tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-370711122012-01-20T11:44:02.059-04:00The name says it. Wondering...wandering thoughts. No essays - promise.Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.comBlogger1281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-87524794209686400582012-01-19T17:47:00.000-04:002012-01-19T17:47:24.311-04:00

Many of us do not realise that there are basically two ways that browsers can talk to web sites (or rather web servers). The normal mode uses is called HTTP and the much safer encrypted mode is HTTPS. Normally logins (Gmail, Yahoo etc) and financial transactions (online banking), for example, are done in HTTPS to protect passwords and financial info etc. Why does this matter? Unencrypted data

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-41877810492420778832012-01-08T10:16:00.000-04:002012-01-08T10:16:44.663-04:00

After remaining north of Guyana for November and most of December the ITCZ appears to have moved rapidly south in late December and is now south of Georgetown. On the image (courtesy of wsi.com) my best guess of its position is marked by red dots. This month we have had many quite dry days but also days with short heavy showers or short periods of rain. The south of Guyana seems to be getting

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-31200583141990430862011-12-29T16:13:00.001-04:002011-12-29T16:14:32.411-04:00

This is a rarely-heard-of topic here in Guyana but one that science and technology students and practitioners need to have some awareness of since we will soon be using products of nanotechnology (if we are not already) or even using the technology directly. I made reference to it back in 2009. What is nanotechnology? This technology is about manipulating matter at the nanometer scale (less

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-35477032079103497692011-12-29T10:28:00.000-04:002011-12-29T10:28:57.981-04:00

This is the title of a study co-produced by the UN which sounds like it will be a gold mine of useful knowledge regarding our own forests. According to a BBC report: "The 353-page book, Fruit Trees and Useful Plants in Amazonian Life - co-produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Center for International Forestry Research (Cifor) and People and Plants International (PPI) -

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-38572688868059044852011-11-25T09:06:00.001-04:002011-11-25T09:08:38.128-04:00

An interesting article from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists pointing out that no energy source is entirely renewable - there is always a cost for extracting and utilising the energy, sometimes quite significant. "Renewable energy sounds so much more natural and believable than a perpetual-motion machine, but there's one big problem: Unless you're planning to live without electricity and

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-47113110100218797662011-10-29T19:13:00.000-04:002011-10-29T19:13:21.290-04:00

According to a recent book our times are less violent than in historical times. The book is called “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined” and is by a well-known professor of psychology, one Steven Pinker. A review of the book by Scientific American reports an interview as follows: COOK: What would you say is the biggest misconception people have about violence?PINKER: That

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-8707214190160275512011-09-30T21:38:00.000-04:002011-09-30T21:38:16.457-04:00

Back 150 years ago John Tyndall discovered the 'greenhouse effect' which is the basis of global warming. He also made other significant scientific discoveries. This BBC report describes this and mentions the Tyndall Conference taking place. This news item certainly highlights the importance of decision-makers understanding the implications of scientific discoveries.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-32650980886282891792011-08-31T16:49:00.000-04:002011-08-31T16:49:14.185-04:00

Have you heard of this? Most people have not but it is an exciting area of technology destined to have a major impact. According to one definition it is "a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material". Basically you take a digital file (e.g. from an email), give it to the 3D printer and it recreates an object

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-26255640243327711072011-07-28T16:53:00.000-04:002011-07-28T16:53:31.347-04:00

An article at NextBigFuture lists "Ten Technologies that should have a big impact on Green house gas Emissions". See PhysicsSubset blog for this.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-8478685370188042032011-07-28T16:47:00.000-04:002011-07-28T16:47:29.388-04:00

There was an interesting report on the BBC recently about a wildlife survey being done by asking ordinary commuters to make simple reports of sightings of wildlife. I recall also surveys being done through schools. Given our limited human resources and our limited knowledge of local wildlife, could something similar be done here? May be a limited survey using school children? May be enough

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-32568832084970071472011-06-29T21:01:00.000-04:002011-06-29T21:01:33.598-04:00

The National Academies Press (which includes the National Academy of Sciences of the USA) now has many useful texts for free download as PDFs. Some seem to be very relevant to local needs especially in education and health. Note that not all their publications are free. Here are some random interesting titles in no particular order: Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: The Science of the World

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-28200014458758816872011-05-26T09:37:00.000-04:002011-05-26T09:37:30.567-04:00

Continuing in an astronomical theme - for the first time a planet has been identified (apart from Earth) which might well be habitable by known forms of life. According to a BBC article: "This discovery is important because it's the first time climate modellers have proved that the planet is potentially habitable, and all observers agree that the exoplanet exists," he told news agency PA. "The

