, and it also would have to go back to a voter approval if we’re ever going to unload the parcel or put it up for sale.”
Creech also said that in terms of placement of playscapes and equipment, the city shouldn’t tie the hand of the recreation department or anybody else.
“Due to the fact that this parcel is restricted and the city would need voter approval for sale of the property, I feel this request is unnecessary,” Creech said. “Further, as times change so do the vision and priorities of the community. Putting another redundant restriction on the property via resolution serves little purpose since the resolution can always be undone by a new vote of council.”
Councilwoman Wendy Pate asked if the uniform signage for Monguagon Memorial Park could be done during the first round of signage for the city, since the park has not been recognized for such a long time.
“I think the last discussion we had, if I’m not mistaken is we’re going to try to do them all on the sooner side, too, in one fell swoop,” Mayor Steven Rzeppa said.
Creech added that the city has the three-year plan, but doesn’t plan on taking three years to actually have the uniform signage replacement completed at all city parks, including the addition of the Monguagon Memorial Park signage.
The park land, bordered by Harrison Avenue, Edsel Street and Parkside Street, is named after Potawatomi Chief Monguagon.
Monguagon Memorial Park was one of five city parks which was officially named by the City Council in resolution 58-1, but remains unknown to a majority of residents and visitors, a letter of intent from the commission said.
Chief Monguagon was an advocate for and provided assistance to the first European settlers to the area in the mid-18th century.
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https://www.downriversundaytimes.com/2022/06/30/monguagon-memorial-park-to-get-signage-educational-plaque/
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Most of us will be aware that physical measures are not necessarily the only solution when it comes to slowing dangerous traffic in residential areas. Here Lambeth Cyclists' Clare Neely reflects on developments near her home.
Shortly Lambeth Council will be installing a number of physical measures; speed tables and road cushions, to reduce speeds in the area around Ruskin Park in SE5.
Sadly, and despite a spirited campaign by local residents, these are unlikely to reduce the rat running through the area which discourages cycling and walking. Many local people felt that a combination of 20mph signage and road closures to discourage speeding through traffic, would be a better use of resources. These measures would prevent people driving through the area and thus do more to encourage cycling and walking than solely physical measures managing the traffic there.
In discussions there was the usual motor vehicle capacity nonsense coming from the Council. It would seem though that everyone has now moved on. Even Norman Baker MP, the far from radical government Minister for Transport, wants to discourage short motor vehicle journeys and encourage cycling and walking.
Although the more over engineered scheme is set to be implemented in the Ruskin Park area, the arguments made during the campaign have not been lost. Other neighbourhoods which are subject to speeding rat running traffic we hope will be able to see that encouraging cycling and walking and reducing through traffic is a better solution to trying to slow down, but accommodate, through motor traffic.
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https://www.lambethcyclists.org.uk/2011/10/traffic-engineering-not-necessarily.html
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The following are brief reports of items discussed at the Aug. 1 regular meeting of Highlands East council.
A draft short-term accommodations licensing bylaw is being put forth by council to be passed following a public meeting to change the comprehensive zoning bylaw in the planning act.
Council is looking at implementing fees and penalties in a new bylaw that would strictly deal with short-term rentals.
CAO/treasurer Shannon Hunter stressed that the bylaw was not intended to discourage people from renting out their residence.
“No one wants to stop short-term accommodations” she said. “We just want to regulate it.”
According to her report to council “the Municipality of Highlands East created a short-term accommodation task group with the goal and objectives to investigate a solution to address concerns associated with short-term accommodation without eliminating the practices of cottage rentals exercised in cottage country. It is recognized that short-term accommodation is vital to our economic prosperity however regulations need to be implemented to address many issues including but not limited to zoning infractions noise parking building deficiencies health and safety and environmental.”
Licensing will allow the municipality to implement standards for all short-term accommodations including that they be properly zoned follow noise bylaws address building concerns limit accommodations to number of bedrooms and ensure septic is adequate said Hunter in her report.
“Some of the highlights of the bylaw include: short-term accommodations is a rental less than 28 days licence is for three years a licence cost is $300 maximum occupancy shall be two persons per bedroom plus an additional two licence available for one building per property waterfront properties shall be limited to one (1) per owner per lake.”
Hunter said she is recommending that the fees do not come into effect until June 1 2019 allowing people time to adjust to the new rules.
One of the new regulations in the draft bylaw is the limitation of allowing only one property owner to rent out one dwelling on one lake.
Councillor Cam McKenzie questioned whether or not the municipality could be legally challenged on the rule about one property per owner per lake.
Hunter said the municipality could be challenged on any of their bylaws.
A stakeholder committee has been involved with creating the draft bylaw.
A public meeting is being planned for Wednesday Aug. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lloyd Watson Centre.
A report from bylaw enforcement officer Wayne Galloway brought to council’s attention the need for action on docks being erected in the municipality.
According to Galloway “complaints have been received that subjects have erected a dock(s) along the shoreline road allowance that is owned by the municipality and they are using it as a personal dock and not allowing others to use it” he said in a report to council. “The dock(s) are situated within the shoreline road allowance and do not appear to have either a land use agreement or any deeded access to the water body in place. Although this is not a unique situation within Highlands East it normally comes to light as the result of a neighbour dispute.”
Galloway said that when the municipality becomes aware of an illegally placed dock they assume liability for the dock and its use.
There are ways to fix the issue he said including having the owner of the dock enter into an agreement with the municipality. Other options include having the owner remove the dock or the municipality taking over ownership of the dock.
Hunter said she believed a land use agreement was the way to go as it reduced the liability factor for the municipality.
Mayor Dave Burton asked if the dock then would still be public. Hunter said it would not be they would be using it for their own personal use.
Deputy Mayor Suzanne Partridge said she was not in favour of these docks becoming property of the owner as that could limit public access points into the lake.
“Some of these docks are built in places where it’s the only accessible area to get down to the lake” she said.
Council passed a resolution to seek legal advice on the matter.
Local organization Places for People is looking to create another dwelling in Cardiff.
A request from the housing and grants committee was made to council seeking a donation in support of the second dwelling. According to the committee the organization is currently fundraising for the project.
Council approved a $1000 donation which will come from the general municipal budget.
A formal request was made by the environment committee asking the municipality to install surveillance cameras at the landfill sites.
“The committee’s discussion spoke to the scavenging that takes place within the landfill and waste that gets left outside of the landfill sites” it said in clerk Robyn Roger’s report to council. “The committee would like it if the various options regarding surveillance equipment be investigated to see what the most efficient and feasible equipment is as an option for installing at the landfill sites.”
A small parkette complete with an eating area might be developed in Cardiff near the dragonfly and pinery area of the village.
Council approved investigating the project which was recommended by the recreation and culture advisory committee.
“At the June 13 meeting the committee discussed that they would like to see a small park area developed by the dragonfly and municipal office in Cardiff to address main street revitalization” said deputy CAO/treasurer Brittany McCaw in her report to council. “At the July 11th meeting the park area was discussed again and a formal recommendation was put forth for council discussion.”
According to McCaw’s report “staff would need to investigate if adequate parking is possible the purchase of three picnic tables a portable toilet rental and a bear proof garbage bin purchase. If approved money for the project are to be funded through the beautification fund of the 2018 budget.”
Some of the buildings in Wilberforce are getting improvements with property supervisor Jim Alden telling council an elevator has now been installed in the Wilberforce Curling Club.
The elevator has passed its inspection and is up and running said Alden.
Air conditioning has now been installed in the Lloyd Watson Centre.
Burton asked Alden if he could investigate the possibility of the LWC becoming a cooling station in situations of extreme heat.
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https://haliburtonecho.ca/highlands-east-council-looks-at-short-term-rental-bylaw/
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Following the March 5 deaths of a 1-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl in Park Slope, Brooklyn, due to a crash, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and the Hunters Point community took to Center Boulevard this week to call on the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement comprehensive traffic-calming measures in Long Island City before a similar crash occurs in western Queens.
Van Bramer—who has made numerous calls for such measures, particularly near schools in his district—said that the road along the Long Island City waterfront lacks traffic signals, which results in speeding. Van Bramer’s biggest concern regarding Center Boulevard and 5th Street is children in the area and Gantry State Park pedestrians.
“It is clear to everyone here today that this street is not safe for the children and families who cross this street every day,” said Van Bramer. “We can’t wait for a tragedy to happen to make this street safe. DOT must act now before someone is injured or, God forbid, killed. The safety of our children is at stake, and comprehensive safety measures must be implemented immediately.”
The Hunters Point Civic Association presented DOT representatives with a detailed 13-page proposal for ways to make Center Boulevard safer at the association’s monthly meeting last week.
“There are three schools on this street and hundreds of families bring their children to the park on the other side,” said Brent O’Leary, president of the Hunters Point Civic Association. “With no traffic lights and hard-to-see signage and stop signs, this street turns into a drag strip. We are imploring the city to act now before there is an incident.”
Since then, the DOT has announced that it would conduct a study on the 10-block roadway to see if the traffic measures requested by the association could be implemented.
Both the Hunters Point Civic Association and Community Board 2 have called for safety measures in the area. Per CB 2’s request, the DOT will study whether 5th Street could be transformed into a one-way street, since the two-block street already acts as one.
Community concerns regarding Center Boulevard include speeding; an increase in population, especially children; a lack of stop signs; and poorly painted or unpainted crosswalks.
“We want to take additional data, additional counts, at the intersections that the civic, the council member and the community board have flagged for us as being majors concerns,” said Queens Deputy DOT Commissioner Albert Silvestri. “Once we’re done with that, we’d like to come back to the community with some possible treatments that could address some of the concerns.”
In addition to the study, the DOT will hold a town hall meeting in Sunnyside, where it will present an updated proposal for safety improvements on Skillman and 43rd avenues. The town hall will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 26 at PS 150.
“The community has been loud and clear on the danger and we appreciate the DOT listening and working with us, but now is the time for action,” said O’Leary. “We need measures ASAP before another tragedy happens.”
Reach Ariel Hernandez at [email protected] or @reporter_ariel.
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http://queenstribune.com/van-bramer-wants-lic-traffic-safety-measures/
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The Lexington Fayette Urban County Government recently installed a surveillance camera system at Berry Hill Skate Park.
The system consists of four high resolution cameras that provide a 360-degree view of the park. According to Department of Public Safety administrative officer Dean Marcum, the system records footage 24/7. He also said the cameras are monitored periodically. The department retains data for 30 days.
“If there is something we need to keep we copy it to a DVD. If it is evidence of a crime it is turned over to police,” Marcum said in an email.
He said the cameras were installed as a standalone pilot program to study their effectiveness in deterring crime. The city chose the Berry Hill because of its relatively small size and due to some criminal issues in the area.
“Berry Hill has garnered some attention related to graffiti and vandalism, so in an effort to make it more family friendly, Council decided Berry Hill is a good pilot project site,” Marcum wrote.
The estimated cost submitted to the Urban County Council for the system was $30,000, including installation. The actual cost of the project remains unclear.
Councilmember Fred Brown (Dist. 8) spearheaded the effort to place surveillance cameras in Lexington parks, starting with a pilot project.
The Urban County Council General Government and Social Services Committee discussed the program during its Nov. 1, 2016 meeting. The committee passed a motion to send the idea to the full council by an 8-1 vote. Susan Lamb, Fred Brown, James Brown, Jennifer Scutchfield, Shevawn Akers, Jake Gibbs, Amanda Mays Bledsoe and Peggy Henson all voted yes. Angela Evans cast the only no vote.
The full council passed the measure by a 9-3 vote on Jan. 24, 2017. Steve Kay, Kathy Plomin, Sasha Love Higgins, J. Brown, Gibbs, Scutchfield, Lamb, Richard Moloney and Bledsoe voted yes. Evans, Bill Farmer and Jennifer Mossotti voted no.
Marcum made a presentation to the General Government and Social Services Committee during the Nov. 1 meeting. It sheds a little bit more light on the project.
Marcum submitted a photo that showed the reach of the camera system. It includes the skateboard area itself, along with parts of the park’s walking trail. It also appears to include several private homes on the perimeter, as well as part of the neighboring shopping center. If the estimate camera view was accurate, their reach onto private property creates significant privacy concerns.
During the meeting, Marcum said on several occasions the cameras would not be monitored. In the email he sent in response to a number of questions, he said the cameras would be monitored at times.
Marcum emphasized the importance of “community buy-in” before installing the surveillance cameras in the park.
“A big thing in my opinion is having neighborhood meetings and getting community buy-in. That’s critical in my view. We want the community on board with these. I think that’s a big part of it.”
In fact, there was no notice given to the community. There were no community meetings. The cameras just appeared one day. One resident who uses the park regularly said workers installing the pole told him it was for lights.
Fred Brown said it was difficult to notify residents of the Berry Hill neighborhood due to the nature of the area. Nevertheless, he seemed confident that wouldn’t pose a problem.
“When you talk about community disapproval, I haven’t had any feedback. The problem is – is there’s not a real strong neighborhood association out there, so I wasn’t able to get a group together as such. It also borders 7th District, I believe, and we haven’t gotten any negative. We’re hoping as this gets out into the community that it will have a positive effect.”
Scutchfield echoed Brown’s talking-point, saying it was difficult to get information to the community because of its makeup.
“There’s a lot of rental property. There’s not a lot of homeowner-owned property, and so it’s really hard to get that neighborhood buy-in.”
It remains unclear why Scutchfield thinks renters don’t care about what happens in their neighborhoods.
Despite Brown’s contention that he saw no indication of any opposition, some in the community were not pleased when they discovered surveillance cameras in their neighborhood.
“I believe that there are more effective and fiscally responsible methods of preventing crime and vandalism in our communities without intruding upon the privacy rights of Lexington citizens,” Clay Davis said. “Furthermore, our right to privacy supersedes the government’s desire to spy on us.”
Patricia Taylor lives in a neighboring county, but also expressed deep concern about the prospect of surveillance in Lexington parks.
“I have a vested interest in surveillance still, because of how often I am there. I thought about how I have brought my son to parks in Lexington before. I don’t want surveillance video of him to end up God only knows where, with God only knows who,” she said. “And the scary thing is that they are voting to do surveillance on me and my family, and I never voted for a single one of those people! They don’t represent us! That is the worst part of the surveillance state.”
A number of council members expressed concerns about the cost of the project and questioned using Berry Hill as the pilot park, but Evans voiced the only principled opposition.
“I just inherently have issues when it comes to surveillance,” she said.
Contrary to Brown’s contention that the plan presented no disadvantages, Evans said she saw a number of problems with surveillance, specifically mentioning the possibility of constitutional issues. Brown visibly rolled his eyes as Evans spoke.
Bledsoe expressed some reservations, but voted for the plan both in committee and in the full council. She apparently didn’t want to go against Brown’s pet project.
“I’d prefer, for some of the reasons councilmember Evans suggested on the privacy, not to go this direction. However, I’m not going to fight you on that. I know this is very important to you Councilmember Brown.”
Brown ultimately made a motion to vote on moving the pilot program to the full council despite the fact several other members still wanted to speak or ask questions. He also took a dig at Evans before making the motion.
“I think we need to go forward with this. As Councilmember Evans, which she strongly opposes it, I would just say, you know, at least I’m coming up with some type of ideal (sic) for public safety and to protect the citizens out there, and if you’ve got a better ideal (sic) or any kind of ideal (sic) that you – then you need to bring it forward into committee.”
The cameras in Berry Hill Skate Park raise broader issues. It remains unclear what other types of surveillance technology government agencies in Lexington own and operate. This could merely be the tip of the iceberg. In fact, Henson mentioned in passing she believes that the Lexington Police Department uses monitoring cameras that they move around.
Surveillance technology has its place and can assist in law enforcement. But its invasive nature and the significant privacy concerns it raises, necessitates strict transparency, oversight and control. Government agencies should develop detailed use policies open to public inspection. Council should approve these polices after a public hearing before any agency can acquire and utilize surveillance equipment. Policies should include strict limits on data storage and sharing, and should address all privacy concerns.
Lexington appears to have no such procedures in place. This needs to change. Perhaps the Berry Hill cameras can serve as a catalyst to bring about proper oversight and transparency of surveillance technology used by police and other government agencies.
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https://weseeyouwatchinglexington.com/2017/07/16/surveillance-cameras-at-berry-hill-skate-park-an-overview/
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This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
Dear Leeds City Council,
This request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would like to request a list of roads and their classifications within your remit - including those that are generally not signposted - in addition to the standard M, A and B roads. These tend to go by the designations C, D or U, although the exact details vary by area and may differ from any or all of these. A map detailing these roads would be appreciated but is not necessary for you to fulfil your obligation.
Yours faithfully,
James Carter
Dear James Carter
Freedom of information request Ref 14044 : List of Roads
Thank you for your request for the above information which we received
13/04/2015. We will respond to your request in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act 2000, or the Environmental Information Regulations
2004.
We have passed your request onto Jayne Conboy, Information Practitioner,
City Development, [email address] who will arrange a response
within the appropriate statutory time limit.
Please remember to quote reference number FOI 14044 in any future
communications.
Yours sincerely
Kristin Lea
Corporate Information Governance Admin Officer
t: 0113 39 52732
e: [Leeds City Council request email]
e: [email address]
w: www.leeds.gov.uk
Corporate Information Governance, Leeds City Council, Civic Hall,
Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR
“Information is everyone’s business and responsibility.”
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Leeds City Council request email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. file:///Documents%20and%20Settings/00700945/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.leeds.gov.uk
Dear Mr. Carter,
Please find the response to your Freedom of Information request attached.
Regards,
Richard Brook,
Information Compliance Administrator,
Level 6,
Leonardo Building,
(0113 24)76761.
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https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/cy/request/list_of_roads_186?utm_campaign=alaveteli-experiments-87&utm_content=sidebar_similar_requests&utm_medium=link&utm_source=whatdotheyknow
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In yet another marathon meeting that lasted almost until midnight, the Benicia City Council voted 3-2 to reject Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request to rehear the council’s June 19 vote on reviewing a draft Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) for the city. The matter will not be heard again until November at the earliest.
Patterson first requested an ISO reminiscent of the ordinance offered by Contra Costa County following the May 5, 2017 flaring incident at the Valero Benicia Refinery. The issue was not discussed again until June 19 when the decision to review a proposed ISO was struck down, with councilmembers Tom Campbell, Mark Hughes and Alan Schwartzman casting the opposing votes. The general consensus was that a city ISO would be duplicative of the state ISO, which was already based on Contra Costa’s ISO, although the majority felt Valero needed to improve gaps in communication. Additionally, Campbell and Schwartzman said they would change their votes if proposed air quality monitors were not installed by November.
On June 28, Patterson submitted a request for rehearing. At Tuesday’s meeting, Patterson said there were three choices on the table: deny the reconsideration, approve reconsideration for the staff recommendation of an Oct. 2 rehearing while the draft ISO was reviewed or approve reconsideration and agendize the matter for an even earlier meeting, possibly July 24. Among other things, Patterson felt the request to review a draft ISO was not addressed at the previous meeting.
“No need to consider adopting the draft,” she said. “Let’s have a third-party expert in the subject area with public interest, experience and knowledge and legal sufficiency review.”
Additionally, Patterson felt the motion taken by the council did not address what was in the air, provide funds to support staff engagement, tell schools or workplaces what to do during a shelter in place or address what happens at the county level.
“I am asking for reconsideration for review of the draft Industrial Safety Ordinance, not for adoption, not for revision, just a review and report back to the council so we all can be on the same page when it comes to local questions that have been raised about what it does and does not know,” Patterson said.
Speaking on behalf of the ISO Working Group was local attorney Terry Mollica, who said the stipulations requested by the council seemed promising but did not authorize staff to do homework to enable the council to take action in November if nothing changed.
“Not taking action on the reconsideration would just be kicking the can down the road,” he said.
Among other things, Mollica felt certain practices needed evaluation and review, particularly the prevention of power failures.
“Power failures are a fact of life and foreseeable in this community,” he said. “We know that this is a risk that this could happen again, so what steps should be taken to mitigate that issue and has it been adequately mitigated already?”
Valero representatives also spoke to discuss issues brought up at the previous meeting, including the need for information related to the 2017 incident, establishing clear lines of communication, and installing fenceline monitors within 6 months,
“Valero heard very clearly the City Council’s expectations from that meeting,” Don Wilson, the vice president and general manager of the Benicia refinery, said.
Wilson then introduced Rich Walsh, the vice president and deputy general counsel of Valero’s corporate office, who discussed what the Benicia refinery was doing to address the points raised.
“We listened back through all the discussions from the last council meeting,” he said. “We realized we’ve gotta do a better job of communicating.”
Walsh noted in a PowerPoint presentation that a fenceline monitoring team began hosting weekly meetings with engineers and planners as well as representatives from the city, Fire Department and PG&E, and anticipates field construction along the refinery’s fenceline to commence soon.
In regards to the 2017 incident, the PowerPoint noted that Valero has requested a review of PG&E’s overall maintenance program and risk ranked all proposed PG&E work on Valero equipment.
Finally, the presentation discussed actions Valero would do to improve communication. These included providing a 72-hour incident report, collaborating with the city to establish shelter-in-place and evacuation criteria and procedures, coordinating with the Fire Department to incorporate Valero information into the AlertSolano system and work to increase the number of registrants for said system.
“Nobody has more of an incentive to make sure this (incident) doesn’t happen again than us,” Walsh said.”This was a tremendous loss for us.”
After a lengthy public comment period that brought out people from both sides of the issue, the council ultimately voted to deny Patterson’s request for a rehearing, with Patterson and Vice Mayor Steve Young voting in favor of a rehearing, and Campbell, Hughes and Schwartzman voting against.
In other matters, the council voted 4-1 to delay discussion of placing a port tax on the ballot for the 2020 election. Schwartzman was the lone “no” vote.
The council is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, July 24.
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http://beniciaindependent.com/benicia-herald-council-denies-mayors-request-for-iso-rehearing/
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Minutes:
Apologies were received from the following Members:
Councillor Rusiecki;
Councillor Roper, substituted by Councillor Wing.
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Declaration of Interests PDF 87 KB
To receive any declarations of interest. Members are advised to consider the advice contained within the Declaration of Interest advice attached to this Agenda. If a Member declares an interest, they should complete the Declaration of Interest Form
Minutes:
There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.
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Minutes of Previous Meeting PDF 80 KB
To approve the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 26 May 2020, copy attached.
Minutes:
Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Coleman-Cooke seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the Panel meeting held on 26 May 2020.
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Cabinet Member Presentation - Beach Management Plan
The Leader will make a presentation on the Beach Management Plan and the main focus of the presentation would be to address the following question:
“How is the Beach Management Plan working out and in the light of experience so far, are there any changes likely to be made?"
Minutes:
Councillor Everitt, the Leader of Council made a presentation and made the following points:
· The Beach Manage Plan was developed and shared with the public via the council website;
· Alongside the Plan was the Beach Safety Booklet which would be useful for the public and Council’s partners that include the RNLI and Your Leisure;
· Council was taking action on issues that the public had raised as concerns. This included issues like anti social behaviour;
· Bye laws were now in the safety booklet which would be circulated to the public. In the booklet were bye laws for managing the beach. These required updating. The updated version would be in place hopefully by next summer;
· Council was taking action against irresponsible and inconsiderate parking
· Council had reacted to the request for more public toilets to be opened for extended hours. Extra cleaning staff were now on duty for the busy beaches;
· Seafront lifts were currently closed because of the current social distancing regulations and council was trying to find ways to re-opening the use of this facility;
· Council was ensuring that all businesses using the beaches and foreshores had sufficient licenses and insurances for trading;
· Council was also enforcing appropriate behaviour for launching of boats;
· Although there were some challenges, beach huts were now in place. Council had worked with Your Leisure on this issue;
· Council staff had worked hard to deal with the large amount of litter left on beaches and foreshores; Another 50 large bins were going to be provided at designated points along the beaches. This was a continuing challenge for the council, but the council was working hard to resolve these issues;
· This summer a number of agencies were working together much more than before to resolve the issue;
· There was a communications plan to deal with the messaging of information relating to the beaches.
In response Members made comments and asked questions as follows:
· What enforcement did the council take in connection with barbeques at beaches?
· There would be more notification of bye laws on signage? Can we put more layman’s terms on those bye laws for greater clarity for the public, particularly regarding access to the beaches?
· The enforcement policy of use of laughing gas canisters?
· Was there a list for the seaweed removal? There was a problem at points in Westgate and Birchington (Apple Bay, West Bay and Saint Mildreds). Can there be a review of how this can be removed?
· Weekend Beach Supervisor. Could councilors contact the supervisors? What was the process for turning bye laws into PSPOs?
· Can there be district wide PSPOs?
· Foreness Bay is not indicated as a PWC user. However it should as they have two jet ski clubs and they have strict boat and jet ski users codes of conduct. They should be reflected as that in the safety booklet;
· Are there any measures to target dogs' mess?
Responding to Member queries and questions, Councillor Everitt sad the following:
· Barbeques were not permitted before 6.00pm;
· Yes council was ... view the full minutes text for item 243.
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Procurement of Lift refurbishment Programme and External Repairs and Decorations Programme PDF 95 KB
Minutes:
Bob Porter, Director of Housing and Planning Services introduced the report and requested comments from the Panel. He made the following comments:
· Council would like to let two contracts for refurbishment of passenger lifts and external works and decorations;
· This was a key decision which Cabinet would like to get comments from the Panel before making a decision;
· Funding for the projects was within the Housing Account (the revenue budget);
· The lifts contract was a capital works contract funded from the major repairs reserves;
· A separate report was going to the 30 July Cabinet to vary the HRA budget in order to accommodate these two contracts.
Members asked questions and made comments as follows:
· Could Cabinet consider community wealth building principles when awarding contracts under procurement procedures;
· Would CCTVs be refurbished as well in those buildings (the Tower Blocks)?
In response, the Leader of Council and Bob Porter responded as follows:
· Cabinet will consider the community wealth building principles when awarding the contracts under the procurement procedures;
· The contract to install upgraded CCTVs in the six tower blocks owned by the council was currently underway.
The Panel noted the report.
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Criteria for any Review of Street and Building Names and other Monuments PDF 69 KB
Minutes:
Tim Howes, Corporate Director Governance introduced the report and sought comments from the Panel and made the following points:
· This follows from the topical discussions going on regarding the Black Lives Matter campaign;
· It would be better to the council to engage to have a policy for assessing the suitability of monuments and street names in the district, using some criteria developed locally;
· Officers would then go away with comments from the Panel and develop a draft policy and bring it back to the Panel for further comments;
· The policy would have to take into consideration the public sector equality duty.
Members responded as follows:
· This was a significant issue;
· It was important to consider as a community and as a society what the priorities are and how the community recognized and respected its members;
· How society viewed its history is important, particularly if that involved recognising those communities who have been affected by racism;
· The equality legislation should guide the work of the council in addressing this issue, particularly the aims contained in Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010;
· One of the criteria to consider was the time in which people lived, what they did the effect on society at that time;
· Society should not hide their history. Instead the plaques should be left where they were and inform people what this was about and let people make up their own minds;
· This discussion could not be determined through peripheral discussion at one meeting. The best option would be for the Panel to set up a working party to address this issue more comprehensively and come forward with cogent ideas;
· Public involvement in the decision making for addressing this issue is important;
· Displaying in a museum is not necessarily an endorsement. However displaying something out in the community appears to be an endorsement;
· It was important to speak to those groups of society that are affected by this issue.
Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Coleman-Cooke seconded and Members agreed to set up a working party to consider the issues relating to the establishment of the council policy on criteria for reviewing street and building names and other monuments in the district. Members also agreed that the make up of the working group would be established outside the Panel meeting.
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Call-in of an Individual Cabinet Member Decision - Memorial Plaque in Broadstairs PDF 88 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Chairman introduced the item and started by reminding the Panel that the purpose of this item on the agenda was for Members to consider whether the Leader of Council could have used a different process for arriving at the decision.
Ms Michelle Thomas, a member of the public addressed the Panel, under the public speaking provision of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel.
Contributing to the discussion Members made the following submissions and observations:
· Uncle Mark performed in tribute to very much appreciated and very much skillful musicians from a different part of the world at a time when very few local people if any would ever get to see the real thing;
· His entertainment was not considered racist then. The emphasis should be that there should be no racism now in our time;
· Society learns from its history;
· The council had a responsibility to all residents not to act with haste on this matter. The recommendation instead was for the plaque to remain where it was until the criteria for reviewing any street and building names and other monuments was established;
· The music that Uncle Mark played was extremely popular and was a legitimate form of entertainment. When in character, he entertained residents and visitors in Broadstairs for over 50 years (1895-1945). As a measure of his popularity, a plaque was unveiled in Broadstairs Town;
· Broadstairs Town Council considered this issue on 24 June 2020 and agreed that the plaque should remain in situ and only be removed if a petition from Broadstairs petitioned the Council to remove it. However to date no such request by residents has been made;
· The decision by Broadstairs was passed by a very small margin;
· The Leader was thanked for his proactive decision to cover the plaque from possible vandalism;
· Could future decisions include liaising between the Leader of Council and the Town Council
· Uncle Mark was emulating black music that was popular at that time and Broadstairs Town Council gave him a platform on which to perform;
· The Panel ought to be aware of labelling those individuals who are remembering Uncle Mark as if they were racists. The Panel ought to be aware of different residents’ perceptions of what that plaque means when using the criteria that would be put in place;
· Council put this issue up to a public consultation before making a final decision on the plaque;
· This part of Thanet history can be preserved in context. This plaque can be removed from the street and put in a Museum;
· Some Members fully supported the decision made by the Leader of Council.
Responding to Panel comments, Councillor Everitt said the following:
· An operational decision was made by officers to cover the plaque in anticipation of possible vandalism in view of what was happening in the country;
· Decisions are made by individual cabinet members and officers. This is part of the governance arrangements;
· The decision talks about the public sector equality duty;
· The Leader of Council had comments from other individuals from ... view the full minutes text for item 246.
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Review the Overview and Scrutiny Panel Work Programme for 2020/21 PDF 109 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Chairman sought Members’ views on whether there were any other topics they wanted added to the scrutiny topics that were suggested at the workshop on 24 June.
The Panel agreed to add the setting up of a working party to consider some ideas for developing a policy on the Criteria for any Review of Street and Building Names and other Monuments to the scrutiny projects list.
Thereafter, Members noted the report.
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Forward Plan & Exempt Cabinet Report List PDF 80 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Members noted the report.
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https://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=119&MId=5580
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Chuck Berry.
Perhaps the most popular form of twentieth-century music, rock is a combination of African-American rhythms, urban blues, folk, and country music of the rural South. It has developed into hundreds of subgenres, each with its own audience, record labels, and radio formats.
Rock started out as 'rock and roll' in the early 1950s, evolving from a mixture of bop, blues, and country and western music. Among its characteristics are a prominent, steady, heavily syncopated rhythm with a strong backbeat; a blues modality; guitar, drums, and bass instrumentation; loud vocals and overall high volume; and lyrics about rebellion and other topics often calculated to offend non-fans.
As rock music has become the dominant form of jazz and, in much of the world, the dominant style of music, it has grown under the direction of its own spirit and many other influences so that fifty years after its debut much of it would be unrecognizable to its early performers and fans. The only element that is still universal is the backbeat (stress on the second and fourth beats of each measure). Early exponents included Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Chuck Berry.
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https://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia_of_music/R/rock.html
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Hasna el Becharia is a committed, free-spirited and non-conformist woman. An artist born in southern Algeria who, from a young age, felt the need to go against the current and defend, with her music and her courageous attitude, the rights of women in Algeria and the Sahara. Heir to a lineage of Gnawa musicians, her first rebellious step was to learn, hidden, to play the guembri, a string instrument of Gnawa origin reserved only for men. The next, to bring to life music of extraordinary rhythms accompanied by acoustic and electric guitar, inviting, with the traditional sounds of gnawa, to enter in transit, interpreting popular songs and personal compositions.
After thirty years of career, Hasna's first album, Djazair Johara (2001), full of fast-paced rhythms so typical of the Maghreb and the Sahara, has a strength close to what rock could be. The instrumentation is simple but vibrant and the choirs impressive; the content, all a claiming song.
Tracks list:
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http://www.radiosalone.com/2020/06/hasna-el-becharia-djazair-johara-2001.html
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Alfred Publishing 24340, SATB, $1.75 Driving rhythms and colorful harmonies abound in this lively, energetic setting of Psalm 98 by Mark Hayes. The opening verse is jubilant, with regular syncopation, as God’s people praise Him with melody, trumpets and horn. A key change signals the second verse, in which a flowing lyricism prevails as God’s creation bows in reverence before God. The opening verse returns in the original key and the excitement builds to a powerful finish through escalating modulations and antiphonal choral singing. A distinctive addition to any choral library for today’s worship!
Acc. CD 24342 $ 24.95 Instrumentation 24343 $ 20.00 Bass, Drums, El. Gtr, Synth
To hear an audio sample:
To view a sheet music sample:
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https://markhayes.com/product/make-a-joyful-noise-satb/
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Punk'd Royal Lyrics Follow
Punk rock (or "punk") is a rock music genre that developed in the mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s garage rock and other forms of what is now known as "proto-punk" music, punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. Punk bands typically produced short or fast-paced songs, with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent record labels and other informal channels.
The term "punk rock" was first used by certain American rock critics in the early 1970s to describe 1960s garage bands and subsequent acts then perceived as stylistic inheritors. Between 1974 and 1976 the movement now bearing the name "punk rock" emerged. It produced a new generation of bands such as Television and the Ramones in New York City, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Damned in London, and the Saints in Brisbane—by late-1976 these acts were generally recognized as forming its vanguard. As 1977 approached, punk rock became a major and highly controversial cultural phenomenon in the United Kingdom. It spawned a punk subculture expressing youthful rebellion characterized by distinctive styles of clothing and adornment (ranging from deliberately offensive T-shirts, leather jackets, studded or spiked bands and jewelry, as well as bondage and S&M clothes) and a variety of anti-authoritarian ideologies that have since been associated with the form.
