US Senate Panel approves bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

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US Senate Panel approves bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Thursday, December 6, 2007

A United States Senate committee has passed landmark legislation aimed at combating global warming by limiting carbon dioxide emissions. The vote was timed to coincide with the U.N. conference on climate change taking place in Bali, Indonesia.

The bill would set caps on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from electric utility, transportation and manufacturing industries beginning in 2012 with the goal of cutting emissions 60 percent by 2050. It would create an incentive system that would give credits to industries that cut pollution. Industries that failed to reduce emissions would be forced to buy credits from others.

The Democratic-led Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted eleven to eight, largely along party lines, to send the measure to the full Senate for what supporters hope will be action early next year.

“We are facing a crisis that will hit our children and our grandchildren the hardest if we do not act now. Not to act would be wrong, cowardly, and irresponsible,” said Senator Barbara Boxer, a Californian Democrat, chairwoman of the committee.

Senator Boxer, who is expected to travel to Bali as part of a U.S. congressional delegation next week, said committee approval of the bill sends a signal to the rest of the world that the United States is serious about reducing global warming.

But many Republicans oppose the legislation, saying it would increase energy costs and lead to job losses. They argue the measure does not ensure that other nations, particularly China and India, will cut emissions.

“China’s emission will continue to accelerate as it builds coal plants and imports jobs from the United States. This will be enormously expensive to households within seven years as electricity prices skyrocket by 35 to 65 percent,” said Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the committee.

But co-sponsor Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia, who broke with many in his party to support the measure, offered a different view: “If we do not act, China and India will hide behind America’s skirts of inaction and take no steps of their own. Therefore we simply have to lead,” he said.

The House of Representatives has yet to draft its own version of the legislation.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=US_Senate_Panel_approves_bill_to_reduce_greenhouse_gas_emissions&oldid=2881449”

Communication Skills Workshops: Enhancing Employee Performance

Communication Skills Workshops: Enhancing Employee Performance

by

DanielHirsch

Professional development, be it BA professional development or the development of any other employee, is of utmost importance today. Every employee needs to increase his or her skill and knowledge through various training programs, research, etc. One of the traits that every professional needs to develop is the communication skills.

Communication is one of the most important skills that anyone in an organization can have. The importance of communication can never be under emphasized as good communication skills are required in each and every field. Be it in the case of a business analyst or SDLC communications are an integral part of practically everything.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RNfaIW5k1g[/youtube]

There are a lot of different ways that can be used to improve communication skills. One can opt for a well designed and detailed communication skills workshop which can be very effective in enhancing one s communication skills. These workshops are privately offered in the workplace and therefore, can be conducted very easily. The workshops are offered in various types and formats. The format that a particular organization should choose would depend on the approach and the size of the organization. The organization, if it wants, may opt for in-house communication skills training. Here, the workshops will be held by a team comprising of internal human resource personnel. The in-house communication skills training can also be conducted by a team from outside the organization.

Organizations may also opt for off-site workshops where it will send its employees to various workshops are various places. In this case, the workshops will be conducted by professional who are experts at communication skill training. This approach holds the massive advantage of having experts train the employees of an organization.

It is important for the organization to make the employee understand the meaning of good communication according to the organizational needs and the nature of the employee s work. Good communication skills workshops give examples which are applicable and therefore, the employees can easily understand them.

Developing good communication skills are therefore, a very important aspect of professional development. Good workplace communication is very important and can help a lot in increasing employee productivity.

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BA Professional Development

, Executive Development and BA Associate Certificate at PMWorks, we provide Process Requirements, Requirements Analysis Training, IIBA Competency Model and Finance for Non financial to cost effectively manage your portfolios,

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programs and projects.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Solar-powered plane completes 26-hour flight

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Solar-powered plane completes 26-hour flight

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Solar Impulse, an experimental solar-powered airplane, landed in Switzerland on Thursday after completing a successful 26-hour test flight. The flight was a proof-of-concept displaying that a solar-powered aircraft can accumulate enough power from the sun during the day to power it through the night. The team that designed and built the aircraft believes that, in theory, the plane could fly indefinitely, given that there is enough sunlight to power it.