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-14408404495492092172011-05-26T09:07:00.000-04:002011-05-26T09:07:16.173-04:00

Traditionally our schools have taught that Pluto was one of the planets of our solar system. Of course recently Pluto was reclassified and is no longer called a planet but a minor planet. Just to give some background here is a chart of the largest objects now known in our system beyond Neptune. We can see that Pluto is not the largest and many others are nearly as big. In addition it is likely

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-83217373711657188762011-05-26T08:55:00.000-04:002011-05-26T08:55:14.982-04:00

It looks like the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) has now moved back north far enough to start our wet season here on the coast of Guyana. The rains have been falling for some time in the south of Guyana. Links Previous posts on this topic

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-66768278800582630792011-04-16T16:01:00.000-04:002011-04-16T16:01:21.788-04:00

And here is another useful resource from the World Economic Forum available for download. Over 150 countries listed including Guyana. Briefly Guyana seems to be hovering around 100th place as it has been for a few years. This does not mean things are unchanging of course since most countries will be slowly advancing technologically year by year.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-59377635413552708812011-04-16T15:53:00.000-04:002011-04-16T15:53:04.605-04:00

Came across this publication which is available for downloading. An excellent resource for teachers and students. Comprising 60 pages it covers the facts and goes into some details for the Caribbean, country by country - including Guyana. It also deals with various conventions, has a FAQ and lists of resources.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-67125660873555498552011-04-16T15:46:00.000-04:002011-04-16T15:46:19.060-04:00

The Inter-tropical Convergence Zone finally moved south a week or so ago. The weather is now mainly dry. Many thanks to the BBC weather site for the picture.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-84822073182651795772011-04-13T15:23:00.001-04:002011-04-13T15:24:51.851-04:00

I do not intend to comment on our OLPF project other than to say that I hope it overcomes the challenges it faces and achieves significant success.Likewise the ICT for schools programme being run by the Ministry of Education. However, on this front there is recent news of interest. An article reported in the Antigua Observer describe a soon-to-be-published study by the IBD which quotes a source

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-25525818991750752962011-03-29T11:24:00.000-04:002011-03-29T11:24:05.444-04:00

By 2013 China is projected to surpass the USA in numbers of published scientific papers according to a Royal Society report. According to the BBC: "By 2008, the US total had increased very slightly to 316,317 while China's had surged more than seven-fold to 184,080. Previous estimates for the rate of expansion of Chinese science had suggested that China might overtake the US sometime after 2020

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-39460824475331387202011-02-22T11:36:00.001-04:002011-02-22T11:40:03.646-04:00

I have downloaded a series of infra-red satellite images from the GOES web site and created an animation for the period Monday 17.15hrs on Feb 21 to 02.15 the next morning. It will play once - refresh to play again. If it does not play then click it. The red and white show where heavy rain is likely to be occurring. Heavy rain was falling much of Monday in Georgetown. Notice that the clouds do

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-34687663907388833492011-02-17T21:30:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:19:30.560-04:00

Exoplanets are planets around other stars. NASA has just announced the probable discovery of another 1000 or so exoplanets. Five or so may even be like the Earth but we will not know much about them for a few years yet. Why is this important? Finding other Earth-like planets is likely to change our view of the universe. Until recently many felt that our planet was unique - now it seems that it

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-5315085392230670792011-01-30T15:25:00.000-04:002011-01-30T15:25:37.932-04:00

For this month there has been a large low pressure region stationary over the Amazon which seems to have prevented the ITCZ from moving south since all easterly winds are being forced to go northwards around the depression. Just my guess as to what is happening...

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-6324632437011849022010-12-24T09:50:00.000-04:002010-12-24T09:50:15.306-04:00

Commenting on a BBC 4 minutes video presentation by Hans Rosling, Aaron Saenz writes: "Rosling’s review of the past 200 years leaves me rather optimistic about the years ahead. As he has outlined elsewhere, there are serious problems facing us in regards to exponential population growth and global health. Yet there are also solutions to humanity’s grand challenges of poverty, health, energy, etc

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-71019549137141176702010-12-05T16:20:00.000-04:002010-12-05T16:20:37.643-04:00

Google now has an important new online service for those working in the environmental field. "Google Earth Engine is a new technology platform that puts an unprecedented amount of satellite imagery and data—current and historical—online for the first time. It enables global-scale monitoring and measurement of changes in the earth’s environment." "For the least developed nations, Google Earth

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-59512687453338266912010-11-11T11:08:00.001-04:002010-11-11T11:10:24.978-04:00

