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Students on energy-related career tracks may want to make room in next semester?s schedule. UH has created a minor in energy.
The energy minor corresponds to the creation of UH Energy, a group of top energy research and education programs led by?Ramanan Krishnamoorti, special assistant to the president and chancellor for UH Energy.
As UH pushes toward becoming a dominant player in energy education, the need for sustainable energy education grows, Krishnamoorti said.
?If we?re going to use energy in an unsustainable way, I think we?re going to be doing the entire society a disservice. Sustainability has to become a part of the conversation,? Krishnamoorti said.
?In that sense, what I?m suggesting is that we have a discussion not just about energy, but about energy in a sustainable way.?
The introductory course for the minor is being taught by two professors, Joseph Pratt, professor of business and history, and Ognjen Miljanic, assistant professor of chemistry, and will be housed in the College of Business.
The course was advertised around campus and gathered to it a heterogeneous group of students despite the class designation.
?It is fun as a teacher to have different students discuss this with one another,? Pratt said. ?This is a lively class; there is quite a bit of discussion.?The engineers, the business majors, the economics majors, a Chinese studies major, everybody knows a little bit of a different part of the puzzle, so the discussion gets very interesting.?
?It?s kind of exciting. The enthusiasm of students has been contagious. The idea that we?re doing this at UH is very appropriate. I?ve been here a long time, and this is the place this course should be.?
Because of its interdisciplinary nature, the minor plans to move to the Honors College, Krishnamoorti said, but it will still be available to any and all UH students.
Issues addressed in the course can be applied to many fields, making the course less career-specific and showing the global significance of energy, Pratt said.
?The minor should provide a breadth of knowledge to students who are interested in jobs in energy and sustainability, green jobs as well as oil and gas jobs. It also is a good kind of citizenship training. These are big issues,? Pratt said.
?They?re going to stay big not just in Houston but in the whole world for generations. The kind of energy we use, the degree to which certain paths in the future are sustainability, the idea that energy use and global environment are interconnected, those are big ideas.?
The minor has been seriously planned since only Spring 2012, Pratt said, but the idea of streamlining the different energy courses and student organizations across campus has been in the works for several years.
The collaborative efforts of the different colleges is one of the better parts of the program, Krishnamoorti said. It allows for different points of view to the same wide-reaching subject to be heard and communicated clearly.
?Now not only are you going to talk to people who think interdisciplinary, but you have to think in a interdisciplinary way,? Krishnamoorti said.??You have to start to appreciate all the different sides.?
news@thedailycougar.com
Source: http://thedailycougar.com/2013/03/28/faculty-exert-enthusiasm-for-energy-minor/
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Since the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s, scientists have known that new seafloor is created throughout the major ocean basins at linear chains of volcanoes known as mid-ocean ridges. But where exactly does the erupted magma come from?
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego now have a better idea after capturing a unique image of a site deep in the earth where magma is generated.
Using electromagnetic technology developed and advanced at Scripps, the researchers mapped a large area beneath the seafloor off Central America at the northern East Pacific Rise, a seafloor volcano located on a section of the global mid-ocean ridges that together form the largest and most active chain of volcanoes in the solar system. By comparison, the researchers say the cross-section area of the melting region they mapped would rival the size of San Diego County.
Details of the image and the methods used to capture it are published in the March 28 issue of the journal Nature.
"Our data show that mantle upwelling beneath the mid-ocean ridge creates a deeper and broader melting region than previously thought," said Kerry Key, lead author of the study and an associate research geophysicist at Scripps. "This was the largest project of its kind, enabling us to image the mantle with a level of detail not possible with previous studies."
The northern East Pacific Rise is an area where two of the planet's tectonic plates are spreading apart from each another. Mantle rising between the plates melts to generate the magma that forms fresh seafloor when it erupts or freezes in the crust.
Data for the study was obtained during a 2004 field study conducted aboard the research vessel Roger Revelle, a ship operated by Scripps and owned by the U.S. Navy.
The marine electromagnetic technology behind the study was originally developed in the 1960s by Charles "Chip" Cox, an emeritus professor of oceanography at Scripps, and his student Jean Filloux. In recent years the technology was further advanced by Steven Constable and Key. Since 1995 Scripps researchers have been working with the energy industry to apply this technology to map offshore geology as an aid to exploring for oil and gas reservoirs.