In 1977 the influence of punk rock music and subculture became more pervasive, spreading throughout various countries worldwide. It generally took root in local scenes that tended to reject affiliation with the mainstream. In the late 1970s punk experienced its second wave in which acts that were not active during its formative years adopted the style. By the early 1980s, faster and more aggressive subgenres such as hardcore punk (e.g. Minor Threat), street punk (e.g. the Exploited), and anarcho-punk (e.g. Subhumans) became the predominant modes of punk rock. Musicians identifying with or inspired by punk often later pursued other musical directions, resulting in a broad range of spinoffs, giving rise to genres such as post-punk, new wave and later indie pop, alternative rock, and noise rock. By the 1990s punk rock re-emerged in the mainstream, as pop punk bands such as Green Day and the Offspring brought the genre widespread popularity.
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https://www.lyricszoo.com/punkd-royal/
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Rodney Brent has been writing Original Lyrical and Instrumental Music for over forty years creating a wide and wild spectrum from Bluegrass to Rock & Roll, using Energetic Rhythms and Syncopations as a foundation for Story Telling from the Serious to the Silly. Performances include Guitars, Acoustic and Electric / Mandolin / Lap Slide Guitars. Rodney has released 3 CD's since 2001.
Highlights
Art type: Live Music
Music type: Original Music
What this Artist plays most of the time
Genre: AlternativeAmericanaBluegrassBluesCountryOtherRockSinger/Songwriter
Home base: Calgary
Appeals most (but not limited) to:
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https://eng-staging.stagehand.app/artists/356
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Reviewing a compilation of tracks that have already been shortlisted by a respected committee as arguably the best songs released in a calendar year requires critiquing those choices as much as the material itself, which means adding a layer of subjectivity to somebody else’s personal bias. For the purposes of this review of Grammy 2020 Nominees, then, things will be kept simple by considering the ratio of production piled on to the bare bones of the song – the premise being that writing so willfully obscured by sonic effects, auto-tune and club-worthy bass swells is probably stronger in its own right. It’s not a perfect formula, but then neither is a compilation that features a curated snippet of a much longer list of songs. H.E.R.’s Hard Place is a solid, clean pop tune, and is followed by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s Senorita, which has a few more frills and a touch of Latin influence. Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s I Don’t Care is probably not even the former’s best release of 2020, but few contemporary artists have a better understanding of linking melody and hooks, and the same can be said of Lover by Taylor Swift (on both counts). Sucker by the Jonas Brothers is strong and Harmony Hall from Vampire Weekend is even better, though the bar is still not set terribly high for the year under consideration. Lana Del Rey’s Norman F***ing Rockwell is a beautiful piano ballad, but good as it is, it’s not as good as anything on Sara Bareilles latest album, a song from which won a Grammy this year. Little Big Town’s The Daughters is moving and memorable and I Don’t Remember Me (Before Me) by the Brothers Osborne is well-constructed straight-up country music. As a snapshot of a musical year, this is not one of the past decade’s best.
The film Birds Of Prey – The Album soundtracks is unfailingly brazen throughout – loud, bright, brash and fast-paced, often to the detriment of much in the way of heart and soul. The music that goes with the action is, unsurprisingly, chosen to enhance those themes and that mood, and as a partner to the visuals in that way, this is an excellent album. As a standalone compilation, however, it is considerably less effective, as the style of the music is overwhelmingly similar and lacking in nuance – propulsive in a way that will drive an action scene, but light on emotion to help the listener engage beyond that. Lonely Gun by CYN is a highlight, with its gravelly Queens Of The Stone Age-esque guitar line, and Bad Memory by K Flay is arguably the best of the hip hop-inflected options. And Black Canary’s gentle take on James Brown’s It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World offers a respite from the general sonic assault.
A double-disc compilation of South African rock songs from the last 40 years or so, Rocktober does a good job collecting a number of tunes that refuse to age – arguably the best criterion to consider when trimming down the options to include – from the English rock output of local bands. At 40 tracks, there are probably no more than six or seven songs that would cause any real consternation among afficionados of the genre, and the best tunes here are great rock songs in any context, anywhere. On disc one, Ballyhoo’s Man On The Moon, Clout’s Substitute and Tribe After Tribe’s As I Went Out One Morning hark back a little, with Springbok Nude Girls’ Blue Eyes, Wonderboom’s Something Wrong and Zen Arcade’s Crazy Over You being more contemporary classics. On disc two, Kongos’ Come With Me Now, aKing’s Against All Odds, Squeal’s Runners and The Spectres’ Teddy Bear are some of the standouts. There’s nothing from pedigreed greats like Johnny Clegg, Seether, Tree63 or Bright Blue, but that may be down to licensing issues rather than any sort of oversight. Plus, there’s still plenty of great material worth including on the follow-up to this collection.
Whether or not music needs to be reworked in order to appeal to kids is debatable. After all, expectant mothers are told to play Mozart to their unborn children, and that music was written for kings and courtiers. The general thinking with Bethel Music Kids: Come Alive seems to be that slowing down the rhythm a little (sometimes with a gentle house beat), making synthesisers the bulk of the instrumentation and making kids sing the vocals will do the trick. It’s all pleasant enough – there is great source material including This Is Amazing Grace, Ever Be and One Thing Remains – but the above conventions make everything sound pretty similar, so it’s easy to lose focus when listening, which rather undermines the point of the exercise in a worship context.
It is often said that the best songs can be played with the bare minimum of instrumentation – just an acoustic guitar or piano and a voice, for instance. The trend in contemporary worship music towards adding massively layered synths (almost all of the time) and EDM rhythms (some of the time) makes getting a clear understanding of the source material more difficult than some listeners have the patience for, particularly when there are hundreds of alternatives at their fingertips. Brave New World suffers from a sonic similarity that makes its lyrical goals more difficult to reach. It’s not a bad sound, with widescreen atmospherics inviting you to close your eyes and explore what in visual terms would be a misty, mysterious wilderness, following the lure of Cook’s Sarah McLachlan-ish voice. But, as in a misty wilderness, it’s easy to lose your way and circle back, possibly finding yourself in the same place again and again. When that mood is briefly shifted, it’s only for short instrumentals like Flagship – very pleasing in their own right, but not adding anything thematically. Up front, Shepherd is stirring and The Voyage is perhaps the best combination of the elements used throughout the collection.
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https://www.brucedennill.co.za/music-reviews-brave-new-birds-or-prey-comes-alive/
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Having both the piano and the male vocal in the foreground of the texture creates a sombre character. This is because both instruments have a high tessitura. This results in bright tone colours and an equally loud dynamic in both instruments.
Jenn Gillan: A little more connection between your example and your character is needed here. If you had said there was a joyous or energetic character I would have believed you because you mentioned the high tessitura, loud dynamic and bright tone colours; all things associated with joyous or energetic characters. However, these are not immediately associated with a sombre character. The examples need to be obvious in how they link to character.
An inconsistent dynamic is created by the continuous changes in instrumentation throughout the piece. The full drum kit and percussion in particular when they come create a surge in the overall dynamic. This is due to all the different tone colours that come from each of the instruments different pieces, from the dark, booming tone colour of the kick drum, to the hollowness of the bongo’s. When these all come together it creates a character of excitement. The sombre character of the quieter sections juxtaposes this.
Jenn Gillan: I like that you have not only mentioned the dynamic but how it is caused – through changing instrumentation and tone colour. You have also acknowledged that there is a change in character, which many of my students tend to ignore initially. A little more detail on how they ‘come together’ would strengthen this. This could be done quickly through a quick sketch of layers or lines showing increase of dynamics etc.
Artificial instruments such as the high-pitched instrument playing descending glissando’s makes for a very rich, busy texture when jammed in with the rest of the instrumentation. This in effect creates a busy foreground resulting in the character of excitement.
Jenn Gillan: ‘jammed in’ could be expressed with a little more sophistication. Maybe overlays or similar word? “Busy texture” the same. The word busy is not usually associated with texture. Is it polyphonic maybe? A glissando may make the texture appear thicker but are there extra layers of melodies or is this part of the main melody? It’s a little unclear here.
Use of rhythmic unison between much of the instrumentation in the section with the polka like rhythm and accelerando creates staccato jolts in the dynamic. This results in a feeling of tension.
Jenn Gillan: Does accelerando create staccato jolts? Or is the character created by this rhythm enhanced by the articulation and change in tempo? Again, a little more expanding here needed.
Use of Dixieland style growling trumpet playing a counter melody in the forefront of the texture creates a feeling of excitement due to the busy texture that it creates.
Jenn Gillan: Again, watch ‘busy texture’. Polyphonic?
Overall: Some good linking of examples to character, though some were more successful than others. In terms of blend and balance, those in the foreground were well described but other layers were left out. Watch your description of texture. I was pleased to see your mention not only of dynamics but how dynamic change is achieved.
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https://jennygillan.com.au/analysis-question-three-with-sample-response-i-cat-empire-wine-song/
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«no wave» - mejores artistas
No Wave was a short-lived but influential art music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City and continued into the 1980s alongside punk subculture. The term No Wave is in part satirical wordplay rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular new wave genre—a term imported into the New York contemporary artworld by Diego Cortez in a show he curated called “New York/New Wave” held at the Institute for Art and Urban Resources (1981).
In many ways, No Wave is not a clearly definable musical genre with consistent features. Various groups drew on such disparate styles as funk, jazz, blues, punk rock, avant garde, and experimental. There are, however, some elements common to most No Wave music, such as abrasive atonal sounds, repetitive driving rhythms, and a tendency to emphasize musical texture over melody—typical of the early downtown music of La Monte Young. No Wave lyrics often focused on nihilism and confrontation.
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No Wave is often better defined in terms of the artistic environment in which it thrived (the downtown scene of minimalist art) and the character of performances typical to its context. No Wave performances drew heavily on performance art and as a result were often examples of a highly theatrical minimalism in their renditions.
In 1978 a series of punk rock influenced loud noise music was held at New York’s Artists’ Space that led to the Brian Eno-produced recording No New York. This recording was the first attempt to define the no wave sound, documenting The Contortions, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Mars and DNA.
The Noise Fest was an influential festival of art noise music curated by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth at the art space White Columns in June 1981. Sonic Youth made their first live appearance at this show. Each night three to five acts performed, including Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, jeffrey lohn, Dog Eat Dog, Built On Guilt, Rudolph Grey, the Avant Squares, Mofungo, Red Decade, Robin Crutchfield’s Dark Day, Ad Hoc Rock, Smoking Section, Chinese Puzzle, Avoidance Behaviour, and Sonic Youth.
No Wave had a notable influence on noise and industrial bands who formed after, like Big Black, Lev Six, Helmet, and Live Skull. The Theoretical Girls heavily influenced early Sonic Youth, who then emerged from this scene by creating music that eventually reached mass audiences and critical acclaim. Also for new bands like Liars, Ex Models, Neptune, and Erase Errata the influence of the No Wave scene was important.
Simon Reynolds, author of Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, wrote:And although “affection” is possibly an odd word to use in reference to a bunch of nihilists, I do feel fond of the No Wave people. James Chance’s music actually stands up really well, I think; there are great moments throughout Lydia Lunch’s long discography, and Suicide’s records are just beautiful.
No Wave music inspired the Speed Trials noise rock series organized by Live Skull members in May 1983 at White Columns with the music of The Fall, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch, Elliot Sharp, Swans and Arto Lindsay. This was followed by the after-hours Speed Club that was fleetingly established at ABC No Rio.
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https://likefm.org/es/tag/no-wave
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On January 10, 2016, Vacuum Tree Head performed at Berkeley Arts as part of the “Hardly Strictly Personal” benefit festival curated by Mika Pontecorvo. We played a short instrumental set that featured refinements of existing songs from our previous performance as well as new compositions. You can see and hear the highlights in this video.
As you can see from these highlights, it was short and energetic, and we certainly had a lot of fun playing.
The band was led as always by Jason Berry, who also played soprano saxophone and electronics. The rest of the best included Amanda Chaudhary on Nord Stage and Moog Sub Phatty keyboards, Michael de la Cuesta on guitar and synthesizers, Rich Lesnick on saxophone and bass clarinet, Thomas Scandura on drums, and Stephen Wright on bass. Mixing, editing, and interstitial music was done at CatSynth HQ; and the animations were by J.B.
Today we look back at ReCardiacs Fly’s show at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco last month. It was a great show of music in prog and post-punk styles together with experimental/avant-rock groups PG13 and Surplus 1980.
The evening opened with PG13, the “power trio” of Phillip Greenlief (saxophone), John Shiurba (guitar), and Thomas Scandura (drums). I had originally heard them a few years back at the Skronkathon. They did have the loud-rock-trio thing down at the time, but in the intervening time they have become more finessed and detailed without losing that original intensity.
They opened with driving syncopated rhythm and power chords. The rhythmic textures brought all three instruments (saxophone, guitar and drums) together. This was undeniably rock – held together by Scandura’s drums – but later sections did have a more jazz-like quality, which I thought worked when done with sudden changes in volume and texture. I of course did like that one of their songs (composed by Greenlief) was The Totally Unbelieable but Absolutely True Adventures of George Cleaver the Cat. Loud music with complex rhythms about cats works for me any day.
“In a City Lining” also came out quite well. On a technical level, the sound was the best we have had for any ReCardiacs Fly show, with the mix between the amps, speakers and acoustic space balanced so that we could hear everyone even in the loud parts. And we were quite loud, appropriately so.
Moe! Staiano on drums, and Suki O’kane on percussion.
The final set features Surplus 1980, a post-punk project led by Moe! Staiano with a rotating cast of band members. This evening features Moe! together with Bill Wolter and Melne Murphy on guitars, with Thomas Scandura returning on drums and Jason Hoopes on bass.
The band was incredibly tight rhythmically and harmonically, as if they had been playing these songs together for years. In particular, there is the challenge of getting all three guitars to be in sync, which they were able to do, will Bill Wolter front and center. And the group’s lyrics were often quite funny (this in the context of our just completed Cardiacs’ set). It’s difficult to recall any particular line at this point, but they definitely worked at the time. Most of the musical techniques were standard but with complex rhythms and phrases, but Wolter did have quite an array of effects pedals, and during one of the final songs Moe! pulled out a vinyl record which he proceeded to use on his guitar like a pick and destroyed in the process (the record, not the guitar).
Overall, it was fun night of loud rock music from friends and colleagues whom I usually here in more overtly experimental contexts. I hope our bands will get a chance to play together again sometime.
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https://www.catsynth.com/tag/thomas-scandura/
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Featured:
Post-rock is a music genre characterized by the use of musical instruments commonly associated with rock music, but utilizing rhythms and harmonies that are not found in rock tradition. Simply put, it is the use of 'rock instrumentation' for non-rock purposes. Practitioners of the genre's style typically produce instrumental music.
As with many musical genres, the term is arguably inadequate as a concise descriptor: for example, Don Caballero and Mogwai were among the more prominent bands of the 1990s described as post rock, but the two bands' music has very little in common besides the fact that they are both largely instrumental. As such, the term has been the subject of backlash from listeners and artists alike.
Although firmly rooted in the indie scene of the 1980s and '90s, post-rock's style bears little resemblance musically to that of indie rock.
Origin of the term
The term 'post-rock' was coined by critic Simon Reynolds in his review of Bark Psychosis' album Hex, published in the March 1994 issue of Mojo magazine. Reynolds expanded upon the idea later in the May 1994 issue of The Wire.
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http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Post-rock
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Featured:
Post-rock is a music genre characterized by the use of musical instruments commonly associated with rock music, but utilizing rhythms and harmonies that are not found in rock tradition. Simply put, it is the use of 'rock instrumentation' for non-rock purposes. Practitioners of the genre's style typically produce instrumental music.
As with many musical genres, the term is arguably inadequate as a concise descriptor: for example, Don Caballero and Mogwai were among the more prominent bands of the 1990s described as post rock, but the two bands' music has very little in common besides the fact that they are both largely instrumental. As such, the term has been the subject of backlash from listeners and artists alike.
Although firmly rooted in the indie scene of the 1980s and '90s, post-rock's style bears little resemblance musically to that of indie rock.
Origin of the term
The term 'post-rock' was coined by critic Simon Reynolds in his review of Bark Psychosis' album Hex, published in the March 1994 issue of Mojo magazine. Reynolds expanded upon the idea later in the May 1994 issue of The Wire.
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http://artandpopularculture.com/Post-rock
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PALLAS is, after MARILLION, and along with IQ and PENDRAGON, one of the most important acts of the Eighties Progressive rebirth. This is an energetic and magnificent neo progressive band in the style of IQ/MARILLION but with more edge. Their music is centered on melodic hooks, loud sound and great voice. "The Sentinel" brings a tint of pop in a still elaborate progressive spectrum.
Scottish prog band PALLAS definitely have one of the longest gaps between albums on record. They released their first album, "The Sentinel" in 1984 and followed it up with "The Wedge" two years later. Their next album, "Beat the Drum" (72 minutes of music with epic accents, rock rhythms and style, and ballads full of feeling), did not show up for 13 years. It will be followed by the wonderful "The Cross And The Crucible" in 2001. This album features all the things prog fans are looking for - atmospheric keyboards, great guitar tunes and a well working rhythm section - and last but not least an vocalist with an very own style. Highly recommended to fans of neo Progressive style.
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https://oldishpsychprog.ucoz.com/news/pallas_2001_the_cross_the_crucible/2010-05-01-1211
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Channeling the ghost of a time when rock was straight up and actually meant something, Mezzanine have an attitude that pretension dares not fondle. They energize and humanize the Perth music landscape with power chords and passion, drawing teeth from the likes of Thurston Moore, Anton Newcombe and Stephen Morrissey. A self professed loud and energetic combo, they play each show like it's the last 30 minutes of their lives. They put pen to Pro Tools in February 2011, emerging with their first Extended Player, Novella. The hemorrhage inducing opening stanza Can't Feel a Thing smacks you in the face with the best guitar riff you've never heard since never, before taking you on a dark and turbulent ride filled with autobiographical lust and deep cuts of deprecation. Heavy guitars and pulsing rhythms provide the backdrop for singer Cory John Rist exhausting all emotion, void of irony.
Tracks:
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https://towerrecords.com/products/mezzanine-novella
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BRAVURA IN THE FACE OF GRIEF performs in different coallisions with different instrumentation, but resolves around drummer ANDERS VESTERGAARD and saxophonist DANIELLE DAHL. They play improvised accoustic music, experimenting with timbres and playing with conventional intstrumental roles. Sonically they move in a quiet, melancholy soundscape, but with room for melodic elements and loud bursts of energy.
DANIELLE DAHL
Norwegian saxophone player and composer living in Denmark. She has toured Europe, Australia and the US, both with her own projects and in different ad hoc-coallisions. Danielle is interested in the extremes of sonic variations possible on the acoustic saxophone, combining subtle and minimal means of expression with the aesthetics of noise and freejazz.
ANDERS VESTERGAARD
Exploration of sound and texture is central in the way Anders approaches the drums, no matter if he’s playing silent impro, indie rock or modern free jazz. He always works with an intense focus and a clear direction in his playing, and he has an energetic presence in the music.
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http://www.amannstudios.com/archives-news/live-recording-session-167
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Orlando Peña's style contains the beautiful imagery and storytelling qualities of traditional folk and country music, but with modern instrumentation and rhythms that come from his eclectic background.
Orlando Peña is a Singer/Songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was there that he cut his teeth in various local acts before moving to Rochelle, Illinois.
In his new home, he found solace on a family farm which proved to be exactly what he needed to nurture his craft. His style contains the beautiful imagery and storytelling qualities of traditional folk and country music, but with modern instrumentation and rhythms that come from his eclectic background.
In his short time as a resident of Illinois, Orlando Peña has garnered much attention through performances at some of Chicago's finest venues such as The House of Blues, Cubby Bear, and Navy Pier. It is with much enthusiasm that we watch this young songwriter as he begins to reach out beyond the Midwest.
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https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/orlandopena
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Check out this head cam from the LTHS Drumline.
A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A high school concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors (band directors). A school band consists of woodwind instruments, brass instruments and percussion instruments, although upper level bands may also have string basses or bass guitar. A high school marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, often of a military-style, that includes an associated organization’s colors, name or symbol. Most high school marching bands, and some college marching bands, are accompanied by a color guard, a group of performers who add a visual interpretation to the music through the use of props, most often flags, rifles, and sabres.
High School Marching bands are generally categorized by function, size, age, instrumentation, marching style, and type of show they perform. In addition to traditional parade performances, many marching bands also perform field shows at sporting events and marching band competitions. Increasingly, marching bands perform indoor concerts that implement many songs, traditions, and flair from outside performances. In some cases, at higher level competitions, bands will be placed into classes based on school size. “Traditionally” speaking, the term general music has often been reserved for elementary music. However, there is an exciting shift occurring at the secondary level, more specifically in music classes offered at the high school level. In a response to a realization that music offerings in band, choir, or orchestra may not resonate with every student, teachers and schools are reaching out and expanding their musical offerings so that even more students can be involved in school music education. The title “Secondary General Music” usually encompass performance-based and non-performance-based classes alike. Performance-based classes might be guitar ensembles, world drumming ensembles, and rock bands. Non-performance-based classes usually include, but not limited to songwriting classes, music technology classes, and music theory classes.
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https://schooltube.com/lt-vs-hinsdale-central-tenor-cam/
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Artist Johnny Chimside has dropped his piece ‘Welcome To My World’, introducing you to his feel good Country hit.
Within the first few seconds, you’re instantly pulled in with this real lively upbeat melody that continues throughout, combining the pluck on the strings, adding in a slight riff on the electric guitar and the drumstick clashing against the cymbal. Having a rather loud and energetic instrumentation gives it its Country feeling but adding in the electrifying riffs every now and then to give it that bit of edginess.
As you listen to the uplifting spirits that Johnny incorporates through his music makes you feel good, the energy that he pours into his instrumentation and his voice is insane. He has a more gravelly tone to his voice, keeping his tone at a fairly low paced compared to the melody.
This one is sure to get you feeling more energetic, with its super catchy essence, you must check this one out.
Listen to Johnny Chirnside Welcome To My World by heading on over to bandcamp now.
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https://www.anrfactory.com/johnny-chirnside-releases-single-welcome-to-my-world/
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What is folk alternative music?
While contemporary folk often retains the gentleness of its more traditional parent, alternative folk combines acoustic sounds and a strong singer-songwriter bent with a more energetic, aggressive sound.
What artists are considered folk rock?
Folk Rock Artists
- Bob Dylan. 3,052,922 listeners.
- Jethro Tull. 1,190,531 listeners.
- Neil Young. 2,014,373 listeners.
- Blackmore’s Night. 388,714 listeners.
- Fleet Foxes. 1,902,618 listeners.
- Schandmaul. 159,754 listeners.
- Мельница 186,136 listeners.
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. 988,991 listeners.
What group is an example of British folk rock?
It can be seen as including performers such as Donovan, the Incredible String Band, Pentangle, Strawbs, Nick Drake, Roy Harper, John Martyn and the original Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Is indie the same as folk?
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation….
|Indie folk|
|Cultural origins||1990s|
|Other topics|
|Folk pop folk rock acoustic rock|
What was the most successful folk pop group of the 1960s?
The Mamas and the Papas were one of the most successful folk-pop groups of the ’60s, and Mama Cass was one of the most notable female presences of the folk revival.
Which artist or band is credited with inspiring the folk rock movement?
In addition to The Beatles, the two British groups that were arguably the most influential on the development of folk rock were the Animals and the Searchers. The Animals released a rock interpretation of the traditional folk song “The House of the Rising Sun” in the U.S. in August 1964.
Who revived English folk songs?
Among the most influential of the revival’s earliest figures were the Harvard professor Francis James Child (1825–96), Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924), Frank Kidson (1855–1926), Lucy Broadwood (1858–1939), and Anne Gilchrist (1863–1954).
Who started indie folk?
The genre has its earliest origins in 1990s folk artists who displayed alternative rock influences in their music, such as Ani DiFranco and Dan Bern, and acoustic artists such as Elliott Smith and Will Oldham.
Which is a folk rock group from the late 1960s?
Bands whose music was significantly folk rock in sound during the mid-to-late 1960s included Donovan, the Lovin’ Spoonful, the Mamas & the Papas, the Youngbloods, Love, and, in their early years, Jefferson Airplane.
Who are some famous bands that combine rock and folk music?
Combining rock and folk, the Grateful Dead has been able to produce a long career filled with stellar hits. However, their innovations didn’t just extend to the music world. They were one of the first bands to experiment with streaming performances, by broadcasting their concerts. 18. Blondie
What was the name of the band in the 70s?
Originally named TW4, this band opted to change their name to Styx in 1972, after a Greek myth. However, it wasn’t until 1977 that they started to achieve mainstream success. After this, they had a string of hit songs including Lady, Babe, and Sail Away. 24. Bob Dylan Another one of the top 70s bands is Bob Dylan.
What are the top 100 Songs of 1970?
1 Grateful Dead – American Beauty November 1, 1970 Critic Score 100 4 reviews Amazon iTunes Music Spotify 2 Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman November 23, 1970 Critic Score 100 1 review Amazon iTunes Music Spotify 3 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu March 11, 1970 Critic Score 100 1 review Amazon iTunes Music Spotify
What are Your Top 20 classic rock bands of all time?
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https://www.tonyajoy.com/2022/08/12/what-is-folk-alternative-music/
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On Monday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players presented a polished, energetic performance of four colorful recent works by composers from the United States, Argentina, and France.
The most effective of these works was Reynold Tharp's gorgeous San Francisco Night (2007), a premiere which closed the concert's first half. Inspired by a visit to our fair city in 2006 (Tharp was also a doctoral student at UC Berkeley for several years), San Francisco Night is a sensuous evocation of the colors and atmospheres of the Bay Area. Adding trumpet and French horn to the standard Pierrot plus percussion lineup, Tharp conjures an endlessly varying wash of musical fragrances, swirling and reconfiguring like the mists that sweep up over Twin Peaks.
Not content to write textures that are merely interesting or surprising, Tharp concocts sounds that are also ravishing and intoxicating. He has studied in France, and I could hear a strong connection to such French composers as Debussy, Ravel, and Messiaen, informed by more recent advances in extended instrumental techniques and the Spectralist school of composition. Like the opening of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé suite, or the birdsong passages of Messiaen, Tharp's textures are full of burbling activity, yet they are also fleet and airy.
In his program notes Tharp mentions that Debussy once said he wished to create "an orchestra without feet" — an apt description of Tharp's orchestration, as well. The music rises and falls, ebbs and flows, but it never lands. Although the work was 15 minutes long, I was so caught up in it that it seemed to be over in an instant, and I wished I could be enveloped in its sensual landscape for far longer.
If Tharp's work could have lasted longer, Frenchman Bruno Montovani's concert-closer Les Danses interrompues (Interrupted dances), composed in 2000, despite some very compelling colors and textures of its own, lasted a bit too long. Abruptly alternating sections of vigorous activity and calm repose, this work included some fresh ideas, such as complex rhythmic unison passages for the entire ensemble, rapidly repeated notes that sped up and slowed down at unexpected rates, and quarter tone–inflected melodies hinting at jazz. After too many iterations, however, these gestures began to grow tiresome and the sudden shifts and juxtapositions that were initially so captivating became predictable. Les Danses interrompues was basically an enjoyable piece, but ran too long to sustain the ideas on which it was based.
Opening the second half, Argentinian Martín Matalon's Formas de arena (Forms of sand) (2001), created surprisingly dark colors with its instrumentation of flute, viola, and harp. Beginning with busy, perpetual-motion rhythms, the piece eventually wound down to a gently hypnotic ending. The brightness of color usually associated with flute and harp was subverted in this work by the frequently percussive use of these instruments, with loud thwacks emanating from the harp, and frequent breath attacks on the flute, like distant drums. These sounds mixed with propulsive viola patterns into a darkly driving texture.
David Felder's partial [dist]res(s)torations (2001-2003) opened the concert with incisive rhythmic unisons and a buoyant first movement. Subsequent movements settled down into more lugubrious textures, and while it contained many compelling and original colors, it never quite lived up to the promise of those exciting opening bars.
Throughout the concert, the performers, under David Milnes' energetic and incisive conducting, played with the precision and intensely focused energy that I have come to expect from this fine ensemble. Flutist Tod Brody and clarinetist Carey Bell stood out for their sharply detailed playing.
Although I have no major objections to any of the pieces presented, for my taste the program did seem somewhat aesthetically homogenous. All the pieces were predominantly concerned with texture and color, and all had a decidedly European stylistic orientation. A piece or two on the program with a different aesthetic angle would have thrown these texture-based pieces into welcome relief.
Jonathan Russell is a professor of musicianship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and music director at First Congregational Church in San Francisco. He is active in the Bay Area as a clarinetist, bass clarinetist, and composer.
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https://www.sfcv.org/reviews/musical-fragrances-air
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Sound: In the Wake of Poseidon is King Crimson's second album. By this time the band was well known for its progressive feel, the blending of influences outside of rock and blues into their songs, and their ability to change the sound from choatic and intense to serene and calm without losing the feel.
Although only the bands second album, and even though the first one was quite amazing, we already see the bands first lineup change. Greg Lake, the original vocalist and bassist left to form Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but agreed to sing for the album. Also, the original woodwinds, brass, and keyboard player Ian McDonald left the band.
Although the bands members have changed, it doesn't mean the sound of the album does. For the most part the album keeps the same feel and power that you got from the first album. Although this is a great thing, it's also a bit of a letdown as you feel like you're getting a lot of the same instead of something new that you might have expected.
A great aspect of this album is King Crimson's ability to blend a lot of different styles into their music. Instead of the usual blues based rock that you heard from most bands of that era, we hear them blend aspects of jazz (Pictures of a City) and even classical (The Devil's Triangle). This is great because you won't be getting the same of what you would from the other bands, you're getting a really unique experience thats different but still amazing.
For instrumentation, Robert Fripp on guitar is amazing as usual. His guitar playing isn't usually fast-paced shredding, loud, or even the focus of the music. In fact, it's quite the opposite, it's usually parts being played to support the rest of the band while still remaining a key part of the sound. On drums, we have Michael Giles, who is an absolutely amazing drummer. Whenever he plays, it's for a reason, and whether its a drum solo or a beat in the background, what he plays is always perfect and helps pull the music together and make it sound great. His brother, Peter Giles, plays bass for the album. Although in my opinion not as good as Greg Lake, he still plays well and what he plays helps the music be what it is. Mel Collins on flute and sax does a great job playing in a way that fits with the music and adds to it. Finally (yeah, I know, there was a lot) we have Keith Tippet on piano. It is clear that he is the focus of much of the music, and his playing is one of the key parts that gives us the melody.
Overall, this albums sound is great. From the beautiful "Cadence and Cascade", to the epic title track "In the Wake of Poseidon", to the crazy "Cat Food", this album is full of great songs that will grab your attention. Although the album is almost TOO similar to its predecessor, and sometimes the craziness of the music can be a turn off, overall Robert Fripp and King Crimson as a whole did a great job with this album. // 8
Lyrics: The lyrics, written by Peter Sinfield, are full of metaphors and deep meanings, as well as just being plain crazy. Often the lyrics will catch your attention because they are somewhat cryptic and feel like they have a deeper meaning. Other times you'll be wondering why Greg Lake keeps screaming "cat food! cat food!" over and over again. It might seem crazy, but it catches you attention and will stick in your head for a while. The lyrics are great, often wacky, but great.
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https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/king_crimson/in_the_wake_of_poseidon/index.html
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While enjoying the fusion of Flamenco, Brazilian, and Jazz guitar techniques with Latin, Africa, and Middle-Eastern percussion, Cerro Negro’s music soars with passionate vocals embracing a village of rhythms, styles, and Languages. Cerro Negro creates their own unique synergy by combining sounds from the roots of Flamenco music with cutting-edge instrumentation and orchestration.
Cerro Negro is from San Diego, CA and includes lead guitarist Dusty Brough, rhythm guitarist Frank Giordano, and percussionist/lead vocalist John Martin III. Brough is an exciting young guitarist who is captivating audiences with his virtuosity. Giordano plays both Flamenco guitar and piano switching up the group’s instrumentation throughout the performance. Martin has two Bachelors degrees in music and performs on his custom percussion setup which includes instruments from around the world.
Musical Styles
Alternative, Latin, New Age, Reggae, Spanish, Swing.
Scheduled Performances
No performances scheduled in the near future.
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http://www.bluedragonrestaurant.com/events/artists/cerro-negro
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This item is not commercially available from the Australian Music Centre. We regret that we cannot offer it for sale.
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Work Overview
Last Flight of Saint-Ex (2010) is
inspired by the famous French writer and pilot Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), also known as Saint-Ex - author of the
international bestseller Le Petit Prince - whose plane was likely
shot down by a young German pilot in 1944 in the South of
France.
Originally composed in 2008 for oboe and string quartet for a premiere performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship players, recomposed versions are now available in a variety of instrumental combinations, showcasing the technical virtuosity of all players.
A fast, pulsating, rhythmic style governs this work. A feeling of urgency is created by syncopated rhythms, irregular metres and erratic dynamic changes. In the slow middle section, a feeling of sadness is conveyed by a slow haunting solo. Fast motivic figures alongside thick rippling trill and chordal textural sound mass effects build to a loud and dramatic climax.
Work Details
Year: 2008, this version: 2010
Instrumentation: Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone.
Duration: 7 min.
Difficulty: Advanced — Fast technical passages requiring AMEB 7th grade and above. Contemporary playing techniques are included but as the score indicates, saxophonists can play the piece without these effects.
The composer notes the following submitted styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
Classical style, Neo-Classicism, Impressionism, contemporary music - contemporary playing techniques. Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Bartok, Ravel.
This piece includes contemporary playing techniques. However, if the saxophonists cannot slap-tongue or flutter-tongue the players can also perform without these extended techniques.
Performances of this work
13 Jul 18: World Sax Congress, Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Croatia. Featuring Australasian Sax Orchestra.
13 Jul 2018: at XVIII World Saxophone Conrgress (Croatian National Theatre). Featuring Australian Saxophone Orchestra.
1 Mar 2016: at Charisma in Concert (Recital Hall West, Sydney Conservatorium of Music). Featuring Charisma.
2 Sep 2012: at Charisma Concert (Chapter Hall, St Mary's Cathedral (Sydney)). Featuring Julia Ryder, Ros Dunlop, David Miller.