With the weather starting to get wetter a check on the position of the ICTZ shows that it is moving south and is now close to Guyana - see the map. Once again the green dots show the apparent position of the ICTZ. And again the picture is from the BBC web site today.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-84707792526125519122010-09-25T19:16:00.001-04:002010-09-25T19:18:15.976-04:00

The Intertropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ is where winds coming down from the northern regions meet the winds coming up from the south. It is a band of somewhat turbulent cloudy weather moving east to west which circles the globe near the equator. It moves up and down with the seasons. This is a my attempt at a simple explanation anyhow. A fuller explanation can be found on Wikipedia. Why is it

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-75740500964067304482010-09-22T21:28:00.000-04:002010-09-22T21:28:02.337-04:00

Are there any caves in Guyana? Very few it seems which is not too surprising given the lack of suitable geology. There is one cave under Kaieteur Falls. There are also a few caves in the Roraima area (see picture) including one called the Oil Bird Cave. I am not sure if all these are in Guyana.   Note: there seems to be several caves called Oil Bird Cave. Oil Birds live in colonies in caves in

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-61726429624194863962010-09-03T10:55:00.000-04:002010-09-03T10:55:34.469-04:00

Some really good news - many more people around the world are getting a better education now than previously. According to a recent report: "More than 61 percent of individuals 15 or older—just over 3 billion people—finished at least some secondary school during their lifetimes as of 2010. This proportion has risen from 36 percent in 1970 and from 50 percent in 1990." This is supported by figures

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-45414773314929951122010-08-14T08:43:00.000-04:002010-08-14T08:43:47.765-04:00

Felt a slight tremor this morning around 4.40am. Had I not chanced to be awake I would never have noticed it. A few objects on shelves rattled briefly. On checking the cause seems to have been an moderate earthquake off Venezuela. BBC news item USGS report

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-50122845702742958702010-08-06T21:39:00.000-04:002010-08-06T21:39:05.090-04:00

I have added some posts regarding Physics videos, labs etc to my other blog.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-73609257173903793052010-07-29T21:28:00.000-04:002010-07-29T21:28:18.413-04:00

I have started a new blog " to support the various Physics teaching and educational activities I have recent become involved with" here in Guyana.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-35837327994852637432010-06-26T20:11:00.000-04:002010-06-26T20:11:30.643-04:00

I visited the website this morning only to be told by my browser (Firefox) that: "This web page at www.stabroeknews.com has been reported as an attack page and has been blocked based on your security preferences." And that "Attack pages try to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system. Some attack pages intentionally distribute

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-27238846615679604822010-06-26T20:08:00.001-04:002010-06-26T20:09:14.442-04:00

There have been many calls for the release of the seven innocent Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran. Many Baha'i leaders in Iran have been executed over the past several decades without just cause. Concern for the Baha'is in Iran has been expressed by many including (recently): UN Human Rights Council Amnesty International European Union the Prime Minister of Canada Roman Catholic Archbishop of

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-46251858293258209972010-05-01T08:18:00.000-04:002010-05-01T08:18:04.306-04:00

President Bharrat Jagdeo has been awarded the 2010 Champions of the Earth Award by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Management. Also awarded was President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. Only a few Heads of State have been awarded since the first awards in 2005. Links Guyana Chronicle UNEP

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-50801757134384297382010-04-26T10:23:00.000-04:002010-04-26T10:23:13.352-04:00

Explorers in the Cayman Trough have found the world’s deepest known underwater volcanic vents called smokers which emit very hot mineral solutions and gases and provide an envionment for exotic and strange creatures. The Cayman Trough lies just north of Jamaica and south of Cuba. See this picture of a smoker from Wikipedia: For more on this see: http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/videos/

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-90530164914108696742010-04-26T10:11:00.001-04:002010-04-26T10:11:56.711-04:00

Researchers have found microbial life in Pitch Lake - a lake of hot 'tar' in Trinidad. This is surprising since it is a hostile environment for typical bacteria being hot and there being no oxygen available in the 'tar'. See this article: "These alien conditions have made Pitch Lake a place of more than passing interest to astrobiologists. Various scientists have suggested that it is the closest

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-4453154878739792122010-04-06T08:49:00.000-04:002010-04-06T08:49:16.415-04:00

There was some concern about vandalism in Surinam affecting this project but this appears not to be the case according to Stabroek News. According to the original news release from Global Marine Systems this cable when completed this year will "ultimately have the potential to increase current telecom bandwidth to more than 3,000 times what is currently available in these areas". Note that the