"We have been working on developing our instruments and interpretation software for decades, and it is really exciting to see it all come together to provide insights into the fundamental processes of plate tectonics," said Constable, a coauthor of the paper and a professor in the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Scripps. "It was really a surprise to discover that melting started so deep in the mantle?much deeper than was expected."
Key believes the insights that electromagnetics provides will continue to grow as the technology matures and data analysis techniques improve.
"Electromagnetics is really coming of age as a tool for imaging the earth," said Key. "Much of what we know about the crust and mantle is a result of using seismic techniques. Now electromagnetic technology is offering promise for further discoveries."
Key also has future plans to apply electromagnetic technology to map subglacial lakes and groundwater in the polar regions.
###
University of California - San Diego: http://www.ucsd.edu
Thanks to University of California - San Diego for this article.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127485/Scientists_image_deep_magma_beneath_Pacific_seafloor_volcano
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Jahenns Manigat #12 of the Creighton Bluejays goes up for a shot in front of Quinn Cook #2 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils grabs a loose ball against Avery Dingman #22 of the Creighton Bluejays in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Tyler Thornton #3 of the Duke Blue Devils makes a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer against the Creighton Bluejays during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils calls out in the first half against the Creighton Bluejays during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Mason Plumlee #5 of the Duke Blue Devils with the ball in front of Gregory Echenique #00 of the Creighton Bluejays in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Quinn Cook #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half while taking on the Creighton Bluejays during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Austin Chatman #1 of the Creighton Bluejays brings the ball up against Quinn Cook #2 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Jahenns Manigat #12 of the Creighton Bluejays shoots over Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Ethan Wragge #34 and Ryan Kelly #34 of the Duke Blue Devils battle for a loose ball in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Grant Gibbs #10 of the Creighton Bluejays dunks the ball in the first half while taking on the Duke Blue Devils during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Avery Dingman #22 of the Creighton Bluejays drives on Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 24, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Durand Scott #1 of the Miami Hurricanes shoots against Joseph Bertrand #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Sam McLaurin #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini attempts to save a ball against Tonye Jekiri #23 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Head coach John Groce of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts in the first half against the Miami Hurricanes during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Reggie Johnson #42 of the Miami Hurricanes reacts after loosing the ball in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Tracy Abrams #13 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots over Shane Larkin #0 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Brandon Paul #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots over Reggie Johnson #42 of the Miami Hurricanes in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Tyler Griffey #42 of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on as the Miami Hurricanes huddle in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Kenny Kadji #35 of the Miami Hurricanes shoots over Nnanna Egwu #32 of the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Brandon Paul #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks to shoot against the defense of Shane Larkin #0 and Julian Gamble #45 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Nnanna Egwu #32 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots over Julian Gamble #45 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Illinois Fighting Illini band performs in the first half against the Miami Hurricanes during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Brandon Paul #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini goes up against Julian Gamble #45 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleaders perform in the first half against the Miami Hurricanes during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Shane Larkin #0 of the Miami Hurricanes drives against Sam McLaurin #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Casey Prather #24 of the Florida Gators goes up against Maurice Walker #15 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Rodney Williams #33 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers goes up against Erik Murphy #33 of the Florida Gators in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Scottie Wilbekin #5 of the Florida Gators drives against Andre Hollins #1 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the seocnd half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Andre Hollins #1 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers drives past Scottie Wilbekin #5 of the Florida Gators in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Head coach Billy Donovan of the Florida Gators talks to his team in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Mike Rosario #3 of the Florida Gators and Elliott Eliason #55 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers vie for posession in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Andre Hollins #1 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers drives past Scottie Wilbekin #5 of the Florida Gators in the second half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Golden Gophers bench reacts in the second half against the Florida Gators during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Austin Hollins #20 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers talks to head coach Tubby Smith in the second half against the Florida Gators during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Casey Prather #24 of the Florida Gators shoots against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 24, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
James Michael McAdoo #43 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Ben McLemore #23 and Travis Releford #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks walk on the court in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The mascot and cheerleaders for the Kansas Jayhawks perform against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Travis Releford #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
P.J. Hairston #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives for a shot attempt against Jeff Withey #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
James Michael McAdoo #43 of the North Carolina Tar Heels attempts a shot in the first half against Jeff Withey #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Ben McLemore #23 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives for a shot attempt in the first half against Reggie Bullock #35 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Kevin Young #40 of the Kansas Jayhawks fights for a rebound against James Michael McAdoo #43 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Dexter Strickland #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels huddles up with teammates against the Kansas Jayhawks during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Members of the band for the North Carolina Tar Heels perform against the Kansas Jayhawks during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Kevin Young #40 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Kansas Jayhawks huddle prior to playing against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts as he coaches against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks greets head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels prior to coaching against each other during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 24, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Will Cummings #2 of the Temple Owls drives with the ball against Yogi Ferrell #11 of the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 24, 2013 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Cody Zeller #40 of the Indiana Hoosiers handles the ball against Jake O'Brien #22 of the Temple Owls in the first half during the third round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 24, 2013 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/vander-blue-marquette-buzz-williams-sweet-16_n_2958497.html
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By Stuart Grudgings and Neil Chatterjee
KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia is seeking European investors for $9 billion worth of water, road, air and seaport projects in what will be a litmus test of Southeast Asian countries' ability to seize on ripe financial conditions to upgrade decrepit infrastructure.