The flight is the longest and highest flight by a piloted solar-powered aircraft, with an average altitude of about 28,000 feet, and an average speed of around 25 miles per hour. Pilot Andre Borschberg, a former fighter pilot in the Swiss air force, said “I’ve been a pilot for forty years now, but this flight has been the most incredible of my flying career. Just sitting there and watching the battery charge level rise and rise thanks to the sun. I have just flown more than 26 hours without using a drop of fuel and without causing any pollution.”

The plane can carry only one passenger, and contains 12,000 solar cells. However, the plane does have its setbacks; a blog on the project’s website reported after seventeen hours of flight that “Andre’s feeling great up there. His only complaints involve little things like a slightly sore back as well as a ten-hour period during which it was minus twenty degrees Celsius in the cockpit. That made his drinking water system freeze up and worst of all his iPod batteries die.”

The project’s intention is to show that emissions-free air travel is a feasible concept; however, the team does not believe that current propulsion methods will be replaced by alternatives in the near future.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Solar-powered_plane_completes_26-hour_flight&oldid=3952906”

On the campaign trail in the USA, October 2020

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On the campaign trail in the USA, October 2020

Monday, November 2, 2020

The following is the sixth and final edition of a monthly series chronicling the 2020 United States presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month’s biggest stories.

This month’s spotlight on the campaign trail: the Free and Equal Elections Foundation holds two presidential debates, three candidates who did not participate in those debates give their final pleas to voters, and three political pundits give their predictions on the outcome of the election.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=On_the_campaign_trail_in_the_USA,_October_2020&oldid=4608355”

Gastric bypass surgery performed by remote control

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Gastric bypass surgery performed by remote control
May 11th, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Sunday, August 21, 2005

A robotic system at Stanford Medical Center was used to perform a laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery successfully with a theoretically similar rate of complications to that seen in standard operations. However, as there were only 10 people in the experimental group (and another 10 in the control group), this is not a statistically significant sample.

If this surgical procedure is as successful in large-scale studies, it may lead the way for the use of robotic surgery in even more delicate procedures, such as heart surgery. Note that this is not a fully automated system, as a human doctor controls the operation via remote control. Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is a treatment for obesity.

There were concerns that doctors, in the future, might only be trained in the remote control procedure. Ronald G. Latimer, M.D., of Santa Barbara, CA, warned “The fact that surgeons may have to open the patient or might actually need to revert to standard laparoscopic techniques demands that this basic training be a requirement before a robot is purchased. Robots do malfunction, so a backup system is imperative. We should not be seduced to buy this instrument to train surgeons if they are not able to do the primary operations themselves.”

There are precedents for just such a problem occurring. A previous “new technology”, the electrocardiogram (ECG), has lead to a lack of basic education on the older technology, the stethoscope. As a result, many heart conditions now go undiagnosed, especially in children and others who rarely undergo an ECG procedure.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Gastric_bypass_surgery_performed_by_remote_control&oldid=4331525”

Complete Study About Railways Timetable, Train Schedule

May 10th, 2021 in School Academy | No Comments

Submitted by: Kuldeep Saini

Train journeys can be a fun and exciting experience. There is so much to see when traveling by train so many diverse terrains and landscapes that you pass, all of which make you truly appreciate this beautiful country, India.

If you are looking to make a journey by train but don t know where to start or which type of train goes to the place you want to travel to, a good place to start would be by referring to the Indian railways timetable. This railways timetable has the train schedule of all the trains that travel from and to railway stations across the country. If you are looking for a train from Kolkatta s Howrah Railway Station to New Delhi Railway Station, the train schedule will show you all the options and will help you decide which train you can take as per your convenience.