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-52183726803840248742010-04-03T16:24:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:24:05.623-04:00

Now that I have started doing a bit of teaching of Physics again two recent news items struck me as being of particular relevance to our situation here in Guyana. First an article from the New York Times about making education in schools more effective. It seems that there is general concern about having better teachers rather than better methodologies even though there is no concensus about what

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-29408643641661327022010-03-29T18:04:00.002-04:002010-03-29T18:11:23.839-04:00

A local organisation, ECO1, has been successful in constructing for scratch a solar cell prototype. Great work guys! See article here with picture."ECO1's R&D team has produced a DSSC prototype, made from scratch. This gives a boost to our aim to produce solar cells in Guyana, and the promotion of more sustainable lifestyles for Guyanese."Disclosure: this blogger is a member of ECO1.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-17197238502408972622010-02-24T10:37:00.000-04:002010-02-24T10:51:58.113-04:00

An interesting item in Scientific American about consumerism and its driving of climate change:"As simply put by the United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005: "Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.""and a viewpoint from the BBC about the

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-91244271249902381532009-12-21T17:01:00.002-04:002009-12-21T17:19:44.525-04:00

So Copenhagen is finally over. Time will tell if the somewhat nebulous good intentions expressed will result in action. I came across a couple of the many articles attempting to evaluate the state of play.From the BBC "What did Copenhagen achieve?" with a comparison of what changed and what did not."The deal at COP15, as it stands, leaves the world on a pathway for temperature rises of 3C and

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-78615293721332558162009-11-28T08:09:00.002-04:002011-05-26T09:24:56.719-04:00

Or may be I should say STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education. I have blogged on this before so I noted two items emphasising the same concern in the UK and the US although the situation in Guyana is very different of course. There was this article entitled "How should we save science education?" in on the New Scientist blog created for this very subject. This had

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-13399530603133873222009-11-28T08:03:00.002-04:002011-05-26T09:25:54.290-04:00

Two recent items found on the BBC site (and elsewhere). Firstly the news that we are on course for a 4 to 6 degree temperature rise around the end of the century. Emissions are still rising despite the attention the problem is getting - clearly we are not taking it seriously enough. Lots of interesting facts in this article such as: "Emissions from within the UK's borders, for example, fell by

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-13828790673294034012009-10-24T07:33:00.002-04:002009-10-24T07:52:04.648-04:00

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on 5 technologies which could provide a breakthrough:"Over the next few decades, the world will need to wean itself from dependence on fossil fuels and drastically reduce greenhouse gases. Current technology will take us only so far; major breakthroughs are required. What might those breakthroughs be? Here's a look at five technologies that, if

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-31907972277264551752009-09-26T21:14:00.003-04:002009-09-26T21:27:38.726-04:00

Earlier this year I had speculated on the impact of the global recession on carbon emissions. The BBC has an item on this recently:"The global recession and a range of government policies are likely to bring the biggest annual fall in the world's carbon dioxide emissions in 40 years."Let us hope that the small respite gained will be used well before the economic recovery accelerates emissions

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-47022517164481220052009-08-19T14:33:00.003-04:002009-08-19T14:43:04.550-04:00

Just came across an excellent and rather pointed article on the BBC site concerning the use and (often) misuse of Power Point. A couple of quotes are in order:"If there's nothing but text on the screen, people will try to read and listen at the same time - and won't succeed in doing either very well.""This highlights the biggest problem with slide-based presentations, which is that speakers

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-32955250087585902982009-07-06T09:09:00.003-04:002009-07-06T09:29:21.912-04:00

An article in New Scientist draws attention to the importance of methane in global warming and the fact that changes can be made faster for methane than with carbon dioxide. As a rice producing country there may be something we can do here.The US Government has released a major new serious report on climate change which has much background information but is, of course, very focused on the US.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-66683511360343899332009-07-06T09:05:00.001-04:002009-07-06T09:09:24.081-04:00

An item on the BBC focused on a recent report on deaths and disability caused by alcohol:"For 2004, the latest year for which comparable data are available on a global level, 3.8% of all global deaths (around 1 in 25) were attributable to alcohol."And the problem is getting worse. According to an expert: "We need an international framework convention for alcohol control, similar to that on

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-53112999977664378912009-07-06T08:59:00.001-04:002009-07-06T09:05:00.330-04:00

I hope to do a few quick posts to catch up so here goes... the first is to note a useful comment by Derek A Braithwaite in a letter to Stabroek News almost a month ago. He was commenting positively on the recent LCDS and focuses on the need for adaption as well as mitigation. He also mentions our need for computer simulations of climate change which are used extensively to try to predict the