Easy global liquidity and investors' eagerness to tap one of the world's few fast-growing regions should create a sweet spot for the region to fill the $600 billion in infrastructure needs the Asian Development Bank identifies over the next decade.
But infrastructure experts say a shortage of projects offering compelling returns, coupled with stifling bureaucracy and regulatory uncertainty, threatens to undermine the ambitious plans of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
"There's a lot of money floating around but it's money looking for a return," said Bert Hofman, the World Bank chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific.
After years of chronic underspending, governments in the region of 600 million people have begun to sharply raise their infrastructure budgets to improve transport and energy networks.
Indonesia, the biggest regional economy, estimates it alone needs $150 billion worth of new infrastructure, but is only willing to finance 15 percent and has seen few takers so far for the public-private partnerships (PPPs) it is relying on.
Jakarta hopes that will change after a roadshow to Europe this year to market 16 projects from water treatment to ports.
"We're market-sounding," Chatib Basri, chief of the country's investment board, told Reuters. Speaking in Jakarta after a trip to Paris to meet potential investors, Basri said he saw demand coming from France and Germany.
The projects include water and waste treatment plants in the country's most populous Java island, a sector that could be of interest to firms such as France's Veolia Environment
The projects also include an airport in Java and seaports, in an archipelago of 17,000 islands where an inadequate transport network means high logistics costs.
CHEAP MONEY, ROBUST GROWTH
Having fixed their public finances following a regional financial crisis in the late 1990s, Southeast Asian governments can borrow more cheaply than ever, while local conglomerates and banks are cash-rich on the back of robust economic growth.
A rapidly growing middle class is pressuring politicians to ease nightmarish traffic conditions in "mega-cities" such as Jakarta and Manila, while the massive plane orders being placed by low-cost airlines AirAsia and Lion Air attest to the dramatic growth in regional air travel.
This month, Thailand's cabinet approved a plan to borrow $68 billion to build rail, roads and water plants by 2020. That came days after the operator of Bangkok's SkyTrain, BTS Group Holdings Pcl
Indonesia and the Philippines, far-flung archipelagos with a combined population of 340 million, have passed laws to improve cooperation with the private sector to solve their bottlenecks.
ATTRACTING FUNDS
But attracting private funds remains difficult. Project finance lending in Southeast Asia fell 6.3 percent last year to $13.5 billion, Thomson Reuters data shows.
The Philippines, whose recent history is littered with failed or delayed infrastructure plans, has prepared at least 16 PPPs worth more than $4 billion.
So far, only two projects have been successfully bid out. Some foreign firms -- which face tight restrictions on investment -- say they have been put off by a lack of government guarantees on pricing.
In Indonesia, only two PPP projects offered since 2006 have made it to the construction phase -- a 2,000 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Java and an expressway in Bali. Even then, the power project has been delayed by land acquisition problems.
As well as investor-unfriendly lands laws, projects can be held up by sometimes conflicting national and local authorities. Moreover, returns in Indonesia and the Philippines often fail to reflect such risks, said Johan Bastin, chief executive of Singapore-based infrastructure private equity firm CapAsia.
"In my view, the institutional capabilities at local administrative level are underdeveloped, the regulatory regimes largely untested and the judiciary systems somewhat arbitrary," he said. "The returns we see in the markets seem to assume that these problems will be dealt with over time."
He said annual returns on projects were often about 3-5 percent below an "acceptable" level of around 15-20 percent.
MORE PUBLIC MONEY
The passage of a new land acquisition law last year should help jumpstart Indonesia's infrastructure pipeline, although it will only apply to future investments.