Once you have decided on the train you want to take, the next step is booking your train ticket. A few years ago, you would probably have needed to go to the railway station or go to one of the railways booking counters in your city. You would have needed to fill out a form, after seeing the railways timetable and deciding your train, and then stand in a long queue to submit the form. Then, the person behind the counter would check the form and print your ticket and you would have to pay cash for the tickets right there and then.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkbqYAINGt4[/youtube]

However now, times are different and technology has changed a lot for us and made life somewhat convenient. You can now easily make an online train ticket booking through many websites on the internet. Just do an online search and you will get results that vary from the official Indian Railways website to many other prominent and leading travel companies in the country. These online train ticket booking websites will show you all the details you require a complete railways timetable, all the train schedules, type of bogeys, if sleeper class or chair car, as well as the availability and ticket status of all the trains. Online train ticket booking websites also offer you the convenience of paying by credit card or debit card.

So the next time you want to take a journey, consider doing it by train. Not only will it be less expensive than an air ticket, it will be a great opportunity to see India how it truly is. Not to forget, your traveling companions will make your journey by train all the more unforgettable.

If you are looking to make a journey by train but don t know where to start or which type of train goes to the place you want to travel to, a good place to start would be by referring to the Indian railways timetable. This railways timetable has the train schedule of all the trains that travel from and to railway stations across the country. If you are looking for a train from Kolkatta s Howrah Railway Station to New Delhi Railway Station, the train schedule will show you all the options and will help you decide which train you can take as per your convenience.

Once you have decided on the train you want to take, the next step is booking your train ticket. A few years ago, you would probably have needed to go to the railway station or go to one of the railways booking counters in your city. You would have needed to fill out a form, after seeing the railways timetable and deciding your train, and then stand in a long queue to submit the form. Then, the person behind the counter would check the form and print your ticket and you would have to pay cash for the tickets right there and then.

However now, times are different and technology has changed a lot for us and made life somewhat convenient. You can now easily make an online train ticket booking through many websites on the internet. Just do an online search and you will get results that vary from the official Indian Railways website to many other prominent and leading travel companies in the country.

About the Author:

us.makemytrip.com

, Author is an associate editor of

railwaystimetable.co.in

, Indian Railways. The website offers exclusive information of

indianrailwaytickets.net.in

, Railway Reservation, railways timetable and Train Ticket Reservation.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=339344&ca=Travel

Tornado kills one and injures 100 in northern Colorado

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Tornado kills one and injures 100 in northern Colorado
May 10th, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Friday, May 23, 2008

A tornado that has caused 28 miles (45 km) of destruction throughout Weld County, Colorado, has killed one and injured 100. The man killed was inside a vehicle that was destroyed in the storm, west of Greeley, which is about 60 miles (97 km) north of Denver.

A state trooper says that multiple car accidents occurred on highways throughout the county. U.S. Route 85 was closed after two semi-trailers were flipped over, though the drivers were not injured. Dozens of houses and vehicles were badly damaged by the tornado as it passed through. The town of Windsor had hundreds of homes and businesses damaged, including the town hall, in addition to trees down and electricity outages. In response to the disaster, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter declared a state of emergency and activated the Colorado National Guard in the badly damaged Weld County.

Severe storms also hit Laramie, Wyoming, 145 miles northwest of Denver, knocking out electricity to 7,300 customers and damaging buildings. One damaged building, the Quadra Dangle Square Dance Club, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, had its roof and porch ripped off. The Associated Press reports Brian Chapman of the National Weather Service in Cheyenne as saying that “indicators are very strongly in favor of it being a tornado,” but no confirmation is possible until the damage is fully assessed. Governor Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming has also authorized a crew of eight National Guardsman to help clean up the damage. Another twister touched down just east of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The local fire department responded to a call after the storm damaged a barn and a house just south of I-80.