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-71281677573801379592009-06-21T11:47:00.000-04:002009-06-21T11:51:55.172-04:00

On June 8th our President launched Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy entitled 'Transforming Guyana's Economy While Combating Climate Change'. Having been present I recieved a printed copy but the document along with other supporting documents is available at the lcds.gov.gy website.The strategy was well recieved and its presentation was followed by sessions in which details were clarified

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-12741072912432722622009-06-19T13:58:00.004-04:002009-06-19T14:03:27.972-04:00

With the launching of the Low Carbon Development Strategy there is an important new web site to add to those mentioned in a recent post. See www.lcds.gov.gy. More soon on the strategy.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-5981315088040433212009-05-25T11:28:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:26:49.221-04:00

An exciting movie but not so accurate from a physics point of view. See here for a discussion. The part played by antimatter is especially misleading.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-35882570651767715062009-05-25T11:26:00.000-04:002009-05-25T11:28:14.160-04:00

The latest predictions show that temperatures rises may be about twice as much as predicted a few years ago."The most comprehensive modeling yet carried out on the likelihood of how much hotter the Earth’s climate will get in this century shows that without rapid and massive action, the problem will be about twice as severe as previously estimated six years ago — and could be even worse than that

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-11017805297072945432009-04-13T09:35:00.003-04:002011-05-26T09:27:09.879-04:00

Here are the local sites I could identify which related to the environment. First the major government and agency sites: Climate Change Guyana - site of the government National Climate Committee. A new site with lots of information. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - official government site. Good information about the EPA. Guyana Energy Agency - official government site. Recently

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-89090881718592622312009-03-29T11:23:00.002-04:002009-03-29T11:33:18.575-04:00

I have extracted a brief summary of IAST's current activities based on an article in the Kaieteur News (print edition).Four focus areas identified: biofuels, indigeous materials, bioprospecting and analytical lab services.Biofuel- a pilot plant continues to use recycled oil from restaurants to fuel IAST vehicles.- a plant near Mabaruma produces fuel from palm oil. This is to expand.- new plant is

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-10882502151789929252009-03-29T11:22:00.000-04:002009-03-29T11:23:23.197-04:00

I wonder if historian will look back and comment that the economic crisis did have one benefit, it slowed down carbon emissions and allowed more time for solutions to be found saving and some lives as a result. Enforced lifestyle change?

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-46388275932607222112009-03-29T11:14:00.000-04:002009-03-29T11:20:23.535-04:00

This is a big subject and I am still working on a post. I have not yet found the kind of online resources I had hoped for. There are comments by many about the need for lifestyle change sometimes with a few suggestions but usually not more than that. More later.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-67751053309258611402009-03-25T12:10:00.002-04:002011-05-26T09:27:37.909-04:00

This midday a solar halo is visible in Georgetown probably caused by ice crystals high in the atmosphere. See Wikipedia for more on this phenomena.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-64802859034779917672009-03-22T10:18:00.001-04:002009-03-22T10:28:15.270-04:00

Two recent news items of particular concern to us in Guyana had me thinking more than usual about this issue.Firstly there was a BBC report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the sea level rise by the end of the century was now expected to be around 1m, about twice their prevous projection. So presumably we can expect a rise of around 10cm within 10 years. A very

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-27892152737185161292009-03-06T11:36:00.001-04:002009-03-06T11:42:19.102-04:00

Next Big Future is a great site for keeping up to date with cutting edge technological developments such as nanotech and the like. Some, I am sure, will impact us here but not for 5-10 years or so...

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-84852756467807042312009-02-26T14:35:00.004-04:002011-05-26T09:27:52.560-04:00

Fundermentalists in Iran - many in government - continue their relentless but totally unjustified persecution of the Baha'i community there. Their latest tactic has been the arrest of 7 leading members and likely trial on groundless allegations such a spying for Israel. I cannot do justice to this long-running story here so see the links below for more: Baha'i World News Service - Iran Update

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-36063350488371069442009-01-20T11:16:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:28:05.416-04:00

11 am.  Just saw a truck with sound system pass slowly by my office with a large picture of Obama followed by around a hundred people waving flags (mostly Guyana flags, some US). It was a very mixed group though mostly young people and seemed in a very good mood. Is there something special going on today? Just kidding.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-41089610469375786122008-12-30T09:04:00.002-04:002008-12-30T10:22:33.247-04:00

Finally the contract is signed for better connectivity for Guyana! This new optical fibre cable begins in Trinidad and connects to Guyana and Surinam. Since it is under-sea straight to Georgetown it should be much more reliable than the existing Americas II which has a very long and trouble-prone over-land section from French Guiana to Georgetown. According to the Stabroek News GT&T CEO Major

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-58987097232747451322008-12-30T09:00:00.003-04:002008-12-30T09:04:34.099-04:00

One of the best movies of the year in my opinion - excellent. Has a very timely message too in this era of global warming and other environmental issues!