Meanwhile, the struggle to attract private investors means governments may have to play a bigger role. Long-delayed plans to build a mass-rapid transit system to relieve Jakarta's 10 million people of monster traffic jams are a case in point.
After plans for a pure private-sector solution were abandoned long ago, it has been held up for years by wrangling between Jakarta and the national government over how to pay back a $1.6 billion Japanese loan for the project.
While public infrastructure spending is rising in the region, it remains well below where it should be, economists say.
Indonesia, which spends only around 3-3.5 percent of its GDP on infrastructure, plans to raise its infrastructure budget by about 11 percent this year. The Philippines aims to double its infrastructure spending from 2.6 percent of GDP. China spends about 9 percent of its GDP on infrastructure.
Some governments' ability to expand infrastructure spending is hampered by heavy outlays on subsidies. Indonesia spent about $22 billion last year on fuel subsidies, and the prospects for reform are dim ahead of a presidential election in 2014.
"Southeast Asia has to rethink radically its strategy on infrastructure," said Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economic research at HSBC. "I'm not inclined to bet this is happening really on a broader scale."
(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco in Manila and Orathai Sriring in Bangkok; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-southeast-asia-ready-build-investors-come-210525518--finance.html
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If you want an expanded network but don't know how to achieve it, read this article. Lots of people struggle in determining how they can add on people on their email listing. Therefore, utilize the advice presented in the below article in order to determine how you can do this, so that you can achieve the popularity you've been craving.
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Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.
Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.
Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.
Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."
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FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2013 file photo, government security forces in a pickup truck drive past a demonstration calling for peace as negotiators prepare for talks with rebels from the north, in downtown Bangui, Central African Republic Saturday. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. Panic spread throughout the capital, with the neighborhoods closest to the northern gate of the city emptying out, as frightened residents locked up their shops, packed their bags and yanked their children out of school. Banks and government offices closed early.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2013 file photo, government security forces in a pickup truck drive past a demonstration calling for peace as negotiators prepare for talks with rebels from the north, in downtown Bangui, Central African Republic Saturday. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. Panic spread throughout the capital, with the neighborhoods closest to the northern gate of the city emptying out, as frightened residents locked up their shops, packed their bags and yanked their children out of school. Banks and government offices closed early.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2013 file photo, a convoy of Chadian soldiers fighting in support of Central African Republic president Francois Bozize moves along the road in Damara, about 70km (44 miles) north of the capital Bangui, Central African Republic Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. Panic spread throughout the capital, with the neighborhoods closest to the northern gate of the city emptying out, as frightened residents locked up their shops, packed their bags and yanked their children out of school. Banks and government offices closed early.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2013 photo, Francois Bozize, president of the Central African Republic, speaks to the media in front of a map of the country in the colors of its flag, at the presidential palace in Bangui, Central African Republic. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. In power since 2003, Bozize is himself the result of a rebel occupation. After years as a high-ranking military officer, Bozize launched a rebellion in 2001, taking Bangui two years later, when the then-president was out of the country.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? Rebels overthrew Central African Republic's president of a decade on Sunday, seizing the presidential palace and declaring that the desperately poor country has "opened a new page in its history." The country's president fled the capital, while extra French troops moved to secure the airport, officials said.
The rebels' invasion of the capital came just two months after they had signed a peace agreement that would have let President Francois Bozize serve until 2016. That deal unraveled in recent days, prompting the insurgents' advance into Bangui and Bozize's departure to a still unpublicized location.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the unconstitutional seizure of power and called for the swift restoration of constitutional order, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
The U.N. chief appealed for calm and reiterated that the January peace agreements "remain the most viable framework to ensure durable peace and stability in the country," Nesirky said. Ban also expressed deep concern at reports of serious human rights violations.
Witnesses and an adviser to Bozize said rebel trucks were traveling throughout the town on Sunday hours after the palace was seized. Former colonial power France confirmed the developments, issuing a statement that said French President Francois Hollande "has taken note of the departure of President Francois Bozize."
"Central African Republic has just opened a new page in its history," said a communique signed by Justin Kombo Moustapha, secretary-general of the alliance of rebel groups known as Seleka.
"The political committee of the Seleka coalition, made up of Central Africans of all kinds, calls on the population to remain calm and to prepare to welcome the revolutionary forces of Seleka," it said.
Central African Republic, a nation of 4.5 million, has long been wracked by rebellions and power grabs. Bozize himself took power in 2003 following a rebellion, and his tenure has been marked by conflict with myriad armed groups.