Rain, hail and snow pelted the entire region, and more storms are predicted for today. The National Weather Service in Cheyenne reports, “Severe thunderstorms are likely again this afternoon into early this evening mainly east of the Laramie Range…with the greatest threat east of Cheyenne across the southern Nebraska panhandle. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible which may cause some localized flooding especially in areas that received heavy rainfall Thursday.” Winds are expected to gust above 40mph throughout the day. At 7:40am MST weather conditions were calm and partly cloudly just west of Laramie, Wyoming

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Tornado_kills_one_and_injures_100_in_northern_Colorado&oldid=4578785”

Citizens protest Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal

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Citizens protest Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal
May 9th, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments
Buffalo, N.Y. Hotel Proposal Controversy
Recent Developments
  • “Old deeds threaten Buffalo, NY hotel development” — Wikinews, November 21, 2006
  • “Proposal for Buffalo, N.Y. hotel reportedly dead: parcels for sale “by owner”” — Wikinews, November 16, 2006
  • “Contract to buy properties on site of Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal extended” — Wikinews, October 2, 2006
  • “Court date “as needed” for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal” — Wikinews, August 14, 2006
  • “Preliminary hearing for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal rescheduled” — Wikinews, July 26, 2006
  • “Elmwood Village Hotel proposal in Buffalo, N.Y. withdrawn” — Wikinews, July 13, 2006
  • “Preliminary hearing against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal delayed” — Wikinews, June 2, 2006
Original Story
  • “Hotel development proposal could displace Buffalo, NY business owners” — Wikinews, February 17, 2006

Monday, March 20, 2006

Buffalo, New York —On Saturday March 18, citizens in Buffalo demonstrated to make their voices be heard. The protest mounted by people opposed to the Elmwood Village Hotel proposal took place on the proposed site at Forest and Elmwood Avenues.

The Elmwood Village Hotel is a 72-room, seven-million-dollar hotel proposed by Savarino Construction Services Corporation. The hotel would require the demolition of at least five buildings (1109-1121 Elmwood), which house several shops and residents. Karl Frizlen, an architect with Frizlen Group, designed the hotel. Although the properties are “under contract,” it is still unknown if Savarino Construction actually owns the buildings. It is believed that Hans Mobius, a resident of Clarence, New York and former Buffalo Mayorial candidate, is still the owner. The hotel is expected to be a franchise of the Wyndham Hotels group.

Despite the cold weather, at least 40 people showed up to walk the picket line for 2 two hours.

Clarence Carnahan, a Buffalo resident, supplied signs that citizens could use during the protest. Some of the signs said, ‘No vacancy, No hotel,’ ‘No tell hotel,’ ‘Hans off’ and ‘Our neighborhood, our choice, no hotel.’

“The concern is they are going to tear down established businesses that have been here for years,” said Charles Leist, a protester.

“We’re fighting to the bitter end. We’re hoping that we can squelch this. We don’t think we can, but we’re going down kicking and screaming,” said Patty Morris, co-owner with Nancy Pollina of Don Apparel at 1119 Elmwood. Don Apparel is a vintage clothing and collectible shop and has been at the same location for nearly 14 years.

The city’s Common Council is expected to vote on the proposal on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 2:00 PM in Council Chambers, on 13th floor in City Hall.

The Planning Board is expected to vote on the proposal on Tuesday, March 28, at 8:00 AM in room 902 on the 9th floor of City Hall.

Even if the Common Council approves the proposal, the Planning board will get the final say in the matter.

So far, no other protests are scheduled. Organizers say they will wait until the Common Council votes before organizing any more protests.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Citizens_protest_Buffalo,_N.Y._hotel_proposal&oldid=1981795”

54 killed by suicide bomber at Musayyib gas station

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54 killed by suicide bomber at Musayyib gas station
May 9th, 2021 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Saturday, July 16, 2005

At least 54 people died today when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a gas station near a mosque in Musayyib, about 60 km south of the Iraqi capital. Some 80 people are reported to have been injured.

Witnesses said a fuel tanker was slowly approaching the pumps at the station when the attacker ran towards it and detonated explosives strapped to his body. Police said the resulting huge blast destroyed a nearby apartment complex and damaged the mosque and some small businesses.