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-21178206951947941182008-11-28T19:18:00.003-04:002008-11-28T19:29:13.596-04:00

I recently returned from the Dominican Republic where I attended an uplifting and inspiring workshop on IT issues for CIVIC - the Caribbean Virtual Community.The community presently revolves around its email list and related web sites. Beginning on 2002 after a conference in Barbados, the community has grown steadily from 80 to more than 300 and continues to grow and prosper. The email list is

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-18043750352017951492008-10-15T10:05:00.003-04:002011-05-26T09:29:19.727-04:00

Poverty... what to say? Upon reflection the world is not poor. The resources are there. The problem lies with us, people. Those who control the resources suffer from a poverty of vision, of unity and justice. "Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self." Baha'u'llah

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-32557915938371493832008-10-14T17:01:00.000-04:002008-10-14T17:02:27.263-04:00

There is the new GuyanaWiki site which is of considerable educational value. Much of the content is from Wikipedia but additional content and some great pictures have been added of wildlife etc.And there is also much useful new content on the site of the Pesticide & Toxic Chemicals Control Board. This kind of information is really needed in Guyana for those in agriculture and should also be

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-71001485557588548172008-09-30T14:40:00.000-04:002008-09-30T14:41:14.397-04:00

The Guyana Linux Users Group (GLUG) held a successful, well-attended activity with numerous presentations including the new GuyanaWiki - see the GLUG site for details.Another interesting presentation focused on Moodle at Kuru Kuru Co-operative College and mentioned other local sites using Moodle.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-60624072148175909052008-09-23T12:49:00.000-04:002008-09-23T12:53:59.965-04:00

I have been hearing radio reports for several months that accidents have been much reduced but now I have a source I can refer to in Stabroek News. This is really good news and a real achievement by the police. It would be really interesting to see data for the last ten years along with numbers of vehicles on the road.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-9029906631148076042008-09-09T09:33:00.000-04:002008-09-09T09:36:26.662-04:00

An intriguing announcement:O3b Networks Ltd. today announced it will begin deployment of a new global communications infrastructure to provide high-speed, low-cost Internet connectivity to emerging markets in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.It would seem that there may the possibility for us to get bandwidth at a fraction of what we are paying today...

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-90463140821353842832008-09-08T11:36:00.000-04:002008-09-08T11:42:01.806-04:00

See here where "President Jagdeo sets out his views on how to reduce the 18% of greenhouse gas emissions caused by tropical deforestation."

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-23431051907593640922008-09-01T12:53:00.002-04:002008-09-01T17:05:38.714-04:00

Science and technology are really lagging here in Guyana. A boost is needed. How about an annual 'Techfest' or 'Scitechfest'? A getting together of interested persons to talk and learn about science and technology which is relevant or just plain exciting. Not too many lectures though. Plenty of demos, videos, hardware.But who is going to push this? And fund it?

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-77212228191127016342008-09-01T12:44:00.002-04:002008-09-01T17:06:13.412-04:00

Carifesta has undoubtedly been a success. The multitude of people involved in making it successful need to be congratulated. Quite an accomplishment for Guyana given the short timetable and other challenges.Guyana will reap many benefits from what visitors have learnt about Guyana.Lessons learnt - many I am sure, most of which I am not qualified to comment on. I do suggest that the next Carifesta

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-23635325395528500972008-08-16T12:47:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:29:47.858-04:00

This week the weather has been unusually hot - around 32 Celsius instead of a couple of degrees less. Weather forecasts seem to indicate this will continue into next week... Frequent complaints are heard and most people now know enough to blame global warming. Whether this is true I cannot say but it seems very plausible. See here for details of our climate. So far no official comments have been

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-57687476596125553712008-07-30T12:39:00.001-04:002008-07-30T12:39:36.231-04:00

The BBC is starting a 3-part documentary on wildlife in Guyana. Apparently new species were found while making it. Plenty of good stuff on the web site Lost Land of the Jaguar.See also this news item.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-21459574889547536952008-07-16T11:11:00.003-04:002008-07-17T14:06:00.312-04:00