The rebels reached the outskirts of Bangui late Saturday. Heavy gunfire echoed through the city Sunday as the fighters made their way to the presidential palace, though the president was not there at the time.
"Bozize left the city this morning," said Maximin Olouamat, a Bozize adviser. He declined to say where the president had gone.
The last public news of Bozize's whereabouts came Friday, when state radio announced he had returned from a visit to South Africa.
Coverseas Worldwide Assistance, a Swiss-based crisis management firm that has contacts on the ground, said it believed Bozize was headed toward neighboring Congo. Bangui is located along the Oubangui River that separates the two countries.
Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende, however, said he had no knowledge of Bozize crossing into Congo.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement Sunday that the United States was "deeply concerned about a serious deterioration in the security situation" in Central African Republic.
"We urgently call on the Seleka leadership which has taken control of Bangui to establish law and order in the city and to restore basic services of electricity and water," the statement said.
Rebels from several armed groups that have long opposed Bozize joined forces in December and began seizing towns across the sparsely populated north. They threatened at the time to march on Bangui, but ultimately halted their advance and agreed to engage in peace talks in Libreville, the capital of Gabon.
A deal was signed Jan. 11 that allowed Bozize to finish his term, which expires in 2016, but the rebels soon began accusing the president of failing to fulfill promises made.
They demanded Bozize send home South African forces who were helping bolster the country's military. They also sought to integrate some 2,000 rebel fighters into Central African Republic's armed forces.
Earlier this month, the rebels again took control of two towns and threatening to advance on the capital.
Late Saturday, Bangui was plunged into darkness after fighters cut power to much of the city. State radio went dead, and fearful residents cowered in their homes.
An unspecified number of French citizens have taken refuge in the French Embassy, a French diplomat said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to be publicly named according to Foreign Ministry policy. The diplomat said extra French troops were brought in to secure the Bangui airport.
Hundreds of French soldiers already were in the country, some of whom were sent in to protect French interests in the former colony. Bozize had appealed to Hollande for help, but the French president said he would not be protecting the government. Other French soldiers have been providing technical support and helping to train the local army, according to the French defense ministry.
South African Brig. Gen. Xolani Mabanga, the country's military spokesman, said there had been "intense" fighting this weekend between rebels and South African forces. "Our base was attacked by the rebels as they were advancing toward the capital," he said.
"We have suffered some casualties," he said. He declined to provide the number of casualties, pending the outcome of an investigation.
The peace deal also had created a prime minister post, which was given to opposition leader Nicolas Tiangaye, who had been sheltering at a military base for forces from regional neighbors known as FOMAC.
The United States urged the rebels to "provide full support" to Tiangaye, citing the "continued legitimacy" of the peace deal signed in January.
___
Krista Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Christopher Torchia in Johannesburg and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
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CBS
The cast of "The Amazing Race's" 22nd season.
By The Hollywood Reporter
CBS and the producers of "The Amazing Race" have apologized for last week's episode, which came under fire for using a B-52 memorial in Hanoi, Vietnam, as a key part of the leg.
The episode saw contestants go to the memorial -- which depicts the wreckage of an downed American bomber plane during the Vietnam war -- to find their next clue. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, along with several Fox News anchors and viewers, complained about the usage of the memorial.
PHOTOS: "The Amazing Race" Season 22: Meet the teams
?The B-52 scene, as well as the young people singing a propaganda song, was totally unnecessary to the show?s plot, which speaks volumes about naive producers who think they?re in charge when they are not,? VFW national commander John Hamilton said wrote in a nearly 500-word letter to CBS Corp. chief Leslie Moonves.
Sunday night's episode kicked off with the apology, read by "Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan.
"Parts of last Sunday's episode, filmed in Vietnam, were insensitive to a group that is very important to us -- our nation's veterans," the statement read. "We want to apologize to veterans, particularly those who served in Vietnam, as well as to their families and any viewers who were offended by the broadcast. All of us here have the most profound respect for the men and women who fight for our country."
CBS had declined to comment on the controversy earlier in the week.
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Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose works out before an NBA basketball game between the Bulls and the Denver Nuggets, Monday, March 18, 2013, in Chicago. Rose continues rehabbing from a surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose works out before an NBA basketball game between the Bulls and the Denver Nuggets, Monday, March 18, 2013, in Chicago. Rose continues rehabbing from a surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose works out before an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Friday, March 8, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) ? Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose still isn't sure when he'll come back from his knee injury.
