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Michigan Home To Get Green Roof

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Michigan Home To Get Green Roof

Straight News: The Growing Locavore Movement | Halogen TV

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The Growing Locavore Movement: Halogen TV

Haiti's Son of God Orphanage Closes | Halogen TV

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:53:00 +0000

Haiti's Son of God Orphanage Closes | Halogen TV

Nuclear Energy may still have a future

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:55:00 +0000

The future for nuclear energy in the U.S. appeared to be at a rebirth, but the damage at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan following the tsunami and earthquake has the rest of the world, including the U.S., debating the safety of nuclear power.

What happened in Japan is likely to "lead to increased oversight and scrutiny of similarly designed plants in the U.S., as well as lead to more public skepticism on the safety of nuclear plants,” said Howard A. Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center.

Prior to the incident in Japan, new projects in progress in the U.S. after a drought of about three decades and numerous applications currently under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave the appearance that nuclear power might be gaining in popularity.

Moves by some Midwest legislatures made future nuclear projects more attractive in this region, as well.

Illinois last year lifted a ban on construction of new nuclear plants while Minnesota legislators recently voted to do the same.

In Indiana, the State Senate recently passed a bill that contains incentives for clean energy, including nuclear energy. The Hoosier state currently has no nuclear power plants.

Last year, Iowa passed a measure encouraging utilities to conduct studies into the possible expansion of nuclear energy in the state. MidAmerican Energy Co. has been exploring possible sites, according to Dean Crist, vice president of regulation for the utility, and likely will proceed with Small Modular Reactors because of the lower cost and the ability to add capacity as needed.

Looking ahead, Crist said preliminary plans for a site would likely be filed with the Iowa Utilities Board in the fall or winter. If the board approves those, the next step is the NRC’s licensing procedure and the first unit could be online by 2020, Crist said.

Currently, the Iowa legislature is considering another measure that would allow regulated utilities to begin charging customers for the cost of nuclear power facilities while they are still under construction.

In Ohio, Duke Energy works with its Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance to see if a Piketon, Ohio site is viable for a new nuclear plant. Company spokesman Tom Williams said the old brownfield site is still being explored.

While MidAmerican and Duke Energy consider new projects, other companies currently operating nuclear reactors in the region have no immediate plans for new building projects.

Chicago-based Exelon, which has the largest nuclear portfolio in the U.S. has no plans to build new plants, said Marshall Murphy, director of nuclear communications. The company is, however, focusing on continued upgrades for six Illinois nuclear stations.

American Electric Power, which operates the Cook Nuclear Plant in Michigan, has no immediate plans for additional nuclear plants, said company spokeswoman Tammy Ridout.

“We would look at options going forward and know we will need a mix to meet future demand, but have no current plans for a new nuclear plant,” Ridout said. “Our Cook plant is a great asset to us with the zero emissions it creates, and it’s positive for our fleet.”

AEP’s current focus is on "clean" coal technologies, Ridout said.

And Xcel Energy, which operates two nuclear power plants in Minnesota has not plans for new plants at this time.

In the midst of the debate, some groups have called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend nuclear plant relicensing. That has not happened.

Efforts were already under way to streamline the licensing process for new nuclear reactors. The NRC’s new Combined Operating License handles both the construction and operating licenses at the same time, instead of licensing a plant for construction and later licensing it for operation. The new process will allow for a quicker turn around time for companies to begin earning money on the large investment.

“This allows for a single NRC review that means less uncertainty and better efficiency,” said Scott Burnell, public affairs officer for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The application sets out tests, analysis and a list of items that must be completed to show the reactor was constructed according to NRC requirements with verifiable proof.

The process allows an owner to achieve a much higher level of regulatory certainty for potential projects, according to Brian Johnson, vice president domestic markets, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

“The NRC has structured the licensing process so that an owner will have a fully approved design for construction and operation before construction actually begins,” Johnson explained. “This is critical to reducing any financial risk to building new nuclear plants.”

The commission is conducting reviews of its first applicants under this process.

A new plant near Waynesboro, Ga., is undergoing the COL process, but received an early site permit to do basic site prep. It also is a recipient of a loan guarantee for construction from the Department of Energy.

The COL process is estimated to take 3.5 to 5 years, and the 5-year mark is close to what is being seen, Burnell said.

The NRC process will eventually certify nuclear plant designs ahead of time, so companies could choose which design would work best for each project and time would be spent on site approval and operating licensure, instead of including design review as is currently the case.

Small Modular Reactors, like the ones MidAmerican Energy is considering, also will likely impact the industry. Although the NRC does not yet license the small units, they are gaining attention. These may be 1/10 of the size of a standard nuclear reactor and produce 100 MW or less of power, rather than the 1,000 MW large reactors produce, said William Martin, professor in the department of nuclear energy and radiological sciences at the University of Michigan.

The smaller size allows for smaller companies to consider nuclear energy because the cost would be reduced, Martin explained. In addition, SMRs are built in factories and delivered to a site, cutting construction time and offering more quality control, he said.

The NRC expects to see the first license applications for SMRs next year. Learner said the incident in Japan could also lead to more attention on SMRs.

When a life ends too soon

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:34:00 +0000

Stories told by friends and family talk of the young, funny teenager; a friend to everyone, boisterous, everyone knew when he was around. And then, one day, the word spread quickly, he was dead. And the death was preventable – the death was suicide.

Friends and family many times say the same thing; I didn’t know. She always seemed happy or he was the life of the party. But inside, the life was lonely, depressed, scared, or even possibly drowning pain with drugs or alcohol. The signs were there, but who would believe it? This loved and loving person couldn’t really mean it when she said she was going to kill herself. But she did mean it, and so do all those who attempt suicide and tell someone before they take that final plunge.