10 May 2012: at Charisma (Bon Marche Studio). Featuring Charisma.
19 Feb 10: Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
16 May 08: Old Darlington School, University of Sydney. Featuring Sydney Symphony Fellows.
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https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/workversion/beaugeais-katia-last-flight-of-saint-ex/34830
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When Bang on a Can first announced they’d be starting a spring festival in Brooklyn called Long Play in 2020, I was thrilled to check it out. I wanted to capture the energy I’d felt at LOUD Weekend the year before that, where I rushed from room to room of MASS MoCA, attempting to see everything and anything I could over three days. It was that weekend, too, that I got the encouragement I needed to turn this blog into something more than a place I posted opinions on once a month. Long Play had the promise to be something similar, something as invigorating. Naturally, I was excited: I imagined myself running across downtown Brooklyn, catching every show I could and writing about it all.
Of course, things never happen the way they do in your head. When Long Play was able to come back in 2022, I felt a little apprehensive about going to a music festival. But I thought, “why not give it a try?” And so I did. And in the end, it was invigorating and life affirming and exactly what I needed. Not in the same way as LOUD Weekend was—obviously, my blog is what it is now and I’ve grown my writing practice exponentially since 2019. But it was exciting to go see live music again with people who love it as much as I do. There’s something about music festivals that gives you that “we’re all in this together” feeling. The last two years have made me forget how much live music is about sharing experiences that can’t be replicated with a group of people who might care about it all as much as I do.
Long Play took place over the course of three days in multiple downtown Brooklyn venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Mark Morris Dance Center, Roulette Intermedium, Public Records, Littlefield, and The Center for Fiction. Concerts started in the afternoon and went into the night. As usual for Bang on a Can, there was an eclectic range of artists and performances scheduled, from the minimalist classic In C to DeForrest Brown Jr.’s techno to the rock band Infinity Shred to jazz luminaries The Sun Ra Arkestra. Based on the sheer number of performances, I imagine it’d be hard to find another attendee who had the exact same weekend schedule as you, which is part of the fun of it.
There was some concern about Long Play replacing the annual Bang on a Can marathon, because the marathon was free and Long Play wasn’t. But they were, fortunately, fairly open about letting people attend events. The general feeling of the weekend was that of friendliness and warmth. It was nice to see that that hadn’t changed.
That feeling that some things stayed the same carried through to my first stop of the weekend, which came before the first day actually hit. I attended Terry Riley’s In C performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars alongside choreography by Sasha Waltz on Thursday evening. In C makes an appearance often with Bang on a Can—it was performed at LOUD Weekend back in 2019, for example—but feels apropos considering the institution’s commitment to minimalist and post-minimalist composition. This time around, dancers matched the short, repeating phrases of music, interlocking in rhythms that mimicked the music against a shifting neon light reminiscent of MASS MoCA’s James Turell exhibitions (particularly “Into The Light”). It felt very Bang on a Can (trademarked), and that was pleasant, but there’s only so much you can do with In C. By the end, many of the people leaving complained it was too long. I felt the same, but was oddly comforted by hearing something I’ve heard so many times.
My first stop of the *official* weekend was my friend Phong Tran’s set at 6pm on Friday, which I ran to after picking up my wristband. The room was doused in swirling green light as Tran stood in the center and played synthesizers. Public Records is known for its great sound quality, and Tran’s set made full use of the space’s capabilities: Every melody he played filled the room with vibrant sound, creating a consuming wash of music as he played tracks from his 2021 album, The Computer Room. They felt alive in the space, bubbling up from the surface and sticking to the venue’s walls.
Friday evening ended with a rousing performance by Dither Quartet in which seemingly everyone from every corner of the new music community was in attendance. Dither was one of my favorite performances at LOUD Weekend in 2019, so again, I felt like I might be reliving a past that’s long-gone and not able to be returned to. But I wasn’t all that mad about it. They played four pieces, by composers Nate Wooley, Aeryn Santillan, Amirtha Kidambi, and inti figgis-vizueta, three of which were premieres. Kidambi’s work was my personal favorite of the bunch. She sang with them, and Brian Chase played drums, too. The piece, which was Kidambi’s first for this instrumentation, moved from lyrical melodies into full-blown grooves and guttural screams, eventually bursting into a finale made of free-wheeling guitars, drums, and vocals that harnessed the innate power of every instrument. The audience cheered a lot throughout, maintaining a feeling that this was a rock concert, not a prim and proper classical show. I’m all about that.
The one show I really, really wanted to see at Long Play was a Saturday afternoon performance of two pieces by Éliane Radigue, Occam X and L’ile re-sonante. Radigue’s music is still in the process of resurfacing; it’s only in the last 20 years that we’ve seen her name start to pop up often at all. Much of her early electronic composition was live sound installation-focused, centering the in-person experience of feedback and long-held tones and the concentration it creates. At Long Play, we heard one of her acoustic works and one of her electronic works, each of which explored a different side of her impulse to create innate close listening. Nate Wooley performed Occam X, a 15-minute piece for trumpet that involves subtle timbral shifts of barely-there tones. The room was packed with listeners straining an ear to hear him, captivated by the process of uncovering these hidden layers of sound. I snuck into the back, late because of the train shutdowns, but even for those final few minutes, I got the feeling I wanted to get: That we were all in a room together, focused on nothing but the miniscule waves of sound emanating from Wooley’s trumpet.
Michael Pisaro’s performance of L’ile re-sonante, of which I saw in entirety, was absolutely mesmerizing, though a tad too long. Here, public records’ spiraling, color-shifting lights and full-bodied sound system was on display. At first, the room was dim, matching the deep, pulsating open tones of the piece, which slowly blooms from darkness into light. The lights gradually changed colors, brightening as the music did. In a moment of transition, where music grew from a pulsating bass into a sparkling prism, refracting sound in many directions, I was able to reach the sense of heightened meditation Radigue’s music projects. There’s something about being in a room where you can feel the pulse of the sound in your bones; it becomes part of you and time ceases to exist. All that’s there is the present, a foreign feeling in a world driven by the future. The music then faded back into darkness and audience members began to funnel out and go elsewhere. The ending took its time, perhaps a little too much. But the cycle remained, showing a process of growth, rebirth, and disappearance.
On Sunday, I caught a few more sets: David Lang’s death speaks featuring Shara Nova, pianist Jenny Lin, who played Galina Ustvolskaya sonatas, electronic/dembow/dreampop band Balún, and guitarist Kaki King, who ended my weekend with an intimate, acoustic set of songs new and old. I ran into a few friends again, I wandered the streets of Brooklyn with a feeling of hope. If I’m being honest, going to the entire weekend was kind of like exposure therapy for me. I’ve grown a lot closer to my bed than I ever was before over the last couple of years. My lifelong claustrophobia that I try to push down and away is continuously resurfacing in new ways these days. But I was there and I lived it. I talked to friends. I made new friends. I met people I’ve only ever met on Zoom or the phone. And I’m still standing. Perhaps I’m even a little more hopeful.
Until next year.
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https://theroadtosound.com/2022/05/26/notes-from-bang-on-a-cans-long-play-festival/
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Editor’s note: This is the third and final installment in Flagpole’s year-end music series. See also:
Local Musicians’ Favorite Moments of 2015
An Incomplete Overview of the Year in Athens Music
10. Maserati: Rehumanizer (Temporary Residence LTD)
Maserati’s trademark has always been searing leads overlaying mesmerizing rhythms, and not much changed on Rehumanizer. Echoing space-rock stalwarts like Gary Numan, Maserati progressed by combining unprocessed vocals with downright hypnotic riffs. With only six tracks, Rehumanizer managed to sound massive, both in terms of length and sheer sonic bombast. The record’s last two tracks, a title-track suite, were a compelling aural argument that no one in Athens does this sound better. Maserati tours the world for a reason, and Rehumanizer was just another reminder of why. [Dan Mistich]
9. Richard Gumby: Hardrive (Independent Release)
In the first 45 seconds of Hardrive’s opening track, “The Innocence of Sam Bacile,” there was an early indication of the style songwriter Scott Crossman revels in. As a haze of panned samples made way for a loose, psychedelic guitar riff, it became evident that clarity and pleasure could sporadically break through Crossman’s dense glitch collages at a moment’s notice. The album’s remaining six tracks acted similarly as a push-and-pull between clearer-cut pop elements and thick, often goofily stylized electronic noise, providing a consistently fun and exciting listen. Songs like the fuzzy “I’m Not Sad” and the laid-back groove of “Good Ol’ Boy” fit snugly within Athens’ lo-fi psych-pop canon. [Andy Barton]
8. Jo RB Jones: Jo RB Jones (Loud Baby Sounds)
Calling back to ‘90s college-rock mainstays like Blake Babies and The Breeders, Jo RB Jones’ remarkable self-titled debut—not an EP, not quite a full-length—espoused the virtue of pop simplicity in a year where many of the group’s peers chose style over substance. The group, which includes members of Velocirapture and The Hernies, cut mercifully to the chase with seven profoundly simple, achingly melodic songs centered around singer-songwriter/band namesake Rebecca Jones’ layered, velvety voice. [Gabe Vodicka]
7. Dana Swimmer: Glacier (Independent Release)
Glacier was Dana Swimmer’s moment of change. To use a tired analogy, if the band’s 2013 debut, Veloce, was comparable to embarking on an adventure with a starter Pokemon Charmander, Glacier was the moment that Pokemon hits level 36 and evolves into an all-powerful Charizard. The group honed its indie rock chops into a palatable and impressive set of songs featuring melodic guitar and shout-along vocals that more accurately reflected the energy of the band’s exceptional live shows, shedding any notions of lack of identity and cementing Dana Swimmer as one of the best rock bands working in Athens today. [Nathan Kerce]
6. Dead Neighbors: Dead Neighbors (Fall Break Records)
As diligently as I endeavor to remind outsiders that, contrary to what the guide books say, Athens music progressed stylistically past the 1980s, there is at least one local record each year that reminds me that we’re still churning out some of the finest lo-fi guitar-pop on the planet. Dead Neighbors’ self-titled, home-recorded debut cassette jangled and jittered through its 12 tasty tracks, a reverent post-punk throwback to Athens’ supposed glory days that felt as essential and contemporary as anything else released this year. [GV]
5. Thayer Sarrano: Shaky (Guildwater Group)
On Thayer Sarrano’s third long-player, her distinctly Southern take on shoegaze-y folk sounded heftier than on past records, creating an atmosphere that strengthened the gentle echo of her voice. The album’s 10 tracks had a cavernous quality that made the slightest instrumentation, from a ghostly organ chord to the towering slide of a pedal steel, stretch and fill every corner. Still, Sarrano left her songs space to breathe; her messages of heartbreak, uncertainty and panic were conveyed with a deceptive measure of serenity, proving how truly singular her voice is in Athens music. [AB]
4. Futo: I Wish I Had Been Born as the Rain That Forms Rivers That Carve Out Canyons (Independent Release)
On Futo’s previous album, Dog Dreams, singer-songwriter Patrick Brick wrote a lot about sex and its various intricacies. I Wish I Had Been Born… shifted the conversation to the other end of the spectrum, tackling the difficult subject of death—particularly, the pain that comes with losing a loved one. That’s not to say the record was steeped in darkness; Brick’s songwriting was full of earnest curiosity and wishful thinking that pushed away overly cynical thoughts. From a production standpoint, Brick displayed a better grip on his mix of acoustic and electronic sounds than ever before. Emotionally resonant closer “Dead Skin” was an album and career highlight. [NK]
3. Motherfucker: Confetti (Sick Room Records)
Landing in this top 10 list for a second straight year, Motherfucker bumped the sound of last year’s “punch-in-the-air rock” EP to a higher level on its debut LP. Combining elements of hardcore, punk and surf-rock, Confetti also infused wit, anger and more of guitarist Erica Strout’s voice amid persistent percussion and pulsating bass lines. Building on its members’ experience in other local bands, Motherfucker’s musically mature trio struck a chord by harnessing the sort of energetic, math-y power we’ve missed from the local rock scene in recent years. [Carolyn Crist]
2. Deep State: Nice (Loud Baby Sounds)
Following the release of their Bein’ Mean EP in 2014, Deep State continued to make the statement that guitar-driven riff rock is indeed alive and well. Deep State’s debut full-length, Nice, only solidified the band’s status as one of the best to emerge from Athens over the past few years, thanks largely to some sleeker production from Jesse Mangum. That doesn’t mean the record was without its endearing warts; the group retained its careful carelessness, blending pop with garage-rock in a way that wasn’t just infectious, but stunningly affecting. [DM]
1. Grand Vapids: Guarantees (Furious Hooves)
Rising from the still-smoldering ashes of local slowcore outfit Androcles and the Lion, Grand Vapids augmented that band’s moody, subdued approach with alternating layers of snarling guitars and dreamy atmospherics. On Guarantees, recorded at Chase Park Transduction with in-demand indie rock producer Drew Vandenberg, the singing and songwriting load was split between members McKendrick Bearden and Austin Harris; the former’s canny baritone, chunky, claustrophobic chord progressions and fatalistic lyricism balanced the latter’s poppy, psych-specked humanism. The music on Guarantees felt warm, sturdy, timeless. It could be called a winter record—it hit shelves at the start of 2015 and felt perfectly suited to the season—but it’s a testament to the album’s staying power that it remained in heavy rotation pretty much year ‘round. [GV]
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https://flagpole.com/music/music-features/2016/01/06/flagpoles-top-10-albums-of-2015/
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- Publish date:
- Updated on
- Year
- 1923
“Mambo King” Tito Puente is born
Tito Puente, the bandleader and percussionist who helped popularize Latin dance music and jazz in America, is born on this day in 1923 in New York City. During a career that spanned six decades, the dynamic showman nicknamed “El Rey” (The King), recorded over 100 albums, won five Grammy Awards and was referred to by The New York Times as “the most important Latin musician of the last half century” upon his death in 2000.
Ernest “Tito” Puente, the son of Puerto Rican immigrants, grew up in the Manhattan neighborhood then known as Spanish Harlem. As a child, he learned to play various instruments, including the timbales, a type of drum that would later become his signature. During World War II (1939-45), Puente served in the Navy. Following the war, he studied music at the Juilliard School on the GI Bill. In the late 1940s, he formed his own musical group, which eventually became known as the Tito Puente Orchestra.
In the 1950s, Puente’s career took off as his blend of dance rhythms and jazz arrangements earned him a following at nightclubs and ballrooms across New York City and beyond. Puente, who performed a variety of Latin music styles, received the title “King of Mambo” for his role in popularizing the fast-paced, rhythmic form of Cuban music. (Puente later played himself in the 1992 movie “The Mambo Kings,” based on Oscar Hijuelos’ novel “The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.”) In 1958, Puente released the album “Dance Mania,” which went on to become an international best-seller. In 1963, he recorded “Oye Como Va,” a song that would be a huge hit for rock guitarist Carlos Santana (1947-) and his band in the 1970s, and was later covered by other musicians.
Puente, who during his career often gave several hundred performances each year, continued to perform until shortly before his death at age 77 on May 31, 2000, after undergoing heart surgery in New York City. Crowds of fans waited in line for hours to attend his wake in Manhattan, and the Puerto Rican government declared three days of official mourning.
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http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mambo-king-tito-puente-is-born
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I’ve always been enthralled by music. My dad is a professional musician, my grandpa was a music teacher and organ scholar, and my mum a child prodigy that learnt to play everything from the flute to the piano. I began piano lessons at a young age, and later dabbled in drums. On my thirteenth birthday, I was gifted with a Fender acoustic guitar and spent the money I earned working at my local pub on every gig ticket and every dusty old record I could muster.
So when I was diagnosed with ADHD, I realised that there was a reason music had felt so cathartic my entire life. ADHD is defined as a “developmental disorder that is marked by persistent symptoms of inattention (such as distractibility, forgetfulness or disorganisation) or by symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity (such as fidgeting, speaking out of turn or restlessness)”, as cited in the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary.
The archetypal image associated with ADHD is that of a disruptive schoolboy: it’s then little surprise that a mere 4.2% of women (Source: Healthline) will be diagnosed in their lifetime, with the American Psychological Association finding that a sizeable number do not receive a diagnosis until their 30s or 40s. 23 years of living with symptoms that made me feel alienated or even estranged from my peers was enough for me.
Music isn’t just sonic patterns to me: it’s an emotional release, a way of life. Both listening to and performing music evokes a sense of deliverance. There’s an odd joy in streaming ear-splittingly loud hyperpop, and a physical comfort in the sensations of hitting the keys of my grandfather’s piano. Each note, each beat is therapeutic, as though I’m releasing the emotions I’ve long held captive, and it’s not really a surprise: whether played or listened to, music releases dopamine, a form of monoamine neurotransmitter that acts as a chemical messenger. The quick-acting, instantaneous happy chemical has been compared to the “reward centre” of the brain, and ADHD brains are chronically devoid of dopamine; hence why we seek it out externally. It’s no wonder that I’ve been listening to hyperpop since even before my diagnosis – I was seeking those feel-good, repetitive rhythms that aided both as a distraction from my inner turmoil and acted as a match for my fast-paced, energetic brain.
Living with ADHD, I’ve often felt as though I carry an innate sense of energy within me, but also an inbuilt trauma: I feel so deeply responsible for the happiness of my friends and family that I’d do anything to ensure their wellbeing, and that often comes at the expense of my own. An inch of rejection, whether actual or perceived, can be so debilitating that my chest feels at risk of caving in any second. Everything is personal; everything is painful. It’s exhausting. I need an outlet through which to dissipate that.
When I was diagnosed with ADHD in November 2021, I was embarking on a rediscovery of hyperpop icon, Charli XCX. Releasing tracks from Good Ones to New Shapes in the lead-up to her latest endeavour, Crash, I quickly rekindled my love. The deep thud of the bass and the repetitive magic of the synth so often employed in textbook Charli XCX songs provided instant dopamine for me, and I was hooked, once again. Snapping up tickets to her sold-out gig at Alexandra Palace, the power of Charli’s music hit me in waves: there was something joy-inducing, infectious even, about the energy of each note. The pure, unadulterated happiness in that room was infectious.
The relationship between ADHD and music is interesting, to say the least. Dave Grohl, Mel B and Joe Bonamassa are just some of the famous faces diagnosed, and according to ADHD resource ADDitude, music can strengthen areas of the ADHD brain that are typically weak. One study conducted by Donald Shelter of the Eastman School of Music perceived that children who listened to classical music for twenty minutes per day experienced an improvement in both speech and language, alongside a stronger memory and greater organisational skills. Similarly, Bulgarian scientist Dr. Georgi Lozanov found that selective pieces of classical music altered the electromagnetic frequency of brainwaves by 7.5 cycles per second, termed the Alpha Mode, momentarily enhancing concentration and facilitating hyperfocus.
Learning to love my ADHD brain has been a challenge. Some days I feel so depleted from my medication that I struggle to get out of bed, or so sleep-deprived from my racing thoughts that I can’t function. I can’t always relate to my surroundings, but music helps me to bridge that gap. It’s my puzzle piece; my catharsis; my world. In the words of Charli XCX, I’m “like a white Mercedes; always been running too fast”. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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https://www.thespillmag.com/articles/heartbeats%3A-why-i%E2%80%99ve-been-streaming-charli-xcx-non-stop-since-i-was-diagnosed-with-adhd-
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Atlanta — If your day feels short, you’re right.
Scientists have recorded the shortest day on earth since the invention of atomic clocks.
The Earth’s rotation was measured to be 1.59 milliseconds shorter than a typical 24-hour day on June 29th. International Earth Rotation and Reference System Servicethe organization responsible for world timekeeping.
Rotation is the length of time it takes the Earth to rotate once around its axis, approximately 86,400 seconds.
The previous record was recorded on July 19, 2020, when it measured 1.47 milliseconds shorter than usual that day.
Atomic clocks are standardized units of measurement that have been used to tell time and measure the rotation of the Earth since the 1950s, said Dennis McCarthy, former head of time at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Despite breaking the record for the shortest day in modern history on June 29, he said, the world continues to have a much shorter day.
A day on Earth lasted about 23.5 hours when dinosaurs were still roaming the planet 70 million years ago, according to a study published in 2020. Paleooceanography and Paleoclimatology.
Since 1820, scientists have recorded that the rotation of the Earth is slowing down. According to NASAIn the last few years, McCarthy said that speed has started to pick up.
why speed up?
Researchers don’t have a definitive answer as to how or why the Earth is rotating slightly faster, but it could be due to isostatic adjustment of glaciers, or land displacement due to melting glaciers. There is, says McCarthy.
He said the Earth is slightly wider than it is high, making it a flattened spheroid. Polar glaciers are compressing the Arctic and Antarctic crust, McCarthy said.
As the poles melt due to the climate crisis, there will be less pressure on the top and bottom of the planet, which moves the crust upwards and makes the Earth more round, he said. helps speed up the planet’s rotation.
He said it’s the same phenomenon that figure skaters speed up and down.
As the skater moves his arms away from his body while spinning, more force is required to turn.
As the Earth rounds, he said, its mass moves closer to its center and spins faster.
Our everyday lives don’t even recognize those milliseconds.
– Dennis McCarthy, former U.S. Naval Observatory Timekeeper
Some have suggested a correlation with the Chandler wobble, McCarthy said. The axis on which our planet rotates does not coincide with the axis of symmetry, the invisible vertical line that divides the earth into two equal halves.
It wobbles slightly as the earth rotates, similar to how a soccer ball wobbles when thrown.
When a player throws a ball, it often doesn’t rotate around its axis of symmetry, so the ball wobbles slightly as it spins, he said.
“If you’re a really good passer in football, align the axis of rotation with the football’s axis of symmetry and you won’t wobble,” McCarthy said.
But McCarthy says the Chandler wobble is due to the shape of the planet, so it likely doesn’t affect Earth’s rotation rate. A change in the shape of a planet changes the frequency of its wobble, not its rotation, he said.
Remove leap seconds
The Earth has been slowing its rotation since researchers began using atomic clocks to measure its rotation, McCarthy said.
“Our everyday lives don’t even recognize those milliseconds,” McCarthy said. “But when these things add up, it can change the rate at which we insert leap seconds.”
He said that when milliseconds increase over time, the scientific community adds leap seconds to clocks to slow down time on Earth. I was. According to Earth Sky.
The Earth is now spinning faster, so leap seconds need to be removed to keep time with the Earth’s increasing rotation speed, McCarthy said.
If the Earth continues this trend of rotation, the elimination of leap seconds will not be necessary for another three to four years, he said.
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https://newsfocus.us/earth-broke-the-record-for-the-shortest-day-since-atomic-clocks-were-invented/
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Earth completes fastest rotation ever, shortest day in history on June 29
The days are indeed getting shorter: Earth had its shortest day ever recorded on June 29, with the day ending 1.59 milliseconds sooner than usual, according to the National Physical Laboratory in England.
Earth's rotation on its axis determines our daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. Each rotation takes 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds.
The Earth has been experiencing many short days recently: in 2020, Earth experienced the 28 shortest days in recorded history. Just last month, July 26 was 1.5 milliseconds shorter than usual.
Scientists began measuring the length of each day in the 1960s with the advent of atomic clocks. Over long periods of time, Earth's spin generally seems to be slowing, according to TimeandDate.com. But day to day, the speed of Earth's spin can fluctuate.
What could be causing the Earth to spin faster?
There's a multitude of reasons, and scientists aren't sure which one is the root cause. The Earth's rotational speed could be impacted by its inner or outer layers, oceans, the moon or even climate.
Some believe it could be due to a phenomenon called the "Chandler wobble," which is a small, irregular deviation in the Earth's points of rotation relative to the solid Earth.
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If the Earth's rotation continues to speed up, it's possible there could be a need for a "negative leap second" at the end of the year, meaning we would skip one second. Leap seconds have been added in the past; first leap second was added was in 1972, and they're typically added in June or December.
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/03/earth-completes-fastest-rotation-ever-recorded-history-june-29/10227275002/
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The earth's rotation is the rotation of the earth around its own axis . The axis of rotation is called the earth axis . The earth is rotating to the east, which can be easily verified by orienting yourself with a compass at sunrise. Seen from the North Star , the earth rotates counterclockwise.
The rotation vector of the earth points exactly to the north of the earth according to the right-hand screw rule, and thus almost exactly to the pole star. All points on the earth's surface, with the exception of its two poles, move in the (local) east direction. For an observer who lies with his head to the north on the ground and looks at the stars at the zenith, an earth-fixed mast tip (visible within a minute compared to a very close star) also moves to the east, but this in the sky by looking from below is on the left, as seen from inside the earth.
The average duration of one revolution in relation to the cosmic background assumed to be at rest - the mean sidereal day - is 23 h 56 min 4.10 s . This corresponds to the nominal mean angular velocity determined by the IERS of 7.292115 × 10 −5 rad / s or, if this angular velocity is multiplied by the equatorial radius 6378.137 km , a peripheral velocity of 465.1 m / s . Nowadays , extragalactic radio sources observed by means of radio interferometry serve as reference points for the precise measurement of the period of rotation . Until a few decades ago, however, there were no static reference points available that would have met higher demands. The stars accessible for observation were only suitable to a limited extent because of their proper motion .
In astronomical practice, the rotation is therefore usually related to the vernal equinox , the position of which can always be calculated in relation to the stars and planets. The period of time that the earth needs to return to the same position with respect to the vernal equinox after one revolution is a sidereal day and is only 23 h 56 min 4.091 s. The precession of the earth is the reason why a sidereal day is about 8 milliseconds longer than a sidereal day .
If you divide the sidereal day into 24 hours * (hours of sidereal time ), then the sidereal time is a direct measure of the angle of rotation of the earth. Knowing the sidereal time can therefore determine the current view of the sky. In particular, the vernal equinox culminates for the observer concerned at 24 o'clock * .
Note the inconsistent designation: Despite its name, sidereal day does not refer to the stars, but to the vernal equinox. The sidereal day relates to the stars . The English names (defined by the IERS ) are, for example, exactly the opposite: the sidereal day is called sidereal day , while the sidereal day is called stellar day .
sunny day
The sunny day is the period from one solar high point to the next and serves as the basis for everyday time measurement. It lasts an average of 24 hours and is thus slightly longer than a sidereal day. The difference between the length of the sidereal day and the length of the solar day results from the annual movement of the earth around the sun. After a complete rotation, the earth has moved almost one degree of arc on its orbit (360 degrees in approx. 365 days). The earth must continue to rotate around this same angle until the sun can be seen in the sky in the same direction as the day before. This takes about 4 minutes on average.
However, since the earth's elliptical orbit is traversed at variable speeds over the course of the year and because the ecliptic is inclined to the celestial equator, not all sunny days of a year are the same length. A distinction is therefore made between the true sunny day as the period between two highest solar levels and the mean sunny day of the same length , whose length corresponds to the length of the true sunny days averaged over a year. The mean sunny day was divided into 24 hours by definition. Therefore clocks run according to a mean sun, unlike sundials , which naturally take the actual sun as their basis. The time difference between mean solar time and true solar time is called the equation of time .
Axis of rotation
Due to the earth's moment of inertia , the direction of its axis of rotation is constant in space (almost, see below). To the north, the earth's axis currently points to a point in the sky that is just under one degree next to a star in the constellation Little Bear . For an earthly observer in the northern hemisphere, the sky seems to rotate around this point once a day. Therefore, the point is called celestial north pole and the star Polaris . To the south, the earth's axis does not currently point to a prominent star.
The axis of rotation is inclined by almost 23.5 ° to the normal of the plane of the earth's orbit ( skew of the ecliptic ). During the annual orbit of the earth around the sun, the northern hemisphere on one half of the orbit and the southern hemisphere on the other half are more or less inclined towards the sun. In this hemisphere it is summer because of the stronger solar radiation ; the other seasons arise accordingly.
Temporal variability
Physical basics
Due to its angular momentum , the earth rotates. The angular momentum is the product of the rotational speed of the earth (expressed as angular speed ) and its moment of inertia .
Since the angular momentum is a conserved quantity , it can only be changed by the action of an external torque . As a vector , the angular momentum has both a magnitude and a direction; Constancy of the angular momentum therefore means that both the speed of rotation and the position of the axis of rotation in space remain constant.
The torques acting on the earth are very small, so that their angular momentum and thus also their rotational speed and the alignment of their axis of rotation remain essentially constant. However, changes over time can be determined with precise measurement or observation of long periods of time.
The turning speed changes
- if the total angular momentum changes due to the action of an external torque,
- if the total angular momentum, which remains constant, is redistributed in different ways to subsystems ( atmosphere / mantle / core ) (the observations only cover the movement of the subsystem "mantle with earth crust"),
- if the earth's moment of inertia changes as a result of deformation (e.g. post-glacial land uplift ) or mass redistribution (e.g. melting of glaciers), so that a different rotational speed results despite constant total angular momentum ( pirouette effect ).
The position of the axis of rotation in space changes when external torques act ( precession ). Since the earth's axis of symmetry does not exactly coincide with its axis of rotation, the earth's body executes small oscillations around the axis of rotation, so that its points of penetration through the earth's surface fluctuate within a range of a few meters ( pole movement ).
Variability of the rotation time
Short-term fluctuations
Precise measurements show that the duration of a revolution and thus the length of the day is not strictly constant. The picture on the right shows the day lengths since 1962. The figure shows the deviation of the measured day length from a nominal reference day derived from the international system of units with a length of exactly 86,400 SI seconds . After an initial increase, the trend has been declining since the early 1970s. Such fluctuations , which can span several decades to centuries, are presumably based on mass shifts in the liquid outer core of the earth.
These fluctuations are superimposed by fluctuations lasting around a decade. They are probably caused by an exchange of angular momentum between the earth's core and the earth's mantle . Long-term shifts in the distribution of water and ice on the earth's surface are also likely to play a role.
An annual fluctuation with an amplitude of around 2 ms is particularly noticeable. It can be traced back to changes in the position and strength of the larger jet streams . Fluctuations on a time scale of decades are caused by the exchange of angular momentum between the earth's surface and the atmosphere (e.g. winds that blow against larger mountain ranges such as the Andes or the Rocky Mountains ). The latter connection is now so well known that meteorological models of the atmosphere can be used to predict these fluctuations (keyword: Atmospheric Angular Momentum , AAM).
Tidal deformations of the earth and oceans cause fortnightly, monthly, half-yearly and yearly proportions of the fluctuations. They are completely predictable and are therefore often removed from the observation data in order to make the other effects more clearly apparent. They must be added again using the relevant calculation models before they can be used.
Occasionally, individual events such as B. Mass relocations due to strong earthquakes visible in the data. The graphic clearly shows the effects of a particularly pronounced El Niño in the winter of 1982/83. The 2004 seaquake in the Indian Ocean accelerated the earth's rotation so that the day length was shortened by 8 μs . The earth's rotation experienced a further acceleration on March 11, 2011 after the earthquake in the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese coast : The earth now rotates a little faster, "a day is now 1.8 μs shorter than before".
Relocations of biomass also play a certain role. The claim that the earth rotates more slowly in (northern) summer than in winter because the leaves on the trees increase the moment of inertia ( pirouette effect ) and that there are more trees in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere is not tenable. As the graphic shows, the length of the day is shortest in northern summer , so the earth rotates particularly quickly . The certainly existing influence of the foliage is thus completely masked by larger opposing effects. One of the overlapping effects is the redistribution of water masses in the form of snow to the altitude of the mountains.
With all these fluctuations, it should be remembered that even relatively small influences can add up to noticeable effects if the duration of action is long enough. In the case of longer-term fluctuations, lower torques or changes in the moment of inertia are therefore necessary than in the case of shorter-term fluctuations.
The current day lengths are mostly longer than the reference day length of 86400 SI seconds. This is because the SI second was ultimately derived from the length of the day, which existed during the middle of the 19th century, through several intermediate steps. Due to the long-term increase in day length explained below, days are generally a little longer today than they were then. The excess length of the day over the nominal 86400 s must regularly by a leap second to be compensated. For example, if the length of the day is 2 ms longer than the setpoint value, the earth's rotation is delayed by 2 ms every day compared to a constant atomic clock . After 500 days the difference would have accumulated to one second: The 500th rotation would not end until one second after midnight (atomic time) of the 500th day.
A leap second is inserted at irregular intervals, at full or half calendar years, in order to keep the difference small. This time scale, which is based on the one hand on the SI second defined by atomic clocks and therefore strictly uniform , but on the other hand is adapted to the irregular rotation of the earth by inserting (or possibly omitting) leap seconds, is Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC ). With every positive leap second, it moves further away from the strictly uniform International Atomic Time ( TAI ) , which is used only for scientific and technical purposes .
In the example mentioned, a leap second would be necessary every year and a half. This was indeed the case during the 1980s. As can be seen from the day length graph, since the mid-1990s the day length has again clearly approached the historical value, so that no leap second was required between 1999 and 2006.
Long term changes
The tidal friction exerts a braking torque on the earth, so that the day length increases slowly but continuously. In the modern series of measurements, this effect is almost completely hidden by the fluctuations described above. But because it is secular and therefore sums up squarely over longer periods of time, it can be clearly proven with the help of traditional ancient and medieval astronomical observations and also numerically determined for the past.
Since, until the introduction of atomic clocks, the time scale used by the observer was always compared to the course of the sun and thus ultimately to the rotation of the earth, it was subject to the same fluctuations and long-term drifts as the earth's rotation. On the other hand, modern physical models of planetary motion are based on a strictly uniform course of time, as can now be realized with atomic clocks, regardless of the rotation of the earth. Specifically, the so-called terrestrial time TT is used for this. If one now calculates the planetary movements back in order to determine the point in time of the observed event in the evenly running TT, and comparing this point in time with the traditional unevenly running local time of the observer, one finds a discrepancy that grows continuously the further one goes into the Past. For Babylonian reports around the year −700, for example, the traditional local time differs by about five to six hours from the time that one would expect assuming a constant earth rotation. A correction ΔT must therefore always be added to the local time taken from the reports in order to obtain the associated time in terrestrial time and to be able to compare the report with the back calculation.
The evaluation of numerous observations from the past 2700 years shows that the day length increased by an average of around 17 μs per year during this period. This is in good agreement with the obtained regardless finding that the day length on the one hand due to tidal friction by about 23 microseconds per year increases (on the conservation of angular momentum derived from the observed influence of tidal friction to the movement of the moon), while by the post-glacial land uplift caused The thinning of the earth due to the associated pirouette effect shortens the length of the day by about 6.0 μs per year (since the earth's volume cannot change, the uplifting of areas near the polar leads to a shrinkage of the equatorial bulge - an ellipsoid of revolution with less flattening has a lower moment of inertia ).