The former MVP point guard sounded like a player who just might miss the entire season, though he said he hasn't experienced any setbacks in his recovery. He said Thursday that he's still experiencing some soreness in his surgically repaired left knee and hasn't set a target date for his return.
"It could be tomorrow and I feel like I can play the next game," Rose said as the Bulls practiced before Thursday night's game against Portland. "Nobody knows but God."
Rose hasn't played since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during last year's playoff opener against Philadelphia, an injury that sent the top-seeded Bulls toward a first-round exit. He had surgery in May, and his status has been a running soap opera surrounding this team.
His brother and manager Reggie Rose ripped the Bulls for standing pat at the trade deadline in an interview with ESPNChicago.com, saying it could be a "big factor" in whether Derrick plays this season. Then, the website reported two weeks ago that Derrick Rose had been medically cleared to play but told the team he won't until he can dunk with confidence off his left foot. All that fueled the idea that the team and its star were not on the same page, although Rose has said there is no rift.
He also has his teammates' support.
"It's big," Rose said. "When I got my teammates behind me and they see how hard I'm pushing in practice and I'm seeing how hard they're fighting for me on the court, it makes me want to go harder. It makes me want to be out there more too. But you have to look at the big picture."
That would be what's best in the long run.
The Bulls have struggled of late and entered Thursday sixth in the Eastern Conference at 36-30. Time would appear to be running out for a return, but Rose doesn't see it that way.
That could be because he's been operating with the same idea since he went down ? he'll come back whenever he's ready. Asked how badly he wants to play, Rose said, "Bad."
"But knowing that my health is the biggest key, where I'm only 24 years old, I got the whole future in front of me I'm just trying to take my time," he said.
Rose said he's stronger from lifting weights and working out, and believes he will return "a better player." There still are some mental and physical hurdles to clear.
"It's still about the same where you warm up a little bit, it's loose," Rose said. "Then, the activity picks up and it gets back sore. Just fighting through that."
Rose wouldn't put a percentage on where he's at physically, but he did say he's "very comfortable" during five-on-five drills.
"Sometimes, you kind of think a little bit while you're out there," he said. "That's when I know I'll be ready to play, when I'm out there not thinking but reacting."
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A guest post by Brooke McDonald, Apple Valley Property Management, Minnesota
As we all know, outsourcing is a risk that can turn out to either be the best decision you ever made
The stereotyped and semi-popular sitcom Outsourced didn?t last long on NBC, but it aired long enough to remind Americans of a poignant truth: Any kind of outsourcing involves some kind of learning curve, frustration, and a little bit of humor.
Thankfully, outsourcing your property management does not have to be as hairy as Todd Dempsy?s struggles to run his Indian call center, nor will it require working with an office on another continent (unless you hire a property management company in another country, which we don?t advise). No, local property management companies can, in fact, be an incredible benefit to you as a property owner, saving you time and money and providing real estate expertise that can protect you from legal trouble.
When you think of the word ?outsourcing? in terms of property management, get rid of the negative connotations you often hear. Retrain your mind to hear the word ?outsource? in conjunction with ?property management? and think smart, wise, and worth it.
Outsourcing can be an outstanding decision
Doing all the management yourself is a heck of a lot of work for you, but it?s all in a day?s work for a property management company.
In addition, property management companies have all the structures and resources in place to do an excellent job. They usually employ software that an average person might not have ? software that allows them to collect rent, perform background checks, and advertise listings.
Here?s what hiring a property manager can save you:
Common objections to giving up control
You may be saying, ?But I really love this apartment, and I want to make sure it?s taken care of the way I want it to be taken care of.? Giving up control of your rental properties might feel a little bit like handing a newborn to a random hospital visitor. It matters to you! Nothing is more important to you as the owner than running a quality business, keeping tenants happy, and providing excellent upkeep of your properties so your tenants have a great experience.
Often, too, the cost that comes along with outsourcing property management makes people wrinkle their noses. But it?s possible to soothe your objections if you consider the overall advantages of hiring professionals ? and hire the right ones.
Having confidence in your property management company
When considering people to hire, consider the recommendations of friends, as well as reviews and ratings of local companies. Also, sit down with the company and ask questions. Just as you?d screen a summer nanny or a house sitter, you want to feel confident and trust the person you choose.
Here are several helpful questions to ask, with some thoughts on the reason to ask them.