A friend of ours is making progress in offering online education here in Guyana. Initially it has aimed at secondary school students in Mathematics and English and a few other subjects. Check out the web site at BrainStreet.The Mathematics content is (partly at least) from EduHub - see here.Recently they have joined with UWI to offer a Management programme - see the Stabroek News.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-74084319103246064472008-06-25T12:28:00.002-04:002008-07-17T14:04:32.115-04:00

I saw a letter in the Stabroek News recently advocating the importation of the new Nano car from Tata in India. These small fuel-efficient cars will sell in India for around US$2500 which is their main attraction.I hope we do see more such small efficient cars here though the cost will depend very much on how much tax and duty are added to the cost.However there is a concern about numbers of cars

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-31166452901143954262008-06-13T15:32:00.006-04:002008-07-17T14:06:31.724-04:00

I am finally documenting a few moments from our (my son and I) trip to the Baha'i International Convention in April as part of a group of delegates from Guyana. The main purpose of the event was to elect the nine members of the governing body of the Faith. For more about the event see here.This is a view from the part of the prison where Baha'u'llah was imprisoned.Some friends relaxing at the

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-84304625416210980692008-06-05T12:21:00.003-04:002008-06-05T12:42:44.407-04:00

While on our recent trip to the UK and Israel both my son and I needed periodic internet access. He was lugging a laptop, I was not! I was surprised to find free wireless access in Trinidad, Barbados and Tel Aviv but not in London. Both Heathrow and Gatewick required payment.We had access from the hotel in Haifa - no problem there.On returning to the UK to see my parents near Morpeth, we went

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-70175465518560136982008-05-16T15:22:00.002-04:002011-05-26T09:30:11.768-04:00

Have been away with little chance to access the net. Attended the Baha'i International Convention in Haifa and then went to see my parents (quite active 80-year olds). Have a very busy weekend with our National Convention and then a workshop to run. So next week I will have some time to do some blogging...

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-56622982250827056272008-03-28T09:56:00.004-04:002008-03-28T14:41:11.726-04:00

A historic deal was just concluded between Iwokrama and a UK-based investor - a real achievement by Guyana and by Iwokrama.From the Stabroek News article:"For the first time investors will pay for the ecosystem services produced by a rainforest, including rainfall generation, climate regulation, biodiversity maintenance and water storage - utilities with global significance which are vanishing as

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-87583157786047222562008-03-26T17:02:00.002-04:002008-03-26T17:10:59.449-04:00

Two conflicting news items prompted me to blog this. On the BBC news site there is an item about the Indian Finance Minister criticizing the conversion of crops into biofuel by developing countries. I can see his point of view but ...Here in Guyana I heard comments by Dr Narine of IAST pointing out the advantages of biofuels for Guyana where uncultivated land (not forest) and plenty of water are

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-74519245554269129852008-02-26T12:23:00.003-04:002011-05-26T09:30:30.682-04:00

I have not posted anything lately as I am still pondering what to say following recent tragic events here in Guyana... two separate days of national mourning... my words are inadequate. Yet life goes on and I remain optimistic. Many parts of the world are much worse off than we...

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-15142534183424443402008-02-04T12:23:00.000-04:002008-02-04T12:38:01.947-04:00

The recent issues of One Country has an article about a panel discussion on “The Ethical Dimension of Climate Change,” organized by the Bahá’í International Community and held on 30 April 2007 during this year’s meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. An important aspect of the issue that needs more attention...And there a local connection here, the Tahirih Naylor mentioned in

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-36108358846926347232007-12-31T11:41:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:31:35.021-04:00

So Bali did finally reach consensus on an agreement. That is an achievement it is true - even though the difficult commitments and real changes seem to have been put off again... I wonder how history will judge it... We will have wait another 2 years (?) ... and again I wonder... how many lives will it cost?

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-1097550405586641752007-11-29T16:00:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:31:55.394-04:00

Seems there was a serious quake near Martinique... Probably some minor damage here only.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-33011395409461693752007-11-29T15:16:00.000-04:002007-11-29T15:22:46.340-04:00

At about 15:10 local time Guyana experienced a significant tremor. Certainly magnitude 3. Everyone left our office building but did not see anything falling down. Vehicles were rocking and power lines swaying.Earthquake somewhere?