For prehistoric times, the speed of the earth's rotation can be read off daily growth rings of fossil marine organisms with calcareous skeletons. If the daily increase is modulated by the monthly change of nippy and spring tide or by the annual change of seasons (as can also be observed in relatives of such organisms living today), then by counting the rings, at least in principle, the number of days in the Determine month or year. Corresponding studies indicate, for example, that 400 million years ago the year had about 400 days; assuming the same annual duration, a day only lasted about 21.9 hours. For the time 310 million years ago, however, a day duration of 20 hours could be determined.
Mathematical models for the early earth that was just emerging, around 4 billion years ago, suggest an original day length of just 14 hours. Other scientists assume a rotation period of six to seven hours for this phase of the earth's history.
Variability of the axis of rotation
Precession and nutation
Because of its flattening , the earth has a 20 km thick equatorial bulge, which is inclined to the orbit plane due to the inclination of the earth's axis. The gravitational forces exerted by the sun , the moon and the other planets try to pull it into the plane of the orbit , but according to the gyroscopic law of precession , the earth's axis deviates perpendicularly to this torque. It maintains its 67 ° inclination in relation to the plane of the orbit, but swings around once every 26,000 years on a cone surface.
Because the intersection of the equatorial plane and the ecliptic serves as the origin of the celestial coordinates, they change secularly over time.
Another correction is nutation , the swinging around the axis of rotation, with a period of approximately 19 years.
Pole movement
About 150 years ago, astronomers discovered that the Earth's geographic north and south poles are not completely immutable. Such shifts occur due to the superposition of several phenomena. On the one hand, the continents move relative to one another under the influence of plate tectonics . From the point of view of a measuring location on a continent, the location of the poles is gradually changing.
The Earth's axis of symmetry does not exactly coincide with the axis of rotation. The rotation is still stable, however, because it takes place around the axis with the greatest moment of inertia due to the flattening of the earth. Otherwise the deviation would build up and cause the earth to tumble. Because of the stable situation, the deviation remains limited and the symmetry axis of the earth performs a precession-like movement around the axis of rotation about once a year. The point at which the current axis of rotation pierces the surface of the earth draws an irregular spiral with a maximum diameter of about 20 m. This oscillation is made up of two components: an oscillation forced by periodic displacements of water and air masses with an annual period and a free oscillation with a period of about 14 months ( Chandler period ). The superposition of the two means that the amplitude of the total oscillation fluctuates between approx. 2 m and approx. 8 m every six years. On average, the pole drifts slowly towards 80 ° west.
Paleographic studies suggest that there have also been large polar movements in the past. Some movements greater than 50 ° in circumference took place around 800 million years ago.
Earth rotation parameters
For numerous applications in astronomy , space travel , surveying (especially astrogeodesy ), etc., precise knowledge of the current orientation of the earth in space is necessary. If the accuracy requirements are in a range in which the short-term and long-term fluctuations explained above become noticeable, then these must be taken into account. For this purpose, the so-called earth rotation parameters are regularly measured and published. They include
- the world time correction dUT1 , which specifies the difference between the time scale UT1 , which is coupled to the variable rotation of the earth, and the coordinated world time UTC, which is derived from the uniform atomic time . UT1 is proportional to the earth's rotation and therefore a measure of the earth's current angle of rotation. The difference dUT1 = UT1 - UTC reflects the irregularity of the earth's rotation. If the difference threatens to become greater than 0.9 s, a leap second is inserted in UTC to compensate for the difference again.
- the polar coordinates x and y. They describe the position of the momentary axis of rotation of the earth's body (more precisely: the Celestial Ephemeris Pole) in relation to a certain fixed point on the earth's surface (the IERS reference pole ). The x-axis runs in the direction of the prime meridian (more precisely: the IERS reference meridian ) and the y-axis in the direction of 90 ° west. Milli-arcseconds are usually used as the unit of measurement (the distance between the two points on the earth's surface can also be expressed in meters).
- the celestial pole fluctuations and , which describe the observed deviations of the celestial pole from certain mathematical models for precession and nutation. is the deviation in ecliptical length, is the deviation in ecliptic skew.
The observations required for this, which are regularly carried out worldwide, are coordinated, evaluated and published by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS).
The data obtained in this way are themselves of scientific interest. They contain information about the structure and physical properties of the earth, changes in shape of the earth's globe, changes in the exact position of the earth's center of gravity and geophysical processes occurring in the earth's interior.
The relevant observations have been made since the end of the nineteenth century through position measurements on stars or observations of star coverings by the moon. The parameters could be determined every five days. Since the 1970s and 1980s, VLBI measurements and GPS observations as well as laser distance measurements to suitable satellites and the moon have been added, and hourly or even somewhat more frequent readings have been recorded. Recently, the fluctuations can also be tracked continuously with the help of ring lasers . The angles of rotation and direction required to determine the Earth's rotation parameters can nowadays be measured with an accuracy of about half a milli-arcsecond. Several research groups are working on this topic in Central Europe, including in Hanover ( Jürgen Müller ) and Vienna ( Harald Schuh ).
The speed at which the earth's surface moves in an easterly direction at the level of the equator is around 1670 km / h and decreases in the direction of the two poles due to the decreasing circumference of the parallels .
Emergence
According to popular belief , the solar system emerged from a cloud of gas and dust that condensed due to its own gravity.
If two gas or dust particles move relative to each other, each has an angular momentum with respect to the other, unless they move exactly towards each other. The existence of an angular momentum is therefore not tied to a circular motion; A straight or otherwise arbitrarily moved particle also carries an angular momentum with respect to a reference point, provided that its movement has a sideways component when viewed from this reference point, i.e. is not directed directly towards the reference point. For example, consider a billiard ball that does not hit a second ball completely centrally. Both spheres will rotate around their vertical axes after the collision; the angular momentum contained in these rotations was taken from the angular momentum that the linearly moving ball had with respect to the second ball before the collision. If the balls were to stick together when they hit, the resulting object would rotate. For the same reason, the lumps formed in a cloud of gas and dust also rotate, as it is very unlikely that all of their components have collided with one another in the exact center. Even after the lumps have grown to larger planetesimals , each impact of a planetesimal on a protoplanet changes its rotation depending on the impact point and angle. The answer to the question “Where did the angular momentum come from?” Is thus: from the disordered movement of the particles, which in addition to their linear momentum associated with the movement also always carry an angular momentum and whose angular momentum has not all canceled each other out when they clustered together to form planets . The more compact the resulting body is, the faster it rotates (even if the angular momentum remains constant) due to the pirouette effect .
The direction of rotation of the earth is identical to the direction of rotation on its orbit around the sun, as with almost all other planets. Only Venus rotates in the opposite direction, and the axis of rotation of Uranus is almost in its orbital plane.
proof
The rotation of the earth manifests itself through Coriolis and centrifugal forces on the earth's surface. This can be seen, among other things, in the direction of rotation of cloud eddies in low pressure areas .
The rotation of the earth causes a centrifugal force that increases as the equator approaches . At the equator it is directed against the force of gravity , which is why the weight of an object there is less than at the poles . Together with the flattening of the earth , which is also caused by centrifugal force, the difference is 0.53%.
The following physical experiments can be used to demonstrate the rotation of the earth in the laboratory:
- Foucault's pendulum (does not work on the equator; first used in 1851 in the Paris observatory)
- Trap experiment (does not work on the poles)
- Gyro compass (in a simple version does not work on the poles)
- Laser gyroscope
- Swiveling ideal rod (see pictures on the right, does not work on the equator)
- According to Hans Bucka, this proof is achieved with a swiveling rod suspended in a rotatable holder. A homogeneous rod is mounted on the longitudinal axis close to its center with a horizontal axis of rotation with little friction and is initially in a horizontal position and at rest in relation to the earth's surface. Nevertheless, it has an angular momentum that is due to the rotation of the earth. By means of a suitable mechanism (for example a thread that burns through, which is stretched between the holder and the somewhat longer end of the rod), the rod is brought into a vertical position due to the slight excess weight of one side , whereby its moment of inertia is reduced by several orders of magnitude . Since the angular momentum does not change because of the conservation of angular momentum , the rod begins to rotate in the direction of rotation of the earth, which can be made visible, for example, with a light pointer , the mirror of which is attached to the rotation axis of the bracket.
literature
- H. Schuh u. a .: Earth rotation and global dynamic processes . In: Communications from the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy . tape 32 . Frankfurt am Main 2003, ISBN 3-89888-883-5 ( full text in the portal of the research project "Earth Rotation and Global Dynamic Processes". ( Memento from July 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). [PDF; 3.4 MB ; accessed on October 20, 2020]).
- Franz Barthelmes, Ludwig Ballani, Roland Klees, Horst Jochmann, Joachim Höpfner, Hans Greiner-Mai (1994): Earth rotation fluctuations, earth core dynamics and gravity. Earth sciences; 12; 300–304, doi: 10.2312 / Geosciences . 1994.12.300 .
Web links
- Erdrotation.de, website of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, accessed on October 20, 2020.
- Erik Oppold: Learning module "Earth, Earth Orbit , Astronomical Seasons". Geometric-astronomical basics. In: WEBGEO basics / climatology. Institute for Physical Geography (IPG) at the University of Freiburg , accessed on October 20, 2020 .
- Earth rotation data from the IERS (English, French and Russian), accessed on October 20, 2020.
- International Earth Rotation Service IERS: Provides the measured day length including historical archive data since the beginning of systematic measurements, accessed on October 20, 2020.
- Ring laser of the Fundamental Station Wettzell, accessed on October 20, 2020.
- AAM Scientific Background Information. ( Memento of July 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive ). Information on the atmospheric angular momentum, accessed on October 20, 2020.
- Historical Eclipses and Earth's Rotation, doi: 10.1046 / j.1468-4004.2003.44222.x (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ DD McCarthy, G. Petit (Ed.): IERS Conventions (2003) (IERS Technical Note No. 32), chap. 1: General Definitions and Numerical Standards ( PDF ).
- ↑ Chile quake shifted the earth's axis. In: Spiegel.de . Spiegel-Verlag , March 2, 2010, accessed October 20, 2020 .
- ↑ Bethge, Philip u. a .: The power failure. In: Der Spiegel, No. 12 of March 21, 2011, p. 90 f.
- ↑ Jean O. Dickey et al. (1994): Lunar Laser Ranging: A Continuing Legacy of the Apollo Program. Science 265, 482-490.
- ↑ Why the days are getting longer. Spectrum of Science, 10/2007, pp. 36-45, ISSN 0170-2971 .
- ^ FR Stephenson: Historical Eclipses and Earth's Rotation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (UK) 1997, p. 37.
- ↑ Stephenson, p. 516.
- ^ G. Pannella: Paleontological Evidence on the Earth's Rotational History since Early Precambrian. Astrophysics and Space Science 16 (1972) 212-237, bibcode : 1972Ap & SS..16..212P .
- ↑ William and Fank Awbrey: As the World Turns. Can Creationists Keep Time? Thwaites, 1982. pp. 18-22 (after this video ).
- ↑ Harald Lesch: How did the moon come about? Contribution to the program alpha-Centauri , accessed on October 20, 2020.
- ↑ Markus Becker: Imbalance in the globe. In: Spiegel.de. September 1, 2006, accessed October 20, 2020 .
- ^ Adam C. Maloof et al .: Combined paleomagnetic, isotopic, and stratigraphic evidence for true polar wander from the Neoproterozoic Akademikerbreen Group, Svalbard, Norway. Geological Society of America Bulletin 188, 2006, pp. 1099-2014, doi : 10.1130 / B25892.1 ( online, ( October 15, 2008 memento from the Internet Archive ), accessed October 20, 2020).
- ↑ Emmanuelle Arnaud et al. (Ed.): The Geological Record of Neoproterozoic Glaciations. Geological Society, London 2011, ISBN 978-1-86239-334-9 , limited preview in Google Book Search.
- ↑ Hans Bucka: Two simple lecture attempts to prove the rotation of the earth. Zeitschrift für Physik A, Vol. 126, pp. 98-105 (1949), Vol. 128, pp. 104-107 (1950).
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https://de.zxc.wiki/wiki/Erdrotation
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Earth is in a hurry. Or so it seems. On average, our planet takes 24 hours to complete one rotation with respect to the Sun, that is, 86,400 seconds. However, the Earth's rotation is not constant, so most days are a little longer or a little shorter than that. What has scientists surprised is that the Earth has been stringing together many shorter-than-normal days in recent years.
In 2020, the shortest 28 days were recorded since atomic clocks began to be used to measure the speed of the Earth's rotation in 1960. In 2022, it has already broken its best mark twice. On July 26, the day lasted 1.50 milliseconds less (1 millisecond is equal to 0.001 seconds); while the shortest day ever recorded occurred just a month earlier, on June 29, when the Earth took 1.59 milliseconds less to complete its rotation.
The causes of this mysterious terrestrial acceleration are not yet clear. Scientists are considering hypotheses that point to geological processes in the internal or external layers of the Earth, such as the action of the oceans, the tides or even the climate, but nothing is certain and the investigations continue, as collected by the specialized portal on time timeanddate.com.
For their part, Russian researchers Leonid Zotov, Christian Bizouard and Nikolay Sidorenkov, from Lomonosov University, have suggested at the annual meeting of the Asia-Oceania Society for Geosciences that the current decrease in day length could have some relation to the 'Chandler wobble', a small deviation of the Earth's axis. Meanwhile, other experts maintain that it could be due to the fact that the Earth is slightly elliptical, to seismic activity or to the imbalance of the weight of the poles due to melting.
A negative leap second
If we take long periods as a reference, the Earth's spin is slowing down. If we take long periods as a reference, the Earth's spin is slowing down. The effect of the moon on our planet is the main cause of it. Therefore, every century, our planet takes a couple of milliseconds longer to complete one rotation. 1.4 billion years ago, for example, the day lasted less than 19 hours. To compensate for that shift and keep clocks aligned with the planet's spin, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) adds occasional leap seconds. That is, they stop the clocks for a second so that the Earth can catch up to its rhythm. The first leap second was added in 1972 and the last one on December 31, 2016.
If the rapid rotation of the Earth continues, the day may come when we must introduce the first negative leap second. This means that we would have to steal a second from our clocks so that they can keep up with the accelerating spin of the planet. It sounds simple, but this could create problems for a variety of technologies, such as GPS, smartphones, computers, and communications systems. Still, Zotov thinks there's a 70% chance that won't be necessary.
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https://spainsnews.com/earth-breaks-record-for-shortest-day/
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Earth’s days have mysteriously increased in length – scientists don’t know why
Accurate astronomical observations, combined with atomic clocks, have revealed that the length of a day is suddenly getting longer. Scientists don’t know why.
This has critical impacts not only on our timing, but also on things like GPS and other precision technologies that govern our modern lives.
The Earth’s rotation around its axis has accelerated in recent decades. As this determines the length of a day, this trend has shortened our days. Indeed, in June 2022 we set a record for the shortest day in about half a century.
However, despite this record, since 2020 this constant acceleration has curiously turned into a slowdown. Now the days are getting longer again and the reason remains a mystery so far.
While our phone clocks say there are exactly 24 hours in a day, the actual time it takes Earth to complete a single rotation can vary very slightly. These changes sometimes occur over periods of millions of years, and other times almost instantaneously. For example, even earthquakes and storms can play a role.
It turns out that a day is very rarely exactly the magic number of 86,400 seconds.
The ever-changing planet
The Earth’s rotation has been slowing for millions of years due to the frictional effects associated with the tides driven by the Moon. This process adds about 2.3 milliseconds to the length of each day every 100 years. A few billion years ago, an Earth day was only about 19 hours.
For 20,000 years, another process has been acting in the opposite direction, accelerating the rotation of the Earth. At the end of the last ice age, the melting of the polar ice caps reduced the surface pressure and the Earth’s mantle began to move gradually towards the poles.
Just as a ballet dancer spins faster by bringing their arms towards their body – the axis around which they spin – our planet’s rotational speed increases as this mantle mass gets closer to Earth’s axis. This process has shortened each day by about 0.6 milliseconds each century.
As decades and more go by, the connection between the Earth’s interior and surface also comes into play. Major earthquakes can alter the length of the day, although normally by small amounts. For example, the 2011 Great Tōhoku earthquake in Japan, with a magnitude of 8.9, is said to have accelerated the Earth’s rotation by a relatively minute rate. 1.8 microseconds.
In addition to these large-scale changes, over shorter time periods, weather and climate also have large impacts on the Earth’s rotation, causing variations in both directions.
Bi-weekly and monthly tidal cycles move mass around the planet, causing changes in day length of up to a millisecond in either direction. You can see tidal variations in daylength records over periods as long as 18.6 years. The movement of our atmosphere has a particularly strong effect, and ocean currents also play a role. Snow cover and seasonal precipitation, or groundwater extraction, further alter things.
Why is the Earth suddenly slowing down?
Since the 1960s, when radio telescope operators around the planet began devising techniques to simultaneously observe cosmic objects like quasarswe have had very accurate estimates of the Earth’s rotation rate.
Using radio telescopes to measure the Earth’s rotation involves observations of radio sources like quasars. Credit: Nasa Godard
A comparison between these measurements and an atomic clock revealed a seemingly shorter day length over the past few years.
But there is a startling revelation once we rule out the fluctuations in rotational speed that we experience due to tides and seasonal effects. Although Earth reached its shortest day on June 29, 2022, the long-term trajectory appears to have shifted from shortening to lengthening since 2020. This change is unprecedented in the past 50 years.
The reason for this change is unclear. This could be due to changes in weather systems, with back-to-back La Niña events, although these have happened before. It could be an increased melting of the ice caps, although these have not deviated greatly from their regular rate of melting in recent years. Could this be related to the huge volcano explosion in Tonga inject huge amounts of water into the atmosphere? Probably not, given that it happened in January 2022.
Scientists have hypothesized This recent and mysterious change in the rotational speed of the planet is linked to a phenomenon called the “Chandler Oscillation” – a small deviation of the axis of rotation of the Earth with a period of about 430 days. Observations from radio telescopes also show that the oscillation has diminished in recent years. Maybe the two are related.
A final possibility, which we think is plausible, is that nothing specific has changed in or around the Earth. They could simply be long-term tidal effects working in parallel with other periodic processes to produce a temporary change in the Earth’s rate of rotation.
Do we need a “negative leap second”?
Understanding the Earth’s rotation rate precisely is crucial for a host of applications – navigation systems such as GPS wouldn’t work without it. Additionally, every few years, timekeepers insert leap seconds into our official time scales to ensure they don’t get out of sync with our planet.
If Earth were to transition to even longer days, we may need to incorporate a “negative leap second” – this would be unprecedented, and can break internet.
The need for negative leap seconds is considered unlikely at this time. For now, we can rejoice in the news that – at least for a while – we all get a few extra milliseconds every day.
Written by:
- Matt King – Director of the Australian Center of Excellence in Antarctic Science ARC, University of Tasmania
- Christopher Watson – Senior Lecturer, School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Science, University of Tasmania
This article was first published in The conversation.
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https://timesnewscity.com/earths-days-have-mysteriously-increased-in-length-scientists-dont-know-why/
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Friday 5 August 2022 11:28 AM Why IS Earth spinning faster than usual? Scientists say the 'Chandler Wobble' ... trends now
Amid all the hustle and bustle of modern lives, it may often seem like time is flying.
But it turns out it really is, after Earth recorded its shortest day since records began in June.
The 1.59 milliseconds shaved off the usual 24-hour spin on June 29 raises the prospect of a negative leap second having to occur to keep clocks aligned — which would be the first time in history that global clocks have been sped up.
So just why is Earth spinning faster than usual?
Scientists claim climate change, seismic activity and ocean circulation could all be to blame, as could the pull of the moon and the so-called 'Chandler Wobble' — a change in the spin of the Earth on its axis.
The 'Chandler Wobble'
The 'Chandler Wobble' is a wobbling motion that happens as the Earth rotates on its axis. It works in a similar way to how a spinning top wobbles as it slows down.
However, in recent years the spin has become less wobbly, which scientists think might be linked to the increasing speed of the Earth's rotation, resulting in shorter days.
'The Chandler wobble is a component of Earth's instantaneous axis of rotation motion, so called polar motion, which changes the position of the point on the globe where the axis intersects the Earth's surface,' said Dr Leonid Zotov, of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow.
'The normal wobble amplitude is about four metres at Earth's surface, but from 2017 to 2020 it disappeared.'
This historic minimum was reached just as the length of days began to shorten.
Speeding up: Earth recorded its shortest day since records began back in June, but why is our planet spinning faster than usual? Scientists claim climate change, seismic activity and ocean circulation could all be to blame
Each day on Earth contains 86,400 seconds, but the rotation isn't uniform, which means over the course of a year, each day has a fraction of a second more or less
A leap second is an adjustment of a single second to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
This is designed to keep atomic clock time and solar time inline.
There are difference between the incredibly precise International Atomic Time (TAI) measured by atomic clocks, and the imprecise observed solar time (UT1), linked to Earth's rotation.
UTC time standard, inline with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is widely used for global timekeeping, including in astronomy.
Without the leap second, added every few years, UTC would be out of line with the Earth's rotation speed.
While this wouldn't be noticable to most people, over hundreds of years it could shift the point of Noon, and would impact the internet.
However, it isn't a popular practice, proving distruptive to some internet services, with Google 'smooshing' time over a year to add the increase in microseconds to each day.
International standards bodies responsible for time are debating whether to drop the practice, as even over 100 years it would only drift by about a minute.
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There's not much explanation as to the cause of this lack of wobble, however.
Matt King, a professor at the University of Tasmania who specialises in Earth observation, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: 'It's certainly odd.
'Clearly something has changed, and changed in a way we haven't seen since the beginning of precise radio astronomy in the 1970s.'
Climate change
Global warming is also considered to be having an effect, by melting ice and snow at a faster pace.
Research has suggested that as glaciers melt – as a result of rising atmospheric temperatures from the burning of fossil fuels – the redistribution of mass is making Earth shift and spin faster on its axis.
This is because it is leading to the loss of hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice a year into the oceans, which has been causing the North and South Poles to move eastward since the mid-1990s.
Previously, only natural factors such as ocean currents and the convection of hot rock deep inside the Earth contributed to the drifting position of the poles.
But since 1980, the position of the poles has moved about 13ft (4m) in distance.
Earth's spin axis – an imaginary line that passes through the North and South Poles – is always moving, due to processes scientists don't completely understand.
But the way water is distributed on Earth's surface is one factor that causes the axis, and therefore the poles, to shift.
One example of this is the decrease in Greenland's ice mass as temperatures increased throughout the 20th century.
In fact, about 7,500 gigatons – the weight of more than 20 million Empire State Buildings – of Greenland's ice melted into the ocean during this time period.
This makes it one of the top contributors of mass being transferred to the oceans, causing sea levels to rise and, consequently, a drift in Earth's spin axis.
While ice melt is occurring in other places (like Antarctica), Greenland's location makes it a more significant contributor to polar motion, as NASA's Eric Ivins explains.
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https://en.mogaznews.com/Technology/2001615/Friday-5-August-2022-1128-AM-Why-IS-Earth-spinning-faster-than-usual-Scientists-say-the-Chandler-Wobble--trends-now.html
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Atomic clocks, combined with precise astronomical measurements, have revealed that the length of a day is suddenly getting longer, and scientists don’t know why.
This has critical impacts not just on our timekeeping, but also things like GPS and other technologies that govern our modern life.
Over the past few decades, Earth’s rotation around its axis—which determines how long a day is—has been speeding up. This trend has been making our days shorter; in fact, in June 2022 we set a record for the shortest day over the past half-century or so.
But despite this record, since 2020 that steady speedup has curiously switched to a slowdown—days are getting longer again, and the reason is so far a mystery.
While the clocks in our phones indicate there are exactly 24 hours in a day, the actual time it takes for Earth to complete a single rotation varies ever so slightly. These changes occur over periods of millions of years to almost instantly—even earthquakes and storm events can play a role.
It turns out a day is very rarely exactly the magic number of 86,400 seconds.
The ever-changing planet
Over the millions of years, Earth’s rotation has been slowing down due to friction effects associated with the tides driven by the Moon. That process adds about about 2.3 milliseconds to the length of each day every century. A few billion years ago an Earth day was only about 19 hours.
For the past 20,000 years, another process has been working in the opposite direction, speeding up Earth’s rotation. When the last ice age ended, melting polar ice sheets reduced surface pressure, and Earth’s mantle started steadily moving toward the poles.
Just as a ballet dancer spins faster as they bring their arms toward their body—the axis around which they spin—so our planet’s spin rate increases when this mass of mantle moves closer to Earth’s axis. And this process shortens each day by about 0.6 milliseconds each century.
Over decades and longer, the connection between Earth’s interior and surface comes into play too. Major earthquakes can change the length of day, although normally by small amounts. For example, the Great Tōhoku Earthquake of 2011 in Japan, with a magnitude of 8.9, is believed to have sped up Earth’s rotation by a relatively tiny 1.8 microseconds.
Apart from these large-scale changes, over shorter periods weather and climate also have important impacts on Earth’s rotation, causing variations in both directions.
The fortnightly and monthly tidal cycles move mass around the planet, causing changes in the length of the day by up to a millisecond in either direction. We can see tidal variations in length-of-day records over periods as long as 18.6 years. The movement of our atmosphere has a particularly strong effect, and ocean currents also play a role. Seasonal snow cover and rainfall, or groundwater extraction, alter things further.
Why is Earth suddenly slowing down?
Since the 1960s, when operators of radio telescopes around the planet started to devise techniques to simultaneously observe cosmic objects like quasars, we have had very precise estimates of Earth’s rate of rotation.
A comparison between these estimates and an atomic clock has revealed a seemingly ever-shortening length of day over the past few years.
But there’s a surprising reveal once we take away the rotation speed fluctuations we know happen due to the tides and seasonal effects. Despite Earth reaching its shortest day on June 29 2022, the long-term trajectory seems to have shifted from shortening to lengthening since 2020. This change is over the past 50 years.
The reason for this change is not clear. It could be due to changes in weather systems, with back-to-back La Niña events, although these have occurred before. It could be increased melting of the ice sheets, although those have not deviated hugely from their steady rate of melt in recent years. Could it be related to the huge volcano explosion in Tonga injecting huge amounts of water into the atmosphere? Probably not, given that occurred in January 2022.
Scientists have speculated this recent, mysterious change in the planet’s rotational speed is related to a phenomenon called the “Chandler wobble”—a small deviation in Earth’s rotation axis with a period of about 430 days. Observations from radio telescopes also show that the wobble has diminished in recent years; the two may be linked.
One final possibility, which we think is plausible, is that nothing specific has changed inside or around Earth. It could just be long-term tidal effects working in parallel with other periodic processes to produce a temporary change in Earth’s rotation rate.
Do we need a ‘negative leap second?’
Precisely understanding Earth’s rotation rate is crucial for a host of applications—navigation systems such as GPS wouldn’t work without it. Also, every few years timekeepers insert leap seconds into our official timescales to make sure they don’t drift out of sync with our planet.
If Earth were to shift to even longer days, we may need to incorporate a “negative leap second”—this would be unprecedented, and may break the internet.
The need for negative leap seconds is considered as unlikely right now. For now, we can welcome the news that—at least for a while—we all have a few extra milliseconds each day.
Earth is spinning faster than usual, but why? What experts say after shortest day ever
Provided by The Conversation
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Citation: The length of Earth’s days has been mysteriously increasing, and scientists don’t know why (2022, August 5) retrieved 5 August 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-08-length-earth-days-mysteriously -scientists.html
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https://averann.com/the-length-of-earths-days-has-been-mysteriously-increasing-and-scientists-dont-know-why/
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When the days seem to be getting shorter; they are and have been since the summer solstice in June. But the Earth recently recorded its shortest day for a very different and unusual reason – the Earth is spinning faster. Scientists find the development puzzling, although they have some theories about why it’s happening and what impact it might have on our lives.
June 29, 2022 was 1.59 milliseconds shorter than the average day, scientist Leonid Zotov told CBS News. The normal length of a day is 24 hours or 86,400 seconds. But in recent years, the Earth’s rotation has increased, shortening some days by milliseconds. “Earth has started to accelerate since 2016,” said Zotov, who published a study last March about what might be causing the changes in the Earth’s rotation. “This year is spinning faster than 2021 and 2020.”
This increased rotation doesn’t shorten every day—just every now and then. But if this continues, the main method of measuring time on Earth – a universal, highly precise method known as atomic time – may have to change. A negative leap second may need to be added, where clocks would simply skip a second. “Since we can’t change the clock arrows attached to the Earth’s rotation, we adjust the scale of the atomic clock,” Zotov said.
But not all scientists are in favor of the negative leap second. In fact, meta-engineers Oleg Obleukhov and Ahmad Byagowi recently wrote a blog post criticizing the idea. They said that this could cause serious disruptions in technology, such as B. Data Corruption. The concept was never tested.
Some scientists theorize the Earth’s tides. Others believe that the constant melting and refreezing of the polar ice caps is causing the Earth’s rotation to speed up and slow down.
“It’s all about the law of conservation of momentum that applies to our planet Earth. Every atom on the planet contributes to the momentum of Earth’s angular velocity based on distance from Earth’s axis of rotation,” Obleukhov and Byagowi told CBS. “Once things are moving, the angular velocity of the earth can vary.”
“This phenomenon can be visualized simply by thinking of a spinning figure skater controlling angular velocity by controlling his arms and hands,” they said. “As they spread their arms, the angular velocity decreases, which preserves the skater’s momentum. Once the skater tucks their arms back in, the angular velocity increases. The same is happening here at this moment due to rising temperatures on Earth. Ice caps are melting, causing angular velocity to increase.”
In 2020, the planet experienced 28 of its shortest days in the last 50 years. The United Nations-affiliated International Telecommunication Union has begun adding leap seconds on occasion in June or December. The first leap second was added in 1972, and 26 have been added since then.
According to Ars Technica, the clock ticks from 23:59:59 through 23:59:60 to 00:00:00 during a leap second. The mean “leap second” has caused technical problems in the past: A leap second added in 2012 caused crashes on Reddit, Gawker and the Australian airline Qantas. In 2017, a leap second brought Cloudflare to a halt.
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https://devrywatch.com/2022/08/06/the-earth-spins-faster-than-usual/
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There is a countless natural phenomenon that we observe in our daily life. The growing fruits, vegetables, change of weather, formation of clouds, winds, soil erosion, night stars, moon, Solar eclipse, and many more. For some of them, we know the reasoning behind but for most of the processes we do not know the facts. There is nothing stagnant in this universe. One thing is changing into other. Out of all these changes, one of the most prominent observations is the change of days into nights and vice versa. Days are associated with the chores while nights are meant for peace, calm, and taking rest. But do you know that how daylight disappears gradually and a dark wrap covers the whole sky with the appearance of night stars and moon? In this article, we will have a detailed look at the phenomenon which is responsible for the rising and setting of the Sun.
Rotation of Earth:
The change of days and nights is because of the rotation of the earth on its own axis. We all know that earth orbits around the center of the solar system which is the Sun. This movement of the earth is known as revolution. But in addition to the revolution, the Earth orbits around its own axis. This movement is known as rotation. The rotation of the earth causes the change of the days into the night. If the earth does not rotate then the condition on the planet earth will become stagnant and possibly the existence will be impossible. Also, the days and nights length varies throughout the year. The time of year and the place where you are standing on earth is also important for such changes to face. It varies from region to region. It also depends upon the tilt of Earth’s axis and path around the sun.
Length of the earth rotation:
Typically a solar day is of 24 hours. It is the time that Earth takes to complete one complete rotation on its own axis. This duration is very precise and has to complete in exact time so that Sun appears in the sky, next day at the same time as previously. However, this time measurement is very complicated. It was measured as 23 hours 56 seconds total. Astronomers have measured it with reference to the appearance of a specific star in the sky. A star was used as a reference and on the next day when it again appeared in the sky at the same place, the time was noted. This time measurement gave us more precise measurements. They called it a sidereal day.
Shorter and longer days:
We all know that a solar day is of 24 hours as we discussed above. But not every day and night is of 12 hours. There is a remarkable change in the day length and night length. This change occurs throughout the year. A prominent difference can be understood by comprising the night length of summers and winters. During winters, night length is long enough as compared to the summers. What causes this fluctuation?
Earth revolves around its axis but it is not positioned as straight from North to South. Rather it is tilted up to 23.5 degrees. During summers the Northeast pole of the earth tilted towards the sun more so that more solar radiations are able to reach the earth’s surface. As the result, we face summer on Earth. So this more tilted planet earth towards the sun when rotates, it remains more towards the sun and for a long time, solar radiations accompany it.
As a result, the day length increases, and obviously nights will be shorter. On the other hand, during winters, the earth is tilted away from the sun. Now for a short duration during rotation, the earth will face the sun, and the day length will be shorter. This is why winter’s nights are long enough. During spring and fall, the earth is not tilted rather it remains somehow in between. As the result, we have the same length of days and nights.
The Solstices:
The solstice is the position of the earth which marks the shortest and longest day of the year on earth. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and after it, the day length starts increasing. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year on Earth and after that day length of stars decreases. It is also named according to the month in which it occurs. For example, the June solstice is the one in which the earth orbits and the North Pole faces the sun. In the northern site, this June solstice will mark the longest day and for the southwest pole, the June solstice will mark the shortest day.
Position on Earth:
The length of days and nights also depends upon your position on Earth. It is obvious that day length will increase during summer but as you will move towards the north more, the length will go on increasing. And when you will reach the Artic, the day length will increase long enough that it will have little night darkness. In the same way, the day length will decrease more as you move away from the North Pole. These seasonal changes are more prominent on the pole and become minute when you are near the equator.
Do other planets too have nights and days?
This is true for other planets too. All planets that are present in our solar system rotate around their own axis. So they also have days and nights. But there is a difference in the length. Also, this cycle becomes more complicated due to the tilt of the earth. Some of the planets rotate faster than the earth so they are ultimately having a small solar day. If compared with Mars it completes one rotation on its axis in 24.6 hours. For Venus, one complete rotation on its axis takes 243 Earth days. The days and night cycle of Mercury is more complicated. One complete Mercury day is equal to the 176 Earth days.