The caveat to all this is obviously that outsourcing will prove a crummy decision if you trust the wrong folks to do it. You want to hire an expert company who will do the job right.
But if you pick the right kind of people who can take your property and run with it, well, who wouldn?t outsource?
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DALLAS?Individuals who drink green tea and coffee as part of their regular diet may lower their risk of stroke, according to a new study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The findings also suggest the more green tea or coffee people drink, the lower their stroke risks.
Researchers at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, Japan, conducted the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks. Previous limited research has shown green tea?s link to lower death risks from heart disease, but has only touched on its association with lower stroke risks. Other studies have shown inconsistent connections between coffee and stroke risks.
For the study, researchers 83,269 Japanese adults aged 45 to 74 years who were from cancer and cardiovascular disease about their green tea and coffee drinking habits. During the 13-year follow-up, researchers reviewed participants? hospital medical records and death certificates, collecting data about heart disease, strokes and causes of death. They adjusted their findings to account for age, sex and lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol, weight, diet and exercise.
They found people who drank at least 1 cup of coffee daily had about a 20% lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it. People who drank 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily had a 14% lower risk of stroke, and those who had at least 4 cups had a 20% lower risk, compared to those who rarely drank it. People who drank at least 1 cup of coffee or 2 cups of green tea daily had a 32% lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, compared to those who rarely drank either beverage.
Initial study results showed drinking more than 2 cups of coffee daily was linked to increasing coronary heart disease rates in age- and sex-adjusted analysis. However, researchers didn?t find the association after factoring in the effects of cigarette smoking?underscoring smoking?s negative health impact on heart and stroke health.
The researchers said the regular action of drinking tea or coffee largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming. And while it?s unclear how green tea affects stroke risk, a compound group known as catechins may provide some protection. Catechins have an antioxidant anti-inflammatory effect, increasing plasma antioxidant capacity and anti-thrombogenic effects. Some chemicals in coffee include chlorogenic acid, thus cutting stroke risks by lowering the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Source: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/03/drinking-green-tea-coffee-cuts-stroke-risk.aspx
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To engineers, it's a tale as old as time: Electrical current is carried through materials by flowing electrons. But physicists at the University of Illinois and the University of Pennsylvania found that for copper-containing superconductors, known as cuprates, electrons are not enough to carry the current.
"The story of electrical conduction in metals is told entirely in terms of electrons. The cuprates show that there is something completely new to be understood beyond what electrons are doing," said Philip Phillips, a professor of physics and of chemistry at the U. of I.
In physics, Luttinger's theorem states that the number of electrons in a material is the same as the number of electrons in all of its atoms added together. Electrons are the sub-atomic particles that carry the current in a conductive material. Much-studied conducting materials, such as metals and semiconductors, hold true to the theorem.
Phillips' group works on the theory behind high-temperature superconductors. In superconductors, current flows freely without resistance. Cuprate superconductors have puzzled physicists with their superconducting ability since their discovery in 1987.
The researchers developed a model outlining the breakdown of Luttinger's theorem that is applicable to cuprate superconductors, since the hypotheses that the theorem is built on are violated at certain energies in these materials. The group tested it and indeed found discrepancies between the measured charge and the number of mobile electrons in cuprate superconductors, defying Luttinger.
"This result is telling us that the physics cannot be described by electrons alone," Phillips said. "This means that the cuprates are even weirder than previously thought: Something other than electrons carries the current."
"Theorists have suspected that something like this was true but no one has been able to prove it," Phillips said. "Electrons are charged. Therefore, if an electron does not contribute to the charge count, then there is a lot of explaining to do."
Now the researchers are exploring possible candidates for current-carriers, particularly a novel kind of excitation called unparticles.
###
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: http://www.uiuc.edu
Thanks to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127360/Electrons_are_not_enough__Cuprate_superconductors_defy_convention
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The political debates around Shell's Arctic drilling plans and the Keystone XL pipeline are becoming less about energy and more about partisanship, Graeber writes.
The conical drilling unit Kulluk sits grounded 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska. Shell last month said it was suspending plans offshore Alaska to prepare its equipment and personnel for resumption of activity "at a later stage," Graeber writes.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Painter/US Coast Guard/AP/File
EnlargeRep. Ed Markey, ranking member of the House Energy Committee, said an investigation into Shell's offshore Alaska campaign suggested the company wasn't ready to work in extreme environments. An Interior Department report found problems with the way Shell managed its Alaska campaign last year. Last week, Markey added that he wanted to restrict oil and gas exports to ensure U.S. energy security.? Amid the firestorm over Republican pressure to pass the Keystone XL pipeline, some party leaders on the other side of the aisle are embracing a protective model as a way to keep the domestic economy going. The political debate around energy, however, is becoming less about energy and more about partisanship.