The gas station was located near the city-center. Iraqi gas stations normally include a number of small businesses selling tea, soft drinks and snacks where crowds of people often gather.

Mussayib, a religiously mixed town, lies in an area named the “triangle of death”, due to the large number of kidnappings and killings of Shiite Muslims traveling between Baghdad and the Shiite holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.

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Using Restaurant Forms In A Public Relations Campaign

May 8th, 2021 in Custom Kitchens | No Comments

By Jerome Chiaro

Keep your restaurant’s public reputation in tiptop shape through a good public relations campaign. A good PR campaign not only increases feelings of goodwill and satisfaction in your diners, but also keeps in line with the apportioned budget.

As a restaurant entrepreneur, one of your options to control costs as well as produce results is to make use of restaurant forms, which you can peruse on many restaurant management websites. Usually provided free of charge, these restaurant forms can be customized with your restaurant logo and contact information.

Event posters demonstrate the creative use of restaurant forms in your public relations campaign. Organize or sponsor an event, such as a wine appreciation party, a food tasting or a cooking show, where you can build your restaurant’s reputation through your employees. For example, some restaurants lend their chefs or their food servers whenever there is an event, which requires catering.

Set up a booth or a bar in any food-related event mentioned above and ask your staff to serve samplers of food and drinks. The way they treat everyone at the event should be similar to the way they treat your diners. This excellent customer service results from high quality employee training, which should be part of your restaurant employee handbook.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqwYG6Kales[/youtube]

Aside from reputation management, encourage your patrons to invest emotionally in your restaurant service. For example, birthdays and weddings mean huge profits and great opportunities to impress new customers.

Some of the guests may be eating at your place for the first time. Impress them with your food quality and excellent customer service, which means integrating in your restaurant employee handbook special cultural training on bar mitzvahs, Quinceaneras and debuts.

These special occasions also build special memories for both the celebrants and the guests. Those occasions create sentimental value with your restaurant. The deeper their emotional connection with your restaurant, the harder it is for them to change preferences.

To show how much you value their patronage, create a special nook in your restaurant wall, or you can set aside a separate album, which displays photos of special occasions with your valued customers. Sometimes, you can also keep running tabs for a few valued patrons and track their credits using restaurant forms, such as a credit journal.

A more modern way to manage your PR campaign is to create a restaurant blog where you can advertise your promos and best deals and share valuable information with your loyal customers. You can also send out restaurant forms, such as free dinner coupons, through your blog’s mailing list.

Your blog’s mailing list signed up to get updates about your blog and special news regarding your restaurant. Through your blog’s electronic newsletter, send your regular blog readers discount coupons, which they can print and present to the cashier.

Train your employees to identify the right format of your coupons, which may be included in your restaurant employee handbook. Print tracking codes to identify official looking coupons and keep track of the used coupon codes through a spreadsheet.

Aside from blogs, many restaurants create websites where people can check their menu, look at how their dishes were plated, check out the restaurant interiors, and order food online using their credit cards. This creates convenience, which is also a mark of excellent customer service.

Community programs build a good relationship between your restaurant business and the public. Work with your local neighborhood by participating in health awareness campaigns and charity events. You can start by creating a bulletin board or wall where you share informational posters and leaflets with your patrons regarding cleanliness. Restaurant forms, such as kitchen cleanliness checklist, hand washing procedure, and sanitation checklists, are available for this particular purpose.

About the Author: Jerome Chiaro is a Restaurant Owner & Consultant out of Orange County, CA. Did you know that 95% of restaurant owners and managers spend over 55 hours per week slaving away at their restaurant! He can help you WORK LESS and PROFIT MORE… Claim your copy of his Free Restaurant Forms Toolkit. Success doesn’t happen alone! Join a mastermind of restaurant owners and a wealth of resources, Free at his Restaurant Forms Blog.

Source: isnare.com

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