The larger the planet, the faster it will rotate. For example, Jupiter completes one rotation in 10 hours, Saturn in 11 hours, and Neptune in 16 hours. Saturn is the farthest planet in the whole solar system so it will complete its rotation in 6.4 days. There is a point to ponder. Plato is at a large distance from our solar system. Then it too has days or nights as Earth? Pluto is so distant that our sun looks like a star in the sky there. So there is no chance that our sun can affect it.
Conclusion:
The appearance of day light and then its conversion into night darkness is the natural phenomenon. It is the ultimate gift of the nature because if time would be stagnant on earth then life may not be possible on earth. Earth rotates as well as revolves. The earth rotation on its own axis causes the change in days and night. One complete rotation is of 24 hours approximately. The variation in the day length and night during summer and winter is because of the tilted position of the earth. In summer it is tilted more towards the sun and in winter it is tilted away. As the result, summer days are longer as compared to the winters. The winter solstice is the shortest day on Earth during whole year and summer solstice is the longest day on Earth. After solstice day duration starts increasing and decreasing respectively. The duration of nights and days also depends upon your position on earth. Like our planet earth, other planets in Solar system too have days and nights but it is different from earth depending upon their enormity and distance from center.
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https://www.fajarmag.com/change-and-days-into-nights-is-because-of-the-rotation-of-earth-round-its-own-axis/
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Earth's core found to oscillate, changing the length of days
Scientists have discovered variations in the rotation speed of the Earth's core - which is capable of altering the length of days on the planet. The discovery contradicts previous models, which postulated a constant rotation speed.
Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) have found evidence that the ground may be much more unstable than we imagined - contradicting previous models that suggested the Earth's inner core consistently rotates at a faster rate than the planet's surface.
It turns out that the study, published in Science Advances, showed evidence that the core is not that consistent. It oscillates and sometimes even performs the incredible feat of changing direction.
Moreover, when the core oscillates, the days on the planet get slightly longer or shorter, as this impacts the speed of rotation of the planet itself. The day length recorded in these years matches the variations in speed that scientists have discovered.
Our understanding of the Earth's core - a hot, dense ball of solid iron the size of Pluto - has greatly increased in the last 30 years. As it is impossible to observe it directly, scientists have looked for indirect ways to measure its properties and this has helped us to unravel some of the mysteries of our planet.
How did scientists discover that the speed of the planet's core oscillates?
Using data from the Large Aperture Seismic Array (LASA), a facility owned by the US Air Force, researchers were able to analyse seismic waves generated by Soviet nuclear tests between 1969 and 1974. It was only in 1996 that research indicated that the core rotates faster than the rest of the planet.
Using a beamforming technique developed by Vidale, one of the researchers, compression waves resulting from nuclear explosions indicated that the planet's inner core followed a slower pace than predicted between 1971 and 1974 and even changed direction between 1969 and 1971.
There are problems, however, for the studies to continue. LASA closed in 1978 and the era of atomic testing is over, which means that to move forward with the study, researchers will need to rely on much less accurate earthquake data, even considering recent advances in instrumentation.
Still, the fact remains that the planet's inner core is not fixed and oscillates from time to time, and this discovery alone already provides a compelling theory that answers many questions that were open in the geophysical and geological community.
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https://www.yourweather.co.uk/news/science/earth-s-core-found-to-oscillate-day-length-geology.html
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Our days are lengthening by about 1.8 milliseconds per century.
Brian is bringing the story of science to the world. Uncover the mysteries here.
A day on Earth is longer than it used to be. The increase is tiny. Over the span of a hundred years the Earth’s day will increase by only a few milliseconds. It’s only been in the past few decades that we’ve been able to measure Earth with enough precision to see this effect directly.
Using atomic clocks and ultra-precise measurements of distant quasars, we can measure the length of a day to within nanoseconds. Our measurements are so precise that we can observe various fluctuations in the length of a day due to things like earthquakes.
Those fluctuations make it a challenge to answer another question. How has Earth’s rotation changed over longer periods of time?
Variation of the length of a day in recent years. Image Credit: Wikipedia.
Part of the reason Earth’s days are getting longer is due to the gravitational pull of the Moon on our oceans. The tides slosh against the Earth, gradually slowing its rotation. Over millions of years, this means Earth’s day was hour shorter than it is now, thus there were more days in a year than today.
We see this effect in the geological record, which tells us an Earth day was about 22 hours long 620 million years ago. Trying to measure the length of a day between the recent and geological era, however, is difficult. Hundreds of years ago clocks weren’t accurate enough to measure this variation, and the length of a day was fixed to its rotation, making any such comparison impossible. But recent work has found a way to study Earth’s changing days.
Although our ancestors of centuries past didn’t have accurate clocks, they were good astronomers. They observed and documented astronomical events such as the occultation of bright stars by the Moon, as well as solar eclipses. The occurrence of these events depends critically on when and where you are.
If, for example, an astronomer in one city sees the Moon pass in front of a star one night, an astronomer in a nearby city will only see the Moon pass close to the star. By comparing the observations of these astronomical events with the actual time of their event as calculated from the orbital motions of the Earth and Moon, we know exactly when and where they occurred. Fitting a history of observations together, we can get an average rate for the increase of a day. That turns out to be about 1.8 milliseconds per century.
There are two things that are interesting about this result. The first is that it’s pretty amazing to be able to determine this rate from historical documents. The observations span more than two and a half millennia, and are written in various languages and locations. Gathering them all together and verifying them is an amazing effort. The other is that this rate is actually less than the rate theorized from the tidal effects of our Moon (about 2.3 ms/century). This is likely due to changes in Earth’s overall shape. We know, for example, that the melting of ice since the last ice age (about 10,000 years ago) has released pressure at the Earth’s poles, allowing it to return to a more spherical shape. This would tend to shorten Earth’s days a bit. The combination of these two effects give us the historical rate we see.
Overall this work is a great demonstration of how history can speak to us. If we listen closely, we can even see the changes of time.
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https://futurism.com/solar-eclipses-reveal-that-the-pace-of-time-is-changing
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Brian is bringing the story of science to the world. Uncover the mysteries here.
The Pace of Time
A day on Earth is longer than it used to be. The increase is tiny. Over the span of a hundred years the Earth’s day will increase by only a few milliseconds. It’s only been in the past few decades that we’ve been able to measure Earth with enough precision to see this effect directly.
Using atomic clocks and ultra-precise measurements of distant quasars, we can measure the length of a day to within nanoseconds. Our measurements are so precise that we can observe various fluctuations in the length of a day due to things like earthquakes.
Those fluctuations make it a challenge to answer another question. How has Earth’s rotation changed over longer periods of time?
Part of the reason Earth’s days are getting longer is due to the gravitational pull of the Moon on our oceans. The tides slosh against the Earth, gradually slowing its rotation. Over millions of years, this means Earth’s day was hour shorter than it is now, thus there were more days in a year than today.
We see this effect in the geological record, which tells us an Earth day was about 22 hours long 620 million years ago. Trying to measure the length of a day between the recent and geological era, however, is difficult. Hundreds of years ago clocks weren’t accurate enough to measure this variation, and the length of a day was fixed to its rotation, making any such comparison impossible. But recent work has found a way to study Earth’s changing days.
A Series of Observations
Although our ancestors of centuries past didn’t have accurate clocks, they were good astronomers. They observed and documented astronomical events such as the occultation of bright stars by the Moon, as well as solar eclipses. The occurrence of these events depends critically on when and where you are.
If, for example, an astronomer in one city sees the Moon pass in front of a star one night, an astronomer in a nearby city will only see the Moon pass close to the star. By comparing the observations of these astronomical events with the actual time of their event as calculated from the orbital motions of the Earth and Moon, we know exactly when and where they occurred. Fitting a history of observations together, we can get an average rate for the increase of a day. That turns out to be about 1.8 milliseconds per century.
There are two things that are interesting about this result. The first is that it’s pretty amazing to be able to determine this rate from historical documents. The observations span more than two and a half millennia, and are written in various languages and locations. Gathering them all together and verifying them is an amazing effort. The other is that this rate is actually less than the rate theorized from the tidal effects of our Moon (about 2.3 ms/century). This is likely due to changes in Earth’s overall shape. We know, for example, that the melting of ice since the last ice age (about 10,000 years ago) has released pressure at the Earth’s poles, allowing it to return to a more spherical shape. This would tend to shorten Earth’s days a bit. The combination of these two effects give us the historical rate we see.
Overall this work is a great demonstration of how history can speak to us. If we listen closely, we can even see the changes of time.
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https://futurism.com/solar-eclipses-reveal-that-the-pace-of-time-is-changing/amp
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On 06 29, planet earth experienced its shortest day time since 70. The Earth’s rotation can be erratic and continues to differ. Scientists make use of atomic lighting to assess time. This small amount of time is important to those so, who track https://northcentralrotary.org/ the length of the day. A leap second adds one second to the atomic time ahead of midnight to align the lighting with Earth’s rotation.
In respect to Claire Ingersoll, emeritus professor of planetary research at the Washington dc Institute of Technology, a small increase in the Earth’s revolving speed does not mean that days are moving faster. The Globe’s rotational rate used to become widely accepted, but now researchers have realized that it changes by ms.
In addition to cyclones as well as the Earth’s rotation, the Coriolis effect influences Earth’s action. A falling thing will veer slightly eastward when released; in the North Hemisphere, this kind of causes the projectile to veer to the right, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it can veer still left. This result has also been traced with the opposing direction of cyclone rotation in the Northern and The southern part of hemispheres.
With respect to the longest period, people had heard that the Earth spins once a day, but they had been unsure from the actual rotation rate. Scientists in Galileo’s period tried to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth by reducing objects, but their experiments had been too crude to be definitive. Eventually, it absolutely was Leon Foucault, a Frenchman, who revealed the rotation of the Globe by means of a pendulum, which was an amazingly precise technique of measuring time.
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https://prakriti.net.in/spinning-events-in-our-time/
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While scientists were unanimous for a long time on the fact that the Earth was rotating less and less quickly, the latest readings contradict them…
A day on Earth corresponds to 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. This is the time the Earth takes to rotate. But in fact, this is not necessarily the reality.
And this duration has not always been the same over time.
Indeed, scientists have demonstrated for many years and after much research that the Earth’s rotational speed has been decreasing for more than four thousand yearsthus lengthening the length of the day.
The calculation establishes that every century, the Earth takes a few milliseconds or more to complete one rotation.
A tiny duration but which can be important.
But for some time now a strange phenomenon has reversed the trend.
Speed records recorded
Yet the June 29, 2022the shortest day was recorded by the atomic clock.
That day, the rotation time lasted 24 hours minus 1.59 milliseconds. But this is a new record after the one recorded on July 19, 2020 with less than 1.47 milliseconds.
Even this July 26, 2022the duration has been shortened by 1.50 millisecondsas reported by Time and Date.
In fact, dhe day to day, the time it takes for the Earth to rotate increases or decreases by a fraction of a millisecond.
What’s happening ?
The concern is that the scientists can’t explain precisely why such a phenomenon acceleration occurs.
It is true that the variation of the speed of rotation of the Earth depends on several factors.
According to ANFR, the national frequency agency, different avenues can be considered.
Like the structure or density of the earth, the gravitational effects of the moon, the water movements of seas or oceans as well as solid elements such as glaciers, currents….
All of this is part of the processes that can influence the speed of rotation of the earth.
Chandler’s Swing
An element could also explain this change of speed: it is about the oscillation of Chandler.
The oscillation of the axis of rotation of the Earth with respect to its surface varies from 3 to 6 meters at the poles. The movement repeats itself approximately every 433 days, recalls the American Geophysical Union, as reported by Numerama.
What are the consequences if the phenomenon persists?
If the Earth’s rapid rotation continues, it could lead to the introduction of the first ever negative leap second, meaning a day would last 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds, not 24 hours.
And that would be a problem.
It would then be necessary to add a negative leap second to the length of our days which would mean that our clocks jump a second, which could potentially create serious problems for computer systems.
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https://cg286.com/the-rotation-of-the-earth-often-accelerates-should-the-unexplained-phenomenon-worry/
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Scientists have warned there could be a big increase in numbers of devastating earthquakes around the world next year. They believe variations in the speed of Earth’s rotation could trigger intense seismic activity, particularly in heavily populated tropical regions.
Although such fluctuations in rotation are small – changing the length of the day by a millisecond – they could still be implicated in the release of vast amounts of underground energy, it is argued.
The link between Earth’s rotation and seismic activity was highlighted last month in a paper by Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado in Boulder and Rebecca Bendick of the University of Montana in Missoula presented at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.
“The correlation between Earth’s rotation and earthquake activity is strong and suggests there is going to be an increase in numbers of intense earthquakes next year,” Bilham told the Observer last week.
In their study, Bilham and Bendick looked at earthquakes of magnitude 7 and greater that had occurred since 1900. “Major earthquakes have been well recorded for more than a century and that gives us a good record to study,” said Bilham.
They found five periods when there had been significantly higher numbers of large earthquakes compared with other times. “In these periods, there were between 25 to 30 intense earthquakes a year,” said Bilham. “The rest of the time the average figure was around 15 major earthquakes a year.”
The researchers searched to find correlations between these periods of intense seismic activity and other factors and discovered that when Earth’s rotation decreased slightly it was followed by periods of increased numbers of intense earthquakes. “The rotation of the Earth does change slightly – by a millisecond a day sometimes – and that can be measured very accurately by atomic clocks,” said Bilham.
Bilham and Bendick found that there had been periods of around five years when Earth’s rotation slowed by such an amount several times over the past century and a half. Crucially, these periods were followed by periods when the numbers of intense earthquakes increased.
“It is straightforward,” said Bilham. “The Earth is offering us a five-year heads-up on future earthquakes.”
This link is particularly important because Earth’s rotation began one of its periodic slowdowns more than four years ago. “The inference is clear,” said Bilham. “Next year we should see a significant increase in numbers of severe earthquakes. We have had it easy this year. So far we have only had about six severe earthquakes. We could easily have 20 a year starting in 2018.”
Exactly why decreases in day length should be linked to earthquakes is unclear although scientists suspect that slight changes in the behaviour of Earth’s core could be causing both effects.
In addition, it is difficult to predict where these extra earthquakes will occur – although Bilham said they found that most of the intense earthquakes that responded to changes in day length seemed to occur near the equator. About one billion people live in the Earth’s tropical regions.
You most likely are going to lose power in an Earthquake Disaster.
Most cities aren't structurally equipped to handle minor earthquakes- much less major ones.
Check this out:
Minor Earthquake leaves hundreds in the dark in Oklahoma City Suburb
EDMOND, Okla. — An earthquake registering a 4.2 magnitude in central Oklahoma disrupted electric power to hundreds of customers.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the 4.4-magnitude tremor was detected at 9:56 p.m. Wednesday about 4 miles east-northeast of Edmond, Oklahoma — about 15 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. The USGS later revised the earthquake down to a magnitude 4.2.
Edmond officials said two electric substations were knocked out, darkening the northeastern part of the city and leaving about 1,900 customers without power. Electricity was later restored to both substations, and the city said all customers should have their power back.
The police department said on its Twitter page that no significant damage was reported.
The quake was the sharpest of six tremors detected in the Edmond area over a 24-hour period.
Scientists have linked some oil and gas production in Oklahoma to an uptick in earthquakes, but the frequency of earthquakes had dropped recently as the state imposed restrictions on the injection of wastewater into underground disposal wells.
A Power outage will happen, but we can do something about it.
These Earthquakes are going to become more common in areas where Earthquakes are uncommon; such as the Appalachian Mountains in East America as companies continue the controversial practice of 'fracking.' At the same time, we have an aging power grid in much of the world. Much of this grid is so fragile that it would snap apart in even a minor earthquake.
Power outages can be uncomfortable to many. They can also disrupt your plans including vital business transactions carried out on personal electronic devices. Such power outages can also disrupt vital communication from emergencies to family communications.
It's bad enough you're going to have to go without refrigeration along with most other electrical power for an uncertain amount of time. Its worse without your modern personal devices.
Here are some solutions we have for you:
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https://www.chaosstorehouse.com/blogs/news/people-earthquakes-are-on-the-rise-across-the-globe-its-time-to-consider-solar
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Richard Gross, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and colleagues calculated that Saturday's quake shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.
The length of a day is the time it takes for the planet to complete one rotation -- 86,400 seconds or 24 hours.
An earthquake can make Earth rotate faster by nudging some of its mass closer to the planet's axis, just as ice skaters can speed up their spins by pulling in their arms. Conversely, a quake can slow the rotation and lengthen the day if it redistributes mass away from that axis, Gross said Tuesday.
Gross said the calculated changes in length of the day are permanent. So a bunch of big quakes could add up to make the day shorter, "but these changes are very, very small."
So small, in fact, that scientists can't record them directly. Gross said actual observations of the length of the day are accurate to five-millionths of a second. His estimate of the effect of the Chile quake is only a quarter of that span.
"I'll certainly look at the observations when they come in," Gross said, but "I doubt I'll see anything."
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https://abc13.com/archive/7307793/
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Shorter days ahead, as the Earth's rotation speeds up in 2020
Like us, it seems Planet Earth was keen to see the back of 2020 – the year that marked the start of the Covid crisis. The Earth did actually spin slightly faster during 2020, continuing an acceleration phase which began in 2016. Days were shorter on average by 0.3 milliseconds compared to 2019. This natural phenomenon does have an impact on the calibration of atomic clocks, which is why an automatic synchronisation system for your clocks is so important. We explain why.
The shortest day on record since the dawn of the space age was 5 July 2005
The Earth rotates in 23 hours and 56 minutes measured by the stars and in 24 hours measured by the Sun, or 86,400 seconds. It's something we all learn as children. And yet, since the 1930s, scientists have observed that the length of a day does vary by several milliseconds. In 2020, the Earth turned faster on its axis than it had for almost half a century. The previous record dates back to 5 July 2005. On that day, the Earth completed its rotation in 1.05 milliseconds less than 86,400 seconds. This record was then beaten 28 times in 2020, giving us the 28 shortest days recorded since the 1930s.
On 19 July 2020, the Earth turned precisely 1.46 milliseconds faster than an average reference day, making it the shortest day of the year. In 2021, we may well predict the fastest days on record since the early 20th century, with the average day 0.6 milliseconds shorter than its reference length.
How is this natural phenomenon explained ?
The current acceleration phase, which began in 2016, indicates irregularities in the Earth's rotation speed, first discovered around 1930. The most likely theory suggests this is caused by the movement of the Earth's molten core relative to its outer crust. At the present time, this phenomenon is actually concealing a deceleration caused by the lunar tide. These irregularities create differences between the time scale measured by the rotation of the Earth (UT1) and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) based on the 200 atomic clocks stationed around the world. Following an agreement adopted in 1972, UTC is kept synchronised to within 0.9 seconds of UT1 by applying a leap second adjustment to UTC on fixed calendar dates. Since 1972, UTC has been slowed down 27 times by adding an extra second – although if this current acceleration continues, and UT1 gains on atomic time, this could result in a leap second being subtracted from UTC within the next five years, i.e. UTC will gain one second.
Key beneath graphic: difference between the Universal Time (UT1) and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time scales
The impact on our clocks
Where the Earth's rotation is out of sync with the ultra-precise and regular rhythm of atomic clocks, one positive or negative leap second applied to our clocks can serve to realign atomic time and astronomical time. This is why it is so important to think “synchronisation” in order to avoid any inconsistency on your time display.
Our Bodet clocks use ALS162 synchronisation, a signal emitted from a long wave transmitter at a frequency of 162 kHz, based in Allouis, France. The ALS162 receiver is used to capture a precise time signal. This guarantees the reliable, secure and accurate time synchronisation of your clocks. In addition to our clocks, our time servers also deliver a highly accurate time signal to all of your IT equipment.
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https://www.bodet-time.com/bodet-time/news-bodet-time/1717-shorter-days-ahead-as-the-earth-s-rotation-speeds-up-in-2020.html
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A solar day on Earth lasts around 24 hours. The Earth's orbit, on the other hand, is elliptical, which means it is not a complete circle. That means that some solar days on Earth are a few minutes longer and some are a few minutes shorter than 24 hours. A sidereal day on Earth lasts roughly precisely 23 hours and 56 minutes. However, since the planet's axis is tilted with respect to its orbit, different parts of the surface experience night for varying lengths of time.
The length of a day on other planets in our solar system is varied. On Mars, for example, the average day is 687 minutes long, while on Jupiter it is 10 hours and 37 minutes long.
On Earth, when it is dark outside, the sun has already gone down from view. When it is light out, then it is still daylight out here on Earth, but because the sun is going down elsewhere, it will be dark where it is daytime somewhere else.
Days get longer as we go farther from the Sun. On Mars, for example, the solar day is about 39 minutes longer than on Earth. So if there were any Martians watching the sun set for us, they would see it rise again sooner than we do!
Days get shorter as we go toward the Sun. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, blocking its rays.
If we genuinely defined a day as one complete revolution of the Earth on its axis—a 360-degree spin—a day would be 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds. As a result, the Earth must spin an additional degree each day in order to re-align with the sun. This extra rotation is called "obliquity" and it's what causes the daily cycle of light and darkness.
The earth's axis of rotation is not exactly perpendicular to its surface, but rather leans slightly toward either the north or south pole. The angle between the axis and the planet's equator is called "precession". Because of this wobble, after approximately 26,000 years the line up of the earth and the sun is no longer directly over a spot of land, but rather at some point around the world. At that time, all local noon times will have shifted relative to today. After another 1,000 years or so, everything will be out of alignment again.
This odd phenomenon has nothing to do with Earth's orbit around the sun, which takes approximately 365 days (almost 22 hours per day). Instead, it's due to the fact that the earth's core is not solid but rather made up of a fluid mixture that includes molten iron. This magnetic core causes the earth's orientation to change over time because it's pushing against itself and rotating at a different rate than its surrounding matter.
A day on Earth will be 0.05 milliseconds shorter than the usual 86,400 seconds that comprise a 24-hour period, according to the scientists. For the past 50 years, the globe has taken fewer than 24 hours to complete one spin, according to calculations. The reason: Ice is accumulating at both the North and South Poles.
This reduced amount of time means that people living at either pole would get only 3996 minutes (or 8 hours and 56 minutes) of daily sunlight during the winter season and 3995 minutes in the summer. A year would pass quickly for them because only about 12 months would have passed on the average world clock speed prior to 2003.
The slow down was first noticed by scientists using satellites to measure changes in the distance between stars. They found that although the number of days in a year remained constant, the distance between some stars increased by as much as 2 percent more than expected. This indicated that not only was the amount of daylight changing, but so was nightfall. Since midnight comes very soon after noon at the North Pole, it follows that a day there is getting shorter.
At the South Pole things are just the opposite. Night falls very late there, so the shortening of daytime at the North Pole is making night fall early there, too. That's why days are getting longer at the South Pole even though winter is coming.
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https://spiritualwander.com/are-all-days-exactly-24-hours
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The Silicon Flatirons Center gathered a panel of business leaders, state officials and private sector workers for its annual Entrepreneurship Initiative Conference. The panel discussed how public-private partnerships can be used to solve problems that may be beyond the scope of government alone. This year, the panel had plenty to discuss as public-private partnerships have been used to respond to an array of issues related to the pandemic.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser began the event by noting that the government has continued to do things the way they have always been done. “Getting government to change is not easy,” Weiser said, adding that creative problem solving through entrepreneurship are needed — desperately and now — for all sorts of challenges. “These are challenges that we share as the people of Colorado, and the government can’t do it alone.”
At best, citizens, entrepreneurs, government, community groups and others work together in partnership around improving situations, Weiser said. He added that we currently live in a time where an incredible amount of cynicism exists about the role of key institutions and government, a sentiment that could be shared across many different sectors.
The current pandemic and its strains on the state government have triggered some innovation through public-private partnerships, such as volunteer networks or mental health support.
“Public-private partnerships can solve real problems that exist today,” said Federico Peña, chair of the Governor’s Council on Economic Stabilization and Growth, a group of industry leaders created in March to bring experts from the private sector, workers organizations and public sector leaders together, developing strategies increasing work and moving Colorado’s economy forward. Starting with seven people, it has grown to more than 200 citizens on multiple committees, each reflecting a different sector of the economy from energy to healthcare, to make recommendations for local delegations, state legislative action and governor’s executive orders.
Peña said the group quickly identified several immediate public-private partnership needs arising from COVID, the first dealing with health care challenges at the state level and financial assistance for companies and workers.
Wendy Lea, CEO of Energize Colorado, explained that her group has provided services to small businesses and other companies in a variety of ways ranging from advising to funding and providing mental health resources, all in response to the pandemic. Some kind of model for assistance with public-private partnerships was needed in order to deploy any help, she said. The original plan was to launch a statewide volunteer program, and now Energize Colorado has grown to hundreds of volunteers.
When running a public-private partnership, Lea said she struggled with the idea that everyone must succeed and everything must be interdependent. Both private sector and public sector actions must support each other and be interconnected to help produce results across various needs, she explained
Those three keys have resulted in a “very special opportunity” in this time to deliver high-impact actions to the state through addressing gaps in funding for COVID response, she explained. The idea of a gap fund was created to address shortcomings between the federal and the state government providing roughly $25 million from the state, and monies from the private sector funding as well. These pseudo-grants to small businesses gave an opportunity to businesses that never had a chance for getting help from the PPP program at the national level, Peña said.
But in order to take creative ideas, such as a gap fund, from idea to action, collaboration between different groups must take place.
For a public-private partnership to achieve its goals its leaders must understand each group’s abilities, what they do well and how to bring them together, explained David Padrino, chief recovery officer at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, who leads the strategy and implementation for initiatives for COVID-19 recovery.
“Having been inside the government, I know we can bring scale, and often an existing infrastructure set up to serve people — a lot of times, we don’t have the speed to innovate, the creativity with funding and the ability to be laser-focused on outcomes,” Padrino said. Meanwhile, the private sector can add capital and a sort of no fear attitude of getting things done, he added.
The gap fund was just one of several instances that highlighted successes in public-private partnerships, and Peña noted work on a separate fund currently underway that is being sponsored by the state, banks, private groups and others to help with economic recovery.
One area that had been of concern was rural places around the state. Many of the concerns that Peña and the CESG had identified were issues for rural Colorado — ranging from internet access to mental health. But despite these concerns, Delaney Keating, managing director of Startup Colorado, explained that a surprising aspect of community existed across the state — even with economic and behavioral differences in response to the pandemic.
“It’s not always that rural is underserved or under-resourced — sometimes it’s just disconnected,” Keating said.
Keating’s group predates the pandemic, and Startup Colorado has been working in public-private partnership fashion and is designed to support rural area partnerships. If there was a way of making a coherent playing field on behalf of the resources already there, Startup Colorado could better serve.
Startup Colorado is structured to foster “unique” partnerships and is looking at networks already available on the ground — the point is to build trust and collaboration. For rural areas, the industry-specific impacts of COVID parallel some at a state level.
Progress can only happen at the speed of the relationships that guide us, Keating said. Throughout the state, collaboration in rural places between Startup Colorado and the Office of Economic Development are designed to bookend strategies on the ground.
Some communities that Startup Colorado worried might have “crisis fatigue” from a mixture of natural incidents like avalanches, droughts, wildfires, COVID and other impacts — the attitude has been, “We’re fine, we’ve got this,” Keating said.
There is a lot of concern for tourist areas in an ongoing capacity, she added, there’s an interesting winter ahead.
However, factors for 2020 in the economy mark several downward trends.
Peña quoted figures provided to him from leading economists in the state. In Colorado, and the country, the economy peaked in February. Roughly 128 months of expansion in the economy had preceded February, and the unemployment rate was roughly 3% and now is over 7%.
Approximately $5 trillion in relief funds from the federal government have been released since March, and the impact to businesses throughout Colorado have been extraordinary, he said. In June, 90,000 continuing claims for unemployment insurance has reduced to roughly 40,000 — remaining constant over several months, Peña said.
Small businesses have been impacted, Padrino said. Of all Colorado businesses that stopped advertising on Yelp in October, roughly 55% reported they are closed down “permanently.” In some areas providing free legal services to small businesses, about 30% have said they will need assistance with bankruptcy in the near term, Padrino said.
“This is bad — there is no other way to describe it,” Peña said.
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https://www.lawweekcolorado.com/article/public-private-partnerships-provide-creative-solutions-to-colorado-covid-crisis/
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Busch, Nathan E.
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Homeland Security Affairs (October 2012), v.8, article 18 http://hdl.handle.net/10945/25017
Opportunities and Challenges
Nathan E. Busch and Austen D. Givens
ABSTRACT
Public-private partnerships are a major issue of discussion in businesses and government agencies concerned with homeland security. However, this issue has received a much less thorough treatment in scholarly literature on homeland security. This article begins to fill a gap in homeland security scholarship by identifying the e s s e n t i a l r o l e t h a t p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships are now taking in homeland security and by examining opportunities and challenges for this transformative shift in the field. The article begins by contextualizing our argument within recent scholarship, and tracing the development of public-private partnerships in homeland security. The article then examines the growing role of public-private sector partnerships in homeland security. The article concludes by discussing ongoing challenges that will need to be considered a n d a d d r e s s e d f o r p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships to be successful over the long term.
INTRODUCTION
“…I want to just say this about the private sector. In my mind, the government is incapable of responding to its maximum ability without private sector support…”1
–Hon. Tom Ridge, Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security April 20, 2010 had been an otherwise typical day. At 9:49 p.m., however, the first of several blasts shattered the night air over the Gulf of Mexico, ultimately killing eleven workers and crippling the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.2 The explosion and subsequent oil
spill eventually became the largest environmental catastrophe in US history.3
Over the following months, hundreds of
government and private sector actors convened around the Gulf of Mexico, summoning an unprecedented amount of equipment and technical expertise to stop the oil flow from the Gulf’s floor. British Petroleum (BP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Coast G u a r d , s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t s , l o c a l governments, and hundreds of businesses and public sector agencies collaborated in response to the disaster.4 British Petroleum
and local officials launched initiatives enlisting local fishermen to assist in waterborne cleanup efforts.5 The federal
government used privately manufactured oil dispersants in recovery operations.6
Throughout this process, the public and private sector worked closely together to restore a sense of normalcy in the Gulf.
The Deepwater Horizon incident provides a large-scale illustration of an actively growing trend in emergency management and homeland security.7 Public-private
partnerships are a major issue of discussion in businesses and government agencies. However, this issue has received a much less thorough treatment in scholarly literature on homeland security. This is surprising, as public-private partnerships are perhaps the most dynamic and important subjects for homeland security practitioners today.
Public-private partnerships have been defined as collaboration between a public sector (government) entity and a private sector (for-profit) entity to achieve a specific goal or set of objectives.8 This collaboration
results in government-business relationships that include service contracts, supply chains, ad hoc partnerships, channel partnerships, information dissemination partnerships, and civic switchboard partnerships.9 These
partnerships have been discussed in narrow ways in the scholarly literature in related disciplines (such as public administration broadly understood) and some of the various subfields of homeland security (such as
e m e r g e n c y m a n a g e m e n t o r c r i t i c a l infrastructure protection).10 For example,
Yossi Sheffi suggests public-private partnerships are important for supply chain security under threat of international terrorism, a theme that David J. Closs and Edmund F. McGarrell repeat.11 Others
underscore that private sector participation is integral in critical infrastructure protection and homeland security.12 Discussion of the
private sector’s role within other subfields, s u c h a s i n t e l l i g e n c e , c y b e rs e c u ri t y , transportation security, public health, and hazard mitigation shows increasing understanding of businesses’ impact on homeland security.13
Overall, however, the scholarly literature has not yet caught up to the practitioner understanding of public-private partnerships’ prominence in homeland security.14 This
article begins to fill a gap in homeland security scholarship by identifying the essential role that public-private partnerships are now taking in homeland security, and by e x a m i n i n g t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h i s transformative shift in the field. As we will see, public-private partnerships hold great promise, but also face significant obstacles that will need to be overcome. The article begins by tracing the development of public-private partnerships in homeland security. It then examines multiple subfields of homeland security and highlights the growing role of public-private sector partnerships in homeland security. The article concludes by discussing ongoing challenges that will need to be considered a n d a d d r e s s e d f o r p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships to be successful over the long term.
THE EMERGENCE OF
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN
HOMELAND SECURITY
Government and businesses’ roles in homeland security can be traced back to America’s founding. For example, in the
Federalist Papers, James Madison was
careful to underscore the importance of the federal government in “times of war and danger,” while not diminishing the importance of the states in periods of “peace
and security.”15 In 1803, following a
devastating fire in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Congress authorized the suspension of federal bond payments for merchants affected by the disaster.16 For the
first time, the US government provided emergency relief for a community. Thus began an escalation of federal-level involvement that continues today, requiring close working relationships among the federal, state, and local levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
Public-private partnerships evolved in the nineteenth century, as various disasters prompted a re-calibration of government’s role in emergencies. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned a four square mile area in the southwestern part of the city, leaving one third of the city’s population homeless.17
While difficult to fathom today, the federal government’s role was limited in recovery efforts. No appreciable amount of financial assistance flowed from Washington, DC to Chicago in the fire’s aftermath.18 Instead, the
majority of recovery financing came from a combination of local and state governments, as well as charities and businesses.19 The fire
f a c i l i t a t e d a s h i f t i n g o v e r n m e n t a l involvement in emergency management. Subsequent twentieth-century disasters, including the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1927 Great Mississippi Flood, ratcheted up government support for response and recovery efforts.20 Increasing
amounts of funding changed hands between the public and private sectors to support post-disaster reconstruction.
From World War II through the end of the Cold War, public-private partnerships remained an essential element in national defense. Citizens were trained by the federal government to watch for enemy aircraft, assist in preparation for nuclear attacks, and direct air raid drills in public spaces.21 At the
same time, US manufacturing capacity adapted to emerging needs. Firms recycled and repurposed commercial products (e.g. rubber, steel, wood) to support the materiel needs of the armed forces. The private sector modified production to fill new demands. The Ford Motor Company, for example, built an entire complex to construct military aircraft.22 Government and private sector
functions in national security evolved to meet wartime priorities.