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-75592541628163918562007-11-22T09:43:00.000-04:002007-11-22T09:55:43.255-04:00

A timely editorial in Stabroek News covers the main points from a Guyana prespective. I often refer to this paper because it often has good articles on this subject and also, very importantly, has online archives which are easily accessed.From the editorial:"... the focus of Guyana's preparatory work for COP13 in Bali and its interventions at that forum must be to build consensus among the

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-7706947466809199492007-11-10T20:11:00.000-04:002007-11-10T21:16:44.521-04:00

The blogging scene changes fast so it is time for a review of Guyana blogs. Not all the blogs in the last review are still active but many are. I have omitted the inactive ones and have not included those which are very new. Also there are a bunch of new blogs by volunteers spending a year or two here (Peace Corps, VSO, interns etc) - this is new trend. Some of them are basically letters home. A

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-25370882657184405912007-10-23T16:47:00.000-04:002007-10-23T16:52:38.641-04:00

A new NGO is being set up - ECO-1. See the web site for details. I must admit to being involved though not a founding member! Registration is applied for.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-82699013216941682512007-10-16T20:44:00.000-04:002007-10-21T17:36:02.958-04:00

A major event for Guyana though not as much of a strain on our transportation system as the Cricket World Cup. The media here have quite a bit of coverage especially on the environmental issues raised.Am hoping there will be real actions deriving from this event...Our President offered our forest too support action against climate change - a good idea. Of course the forest is doing all it can, it

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-76517401326341033292007-09-05T11:25:00.000-04:002007-09-05T11:50:41.165-04:00

Walter Erdelen, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences and Professor Harold Ramkissoon Executive Secretary of CARISCIENCE met the Head of State President Bharrat Jagdeo. The occasion was a UNESCO report called "Using Science, Technology and Innovation to change the fortunes of the Caribbean Region". Various related issues were discussed.Science in Guyana is in dire need of a

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-71550860424877889972007-08-20T16:46:00.001-04:002007-08-22T08:59:40.301-04:00

Thursday and Friday (16th and 17th) gave us in Guyana a light touch of hurricane weather with episodes of heavy rain and unusually strong thunderstorms. The weekend saw only some more heavy showers. We are glad Hurricane Dean came no closer.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-70464666511776630322007-08-20T16:40:00.000-04:002007-08-22T08:59:00.625-04:00

A very useful article in the Sunday business section by Patrick van Beek has drawn attention to the value of using .gy domain names for business purposes.He says:I think that empowering Guyanese individuals and firms with the ability to use .gy domain names should have widespread benefits. Firstly it creates a visible indicator to the rest of the world of Guyana's existence. Every email sent with

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-48316126950601359372007-08-20T16:37:00.000-04:002007-08-22T08:55:20.589-04:00

LACNIC (the Internet Address Registry for Latin American and Caribbean) paid a visit to Guyana recently (early August and, yes, this post is late...) in the person of Mr German Valdez who is the Policy and External Relations Manager. It was his first visit here and he was basically getting to know the local internet stakeholders.DevNet organised a meeting at short notice for interested persons on

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-49258709614845308532007-08-14T09:06:00.000-04:002007-08-14T09:56:09.343-04:00

The carbon credit schemes are designed to give a financial incentive to encourage forests, funded by those producing carbon dioxide emissions. Strangely and illogically the incentives currently are only for reducing deforestation or for reforestation. No incentives for keeping forests standing...This is a burning issues for many in Guyana - no pun intended(?). May be we should cut down our

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-63140310140855330052007-08-01T09:54:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:05:51.137-04:00

This item from the BBC again really gets to the point:Focusing on the need to reduce CO2 emissions has reduced the problem to one of carbon dioxide rather than on the unsustainable ways we live.Is it not time to recognise that climate change is yet another symptom of our unsustainable lifestyles, which must now become the focus our efforts?This issues was raised on this blog before see here. The

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-57331530891899269972007-07-27T14:35:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:09:36.970-04:00

From a BBC report:Poor nations are being sapped of the technology they need to break the poverty trap and catch up with the rest of the world, the UN has said.Its trade and development agency Unctad used its annual report on Least Developed Countries to look at the role of science, technology and innovation.Rather than being luxuries, they are necessities to help economies that are underdeveloped

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-29621226453370315612007-07-11T09:31:00.000-04:002007-08-22T09:00:25.852-04:00

A very interesting report by Richard Layard:The first thing we know is that in the last 50 years average happinesshas not increased at all in Britain, nor in the United States, despitemassive increases in living standards. Basically he says that once minimum needs are satisfied, happiness does not increase with wealth. Of course religion has been saying this for millenia. He also notes that:We

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37071112.post-72321536699322996532007-07-11T09:24:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:33:19.595-04:00

Excellent news! From the Stabroek News: The Government of Guyana and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday signed an agreement for a grant of US$455,000 ($93M) to assist in Guyana meeting its obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).See article.

Andrew Manceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487653793277268564noreply@blogger.com0