Skip to next paragraph OilPrice.comoffers extensive coverage of all energy sectors from crude oil and natural gas to solar energy and environmental issues. To see more opinion pieces and news analysis that cover energy technology, finance and trading, geopolitics, and sector news, please visit?Oilprice.com.
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Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Tommy Beaudreau led the Interior Department's review of Shell's?work?offshore Alaska. The New Years Eve grounding of drillship Kulluk gave environmental campaigners the fodder they needed to reiterate their position that arctic oil and gas exploration wasn't safe. Beaudreau?found?that "Alaska's harsh environment was unforgiving" to Shell's lack of oversight in Alaska.
Markey, D-Mass., said the report showed Shell wasn't prepared to drill in the harsh arctic environment of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.?(Related article:?Using Oil Revenues to Research Alternative Fuels)
"Until Shell demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have the capability to drill in the arctic safely, their drilling plans should remain on ice," he?said.?
Mary Altaffer / AP
New York City Fire Department Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano, seen here in 2010, had no comment Tuesday on offensive tweets by his son, Joseph, an emergency medical technician.
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News
The son of New York City's fire commissioner quit his job as a city emergency medical technician Monday after a report that he made offensive posts about blacks, Jews and women on Twitter.
Joseph Cassano resigned only a few hours after issuing an apology for the tweets. His father, Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, said he was ?extremely disappointed? by his son?s online comments and that they did not reflect his values.
The New York Post reported that the younger Cassano?s now-disabled Twitter account included posts such as "I like jews about as much as hitler" and "Getting sick of picking up all these obama lovers and taking them to the hospital because their medicare pays for an ambulance and not a cab."
In other tweets, he used a derogatory slang term for black people, threatened to leave the U.S. if President Obama was re-elected and made a snide crack about Martin Luther King Jr., the newspaper said. He also reportedly wrote that every girl should be forced to get a "boob job" when she turns 18.
Cassano, 23, also complained about his job as a city EMT, and alluded to a plan to follow in his father's footsteps and become a firefighter, the Post reported.?
In a statement issued through the FDNY, the son did not acknowledge specific tweets but said he took "full responsibility my comments."
"From the bottom of my heart, I?m truly sorry and I apologize for my offensive remarks.? My intention was never to hurt anyone, or any group, and these tasteless comments do not reflect the person my parents raised me to be," he wrote.
The elder Cassano said the situation was ?very painful? to him as a parent but backed his son?s decision to step down from a job he has held since December and which could have given him an edge in becoming a firefighter.
?I love him very much and, with the support and love of our entire family, we will get through this together,? the commissioner said.
Cassano, who took over the top Fire Department job in January of 2010, also said he has worked hard for years ?to make the FDNY more diverse and inclusive? and would not tolerate statements that damage the department?s reputation.
The Fire Department has been embroiled in a federal lawsuit brought by the Justice Department in 2007 over its racial makeup, which was 89 percent white.
In 2010, a judge halted hiring and ordered the city to create a new entrance exam; the following year, he appointed a monitor to oversee recruitment and hiring. The city has appealed, but a record number of minorities took the latest test last spring, and 40 percent of those in line to get the coveted jobs are black or Hispanic.
Before the resignation, a lawyer for the Vulcan Society ? a fraternal organization of black firefighters, which joined the feds' discrimination suit against the department ? called the younger Cassano's tweets disgraceful.
"I suppose one shouldn't visit the sins of the son upon the parent, but as John lives at home with his father the FDNY commissioner you can't help wondering about the influence of that home on his disgracefully racist views," the lawyer, Richard Levy, said in an email to NBC News.
Ron Meier, New York regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said he was "encouraged" by the younger Cassano's apology.
"The sentiment Mr. Cassano communicated in those posts threatens to damage and undermine public trust in FDNY. We urge Mr. Cassano to take meaningful steps that reflect the regret he has expressed," Meier said in a statement.
The head of the union that represents emergency medical technicians said he was hoping the report was "not true."
"The union does not condone this type of behavior," said Israel Miranda, president of Local 2507 of District Council 37.
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