Public-private sector partnerships continued to develop in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created during the Carter administration to consolidate disaster management functions previously scattered across the federal government.23 Over time, businesses
began taking a more expansive role in defense and security, from building out information technology (IT) infrastructure, to production of specialized equipment in law enforcement, to contracting out job functions in government offices.24
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill all highlight the prominence of public-private partnerships in what is today called homeland security. In all three of these disasters, the private sector worked closely with local, state, federal, and non-profit entities to respond to community needs. For example, following the 9/11 attacks, Verizon assumed a pivotal role in quickly rebuilding network infrastructure to re-open the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).25 In the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, FEMA, in cooperation with the State of Louisiana, distributed $2.3 billion in public assistance funding to residents affected by the storm.26 But Wal-Mart was
instrumental in providing relief supplies – blankets, plastic tarpaulins, batteries, flashlights, water, and non-perishable food – to Gulf residents immediately following Katrina’s impact.27 Similarly, the Deepwater
Horizon disaster required close coordination among government, non-profit, and private sector entities.28 The American Red Cross
sheltered and cared for displaced Gulf residents, while the private sector hired local fishermen to assist in cleanup efforts and worked with government agencies to stop the oil leak. 29 It is clear from these examples that
businesses, alongside numerous government and non-governmental entities, now play an increasingly integrated role in homeland security.
In the following sections, we examine different initiatives and facets of homeland security, highlighting the role of public-private partnerships in each. Given the
current expansive scope of public-private partnerships in homeland security as a whole, we limit our discussion to select federal-level public-private partnerships, which have enjoyed varying levels of success. However, it is important to note that homeland security includes efforts at the state and local levels, including fusion c e n t e r s , n o n - p r o f i t s , c i v i c g r o u p s , professional associations, and individual citizens. As an “umbrella” concept, homeland security also touches on various subfields apart from those we discuss below, including immigration services, public health, and intelligence.30 A comprehensive treatment of
public-private partnerships in every aspect of homeland security is beyond the scope of this article. Nevertheless, the following discussion identifies some of the most significant trends in homeland security today.
CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
PROTECTION
With approximately 85 percent of the nation’s critical infrastructure under private sector control, alliances between government and business are essential for homeland security.31 The US Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) creates coordination bodies to facilitate information exchange, planning, and situational awareness between the public a n d p r i v a t e s e c t o r s . T h e O f f i c e o f Infrastructure Protection (OIP) within DHS works on threat and vulnerability analyses, national and local-level coordination with businesses and government agencies, and risk mitigation.32 The OIP is responsible for
coordinating information exchange and collaboration among six sectors: chemical; commercial facilities; critical manufacturing; dams; emergency services; and nuclear reactors, materials, and waste.33 Given that
private sector companies operate most of the facilities in these six sectors, public-private sector partnerships are indispensable to the OIP mission. The Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC), a strategic body, complements the OIP.
The CIPAC is the basic organizational framework in which government and private sector representatives exchange information and coordinate critical infrastructure
protection activities at the federal level. The CIPAC membership roster reads as a veritable “who’s who” of government agencies and industry leaders nationwide. Firms in the CIPAC include such companies as BASF Corporation, the Trump Organization, Verizon, the Boeing Company, Google, and the US Oil and Gas Association. Government entities in the CIPAC include the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Commerce, and Department of Justice.34
The CIPAC demonstrates substantial cooperation between public and private entities at the federal level related to critical infrastructure protection in homeland security. The existence of multiple coordination groups, as well as the presence of leading US businesses within them, underscores that public-private partnerships are integral to achieving homeland security objectives in critical infrastructure protection.
Despite the clear need that the CIPAC is designed to address, however, there are legitimate criticisms that can be leveled against this group. For example, some firms may sense that they are expected to share a significant amount of information with government, but do not get timely information back from government. One could also claim the CIPAC is overly government-centric, and does not give due consideration to business concerns. Moreover, firms may feel pressured to participate in order to avoid regulations that will force them to alter their business strategies.35 Without diminishing the
relevance of these concerns, the CIPAC nonetheless provides an important example of how public-private partnerships are enhancing critical infrastructure protection.
CYBERSECURITY
Information technology (IT) firms are essential in achieving national cybersecurity objectives. Well-known companies routinely p a r t n e r w i t h g o v e r n m e n t t o s h a r e information and collaboratively address IT c h a l l e n g e s w i t h h o m e l a n d s e c u r i t y implications. For example, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is an
organization that raises awareness about cybersecurity issues and empowers computer users to protect themselves against electronic threats.36 Public-private partnerships are
critical to the NCSA mission.37 The NCSA
board includes representatives from numerous national firms, including AT&T Services, Inc., Cisco Systems, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Bank of America, SAIC, and Visa.38 Demonstrating
linkages between the NCSA and federal government, the White House and DHS promoted the most visible NCSA initiative, known as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), in 2010.39 The NCSA is an
excellent example of public-private partnerships at work in the cybersecurity arena.
A recent hacking incident further highlights the interconnectedness of the public and private sectors in cybersecurity. In June 2011, Google publicly disclosed that individuals in China illegally accessed the personal email accounts of several senior US government officials.40 This was allegedly
done through use of “phishing,” a method of fraudulently obtaining a user’s information through fabricated emails asking for usernames, passwords, and related data. Google notified the FBI about the incident. The White House National Security Council (NSC), as well as DHS, followed up with Google to assess the incident’s impact.41
Understanding this attack’s sources and methods provides greater knowledge of cybersecurity threats to public and private sector organizations. As this incident d e m o n s t r a t e s , p u b l i c - p r i v a t e s e c t o r partnerships, as well as information sharing, are critical to effective cybersecurity.
PORT
SECURITY
America’s ports are vital hubs of economic activity. In 2010 alone, nearly 263,000 metric tons of products passed through the port of Houston-Galveston, Texas.42 During
the same period, approximately 30 million passengers flew in and out of LaGuardia airport in New York City.43 With such a high
volume of goods and persons moving through US ports of entry, port security is an urgent priority. Against this backdrop, the Customs
Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a government-business sector initiative that was created to enhance worldwide supply chain security.44 Over
6,000 firms are certified through the C-TPAT program, meaning they enjoy close working relationships with United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are able to obtain government risk assessments of their supply chain, and can attend special government-sponsored supply chain security training sessions.45 Programs like the C-TPAT are
useful to homeland security in providing a broad administrative framework for regular public-private sector coordination.
On-the-ground security initiatives also impact this critical area of economic activity. The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program pre-screens workers with unescorted access to sensitive areas of America’s ports to ensure they do not pose a security threat.46 This arrangement
enhances supply chain security, and helps achieve port security objectives. As of 2009, over 500,000 workers were enrolled in the TWIC program.47
Technologies in use at America’s ports underline the importance of public-private sector partnerships. Consider the SAIC Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS). The VACIS is a device that emits low-level radiation, providing a rapid view of cargo containers’ contents – not unlike an X-ray machine.48 The VACIS permits
government and private sector officials to quickly evaluate if a given container poses a threat. Similarly, new luggage and passenger screening machines produced by L-3 and GE Security bolster protection in US airports.49
While the latter continue to be the subject of vigorous public debate, it is worth noting that the so-called “full body scanners” are a private sector response to a governmental need – a clear example of public-private partnerships at work in homeland security.
Another public-private partnership in US airports is the Screening Partnership Program (SPP). Under this initiative, screening companies that meet certain qualifications carry out TSA-like duties at US airports. Additionally, individual airport executives may petition TSA for private sector employees to work as screeners in their facilities.50 While the program’s scope is
limited – only sixteen airports are participating – the SPP is proving a helpful alternative to TSA screening.51 Mark VanLoh,
Director of Aviation for Kansas City, Missouri, noted in Congressional testimony that the SPP enhances flexibility in personnel use, allows for greater employee cross-training, and is more effective in dealing with non-performing workers.52 Like the use of
new, privately manufactured screening technologies in airports, the SPP illustrates the increasing presence of public-private partnerships in port security.
EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT
Emergency managers are increasingly engaged in all aspects of homeland security, including the previously discussed areas of c r i t i c a l i n f r a s t r u c t u r e p r o t e c t i o n , cybersecurity, and port security.53 But there
is still a distinct area within emergency management that stands apart from these subfields: immediate, near-term response and recovery activities.54 In such activities,
FEMA has widely embraced the essential role of public-private partnerships.55 Hurricane
Katrina and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill illustrate why FEMA has embraced these partnerships.
Hurricane Katrina provides emergency management scholars and practitioners with a powerful lesson in what not to do. While popular blame for inadequate response initially fell upon FEMA, today researchers acknowledge systemic failures at all levels of government.56 Despite these shortcomings,
the private sector helped to address various government deficiencies in response and recovery efforts.57 As the world’s largest
employer, Wal-Mart is proficient in logistics; that is, efficiently moving and distributing large quantities of goods over a wide geographic area. In anticipation of the storm’s impact in 2005, Wal-Mart deployed trucks full of relief supplies to the Gulf region.58 Clothing, diapers, toothbrushes,
bottled water, ice, and non-perishable food items began rolling off Wal-Mart’s fleet of trucks as the storm passed.59 Government
leaders took notice. A local official even suggested that FEMA use Wal-Mart’s response as a model for its own efforts.60 In
the midst of a significant disaster, Wal-Mart filled governmental gaps in disaster recovery capabilities.
Like Katrina, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill affected a vast geographic area in the Gulf of Mexico. The initial response involved hundreds of local, state, and federal government actors, as well as representatives from the non-profit and private sectors. British Petroleum, which was a responsible party for the spill, worked with the federal government and veterans of the Exxon Valdez oil spill to assess its impact and facilitate cleanup efforts.61 The public sector
lacked the necessary combination of equipment and technical expertise to shut off the flow of oil from the Gulf floor.62 Thus BP,
which drilled the leaking undersea oil well in the first place, cooperated with the public sector in carrying out the work of halting the spill. Public-private sector partnerships were integral to the overall response and recovery effort.
F E M A h a s m a d e p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships a high priority, and leads a major national initiative to forge closer ties with the business community. The agency’s regional offices, which cover all fifty states and US territories, house a private sector liaison officer charged with building alliances with firms.63 FEMA Administrator Craig
Fugate underscored the importance of the private sector for emergency management in recent public remarks:
The private sector, from Fortune 500 companies to your local grocery store, is an essential member of the team…. The faster we can help stores and businesses get back on their feet [after a] disaster, the more effective the rest of the team can be in focusing our resources on helping disaster survivors in areas that don't yet have access to those goods and services. Growing strong working relationships between emergency managers and the private sector is a good business decision for everyone – it helps us better serve survivors, rebuild our communities and boost local economies.64
These comments illustrate the degree of buy-in within FEMA oriented toward building relationships with businesses. Public-private partnerships are beneficial in enhancing firms’ preparedness for disaster, as well as connecting them with government
partners in advance of a large-scale emergency. From FEMA’s leadership team to personnel in regional offices, public-private sector partnerships carry tremendous importance. This emphasis has real-world impacts in disaster response.
BENEFITS OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS FOR HOMELAND
SECURITY
Public-private partnerships can enhance hiring, resource utilization, specialization, cross-sector trust, and technological innovation. They are often able to cut across traditional bureaucratic divides within government. And they can enhance public protection in ways not possible for g o v e r n m e n t o r b u s i n e s s e s a c t i n g independently. In this section, we will discuss each of these advantages, which suggest public-private partnerships will make ongoing contributions in homeland security.
HIRING
The private sector helps the public sector fill personnel needs more effectively than the g o v e r n m e n t a c t i n g i n d e p e n d e n t l y . Background checks for security clearances – a widespread requirement for prospective employees in the homeland security arena – are notoriously sluggish, sometimes taking years to complete.65 This can create a
significant time lag effect between an applicant being offered a position, and a c t u a l l y a s s u m i n g t h a t p o s i t i o n . Compounding the issue, separate human resources-oriented activities are also necessary to bring a new employee into the homeland security workforce. These background investigation and human resources processes frequently overlap. Businesses operating within the homeland security space are often able to bring in new employees faster, and more efficiently, than the public sector. 66 This, in turn, creates
value for the public sector. This arrangement serves firms’ business interests, as well as governmental personnel needs.
Today, firms like SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics assign employees to work
shoulder-to-shoulder with government counterparts in public sector homeland security offices.67 As a result, the homeland
security workforce benefits from the hiring speed of the private sector. These private sector employees perform traditionally government functions, from intelligence analysis, to emergency planning, to protecting critical infrastructure. Thus, businesses can augment the total homeland security workforce faster than government acting alone. This provides a swift, cost-effective solution to the need for more personnel in homeland security positions.
RESOURCE
UTILIZATION
Firms have a fixed amount of human and physical capital with which to achieve business objectives. Resource utilization refers to these assets being directed toward a specific aim, and in so doing, forgoing other opportunities. By orienting resources toward homeland security applications, businesses, government, and the public can benefit. Firms’ sales increase. Government gains from privately produced products and services, and public safety is enhanced. Private companies forge an advantageous triangular relationship among these stakeholders by using their resources for homeland security purposes.
A case from aviation security illustrates how focused resource utilization can benefit businesses, government, and the general public. In 2008, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it would permit airline passengers to keep laptops in bags at security checkpoints, provided the bags adhere to a certain x-ray transparency standard.68 TSA subsequently
released a Request for Information (RFI) about bag requirements: they should have no metal components, such as zippers, buttons, or snaps that could interfere with the ability of an x-ray to “see” the laptop’s components. To this end, Aerovation – a luggage producer – responded by designing a “checkpoint friendly” laptop bag.69 In public-private
partnerships such as this, a firm re-allocates research and development resources in order to meet government homeland security objectives, while at the same time serving its
business interests. In theory, this would increase operational efficiency and reduce wait times for airline passengers in security queues. For this innovation to be effective, however, TSA personnel would need to re c e ive t raining t o re c og nize t he s e “checkpoint friendly” bags and allow passengers to keep their laptops in the bags. This training may not have sufficiently occurred yet. But through these and similar efforts to maximize resource utilization, public-private partnerships can work to achieve homeland security objectives.
SPECIALIZATION
By participating in homeland security activities, private sector actors develop specializations in functional areas, enhancing public sector performance.70 This process, in
turn, can permit government agencies to f o c u s m o r e u p o n m i s s i o n - e s s e n t i a l activities.71 For example, in 2009, TSA
announced the award of an IT services contract to CSC, a firm based in Falls Church, Virginia.72 The $493 million, five-year deal
i n c l u d e s p r o v i s i o n s f o r d e s i g n i n g , maintaining, and upgrading TSA’s IT infrastructure over time.73 Serving one
agency’s IT needs in such a comprehensive way means that CSC develops increasing familiarity with TSA systems, software, hardware, and requirements. This knowledge creates efficiencies over time. On the one hand, CSC is able to anticipate TSA’s needs in a more effective fashion. On the other hand, TSA is freed to devote personnel and resources to other critical activities. Increasing specialization by CSC increases aggregate effectiveness, serving both private sector and public sector interests in a mutually beneficial manner.
BUILDING
TRUST
,
INCREASING
EFFECTIVENESS
Communication between the public and private sector can decrease officials’ skepticism and mistrust of one another. Over time, repeated interaction and collaboration may actually build trust across the government-business divide. Whether developing plans for the future, or
responding to an emergency, trust is invaluable in fostering effective, mutually beneficial outcomes.74 So public-private
partnerships have what might be called a “softer” benefit – the construction of relationships themselves. It is challenging to quantify the value of a public-private sector relationship in the same way one might appraise a house or a car. But having excellent working relationships in place during routine operations, as well as crises, is invaluable.75
TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION
Public-private partnerships can also serve as catalysts for new technological innovations.76
Two growing DHS initiatives stand out in their promotion of private sector innovation for homeland security-related challenges: the System Efficacy through Commercialization, Utilization, Relevance and Evaluation (SECURE) program, and its sister program, FutureTECH.77 The SECURE program
provides a pathway for private sector research and development (R&D) to occur without DHS financing the process itself. This departs from the traditional model of government-funded R&D, in that DHS provides clear requirements and design specifications to prospective vendors via public announcement. Firms, in turn, design technologies using their own resources, and attempt to sell them to the government at a competitive price.78 This achieves public
sector budgetary savings, permits firms to focus their R&D activities in a more effective way, and strives to deploy solutions in the short-term.
The FutureTECH program aims to enhance existing technologies to meet anticipated needs, taking a longer view of the innovation process. DHS identifies specific focus areas in which firms can continue to update and improve homeland security tools. These areas include detection of homemade explosives and waterborne improvised explosive devices.79 By entering into a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with DHS, firms can benefit from public sector subject matter experts who help to shape the design of a given product to meet precise requirements.
In this sense, CRADA require close coordination between a DHS Science and Technology (S&T) officer and business representatives.80 Both SECURE and
FutureTECH can advance innovation for homeland security by focusing private sector R&D activities to meet public sector needs. Despite the great promise of public-private partnerships in homeland security, they also have a number of shortcomings. The article next addresses some of the ways in which public-private partnerships can fail, and outlines areas of governance in which public-private partnerships cannot function.
POTENTIAL SHORTCOMINGS OF
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Public-private partnerships can provide tremendous advantages for both government and businesses and can help the United States to meet its national security needs. There are, however, instances in which public-private partnerships are inappropriate due to the unique mandates of government. There have also been cases in which public-private partnerships fail to meet expectations or businesses do not comply with government recommendations. These issues demonstrate that while public-private partnerships are an important development in homeland security, they are imperfect, and there are certain roles that must be retained exclusively by the public sector.
THE
LIMITS OF
PUBLIC
-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS
There are certain functions that must remain squarely within the public sector domain. The decision to hire and fire government employees is clearly a public sector responsibility – and must remain an authority of the public sector. To be clear, private sector-contractors can assist public sector entities in human resources-related processes, providing operational assistance, information, and expertise. But the actual
decision to grow or shrink the workforce
affects government in a deeply rooted way, and requires a government employee’s signature. To do otherwise would risk undermining the political process, and would
create severe conflicts of interest in the very contracts that are approved for the private sector. This would present an unacceptable and unethical quandary for government.
Procuring resources, managing crises, and securing contracts are clear public sector responsibilities that should not be placed in private sector hands. For accountability reasons, businesses cannot control public sector budgets. Firms can provide advice on budgeting decisions for government, but they cannot actually approve them. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, signatures on procurement orders must remain those of government employees. The public sector also relies on contracts for provision of goods and services, and government employees must sign those contracts. Outsourcing this function effectively places control of public dollars in private hands, undermining society’s trust in government’s stewardship of tax revenue. Similarly, crises often call for public safety-related decisions about the movement of people and resources. The democratic state’s first duty is to protect its citizens, and it naturally follows that these types of choices – sending another police officer, opening and closing evacuation shelters – must ultimately be directed by government employees.
UNMET
EXPECTATIONS AND
COST
OVERRUNS
Without proper management, contractual public-private partnerships can fail for many reasons, including unmet expectations and cost overruns. One component of the DHS Secure Border Initiative, widely known as the “Virtual Fence,” provides an excellent example of how this can happen. This initiative was to consist of a series of surveillance radars, cameras, and sensors to monitor the United States-Mexico border.81
But the region’s harsh terrain caused the equipment to malfunction, and the different technologies that made up the Virtual Fence were challenging to integrate.82 These issues
would be problematic enough on their own, but the project also ran into cost overruns. Estimates for 2005 showed it would cost $7 billion for the fence to cover the entire 2,000-mile US southern border.83 But a pilot test of
Virtual Fence technology cost $1 billion to cover fifty-three miles of the border – just 2 percent of the total project.84 In January
2011, DHS canceled the Virtual Fence project, noting that it “‘did not meet current s t a n d a r d s f o r v i a b i l i t y a n d c o s t effectiveness.’”85 The Virtual Fence project
demonstrates how contractual partnerships between government and business can fall apart. Unmet expectations, poor execution, and spiraling costs doomed the initiative. This underscores the importance of effective and transparent management of contracts in public-private partnerships.
APPEARANCE VERSUS
REALITY OF
COOPERATION
In 2008, teams of government scientists identified a cyber vulnerability in the US Bulk Power System (BPS), drafted a list of remedies to address the vulnerability, distributed the list to electrical companies, and provided a timeline for implementation. Despite these proactive steps, and despite the apparent mutual interest in addressing these vulnerabilities, in reality there was minimal private sector compliance with these recommendations.86 This example shows
differences between public and private sector approaches to cybersecurity. It also suggests that, despite the appearance of public-private sector cooperation on cybersecurity initiatives, actual cooperation may be less common than one imagines.87
D i f f e r i n g a p p r o a c h e s t o c r i t i c a l infrastructure protection can also be a source of discord between the public and private sectors. Marc de Bruijne and Michel van Eeten point out that while government and business both agree on the importance of critical infrastructure protection, this consensus can be remarkably shallow.88
Another scholar notes that any business executive who suddenly announced he was increasing security spending by 25 percent for the good of the nation would almost certainly be fired.89 Government appeals to
morals, patriotism, or civic responsibility quickly lose their luster when they begin to eat into a firm’s bottom line.90 Businesses
may publicly promote their commitment to security, but behind closed doors, there is an
upper limit to firms’ security expenses. Beyond that limit, genuine (rather than rhetorical) investment in security can be difficult to come by.
These examples provide a cautionary tale for the public and private sectors. Public-private partnerships provide great value for both government and businesses. But there are fundamental limits to what public-private partnerships can do, and they sometimes fail to deliver as expected. In the following section, we discuss ongoing challenges for public-private sector partnerships for homeland security.
ONGOING CHALLENGES FOR
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN HOMELAND SECURITY
As the examples in the previous sections d e m o n s t r a t e , p u b l i c - p r i v a t e s e c t o r partnerships are transforming the entire discipline of homeland security, but there are potential pitfalls from such partnerships as well. This trend toward public-private p a r t n e r s h i p s c a n t h e r e f o r e p r o v i d e tremendous benefits, but it can also create organizational pathologies, long-term challenges, and many uncertainties. Several of the challenges discussed below are already emerging, while others may arise as public-private partnerships continue to evolve in h o m e l a n d s e c u r i t y . S c h o l a r s a n d practitioners will need to be mindful of these issues as the discipline of homeland security matures.
EVOLVING
GOVERNANCE AND
RESPONSIBILITY
In public-private partnerships, traditional hierarchy yields to collaborative engagement. In addition to more traditional skills in overseeing and directing, managers will increasingly need to connect and coordinate the shared activities, resources, and capabilities of a host of new organizations and individuals. This arrangement suggests a shift in management and organizational accountability, raising salient legal and ethical questions.
Management and Accountability
Over time, public-private partnerships will undoubtedly affect the skill sets required for public sector managers. As noted, supervisors will be more valued for their ability to foster collaboration among personnel and o r g a n i z a t i o n s t h a n f o r h i e r a r c h i c a l management skills. This transition toward a more coordinated public sector management is known as “networked governance.”91 Like
most organizations broadly concerned with public safety, homeland security agencies have historically self-organized in a paramilitary-style, top-down structure. Networked governance suggests a flattening of this organizational structure over time.
In this sense, the need for collaborative management will ultimately drive changes in hiring and promotion practices. The spoils will go to those who can effectively communicate and coordinate the actions of many disparate actors – not to those who can simply command. The coordination-oriented manager’s skills, values, and outlook then trickle down into the rest of the organization, eventually changing it from within. This adjustment from a hierarchical to a more horizontal organization would require excellent planning and execution by both public and private sector leaders to ensure continuing effectiveness. These potential organizational changes also connect with questions of accountability.
Who is calling the shots now? With more firms entering the homeland security space, delicate management questions become salient: is it ever appropriate for a private sector employee to direct a government civil servant to perform specific work functions? Under what circumstances might this hold true? Two members of Congress recently voiced reservations about this idea, underlining that it is government, not business, that must be ultimately be “in charge” of homeland security.92 Is this always
the case? What protections can government devise to ensure that it continues to direct homeland security operations, even with a substantial private sector presence? None of these questions are easy to answer. As the field of homeland security moves forward, these issues will continue to present difficult
challenges for governmental and private sector specialists.
Legal and Ethical Challenges
Government can expand its presence and influence via public-private partnerships in homeland security. This carries legal implications worth considering. Jon D. Michaels refers to a phenomenon he calls “deputizing,” in which the private sector, along with citizens and other organizations, serve as a force multiplier for homeland security purposes. He holds that this arrangement can place homeland security activities on ambiguous legal and regulatory ground.93 For example, private security
officers now outnumber police officers three to one in the United States.94 Retaining
private security firms can be financially advantageous for government. Guarding federal buildings or large-scale events increases long-term fixed costs for law enforcement agencies. Retaining firms to temporarily perform these duties saves time and money. It permits law enforcement agencies to reallocate resources to other priorities. Despite these benefits, this type of public-private partnership also raises serious constitutional questions.
There is a vigorous debate related to the legal powers of private security officers.95
Private security firms may or may not act as government agents. Depending upon context, they may conduct limited searches of persons. It is not yet clear if these searches are uniformly constrained by the US C o n s t i t u t i o n ’ s f o u r t h a n d f i f t h amendments.96 Similarly, there are concerns
about the chain of command within private security companies. To whom do private security officers ultimately report, and to whom are they ultimately accountable – a government authority or a business? And how does this distinction affect the way they carry out their duties? These issues blur the legal boundaries between business and government. The implications here are significant. Use of private firms for law enforcement-like functions raises legal and organizational questions that must be balanced against financial advantages.97
Despite these challenges, proponents of public-private partnerships can point to a
number of strategic advantages. Government can exert its influence through businesses in a beneficial way. Putting aside discussion of private security firms, consider that privately produced technologies scan citizens for explosives and contraband in airports. Scholars in emergency management, public administration, operations management, and urban affairs highlight the benefits of private sector participation in disaster response.98
Skeptics, however, can be apprehensive about the degree to which the state intrudes o n p r i v a t e l i v e s v i a p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships: surveillance cameras can capture one’s every move in public; cell phone intercepts erase the notion of private information exchange; and invasive airport security screening is often interpreted as eroding individual liberties and initiating a slow shift toward more widespread draconian security measures. These are valid sources of concern and require clear responses from government and businesses.
The shifting of organizational and technological responsibilities to the private sector also prompts related questions about liability. If private sector technologies do not deliver, what does this mean from a legal perspective? For example, let us assume a sophisticated network of chemical sensors fails to detect a toxic agent in the Washington, DC-area Metro system. Who gets the blame? Absent indemnification agreements, can government sue the firm? Is it more appropriate for citizens’ litigation to be directed toward government or the business itself? Joint action means sharing accountability for successes and failures in homeland security. Security, however, is the state’s first duty. It is government, not business, that must ultimately make critical decisions and take decisive actions in homeland security. How to reconcile these positions? Does public-private sector collaboration mean mutual or individual culpability for mistakes? These lines of inquiry require further investigation. Additional liability questions arise when the public sector lacks the knowledge to make informed judgments and decisions.
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill show what can happen when government regulation breaks down. No public sector agency had a complete view of
the problem, nor the expertise and equipment needed to solve it. Might the privatization of airport security functions create a similar dilemma? For instance, what happens if an explosive device slips through a security checkpoint, ultimately downing a commercial airliner? Will government be able to adequately explain to the public why the lapse occurred, and how to remedy it? Contractual consequences under this scenario prove worrisome, as well. If government homeland security capacity is “hollowed out” via outsourcing to private firms, then homeland security can be held hostage to the private sector.99 Public sector
agencies must guard against this possibility through diversifying contracts, incentivizing competition among private sector actors, and maintaining a minimum baseline of expertise in core competencies.
Increasing Need for Transparency Public-private partnerships also raise concerns related to transparency, which refers to two distinct, yet related concepts. The first is governmental transparency, specifically agency reporting to Congress. The second is agency and business reporting to t h e g e n e r a l p u b l i c . B o t h a r e a s o f transparency pose significant challenges. Legislative oversight is problematic for DHS. As of July 2012, over 100 committees or subcommittees address matters related to departmental operations.100 Businesses in the
homeland security space compound this challenge. For example, are private sector representatives held to the same standards of ethics and accountability as their public sector counterparts? If Congressional oversight of DHS is fractured, how effective is oversight of firms’ activities? Robust monitoring of public and private sector homeland security actions is essential. Lawmakers will need to ensure that oversight evolves in parallel with the trend toward public-private partnerships in homeland security.
A second challenge relates to decreasing transparency in the privatization of national security functions.101 Among the many
volumes on the evolution of homeland and international security since 9/11, Dana Priest and William M. Arkin provide the most
expansive treatment of this topic.102 They
raise several salient observations about the expansion of post-9/11 government contracts. Under the Bush administration, they argue that Congress was able to substantially grow government for national security reasons via private contracting.103 At the same time, they
note that Congress tried to create the appearance government was not growing – presumably for political reasons.104 There is
also a span of control issue; top government officials admit the number of national security programs involving businesses has become unmanageable.105 Cozy relationships
b e t w e e n g o v e r n m e n t a n d b u s i n e s s representatives are uncomfortable for Priest and Arkin. These are best exemplified in the lavish conferences in which public and private sector officials mingle over expensive drinks, dinner, and entertainment.106 The
purpose of these conferences is to build business relationships between the public and private sectors.107 To Priest and Arkin,
though, they appear to erode the sense of accountability and due diligence needed in government contracting. They argue that these trends are ultimately damaging to national security.
To a limited extent, we agree with Priest and Arkin’s thesis. It is true that ineffective program management is fiscally irresponsible and is conducive to misdirection and error. It is also important for the public to know that program oversight is in place and that o u t c o m e s a r e b e i n g m e a s u r e d i n a meaningful way. But the suggestion that there is something sinister here is unfounded. Priest and Arkin gloss over the efficiencies that public-private partnerships can create. As we have argued in this article, public-private partnerships can improve hiring, resource utilization, specialization of labor, and technological innovation. In public-private partnerships, firms seek profits, and government scales in a way that would be impossible if acting independently. In this sense, public-private partnerships enhance efficiencies in ways that government cannot produce on its own. This is not foul play; it is a case of rational action by both the public and private sectors.
In light of these challenges, the public and private sectors would be well served by s h o w i n g w h y g o v e r n m e n t - b u s i n e s s
partnerships are necessary, and how their existence benefits homeland security. A positive example of such efforts would be the work of Thomas Cellucci, former chief commercialization officer at DHS, who publishes extensively on the benefits of public-private partnerships for government, businesses, and taxpayers.108 For example, he
m a k e s t h e c a s e f o r p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships, particularly in the context of the DHS SECURE program:
The products that are developed through [the SECURE program] (even the ones that were not purchased by DHS) can be offered to other private sector entities, such as airport security, school and university security, and security for professional sports and concerts, many of whom support the defense of critical infrastructure and key resources nation-wide. There is then an increase in public safety and security, all while the private sector, public sector and taxpayer benefit from the partnership.109
In clear language, Cellucci demonstrates the benefits of public-private partnerships for businesses, government, and the public. S i m i l a r g o v e r n m e n t r e p o r t i n g a n d explanation will help allay concerns over the necessity of public-private partnerships.
INCENTIVIZING
PRIVATE
SECTOR
PARTICIPATION
Public-private partnerships are easy when both government and business immediately benefit. In a service contract, for example, government is able to procure a needed good or service, and a company’s bottom line i n c r e a s e s . B u t w h a t h a p p e n s w h e n government needs the private sector – such as in obtaining data on critical infrastructure vulnerabilities – but the private sector lacks incentives to cooperate with government? Working with public sector officials, while helpful for homeland security purposes, eats into firms’ overhead expenses. Collecting data on a business’ vulnerabilities requires time, labor, and material costs that are not profit-oriented. There is a financial disincentive for businesses to assist government in this case. This problem can be compounded if a company’s competitor decides not to cooperate with government in
the same way. The competitor can potentially provide services at a lower cost than the company that decides to “play ball.”110
Public-private partnerships can also create proprietary and legal risks for companies. What assurances, for example, do firms have that government will protect proprietary or sensitive information? The WikiLeaks scandal underlines that classified national security information can quickly enter the public domain, damaging the national interest.111 It is reasonable to suggest that
firms’ confidential information could be subject to similar disclosures while in government custody. Such leaks can rapidly erode a business’ competitive edge. Other firms offering similar products or services gain valuable business intelligence from these data. Private sector actors may find their trust in government undercut by information leaks. In extremis, private sector cooperation with government on critical infrastructure protection could lead to a business’ outright failure through breaches of confidentiality.112
Regulatory questions become salient in exchange of sensitive information. Can businesses be targeted for punitive measures if they unwittingly turn over damaging information about their activities? There is a potential moral dilemma in businesses providing the government information on facilities and operations. Countless firms are subject to government regulation. In cooperating with government for homeland security purposes, firms potentially risk shining a light on unsavory or illegal business practices. Government and businesses may need to develop clear guidelines on exchanging potentially damaging information for homeland security purposes.113
H o w t o p r o m o t e p r i v a t e s e c t o r engagement under these challenging circumstances? Orszag argues tax breaks make bad policy; they can provide benefits to firms that would have invested in security measures anyway, increasing the firms’ budgetary costs but not actually providing extra security.114 Moreover, he argues that tax
credits do not distinguish between high-risk and low-risk sectors – for example, chemical plants versus shopping malls – when they logically should.115 Similarly, James A. Lewis
points out that voluntary cooperation from firms in the cybersecurity arena is
inconsistent with other sectors of homeland security that require strict government regulation, including banking, commerce, and transportation.116 Both of these examples
show the difficulty of balancing regulatory tools and market forces to engage businesses in homeland security efforts. Scholars, public sector practitioners, and private sector representatives therefore aid homeland security by seeking new ways to encourage businesses’ participation. Developing a menu of policy options to increase firms’ involvement in homeland security will be an important priority for the years ahead.
POLITICS
,
BUDGETS
,AND
LONG
-TERM
PLANNING
Politics, budgets, and long-term planning are interconnected in the homeland security context. The electoral process can impact homeland security in significant ways. Representatives’ thinking about homeland security leads to adjustments in budgets and policies. While hawkish elected officials may choose to funnel more resources toward homeland security, others might elect to trim budgets and focus more narrowly on specific strategic priorities. These shifts can alter, or even undermine, long-term planning in homeland security. The ongoing global financial crisis also impacts government and businesses’ approaches to homeland security. In this dynamic environment, the public and private sectors must effectively plan for future threats and challenges in homeland security.
Politics affect public-private partnerships. For example, Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman recently expressed concern that private employees, rather than government officials, are making critical decisions at DHS.117 After TSA halted an initiative in 2011
to expand businesses’ roles in airport security, Florida Congressman John Mica vowed to investigate the decision, noting “Nearly every positive security innovation since the beginning of TSA has come from the contractor screening program.”118 When
politics challenges businesses in this way, firms can become increasingly reluctant to enter the homeland security space. Winning government contracts comes at significant
overhead cost; research and development, labor, and negotiation expenses come out of firms’ bottom lines. It makes little sense for firms to invest in homeland security if elected officials (vis-à-vis bureaucrats, with whom those firms routinely interact) can abruptly restrict or halt business. When companies hesitate to enter the homeland security arena, this reduces the size of the private sector homeland security market. With less competition in the game, firms that stay at the table can charge higher fees for government contracts. The public sector is left with a diminishing pool of choices for outsourcing, becoming increasingly beholden to a small number of businesses for products and services. Of course, with stifled competition, any cost increases are passed on to taxpayers. Political forces can profoundly change government-business partnerships in homeland security.
Global financial markets influence agency budgets. Recently, the worldwide economic recession reduced the number of private contractors performing traditionally governmental functions. A 2009 DHS initiative began to examine the appropriate balance of government workers and contractors within the department.119 By
April 2011, DHS cut 3,200 contractor positions, converting them into 2,400 government jobs.120 The DHS 2012 fiscal
budget includes provisions to convert another 1,881 positions from the private sector to the public sector.121 Current trends away from
private contracting are not limited to DHS. In January 2011, then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced an initiative to drastically thin the ranks of contractors within the Department of Defense, as well:
[As] I have said before, this department has become far too reliant on contractors to perform functions that should either be done by full-time employees or, in some cases, to staff activities that could – and should – be discontinued…. Overall, we will cut the size of the staff support contractor cadre by 10 percent per year for three years and realize nearly $6 billion in total savings.122
Reduced budgets affect public-private partnerships in homeland security, and will
continue to change amidst efforts to revive the world’s economies.
Businesses now face an uncertain future. Some firms find themselves in “survival mode,” trimming staff because of operating costs. In 2011, icons of American industry with links to homeland security, including G M ( o f f i c i a l v e h i c l e s ) , C a t e r p i l l a r ( c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d d e b r i s r e m o v a l equipment), Sprint Nextel (communications), and Home Depot (disaster recovery supplies) cut thousands of positions.123 When firms
trim budgets, they have fewer resources (human and physical capital) to produce products and deliver services. This means the range of possible business relationships for homeland security narrows. Complicating matters, when government budgets shrink, firms can find it difficult to plan for the future; revenue streams become dynamic, and this year’s homeland security cash cow may not be there next year. These circumstances create a vicious circle effect for businesses. Government budget cuts eliminate business for the private sector, forcing firms to scale down. This trimming could restrict the ability of companies to operate in the homeland security space. For both the public and private sectors, then, there is an aggregate shrinking effect in homeland security capacity. This creates hardships for both sectors. Government may not be able to guarantee a consistent level of public protection, while businesses may find it difficult to sustain operations and grow effectively. Both sectors are burdened by the global financial crisis.
In light of these trends, government and businesses must effectively plan for the future of homeland security. Converting private sector jobs to public sector positions requires focused government effort. Competencies, skills, and knowledge must smoothly transfer from business to government hands. Yet there is little financial incentive for businesses to cooperate in this process. Doing so contradicts their self-interests. After all, firms in the homeland security space make money from government contracts. For its part, government may find it has lost the capacity to perform in certain areas of homeland security. This may be due to over-reliance on the private sector – the “hollowing out” of government mentioned
above. Further complicating this picture, there is a continual flow of homeland security officials between the public and private sectors. Firms’ employees may join government to gain excellent benefits, promotion potential, and predictable work schedules. Public sector employees can gravitate toward the private sector for substantially higher salaries and fewer bureaucratic constraints. Downplaying or ignoring these trends hinders effective long-term planning in homeland security. Business and government officials should carefully consider these factors in their respective plans for the future.
CONCLUSIONS
This article shows that public-private partnerships are now integral to homeland security as a whole – not just its subfields. Government and business cooperation can provide distinct advantages in hiring, resource utilization, specialization, and technological innovation. These partnerships also have significant implications for management practices, legal and ethical challenges, transparency, building private sector participation, politics, budgeting, and long-term planning. Future studies will need to examine other critical issues that become relevant as public-private partnerships continue.
For example, what is the effect of decreasing the number of private contractors working in homeland security? This may increase cost savings, but also degrade operational efficiencies. In an era of shrinking budgets and rising demands on security officials, it may be that reducing the privatization of homeland security also diminishes effectiveness. This may be fiscally healthy, in other words, but damaging from a security standpoint. Scholars can benefit from critically examining the effects of private sector personnel reductions on homeland security.
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https://1library.net/document/q2px2l6y-public-private-partnerships-homeland-security-opportunities-and-challenges.html
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Public-private partnership PPP: Public-private partnership PPP is a funding model for a public infrastructure project such as a new telecommunications system, airport or power plant. The public partner is represented by the government at a local, state and/or national level. The private partner can be a privately-owned business, public. A public-private partnership, or P3, is a contract between a governmental body and a private entity, with the goal of providing some public benefit, either an asset or a service. Public-private partnerships typically are long-term and involve large corporations on the private side. The Public-Private Partnership Center in collaboration with Infrastructure Asia, conducted a Solid Waste Management SWM PPP Project Concept Note PCN Development Workshop for the local government units of Antipolo City, Baguio City, Davao City, General Santos City, and Province of Iloilo on December 10-11, 2019, to guide the LGUs in the.
Jul 22, 2019 · Public-private partnerships in health programs are the encouraging representations for financing successful health care innovations with joint efforts between private and public sectors with a serene concept on partnership structures, common objectives for on-time delivery of the health services. Nov 20, 2019 · In a traditional P3 agreement, the public component of the partnership acts as a contracting officer.It looks for funding and has overall control of the project and its assets. Almost any partnership between a private contractor and a government entity can be considered a P3, but some of the most common examples are public road projects, maintenance of parks, and construction of. Are you financing or structuring public-private partnerships in infrastructure? The PPPLRC can help. It contains sample public-private partnership PPP agreements and concessions, checklists and sample clauses, terms of reference, risk matrices, standard bidding documents developed by government agencies and sample PPP and sector legislation and regulation. Oct 23, 2013 · Based on the successful PPP lottery operations partnership in Illinois, six other states considered P3 management of their state lottery programs. Read more about the public-private partnership of the Illinois Lottery initiative on. EXAMPLE 5 - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: High speed internet access for America’s cities.
The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority promotes an ongoing collaboration between the public and private sector with the ultimate aim of offering a high quality of life to all Puerto Ricans. The collaboration between these two sectors is key to promoting sustainable economic development and establishing Puerto Rico as a global competitor in the industry of goods and services.
The Public-Private Partnership Conference & Expo unites leaders from states and localities, higher education institutions, and public agencies, with industry to discuss infrastructure challenges faced nationwide; and how innovations in project delivery, procurement, life cycle asset management, and technology can help solve critical issues. The APMG PPP Certification Program is an innovation of the Asian Development Bank ADB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD, the Inter-American Development Bank IDB, the Islamic Development Bank IsDB, the World Bank Group WBG and part funded by the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility PPIAF with a. A public-private partnership, also called a PPP, P3 or 3P, is a long-term cooperative agreement between a private company and the national or local government. Public-private partnership arrangements have existed throughout history, but have become significantly more popular across the globe since the 1980s as governments attempt to obtain some benefits from the private sector without.
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http://livny.info/ppp-public-partnership-2020
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To help users find relevant, quality resources from our Resource Library, we create curated lists on a variety of topics, bringing important practitioner- and academic-oriented work to the forefront.
Here we present resources on cross-sector collaboration in cybersecurity — tools, reports, books, and scholarly articles that tackle topics ranging from the legal, strategic, and pragmatic obstacles to cross-sector collaboration in cybersecurity to public-private partnerships to protect critical cyber infrastructure.
View all our curated lists here.
NextWare Cyber Collaboration Toolkit, Center for a New American Security, 2017
“The NextWare Cyber Collaboration Toolkit aims to demonstrate the value of … broad, cross-disciplinary collaboration through a series of tools that guide users through actionable collaborative methods.” The Toolkit is “a product of The NextWare Sessions project … [which] convened a select group of expert stakeholders from key fields to engage in facilitated workshops where they considered a variety of cross-disciplinary, collaborative methods to address endemic cybersecurity challenges and inform the development of the Toolkit.”
Cybersecurity Partnerships: A New Era of Public-Private Collaboration, The Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law, Judith H. Germano, 2014
“It is generally understood that the public and private sectors need to collaborate to address the nation’s cybersecurity challenges, yet there remain significant questions regarding the circumstances, nature, and scope of those relationships. Legal, strategic, and pragmatic obstacles often impede effective public-private sector cooperation, which are compounded by regulatory and civil liability risks. … In an effort to better understand and, hopefully, help address the challenges of institutionalizing effective cooperation, this paper [explores] four key areas that should be clarified as a necessary step in adopting a strategic approach to cybersecurity.”
Self- and Co-regulation in Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and National Security, Tatiana Tropina and Cormac Callanan, 2015
✴ Available only with purchase from publisher
This SpringerBrief eBook “provides insights into the development of self- and co-regulatory approaches to cybercrime and cybersecurity in the multi-stakeholder environment. It highlights the differences concerning the ecosystem of stakeholders involved in each area and covers government supported initiatives to motivate industry to adopt self-regulation. Including a review of the drawbacks of existing forms of public-private collaboration, which can be attributed to a specific area (cybercrime, cybersecurity and national security), it provides some suggestions with regard to the way forward in self- and co-regulation in securing cyberspace.”
Public–Private Partnerships in National Cyber-security Strategies, International Affairs, Madeline Carr, 2016
✴ Available only with purchase from publisher
“Despite its centrality in the national cyber security strategies of the [United States] and the [United Kingdom], the public-private partnership is a nebulous arrangement, which is especially problematic in the context of critical infrastructure protection. Privately owned and operated critical infrastructure that is regarded as a potential national security vulnerability raises questions about the allocation of responsibility and accountability in terms of cyber security. … This article draws on the extensive literature on public-private partnerships in order to assess the tensions and challenges of this arrangement in national cyber-security strategies [and] finds that there is a serious disjuncture in expectations from both ‘partners.’”
Cybersecurity and Public Goods: The Public/Private “Partnership”, Hoover Institution, Paul Rosenzweig, 2015
“Cyber security cooperation between the federal government and the private sector is essential, yet our cyber systems are particularly vulnerable to attack. Why is that so, and what can we do to fix the problem? We need to approach the question from fundamental first principles: Is cyber security a public good or a private good? Once we answer that question, we can determine whether our current laws and regulations enhance the government’s proper function or impede the private sector. This essay attempts to begin that effort.”
ITU National Cybersecurity Strategy Guide, International Telecommunications Union, Frederick Wamala, 2012
This report argues that “national leaders have accountability for devising a cybersecurity strategy and fostering local, national, and global cross-sector cooperation. … [The report discusses] what constitutes a national cybersecurity strategy; the typical ends it seeks to accomplish and the context that influences its execution [and] how States and other relevant stakeholders such as private sector organisations can build capacity to execute a cybersecurity strategy and the resources required to address risks.”
Cyberspace Policy Review: Securing America’s Digital Future, U.S. National Security Council, 2009
Especially see “Sharing Responsibility for Cybersecurity” on pp. 17-23: “The public and private sectors’ interests are intertwined with a shared responsibility for ensuring a secure, reliable infrastructure upon which businesses and government services depend. Government and industry leaders both nationally and internationally need to delineate roles and responsibilities, integrate capabilities, and take ownership of the problem to develop holistic solutions. Only through such partnerships will the United States be able to enhance cybersecurity and reap the full benefits of the digital revolution.”
Guidance on Public-Private Information Sharing against Cybercrime, World Economic Forum, 2017
“It is generally recognized globally that to better deal with the negative aspects of the digital world, international cooperation between [public and private] actors is required especially when it comes to sharing information.” This report aims to provide insight on two questions that are key to that effort. First, what type of information should be shared between public and private partners in efforts to combat cybercrime? And second, How should this information be shared?
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http://intersector.com/lists/cybersecurity/
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To help users find relevant, quality resources from our Resource Library, we create curated lists on a variety of topics, bringing important practitioner- and academic-oriented work to the forefront.
Here we present resources on cross-sector collaboration in cybersecurity — tools, reports, books, and scholarly articles that tackle topics ranging from the legal, strategic, and pragmatic obstacles to cross-sector collaboration in cybersecurity to public-private partnerships to protect critical cyber infrastructure.
View all our curated lists here.
NextWare Cyber Collaboration Toolkit, Center for a New American Security, 2017
“The NextWare Cyber Collaboration Toolkit aims to demonstrate the value of … broad, cross-disciplinary collaboration through a series of tools that guide users through actionable collaborative methods.” The Toolkit is “a product of The NextWare Sessions project … [which] convened a select group of expert stakeholders from key fields to engage in facilitated workshops where they considered a variety of cross-disciplinary, collaborative methods to address endemic cybersecurity challenges and inform the development of the Toolkit.”
Cybersecurity Partnerships: A New Era of Public-Private Collaboration, The Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law, Judith H. Germano, 2014
“It is generally understood that the public and private sectors need to collaborate to address the nation’s cybersecurity challenges, yet there remain significant questions regarding the circumstances, nature, and scope of those relationships. Legal, strategic, and pragmatic obstacles often impede effective public-private sector cooperation, which are compounded by regulatory and civil liability risks. … In an effort to better understand and, hopefully, help address the challenges of institutionalizing effective cooperation, this paper [explores] four key areas that should be clarified as a necessary step in adopting a strategic approach to cybersecurity.”
Self- and Co-regulation in Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and National Security, Tatiana Tropina and Cormac Callanan, 2015
✴ Available only with purchase from publisher
This SpringerBrief eBook “provides insights into the development of self- and co-regulatory approaches to cybercrime and cybersecurity in the multi-stakeholder environment. It highlights the differences concerning the ecosystem of stakeholders involved in each area and covers government supported initiatives to motivate industry to adopt self-regulation. Including a review of the drawbacks of existing forms of public-private collaboration, which can be attributed to a specific area (cybercrime, cybersecurity and national security), it provides some suggestions with regard to the way forward in self- and co-regulation in securing cyberspace.”
Public–Private Partnerships in National Cyber-security Strategies, International Affairs, Madeline Carr, 2016
✴ Available only with purchase from publisher
“Despite its centrality in the national cyber security strategies of the [United States] and the [United Kingdom], the public-private partnership is a nebulous arrangement, which is especially problematic in the context of critical infrastructure protection. Privately owned and operated critical infrastructure that is regarded as a potential national security vulnerability raises questions about the allocation of responsibility and accountability in terms of cyber security. … This article draws on the extensive literature on public-private partnerships in order to assess the tensions and challenges of this arrangement in national cyber-security strategies [and] finds that there is a serious disjuncture in expectations from both ‘partners.’”
Cybersecurity and Public Goods: The Public/Private “Partnership”, Hoover Institution, Paul Rosenzweig, 2015
“Cyber security cooperation between the federal government and the private sector is essential, yet our cyber systems are particularly vulnerable to attack. Why is that so, and what can we do to fix the problem? We need to approach the question from fundamental first principles: Is cyber security a public good or a private good? Once we answer that question, we can determine whether our current laws and regulations enhance the government’s proper function or impede the private sector. This essay attempts to begin that effort.”
ITU National Cybersecurity Strategy Guide, International Telecommunications Union, Frederick Wamala, 2012
This report argues that “national leaders have accountability for devising a cybersecurity strategy and fostering local, national, and global cross-sector cooperation. … [The report discusses] what constitutes a national cybersecurity strategy; the typical ends it seeks to accomplish and the context that influences its execution [and] how States and other relevant stakeholders such as private sector organisations can build capacity to execute a cybersecurity strategy and the resources required to address risks.”
Cyberspace Policy Review: Securing America’s Digital Future, U.S. National Security Council, 2009
Especially see “Sharing Responsibility for Cybersecurity” on pp. 17-23: “The public and private sectors’ interests are intertwined with a shared responsibility for ensuring a secure, reliable infrastructure upon which businesses and government services depend. Government and industry leaders both nationally and internationally need to delineate roles and responsibilities, integrate capabilities, and take ownership of the problem to develop holistic solutions. Only through such partnerships will the United States be able to enhance cybersecurity and reap the full benefits of the digital revolution.”
Guidance on Public-Private Information Sharing against Cybercrime, World Economic Forum, 2017
“It is generally recognized globally that to better deal with the negative aspects of the digital world, international cooperation between [public and private] actors is required especially when it comes to sharing information.” This report aims to provide insight on two questions that are key to that effort. First, what type of information should be shared between public and private partners in efforts to combat cybercrime? And second, How should this information be shared?
|
http://intersector.com/lists/cybersecurity/
|
The Great Solution?
Across a variety of sectors, public-private partnerships (also known as PPPs & P3s) are being touted as the one-stop solution for the demands of tomorrow. High-profile officials, such as Gary Cohn and Andrew Cuomo, have endorsed this venture as a means to address increasingly apparent faults in our nation’s infrastructure, such as the forthcoming overhauls of LaGuardia (LGA) and JFK airports. This level of intensity begs the question: are PPPs worth pursuing?
Background
The history of PPPs can be traced back to the times of the Ottomans, as they were initially utilized to build a new tunnel in Istanbul. From then on, the scope of PPPs has expanded, but all PPPs revolve around the central concept of balance, whether it be of risk allocation, payment schemes or costs. Public-private partnerships are ventures between the government and the private sector in order to finance, and, in some cases, build and maintain a project over a given period of time with the government making yearly payments in return for the private sector’s services. Running on the assumption that government-led projects, such as the New York City AirTrain, are likely to run into cost overruns as well as prolonged projects, governments seek to leverage the private sector’s efficiency with resource allocation, while guaranteeing a stable line of revenue from the venture. In the modern era, PPPs have been limited to Western Europe, Canada and Latin America as countries, such as the United States, tended to borrow money in order to fund federal projects. This has led to other areas of the world maintaining a far more developed PPP market, as seen with Europe’s PPP market below.
PPPs have been particularly alluring to politicians on both sides of the aisle due to their ability to plug budgetary gaps. In fact, under US President Barack Obama, the United States Department of Transportation formed the Build America Bureau in order to promote public-private partnerships in building highways and bridges. Furthermore, the World Bank has reported that PPPs now compose 15-20% of infrastructure investments in the world. Though, multiple questions remain to be answered, including: do PPPs generate positive return on investments to both the public and those involved, and is the private sector interested in pursuing these ventures?
Private Sector Involvement
A cornerstone to PPPs is the involvement of the private sector. Yet, there are multiple hurdles that have impeded the majority of firms from entering into these agreements. For instance, the size of these deals limits the number of companies that are able to bid and manage the ventures. In order to further boost involvement from the private sector, five things must be clearly articulated: viable revenue generating opportunity, political commitment, costs and benefits, regulatory framework, reduced life cycle costs, and risk allocation. Even in countries, such as the United Kingdom, not satisfying the above conditions can lead to a steady decrease of interest by private firms, as shown in the graph to the right. Furthermore, in most countries including the United States, there is not a government-backed PPP unit to help facilitate the development of PPPs and PPP laws are often ill-defined, thereby reducing the interest of the private sector. Not only does this hamper the ability of nations to boast the presence of PPPs in strategic industries, but it also leads to faulty agreements that prove to be costlier.
Equity
Due to the involvement of the private sector, there are concerns that the public will not be well-served by the venture. In particular, healthcare partnerships have proven to be ill-executed, as was abundantly clear with the ongoing crisis at the Albert Lutuli Hospital in Durban, South Africa. One of the trailblazers of PPPs, the UK has invested greatly in PPPs. Though, in courting the private sector with lucrative deals, the British government has accumulated more than £220 billion in debt. Additionally, concerns from the prospect of these partnerships focusing on urban centers as opposed to rural areas, where there would be lessened demand for partnerships there. This was illustrated in Lesotho, where healthcare PPP has devastated the Ministry of Health’s budget as a result of huge cost overruns as well as multiple clauses that have further burdened the Ministry. As a result of this, resources that could have otherwise been utilized in underserved areas have had to be reallocated to this hospital, thereby widening the urban-rural divide & the income gap.
Transparency
Other concerns with PPPs emerge from a relative lack of transparency in the overall partnership process. Of both companies and governments surveyed, the greatest concern was with transparency as it is essential for achieve better value for money through sustainable contracts, improved management of fiscal contracts, strengthened governance, reduced risk of renegotiation, and a better delivery of services. Yet, in the majority of countries, there is a surprising lack of regulation to ensure transparency in the PPP process as illustrated below; moral hazard is a difficult to address.
There are only three countries in the world that require complete transparency. This lack of oversight has the potential to not de-rail any agreement, but it also deprives the public the knowledge how their taxpaying dollars are being spent.
Conclusion
Public-Private Partnerships can be an important avenue for countries to further develop the capacity of key industries, such as in healthcare and infrastructure. Although, there are multiple obstacles to implementing these ventures, a PPP can be essential if they are able to satisfy the conditions of clear communication, a detailed contract, stakeholder support, ‘best value’ partner being secured as well as structured regulatory & legal frameworks. Due to the strategic nature and potential of these agreements, PPPs should be looked at with the utmost of importance. If not, governments seeking to utilize them will be lead into poorly executed agreements that do more harm than good.
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https://www.jpianyu.org/archive/2017/12/3/the-great-solution
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5 edition of Public-private partnerships for public health found in the catalog.
Published
2002
by Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Distirbuted by Harvard University Press in Cambridge, MA
.
Written in English
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references and index.
|Statement||edited by Michael R. Reich.|
|Genre||Miscellanea.|
|Series||Harvard series on population and international health|
|Contributions||Reich, Michael, 1950-|
|Classifications|
|LC Classifications||RA427 .P834 2002, RA427 .P834 2002|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||ix, 205 p. ;|
|Number of Pages||205|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL18173128M|
|ISBN 10||0674008650|
|LC Control Number||2001051916|
This chapter introduces the concept of the public–private partnerships or PPPs, as well as its key characteristics and rationale. Defining Public–Private Partnerships The term “public–private partnership” describes a range of possible relationships among public and private entities in the context of infrastructure and other services. The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For .
This book considers the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the delivery of physical assets, infrastructure and technologies and related clinical services, in the health sector. The PPP model represents the most complex form of contracting transaction yet to have emerged in the health sector, owing to its long-term character, financial. Ultimately, collaborating with Global Health Leaders will help corporate foundations improve their public health impact in their communities. Likewise, the Public Health Institute (PHI) is gaining from its corporate philanthropic partners’ private-sector skills and best practices, which can be translated into the nonprofit and government sectors.
Public-Private Partnerships deals with both the Concession and PFI models of PPP, and provides a structured introduction to this area. The book: *Reviews the PPP policy framework and development from an international perspective *Covers public- and private-sector financial analysis, structuring and investment in PPPsReviews: 9. The combination of a public private partnership for design, construction and financing with ambitious target values for energy efficiency is supposed to .
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Abstract This book describes the nature of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health sector in Vietnam. It defines health-related PPPs, describes their key characteristics, and develops a taxonomy of the different types of PPPs that exist in practice, illustrated by international : Sang Minh Le, Ramesh Govindaraj, Caryn Bredenkamp.
Public-Private Partnerships for Public Health provides a solid overview of the partnership process and of the potential impact of public-private partnerships for health.
Readers will need to look further to understand the caution with which many in the public health community view such partnerships.
Nonetheless, this book will be valuable for. Public-Private Partnerships, based on the author s practical experience on the public- and private-sector sides of the table, reviews the key policy issues in determining whether to adopt the PPP procurement route, and the specific application of this policy approach in PPP contracts, comparing international practices in this by: Books in the Harvard Series on Population and International Health Public-Private Partnerships for Public Health Edited by Michael R.
Reich Population Policies Reconsidered: Health, Empowerment, and Rights Edited by Gita Sen, Adrienne Germain and Lincoln C. Chen Power & Decision: The Social Control of Reproduction Edited by Gita Sen and Rachel Snow.
For public-private partnership questions, or for further information regarding how CDC may be able to inform and assist your private sector health and safety efforts, contact [email protected] For other health-related questions or comments, contact Public-private partnerships for public health book Info via an online request form or by phone (CDC-INFO).
Types of public-private interface arrangements. the database of the Initiative on Public-Private Partnerships for Health of the Global Forum for Health Research lists 91 international partnership arrangements in the health sector, which can qualify to be called public-private these, 76 are dedicated to infectious disease prevention and.
Public-private partnerships in health programs are the encouraging representations for financing successful health care innovations with joint efforts between private and public sectors with a serene concept on partnership structures, common objectives for on-time delivery of the health services.
Public Private Partnership in Primary Health Service Delivery Implemented By NYSASDRI and Govt. of Orissa Supported by European Commission and Interact Worldwide, UK Plot No. Flat No. Narayani VIP Enclave, VIP Area, IRC Village, Bhubaneswar -Orissa, India.
Non-communicable diseases, ageing populations and COVID are some of the most pressing health challenges of our time. The immensity of these challenges calls for collaborative effort across the public and private sectors.
Facilitated by Professor Chia Kee Seng and Professor Alan M Trager, President of the PPP Initiative Ltd., the Introduction to Public-Private Partnership. Kenya managed equipment services public-private partnership 20 Management contract for health facilities in Sindh province, Pakistan 20 India’s National Dialysis Program 21 Adana Health Complex in Turkey 22 Hospital PPP in Lesotho 23 Required expertise of public officials involved in PPP project.
Public-private partnerships are increasingly advocated to alleviate deficiencies in the public health system as well as to reduce economic stress on those who seek services from an expensive, burgeoning and unregulated private health sector.
Focusing on India, this book examines how the private sect. Dr. Monroe was joined by Rebecca Martin, PhD., director of the Center for Global Health (CGH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for this important discussion about the public-private partnership (PPP) response during the COVID pandemic and the need to adapt a broader global health security agenda to address future.
National Policy on Public Private Partnership in Health. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to mainstreaming, establishing, implementing, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating partnerships between the Government of Uganda and the private health sector within existing laws, policies and plans.
“What’s new is the nomenclature and the romanticism of partnerships,” said Marc Mitchell, a professor at Harvard School of Public Health who has studied health-related PPPs for over 20 years. As both government and private groups have shown increased interest in patient registries, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become more common as a means to develop and support patient registries and data linkage projects.
These types of partnerships may become more common, as recent legislative actions have suggested PPPs as a potential approach to. Book Description. This timely new book provides an international perspective on Public Private Partnerships. Through 21 case studies, it investigates the existing and fast developing body of principles and practices from a wide range of countries and is the first book to bring together leading international academics and practitioners under a common framework.
The Green Book Tracking Number: TheGreenBook__EN Appraisal and and evaluation in central government - UK Treasury guidance to other public sector bodies on how to carry out appraisal of projects.
Before considering emerging public-private partnerships in health in India, it may be worth recalling that healthcare has historically (even in developed nations) been a private sector activity.
The emphasis on the government’s responsibility for providing or supporting healthcare services for the entire population is recent. Public-private partnerships (P3) are one of the most promising models for financing successful health care innovations, note many observers.
By combining public interest with. Public-Private Partnerships in Health. Access to essential health services is an important aspect of development. Governments from both developed and developing countries are increasingly looking at public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a way to expand access to higher-quality health services by leveraging capital, managerial capacity, and knowhow from the.
Definition: Public-private partnership (PPP) is a model where the government associates with private companies to accomplish infrastructure alliance between both the parties, ensure financing, designing, flourishing and maintaining of the infrastructural amenities within the country.Sample Contracts.
This section looks at sample projects in a number of jurisdictions. Australia. New South Wales, North Shore Community Hospital PPP Project- This report has been prepared by NSW Health Infrastructure in accordance with the Working with Government Guidelines for Privately Financed Projects, December and the Premier’s Memorandum No.
Public .Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure - Principles of Policy and Finance, Second Edition explains how public private partnerships are prepared, procured, financed, and managed from both the public- and private-sector perspectives.
As the use of public private partnerships continues to develop world-wide, both in the area of public policy and private financing and .
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https://rymuzezacemy.siyamiozkan.com/public-private-partnerships-for-public-health-book-8869nc.php
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City governments constantly struggle to address complex challenges with limited budgets — and as cities grow, mayors are feeling increasing pressure to find new ways to meet public needs. Many are finding answers in public-private collaboration.
These partnerships can help cities increase funding, rethink the delivery of services, enhance public amenities, and pilot new programs. While every city has different needs and resources, there are some key steps every mayor can take to effectively cultivate private support and deliver results.
Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO and former First Deputy Mayor of New York City Patti Harris speaks in conversation with Amy Edmondson at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
Having dedicated staff oversee public-private collaboration helps to ensure compliance with rules, alignment with city priorities, and effective coordination of partners and projects. That’s why more cities are making the investment. Some — including Denver, New York, and Boston –even created an Office of Strategic Partnerships to work with different sectors and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Mayors should be clear about their goals: What problem do they hope to address and how can partners outside government play a role?
Chattanooga, Tennessee is providing a blueprint for how to answer these questions. Soon after taking office, Mayor Andy Berke created task forces, including one on technology, made up of community members to help define challenges and develop clear action steps. The Mayor recognized that the city’s digital infrastructure — including the world’s fastest, cheapest and most pervasive internet — was an asset that was underutilized and not equally accessible to all. Guided by task force recommendations, he established an “innovation district” and restructured a city-affiliated nonprofit called the Enterprise Center to encourage collaboration among entrepreneurs, startups, and students, and cultivate cross-sector investment.
City officials should not look to the private sector as underwriters to fill budget gaps, but as allies in building strong communities. When private partners have a voice, they’re more likely to want to collaborate, and those collaborations will have a greater impact.
For instance, in Providence, RI, Mayor Jorge Elorza’s team is working closely with the Providence Foundation, where over 70 business owners channel philanthropic investments, and is regularly convening the leaders of local colleges and medical centers. The goal is for the city and private sector to share resources, discuss urban challenges, and create collaborative projects together. The mayor’s Chief of Staff Nicole Pollack remarked that, “Mayor Elorza came to a realization that we needed to reengage civic leaders, higher ed institutions and hospitals beyond the historically transactional relationship they had with the Mayor’s Office.” The Providence Mayor’s Office soon plans to select 3 or 4 projects they can all work together on.
Mayor Jorge Elorza speaks at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
The size and bureaucratic complexity of government can discourage potential partners, who may worry that good intentions won’t translate to good results. More and more cities recognize the importance of having an independent organization that can channel private support for public programs — and ensure accountability.
The City of Athens, Greece is one such city. In 2015, Mayor Georgios Kaminis created the nonprofit Athens Partnership, whose staff works with city officials to identify needs, design programs, and collect data. It also uses a U.S.-based fiscal sponsor to accept donations and provide financial management. “With this entity in place we are transforming public spaces, galvanizing community involvement, and helping city agencies manage projects,” said Mayor Kaminis. The Partnership is now managing over 11 million euros in grants for more than a dozen initiatives.
While different models can do the job, having a primary vehicle to interface with each sector and ensure projects meet government and donor guidelines can be the key to success. Cities such as London, England and Philadelphia, PA, have launched funds to solicit and manage charitable investments. Others have partnered with a local community foundation or other nonprofit sponsor, like Athens, to facilitate private support.
Directing strategic partnerships is still relatively new for many City Halls, so one of the biggest challenges is simply a lack of public understanding of these efforts. Mayors must take a leading role in communicating their intentions to constituents — and to their private partners. A lack of communication can create a cloud of skepticism and mistrust over even the most well intentioned initiatives.
40 mayors from around the world visit the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island during the Bloomberg Harvard Cities Leadership Initiative to learn about the significant role that public-private partnerships played in creating this new applied sciences school.
Residents, community leaders, and other stakeholders need to understand how collaborative projects can benefit their lives, the role of partners, and how outcomes will be measured. Accordingly, these stakeholders can become either advocates or opponents for these initiatives.
Getting stakeholders to understand how public-private collaboration works and what the intrinsic value is for their city can take some time. But the return on investment can be high, with transformative results.
Megan Sheekey works with mayors and city leaders around the world to help foster and structure strategic public-private collaboration supporting civic priorities. She advises Bloomberg Associates clients as well as Bloomberg Philanthropies grantees on ways to coordinate and leverage resources, program sustainability, and the design and creation of vehicles that organize and strengthen investments. Previously, she served as President of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
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https://www.mikebloomberg.com/news/building-blocks-effective-public-private-collaboration/
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Please give us a brief overview on the status of broadband connectivity in King County.
Digital equity is one of our fundamental social justice goals, as access to information and technology is essential for residents to fully participate and prosper in our global world. We completed our Broadband Access and Adoption Study in January. The results helped identified areas of the County that lack access to broadband speeds of 25/3. As part of the study, we conducted a survey in collaboration with community-based organizations, local housing authority, school districts, non-English speaking groups, insecure housing groups, and a local municipality. The survey results provide the County with insights into attitudes about technology as well as the barriers residents face using and accessing technology resources. This survey builds on work from local municipalities and includes insights not only into access and affordability, but also on attitudes, literacy, usage and skills as they relate to digital engagement.
Overall, our study results shows the vast majority (96%) of King County residents report having internet access in their home, but significant differences are observed across certain groups in King County.
- Significantly, higher rates of households that lack internet access occur in low-income homes (19%), for the insecurely housed (19%), for people living with a disability (13%) and for non-English speaking households (13%).
- Households earnings at or below 135% or 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are significantly less likely (19% and 16%) to have internet access at home.
- Residents in households earning less than $50,000 per year are less likely to access the internet from work and significantly more likely to access it from a library–or not at all.
- Forty-seven percent (47%) of households who would qualify for low- cost equipment and internet programs were not aware of the five programs tested in the broadband survey.
- One in four King County households report having slow internet speeds of 25 Mbps or less. Conversely, two in five (39%) report faster speeds (above 25 Mbps).
This was the County’s first ever-broadband study and highlights that sustaining vibrant communities must include removing barriers preventing low-income and rural residents in our community from full and equitable digital engagement. Our data-driven understanding of broadband and barriers to access will support advocacy and the study’s recommendations for expanding broadband service, equipment, and training for households in underserved communities.
What concerns do residents have about broadband access?
Similar to other large municipalities, King County includes both rural and urban areas. The primary concern for residents in the County’s more rural or unincorporated areas is lack of broadband infrastructure and the cost to build it. Filling this gap will be expensive, as building new broadband infrastructure requires massive capital investment, whether public or private. Unincorporated King County faces the same challenges as other rural communities with respect to attracting broadband infrastructure investment.
Even in the most affluent rural and semi-rural areas, the economics simply do not pencil out for broadband deployment based solely on private sector investment. The private sector will not build costly wireline infrastructure to reach all homes and businesses in rural areas simply because the potential return on investment does not exist. Only a public-private funded partnership will solve this challenge and ensure all County residents can access digital services, shop online, receive telehealth services, use remote learning and otherwise fully participate in our digital economy.
Overall, households responding to our survey expressed concerns about other barriers limiting their digital engagement. Almost one in four households (23%) cite the cost of service as the most common barrier, followed by slow or inconsistent speeds and confusing service plans. Three-fourths of households report having “mostly” or “completely” adequate internet access. Residents’ confidence in their ability to use technology safely and confidently for a better life also appeared in the survey.
Has the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted broadband connectivity or spurred action to increase and/or diversify connectivity in King County? Are there specific challenges that residents face because of COVID-19? Are there challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic?
One thing the pandemic has made abundantly clear is the need for digital access. Stated again, “Digital equity is, put simply, a fundamental social-justice goal, as access to information and technology is essential to fully participating and prospering in our global community.” The coronavirus pandemic has created a technology crisis; most libraries, community centers and other public space that offered computer, internet and printing services have closed, while schools from kindergarten to college have gone online.
What are potential solutions to the broadband connectivity challenges in King County?
Our study provides recommendations applicable to the needs of the unserved and underserved. Our strategies focus on short- and long-term incremental benefit to all areas of the County and include:
- Federal and State funding sources represent an important element of large-scale broadband deployments, though only for unserved areas where no broadband is currently available. While these programs tend to have restrictions that affect their potential breadth of impact, our analysis is that the programs have the potential to assist the County’s efforts to greatly reduce the number of homes and businesses that are entirely unserved.
- Identify private partners to fill rural broadband gaps, partially through County funding, supplemented with potential state and federal funds.
- Coordinate County initiatives with state efforts and State funding programs.
- Work with local housing authorities to deliver subsidized broadband service to residents of public housing.
- Develop a broadband office to execute and coordinate strategies and measurements, including partnerships with regional stakeholders.
- Develop “dig-once” construction policies to efficiently add to County-owned assets over-time.
- Continue and expand upon broadband data collection efforts in order to track progress over time and target investments.
- Develop public-private partnerships with wireless providers to fill unserved and underserved gaps.
- Leverage existing cable franchise relationships to identify opportunities to jointly solve build-out and last mile connectivity for households.
The broadband study recommendations represent best practices that will, over time, enable the County to learn more and maximize its strategic options in the future. To see the full list of recommendations, visit the link below to the full comprehensive report.
Are there organizations, initiatives, and/or individuals that are working to increase broadband connectivity/access that should be recognized?
At King County, we believe in equal access to technology to improve the quality of everyone’s life.
The study supports efforts to think bigger and engage in public-private partnerships to increase broadband infrastructure options. We would like to thank our Broadband steering committee for their commitments to ensuring Broadband access for all. The City of Seattle’s Digital Equity Office for their ongoing leadership advocating Internet for all. We would like to thank more than 22 community-based organizations, plus King County Housing Authority, Lake Washington and Renton School Districts for reaching into their community to participate in our digital access and adoption survey,
Our goal is to enable expansion of broadband access to every household and residents in our County.
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https://nextcenturycities.org/king-county-wa-where-digital-equity-is-fundamental-to-social-justice/
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This brief article examines the ramifications of adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) mechanism in the urban infrastructure and service sector. I focus on the debate concerning the efficacy and equity of PPPs and, particularly, the issue of risk. I first provide a definition of public-private partnerships and discuss how the literature concerning them has approached risk. I highlight the fact that public-private partnership proponents and critics alike are concerned with this question, albeit in very different ways. The mainstream management literature sets up a comprehensive list of risks associated with these structures so that these may be delimited for each project and addressed as efficiently as feasible to avoid cost increases. The political and economic literature focusing on such partnerships meanwhile, approaches the question of risk more broadly. These analysts outline the challenges that attend the PPP mechanism in comparison to other development alternatives, such as traditional procurement, and to traditional public sector provision of public goods and services. Of particular concern to scholars in this literature are the effects of public-private partnerships on popular participation in decision-making, on power sharing among groups and on the distribution of wealth. These investigators contend that, unchecked, these risks challenge the very premise that PPPs can more efficiently address a widening infrastructure gap. These concerns also work against regulatory frameworks founded on the principle that greater public participation and control in public decision-making can better address geographic service-related disparity and income inequality.
a long-term contract between a private party and a government entity, for providing a public asset or service, in which the private party bears significant risk and management responsibility, and remuneration is linked to performance (The World Bank 2014).
This definition assumes that the private sector bears the brunt of a PPP’s associated risks. However, several analysts have sharply challenged this view, as discussed below.
The principal animating or foundational idea underpinning public-private partnerships is to enhance the production and delivery of public goods and services, while at the same time addressing governmental funding and technical constraints. PPP proponents argue that governments alone are not able to address a widening gap of urban infrastructure and service needs resulting from, among other factors, rising rates of urbanization. These individuals point to estimates that suggest that globally, the current need for investment in infrastructure development is as high as $3 trillion (World Economic Forum 2010), with actual annual investments estimated at about one-half of that total (Boston Consulting Group 2013). At the same time, many analysts have suggested that inadequate infrastructure has a detrimental effect on economic growth worldwide, a dynamic that is particularly pervasive and critical in less developed nation contexts, where service levels are usually below what is required to meet existing demand. In these situations, economies face “congestion or service rationing, [where] infrastructure services are also often of low quality or reliability, while many areas are simply un-served” (Farquharson, de Mästle, and Yescombe 2011, 31). This scenario routinely poses a challenge to governance and often reflects not only insufficient fiscal resources and financial forecasting and management, but also generally inadequate planning and design, poor project ordering and weak or insufficient capacity for infrastructure maintenance. Proponents of partnerships contend that greater private sector participation can help governments overcome these challenges, “by mobilizing additional sources of funding and financing for infrastructure” (Ibid).
a focus on service delivery and performance, facilitated by the establishment of a long-term contract in which a private agent is given the flexibility to incorporate innovations, and to pursue additional sources of funding to help defray project costs in ways that the public sector cannot (Farquharson, de Mästle, and Yescombe 2011, 32).
… two main goals of [such] risk allocation. The first is to create incentives for the parties to manage risk well—and thereby improve project benefits or reduce costs. The second is to reduce the overall cost of project risk by ‘insuring’ parties against risks they are not happy to bear (Iossa, Spagnolo and Vellez 2007 in The World Bank 2014, 149).
PPP risks commonly are divided into three types: macro, or those related to the economic and political environment, as well as to extreme events such as natural disasters; meso, or risks specifically associated with a project, such as land acquisition and production management; and finally, micro-level concerns, associated with relationship and personnel issues within a collaboration’s management structure. These last factors may include inadequate experience with PPPs, lack of commitment from one or more parties and staffing challenges (Bing et al. 2005).
Given the multi-dimensional character of these challenges, critics have suggested that mainstream public-private partnership studies have been overly focused on microeconomic analysis (Flinders 2005) and have therefore failed to acknowledge how the public sector—as well as the citizenry—are likely to bear most (if not all) of the costs associated with the risks of such initiatives. As Shaul (in Flinders 2005, 226) has observed, “far from transferring risk to the private sector, PPP[s] transfer the risk to the government, workforce and the public users and tax payers … the concept of risk transfer in the context of essential services is fundamentally flawed.” Examining the national government’s experience with public-private partnerships in Great Britain, Edwards and Shaoul (2002, 397) have argued that “public agencies, not the commercial partner, bore the management risk and costs fell on the public at large and/or other public agencies.” Overall, these studies are concerned with the way in which PPPs affect, and distort, the distribution of wealth amongst social groups, the public sector and the market, transferring resources away from the general citizenry and to private elites (Shaoul 2005).
Miraftab (2004) has analyzed the effects of partnerships on power sharing between the public and private sectors, as well as local communities in South Africa, and concluded that analysts must be more careful in assuming that any given partnership’s major players can perform their designated roles, i.e., the state, the private sector and the community, as these vary in their political, fiscal and administrative capacities to address needed project scale and implementation requirements. In the context of decentralization, which has characterized South Africa’s post apartheid regime, private actors involved in the delivery of public infrastructure worked with recently established local government agencies that lacked capacity to play the mediating roles required in complex PPPs. As result, the partnership initiatives Miraftab investigated often resulted in the privatization of community assets and further dispossession of poor communities from their locally mobilized resources (Ibid, 98).
More recently, Greve and Hodge (2013) found improved private sector performance and accountability in PPP implementation. However, they focused this fresh analysis on projects in Australia and the United Kingdom, and not on developing nation efforts, where public-private partnerships are still often unfamiliar. Moreover, these authors were unable to ascertain in their review of the literature whether PPPs overall could save the public sector money or secure improved efficiency, as often argued. Instead, they concluded that partnership outcomes are highly contextual. They also highlighted the fact there is often far greater concern with regulating and monitoring the roles, responsibilities and potential benefits to the public and private sector actors and much less attention to the outcomes of PPPs for local citizens. Henjewele, Fewings, and D. Rwelamila (2013, 226) have also recently contended that public-private partnerships “across Africa, North and South America, Australia and Europe” often marginalize the citizenry. While directly affected communities are often addressed in PPPs, their impacts on the general public are often not assessed as a result of a lack of proper community consultation and involvement (Rwelamila et al. in Henjewele et al. 2013).
This review suggests that there is a wide gap between the management of risk in public-private partnerships at the project scale and the implications of such efforts for the broader political economy of the jurisdictions in which they are implemented. Project managers and those analysts who adopt their perspective approach risk as a set of project related challenges that must be identified, allocated and mitigated so as to avoid increases in project costs. For these individuals, the focus of analysis is restricted to a particular project and risk is measured in terms of financial value. Their ultimate goal is to address a widening infrastructure gap that is also measured in financial terms. Scholars in the political economy literature take a very different view and assess risk in terms of the challenges that PPP’s represent to wealth allocation, power sharing and popular participation in decision-making.
Overall, it is valuable that critical analyses of PPPs take into consideration that these efforts are dynamic; lessons learned in past experiences can be, and have been, used in a way to improve the design of new collaborations. However, it is even more important that analysts and managers alike address the broader concerns raised by the political-economy literature, for these are at the core of the current political and policy debate regarding deepening international and intra-national economic and social inequality. To be sure, this examination must be grounded in the crucial understanding that, in developed and developing economies alike, public-private partnerships have not had a good record when it comes to sharing power and resources with local community and civil society groups. Public and private sector actors have developed improved capabilities to devise more effective partnership contracts while local community groups remained marginalized. To some analysts, this lack of public control helps explain why PPPs often deepen, rather than alleviate, the concentration of power and wealth amongst political and economic elites (Miraftab 2004, Shaoul 2005). Such findings should be taken very seriously in light of Miraftab’s (2004) conclusion that PPP trajectories are shaped by local cultural and regime characteristics and past experiences.
The World Bank. 2014. Public-Private Partnerships reference guide Version 2.0. Accessed in January 27, 2016. http://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/library/public-private-partnerships-reference-guide-version-20.
World Economic Forum. Paving the Way: Maximizing the Value of Private Finance in Infrastructure. New York, 2010. Accessed in January 27, 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_IV_PavingTheWay_Report_2010.pdf.
Partnerships Help Bridge the Infrastructure Gap. Accessed January 27, 2016. https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/interviews/public_sector_transportation_travel_tourism_gerbert_partnerships_help_bridge_inf_gap/.
It is important to describe the methodology for calculating the global infrastructure gap. This figure is based on OECD’s forecast expenditure on infrastructure for OECD and emerging countries for the period 2000 – 2030, as percentage of global GDP (equivalent to 2.84% for the period 2000-2010 and 2.58% for 2010-2020), and its comparison with the World Bank’s estimate for required infrastructure investment needs for emerging economies. This last estimate is equivalent to 7 to 9% of emerging countries’ annual GDP (World Economic Forum 2010, 6-9). This is therefore a subjective measure, which can vary significantly from country to country, according to local characteristics and values, needs and resources.
Bing, Li, Akintola Akintoye, Peter J Edwards, and Cliff Hardcastle. 2005. “The allocation of risk in PPP/PFI construction projects in the UK.” International Journal of project management 23 (1):25-35.
Farquharson, Edward, Clemencia Torres de Mästle, and ER Yescombe. 2011. How to engage with the private sector in public-private partnerships in emerging markets: World Bank Publications.
Flinders, Matthew. 2005. “The politics of public–private partnerships.” The British Journal of Politics & International Relations 7 (2):215-239.
Greve, Carsten, and Graeme Hodge. 2013. Rethinking public-private partnerships: strategies for turbulent times: Routledge.
Henjewele, Christian, Peter Fewings, and Pantaleo D. Rwelamila. 2013. “De-marginalising the public in PPP projects through multi-stakeholders management.” Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction 18 (3):210-231.
Hodge, Graeme A. 2004. “The risky business of public-private partnerships.” Australian Journal of Public Administration 63 (4):37-49.
Hodge, Graeme A, and Carsten Greve. 2007. “Public–private partnerships: an international performance review.” Public Administration Review 67 (3):545-558.
Miraftab, Faranak. 2004. “Public-Private Partnerships The Trojan Horse of Neoliberal Development?” Journal of Planning Education and Research 24 (1):89-101.
Shaoul, Jean. 2005. “A critical financial analysis of the Private Finance Initiative: selecting a financing method or allocating economic wealth?” Critical Perspectives on Accounting 16 (4):441-471.
Priscila Izar is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Public and International Affairs and graduate research assistant at the Global Forum or Urban and Regional Resilience. Her work explores the connections between financialization and urban space production. Her dissertation examines the scope, limitations and meaning of financialized urban policy in contexts in which the size and character of financial markets are not clear. Priscila holds a master’s degree in International Development Policy from Duke University and a professional degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Mackenzie University in Brazil. She has previously worked in the fields of housing and local economic development, including efforts to develop especially impoverished areas.
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https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/reflectionsandexplorations/2016/02/02/the-unaccounted-risks-of-public-private-partnerships/
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partnership between the private and public sectors in public infrastructure. Other terms are being used internationally to represent the partnership between the public and private sectors embodied in the PPP approach.... Guidelines for Successful Public-Private Partnerships, European Commission, March 2003 (pdf) - These guidelines are designed as a practical tool for PPP practitioners in the public sector faced with the opportunity of structuring a PPP scheme and of integrating grant financing.
A Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a proven infrastructure procurement method that in the appropriate circumstances can make the best use of the resources of both the public and private �... This Public�Private Partnership (PPP) Handbook is designed for the staff of ADB and its developing member countries' clients. It provides an overview of the role, design, structure, and execution of PPPs for infrastructure development.
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) refer to arrangements where the private sector supplies infrastructure assets and services that traditionally have been provided by the government . ingénierie mécanique en conception de produits pdf partnership between the private and public sectors in public infrastructure. Other terms are being used internationally to represent the partnership between the public and private sectors embodied in the PPP approach.
Public-Private Partnerships are a method of achieving efficient allocation of risk and reward between the public and private sectors to deliver and a service or facility for the benefit of citizens.
partnership between the private and public sectors in public infrastructure. Other terms are being used internationally to represent the partnership between the public and private sectors embodied in the PPP approach.
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http://7195group.com/ontario/what-is-public-private-partnership-pdf.php
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- Achieves component deliverables. Primary Responsibilities:
- Provide technical leadership for the design, formalization and management of innovative public-private partnerships and strategies in coordination with sector divisions and in consultation with relevant government agencies;
- Advise and assist sector divisions in identifying, developing, structuring, executing and financing of PPP projects across all sectors;
- Provide technical assistance to field coordinators and stakeholders relative to the structuring of PPPs and outreach to the private sector;
- Coordinate with other donors, local organizations and government structures to ensure harmonization and development of public-private partnerships and activities;
- Build the capacity of local government structures to take leadership on public-private partnership issues;
- Monitor the development and implementation of policies and actions related to PPP issues;
- Conduct policy dialogues with Governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders to identify and address challenges to scaling up private sector development and PPPs in target countries;
- Support ATIP program components and departments in leveraging private sector support in activities and assist in cross cutting themes;
- Engage the private sector and other private entities to promote a culture of private support to improve trade and investment in the region and continent;
- Maintain knowledge of emerging best practices on enhancing private sector development and PPPs, including good practice examples, and guidelines through internal and external networks;
- Take the role of team leader and supervise the work of team members and regional coordinators;
- Support implementation of ATIP's core technical areas, in cooperation with the COP, other project staff, USAID and the regional and local government; and
- Support the COP, Deputy Chief of Party and technical teams in identifying, reaching out to, and managing cooperation with stakeholders in the private sector, civil society, and national and local government, in the target regions in compliance with Creative and USG policies and procedures. Required Skills and Qualifications:
- Masters' degree in business, economics, or other relevant field;
- At least ten (10) years of relevant work experience, in private sector development and a strong focus on development of partnerships with leading private sector companies and associations;
- Demonstrated experience with private sector relationships in Africa to advance the program results and objectives;
- Previous management experience with similar activities;
- Strong communication skills;
- Demonstrated capacity to form innovative win-win partnerships; and
- Must be fluent in English. Regional candidates strongly encouraged to apply.
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https://unchannel.org/job-detail-page.php?unjobs=public-private-partnerships-regional-director-in-washington-dc-united-states
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This November, the first Partnerships MeetUp will take place: an event by - and for - life science professionals. Learn more about the key ingredients of successful public-private partnerships, and discuss how to take partnerships to the next level. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, and to form new partnerships on the way!
The many challenges facing modern society have much in common. They all demand solutions to increasingly complex problems, affecting more people, and using fewer resources. Innovation in health research is no exception, and it increasingly depends on cooperative ventures between public organizations, authorities, and private enterprises – on public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Such multi-party partnerships are often complex, and to succeed they need to generate win-win outcomes for all participants. The Partnerships MeetUp on 15 November aims to bring together all those interested in pioneering medicine through close collaboration. It will reveal the key ingredients of successful PPPs, and will include discussion around how to take partnerships to the next level. The goal is to help cement relationships that are already in place and to foster new ones.
Interactive parallel sessions will start the day, organized by representatives from public-private partnerships in the fields of Neglected Diseases, Data Infrastructure, and Sharing Resources.
In the afternoon, different players from our diverse Life Science & Health sector will share their vision of how PPPs can evolve successfully, and what they can contribute to all those who take part.
The meeting will close with a networking drinks reception on the 6th floor of the Beatrix Building, where Lygature and the Jaarbeurs will open the Jaarbeurs Innovation Mile (JIM) – a hub where various life science organizations in the Netherlands will be based.
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https://www.health-holland.com/events/2016/11/partnership-meetup
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Dubai: The second annual UAE Public Policy Forum (UAE PPF 2018) kicked off today at the Dubai World Trade Centre, organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), the first research and teaching institution focusing on governance and public policy in the Arab world.
The second annual forum was held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
The two-day forum was inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF). The event takes place on January 15 and 16 under the theme “Shaping the Future of Public Private Partnerships” and covers such diverse sectors as healthcare, education, transportation, technology and innovation, Urban development and sustainable development.
The Forum’s first day included a high-profile panel discussion titled “Constraints, Challenges and Prospects of Public-Private Partnerships”, moderated by MBRSG’s Executive President Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, which concluded that public-private partnerships are essential for creating the government of the future and catalysing economic development.
On a similar note, Eng. Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim Younis, CEO of RTA’s Rail Agency, said that PPPs financially engage the private sector in government projects and services. It is, therefore, essential to attract these investments as they allow the government to diversify its financial resources and to redistribute funds to suit development needs in other sectors – be they economic or social. These partnerships also improve the competitiveness of government projects, while simultaneously enhancing the performance of the private sector.
In a roundtable discussion titled “Benchmarking for Public Private Partnerships from the UK Experience”, experts dispelled the notion that there is a single optimal public-private partnership (PPP) model to adopt in the Middle East. “Each government needs to work out the right way for them, to ensure the outcome is not only sustainable but also creates value,” stressed Former UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Francis Maude, underlining a government’s capability to design and procure projects as key to PPP success.
The second session, meanwhile, explored the subject of PPPs as a “Catalyst for Reform or Commercialization of a Public Service”, where panellists called for ensuring harmony and alignment of goals in relationships between the public and private sectors to deliver the desired outcomes, and enable PPPs to create jobs and myriad services to a growing population. Moreover, the experts called for a phased approach to PPPs and a well-established track record to assure success for both sectors. The private sector, they noted, is efficient in terms of time and cost, in addition to being a key engine for transparency and innovation. Finally, the panel moved on to the implications of PPPs in healthcare and education, stressing that the overall objective for PPPs in these sectors must take into consideration the overall policy objective and desired outcomes.
The Forum’s first day also included four concurrent scientific sessions or “Knowledge Hubs”, the first of which, titled “PPPs: From Early Childhood to Tertiary Education”, concluded that public-private partnerships (PPPs) that focus on adequately preparing Emirati university graduates for entry into the private sector are essential for levelling the competitive employment playing field within the UAE’s private sector, since many expats come to the UAE with higher-quality work experience as a result of their countries’ more developed education systems, putting their Emirati counterparts at a disadvantage. Tangible steps are being taken to address this issue, it was revealed, such as the agreement between 24 universities and 4,500 private business entities to facilitate apprenticeship.
The second “Knowledge Hub” looked into “PPPs in Practice in Dubai and KSA”, where experts began by emphasising the gap between public policy and practice in Saudi Arabia’s education sector, which created a need to change the policy of engagement between the public and private sectors in terms of education to engage the latter in developing the system that spans more than 30,000 schools, five million students and over 700,000 teachers. The session then took a closer look at the UAE’s healthcare sector, where a study conducted by MBRSG revealed that 55% of UAE residents are satisfied with the current system, their top four priorities were: quality, access, responsiveness and affordability.
In the third concurrent session – “Implementing and Monitoring PPPs” – panellists explored the partnership between Australia’s private and public sectors in education, stressing that for such a partnership to succeed, it needs to have a specific and strategic goal and to fully outline all benefits both sectors stand to enjoy from cooperating. The experts then weighed the benefits from PPPs to the transport sector, which is a key factor in the efficiency of any economy. The sector offers plenty of areas where cooperation can be beneficial, including infrastructure development, curbing carbon emissions and developing hi-tech services – as was the case with Dubai’s “Salik” system.
The fourth and final session – “PPP Executive Seminar” – looked back at the historical origins of public-private partnerships and went on to define it from the point of view of both stakeholders. Speakers pointed out that the public sector needs this type of partnership because of its limited resources and the constant need to develop infrastructure.
The UAE Public Policy Forum 2018 seeks to help stakeholders in both public and private sectors evaluate partnership projects in the UAE and the region, exchange ideas and experiences, and develop new policies, regulations and action plans for sustainable development and the knowledge economy.
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http://theuaenews.com/2018/01/16/public-private-partnerships-take-centre-stage-at-day-one-of-uae-public-policy-forum-2018/
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Oct 04, 2019· Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can be a tool to get more quality infrastructure services to more people. When designed well and implemented in a balanced regulatory environment, PPPs can bring greater efficiency and sustainability to the provision of public services such as energy, transport, telecommunications, water, healthcare, and ...
Public-Private Partnership
Dec 10, 2019· The 2019 Public-Private Analytic Exchange Program Subcommittees (Teams) conducted research and produced deliverables on topics related to homeland and national security that are of great interest to both public and private sector stakeholders.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Public Private Partnership
Advantages of Public private Partnership Spreading of risk. Public-Private Partnership is formed for large infrastructural projects. These projects require large finance & risk. When public & private organisations join together, this risk is diversified among two. Timely Completion. The project undertaken under these partnerships are of huge size.
Public–private partnership - Wikipedia
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a cooperative arrangement between two or more public and private sectors, typically of a long-term nature. In other words, it involves an arrangement between a unit of government and a business that brings better services or improves the city's capacity to operate effectively. Public–private partnerships are primarily used for infrastructure ...
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Handbook
Public–Private Partnership Handbook • PSP is a term often used interchangeably with PPPs. However, PSP contracts transfer obligations to the private sector rather than emphasizing the opportunity for partner-ship. In the mid to the late 1990s, there was a slowdown in public–private contracting
Öffentlich-private Partnerschaft – Wikipedia
Eine öffentlich-private Partnerschaft (ÖPP oder englisch Public-private-Partnership - PPP) ist eine vertraglich geregelte Zusammenarbeit zwischen öffentlicher Hand und Unternehmen der Privatwirtschaft in einer Zweckgesellschaft.Ziel von ÖPP ist die Arbeitsteilung, wobei der private Partner die Verantwortung zur effizienten Erstellung der Leistung übernimmt, während die öffentliche Hand ...
Public Private Partnership (PPP) - The Official Portal of ...
The partnership aims to benefit from the experience of the private sector in improving the quality of education output in the public education sector in Abu Dhabi. PPPs in Infrastructure projects The UAE is committed to lower its carbon footprint and is getting prepared to generate at least 27 per cent of total power generation from low carbon ...
Government Objectives: Benefits and Risks of PPPs | Public ...
Potential Risks of Public Private Partnerships There are a number of potential risks associated with Public Private Partnerships: Development, bidding and ongoing costs in PPP projects are likely to be greater than for traditional government procurement processes - the government should therefore determine whether the greater costs involved are ...
Public-Private Partnerships Are Popular, But Are They ...
Public-private partnerships (P3s) are clearly on a roll. Last year's congressional highway authorization vastly expanded the scope of federal mechanisms that provide low-interest loans for ...
Public-Private Partnerships - World Bank
Feb 12, 2020· News, information, knowledge, resources, learning on public-private partnerships. In recognition of the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in improving the quality and delivery of basic services, the World Bank Group has expanded its support over the past decade for infrastructure and basic services through PPPs.
What are Public Private Partnerships? | Public private ...
What is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP)? from PPPLRC - World Bank on Vimeo. In some jurisdictions, and in particular civil law counties that follow the tradition of the Code Napoleon, a distinction is made between public contracts such as concessions, where the private party is providing a service directly to the public and taking end user risk, and PPPs, where the private party is ...
What is a Public-Private Partnership? Definition and meaning
A public-private partnership, also called a PPP, P3 or 3P, is a long-term cooperative agreement between a private company and the national or local government.. Public-private partnership arrangements have existed throughout history, but have become significantly more popular across the globe since the 1980s as governments attempt to obtain some benefits from the private sector …
NIH to launch public-private partnership to speed COVID-19 ...
Apr 17, 2020· "This powerful public-private partnership will focus and expedite R&D activities required to combat COVID-19," says Maria C. Freire, Ph.D., President and Executive Director, FNIH. "Working in lock-step, the public and private sectors will maximize the chances of success and provide a roadmap to pre-emptively manage future threats."
Public-Private Partnerships Definition - Investopedia
Public-private partnerships between a government agency and private-sector company can be used to finance, build and operate projects, such as public transportation networks, parks and convention ...
NCPPP | Partnerships for Progress
Sep 25, 2019· NCPPP is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with more than 30 years of experience in advocating for and supporting public-private partnerships (P3s) …
Chancen und Risiken Öffentlich-Privater Partnerschaften
private Partner nicht den Betrieb der Infrastruktur, sondern beschränkt sich auf dessen Finanzierung. Chancen und Risiken Öffentlich-Privater Partnerschaften Seite 9 Wie auch immer ÖPP im Einzelnen aus-gestaltet werden, gemeinsames Merkmal ist die Bündelung von Erstellung und Betrieb
Private Public Partnership - United States Army Reserve
The Private Public Partnership (P3) program develops, integrates, and directs partner relations for the Army Reserve. P3 partners with not-for-profit (NFP), for-profit (FP), and academic organizations to support the Chief, Army Reserve's top priorities and the Army Reserve mission of providing trained, equipped and ready Soldiers, leaders, and ...
What is Public-private partnership (PPP)? - Definition ...
Public-private partnership (PPP) is a funding model for a public infrastructure project such as a new telecommunications system, airport or power plant. The public partner is represented by the government at a local, state and/or national level. The private partner can be a privately-owned business, public corporation or consortium of ...
public-private partnership | Definition, Examples, & Facts ...
Public-private partnership (PPP), partnership between an agency of the government and the private sector in the delivery of goods or services to the public.Areas of public policy in which public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been implemented include a wide range of social services, public transportation, and environmental and waste-disposal services.
Home | PPL
Description: Public Partnerships is a financial management service (FMS) organization that is dedicated to assisting state, county, and local Public agencies to implement a consumer-directed service model allowing participants to make individual choices about which services they receive, how they are delivered, and by whom, within their budgets.
NASA, SpaceX and the private-public partnership that ...
NASA, SpaceX and the private-public partnership that caused the flight of the Crew Dragon By Mark R. Whittington, opinion contributor — 06/01/20 08:30 AM EDT
Public-Private Partnership Models - The Balance Small Business
In a traditional P3 agreement, the public component of the partnership acts as a contracting officer.It looks for funding and has overall control of the project and its assets. Almost any partnership between a private contractor and a government entity can be considered a P3, but some of the most common examples are public road projects, maintenance of parks, and construction of schools and ...
FHWA - Center for Innovative Finance Support - P3
Segment 3A was designed and constructed via a public-private partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the NTE Mobility Partners. TxDOT was responsible for the financing and construction of Segment 3B, excluding tolling and ITS. With both segments completed by July 2018, the concessionaire is performing operations ...
Create public-private partnerships for Covid-19 contact ...
Apr 24, 2020· A private-public partnership between trusted health systems and public health departments, enhanced by technology when possible, would provide the …
HHS Announces New Public-Private Partnership to Develop U ...
Mar 18, 2020· The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a public-private partnership to create a U.S.-based, high-speed, high-volume emergency drug packaging solution using low-cost prefilled syringes.
Private Public Partnership - Fort Belvoir, ia | Facebook
Private Public Partnership, Fort Belvoir, ia. 8,831 likes · 5 were here. The Private Public Partnership (P3) program is a FREE resource that targets comprehensive readiness of our Soldiers.
Public-private partnerships in the US: PwC
The market for public-private partnerships (P3s, also known as PPPs) in the US is gaining ground. Investors are interested, capital is plentiful, and the federal government is increasingly involved. Recent administrations – Republican and Democratic – have overseen legislation and …
(PDF) Public-Private Partnership in Ghana
Public private partnership (PPP) is considered an innovative procurement approach which offers good prospects for the future of the global construction industry.
Public-Private Partnerships - Bloomberg
Oct 16, 2018· Public-private partnerships are common in Canada, Australia and much of western Europe. New questions about such arrangements were raised after a …
Public-Private Partnership Pros and Cons
Aug 27, 2019· A public-private partnership, or P3, is a contract between a governmental body and a private entity, with the goal of providing some public benefit, either an asset or a service. Public-private partnerships typically are long-term and involve large corporations on the private side. A key element of these contracts is that the private party must ...
How Do You Build Effective Public-Private Partnerships ...
May 16, 2017· A public-private partnership (PPP) is a very particular type of contract whereby the public partner (government entity) delegates some of its own responsibilities to a private partner under a long-term contract that defines the rights and obligations of each party during the term as well as the mechanisms for its financial re-equilibrium ...
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https://www.lapyramide-wittelsheim.fr/38514_private_public_partnership.html
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India has been struggling with deficient healthcare infrastructure for a while. During the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the grim realities of healthcare in India became evident. With the virus evolving and spreading much quicker than in the previous wave, no country could have completely defended itself. However, unlike the first phase, when the country was caught off guard by the pandemic, the second phase's disaster was aggravated due to a lack of preparedness, whether it was in terms of ensuring adequate raw materials for vaccines, containers and canisters for transporting oxygen, personnel for virus testing, or sufficient medicines, beds, and other facilities.
In such situations when the healthcare system is in a crisis, rural India suffers the most, as a lack of awareness and accessibility add to the problem. Over 75% of India's healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in metropolitan regions, where only 27% of the population lives. Furthermore, according to a KPMG study, 74% of doctors in India work in urban areas. This indicates that 73% of the population in rural areas lacks access to even basic healthcare.
Another challenge is the shortage of well-equipped medical institutes. Compared to the urgent need, the rate of building of such medical teaching or training institutes remains low. Until recently, private medical institutions had to be erected on at least five acres of land, in accordance with the government regulations. As a result, a huge number of private colleges were created in remote locations, making it difficult to recruit suitably qualified, full-time doctors due to poor living conditions and low pay scales.
The unveiling of these gaps has offered us an opportunity to look at the possible ways in which we can transform the healthcare infrastructure. In 2020 the Fifteenth Finance Commission highlighted the role of public-private partnerships in improving health infrastructure and suggested increasing public spending on health from 0.95 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2024.
The Relevance of PPP In the Indian Context
The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in India has seen success in other areas such as infrastructure, energy, education, urban development, and tourism, amongst others. It can prove to be the ultimate cure to India's healthcare challenges as well.
Here are a few ways in which the PPP model will help strengthen the Indian healthcare infrastructure:
Bringing In the Expertise: The experience and management expertise of the private sector in building and running successful organizations can be crucial in revamping medical facilities to build an efficient healthcare system.
Mutual Financial Benefits: The private sector can bring in large funds to build best-in-class healthcare facilities that benefit the masses. At the same time, the public sector can bring in the required subsidies and accessibility.
Availability: PPP will bring in the government’s resources needed to make healthcare available for the larger Indian masses living in urban and rural areas. It will also create a sustainable long-term model.
Offers Affordable Healthcare: PPP uses a high volume, low margin strategy to achieve universal health coverage and provide high-quality care at a reasonable cost. A good PPP model that reduces cost is also advantageous for the general public as it can potentially lead to lower taxes.
World-Class Technology: New-age innovative technology adopted by private players can make healthcare accessible to rural India; a relevant example is telehealth.
Specialist doctors: Changes in government policy may be able to assist India in producing more specialist doctors in order to alleviate the country's severe shortage. The Centre's decision to resurrect Post Graduate Diploma programmes in medicine is a big step in the right direction.
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