The problem isn’t always that others ignore it. Many times the suicidal talk is veiled in terms that only others from the same culture would recognize, according to Paul Quinnett, Ph.D., president and CEO of The QPR Institute Inc. in Spokane, Wash. And for those who do survive a suicide attempt, the one thing they tell others is once they started, they realized that they did not want to die.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24. Among those who commit suicide, about 90 percent have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and most predominantly are suffering from depression, according to Quinnett. In addition, many are using alcohol and drugs.

But choosing life isn’t as simple as turning back the hands of time. Communication and a better understanding of mental health issues by society is key.

Quinnett, who has worked in the mental health field and suicide prevention for many years, has seen improvements, but not enough when so many lives are still being lost each day.

“The reality is that we are spending insufficient funds in this area,” he said. “There are people out there doing good, but the amount of money spent on research and service delivery to youth is underfunded.”

For example, he added, in his state of Washington, two people a week commit suicide and less than $350,000 is spent for suicide prevention in his state each year. That’s 100 suicides a year and from a public health perspective, the funding ranks near the bottom. And that is true in most states, Quinnett said.

According to information from QPR, 14 percent of American youths 12-17 experienced at least one episode of major depressive disorder, and more than 7 percent thought about killing themselves. An estimated 712,000 youths tried to kill themselves during their worst or most recent major depressive episode.

“We need to get these youths at the first thought of suicide,” Quinnett said. “We need to reach out to all of them who have these thoughts and voice them, because we don’t know which ones will take the journey to act upon the suicide.”

The suicidal youth goes from an idea to planning out the suicide and are motivated by stopping the pain, Quinnett explained.

The best way to combat suicide is to get help for the suicidal person. But because of the stigma that is connected to mental health issues that often puts the suicidal person out of touch with those who could help him.

“The missing piece is research,” Quinnett said. “We have the evidence that we can save lives, but we need a greater educational program. These are preventable deaths.”

Educating the public is key to suicide prevention. Understanding the signs and following the right procedures can help a suicidal teen to the help he needs and prevent a death. For Quinnett’s organization, QPR – Question, Persuade and Refer – that means teaching lay persons and professionals to recognize and respond positively to someone exhibiting suicide warning signs and behaviors.

It’s estimated that 60-70 percent of suicides could be prevented with any education, along with intervention from the mental health and medical community, according to Quinnett.

Active Minds Inc. in Washington D.C. is working in a similar method on college and some high school campuses, as well as community organizations.

“Our goal is to change the conversation on mental health,” said Alison Malmon, executive director of Active Minds. “We need to break the silence and educate and enlighten everyone on mental health issues.”

The organization works to increase students’ awareness of mental health issues and provide resources, as well as serve as a liaison between students and the mental health community.

Malmon founded Active Minds in 2001 when she was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, a year after the suicide of her brother, Brian, who was receiving treatment for schizoaffective disorder. Malmon wants to end the stigma of mental illness and believes that is done by talking about it and not staying silent. Active Minds works with students to empower them to tell their stories and reach out to friends, so they know they are not alone.

“People need to know where help is,” she said. “We need to change the culture around mental health so people will seek the help they need. The stigma exists because of silence.”

Active Minds members tell stories and share experiences as the organizations goes across the country, but also encourages mental health issues to be included in pop culture, movies and conversations.

“It’s not just psychiatrists who can help, but all of us can,” she said. “While we may not be able to be the one to ‘save’ a friend, we can get that friend to the help he or she needs.”

For example, if a friend tells you he is going to kill himself, take him seriously. Then take him to a counseling center or call one. For anyone seeking help, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a call away, 800-273-TALK (8255), and that number directs the caller to the center in her area where she can talk live with someone who can help.

However, Malmon said, if you’re extremely worried about a friend, take him directly to the hospital. “It’s better to err on the side of caution.”

She also warns that it’s not your job as a friend or family member to make the suicidal person feel better; it’s your job to assist them to seek professional help.

Even though we may not want to believe our loved one would kill himself, it happens and it happens, in many cases, with warning. Know the signs and intervene, the experts say.

According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, warning signs include:

· Observable signs of serious depression – unrelenting low mood, pessimism, hopelessness, desperation, anxiety, psychic pain and inner tension, withdrawal and sleep problems.

· Increased use of alcohol and/or drugs

· Recent impulsiveness and taking unnecessary risks

· Threatening suicide or expressing a wish to die

· Making a plan – giving away prized possessions, sudden or impulsive purchase of a firearm, obtaining other means of killing oneself, such as poisons or medications

· Unexpected rage or anger

The majority of those who do kill themselves have told others of their plan. If someone is talking about or making plans to commit suicide, the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention warns not to leave that person alone and to remove him from the vicinity of anything he could use for suicide. Find professional help, whether at a clinic or hospital, or call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Being a part of the solution to suicide prevention is something the faith communities have also been working on. A 2009 report, “The Role of Faith Communities in Preventing Suicide,” looks at the issue to find faith communities’ role in prevention.

Developing and disseminating accurate information and collaborating with mental health clinicians are two things churches, synagogues and other worship centers can do. Many times, clergy are brought in after the fact, but being keyed into the community resources can make them a valuable tool in suicide prevention.

For the Rev. Glenn Meyer of Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., connecting to community resources is a necessity. As a pastor who recently arrived at his new church home, keying into those resources is a priority.

“It’s a moral responsibility by us to make connections to community and youth,” he said.

Bringing youth together with adults they can trust and talk with is also a key, he added. “Kids don’t only need peers, but they need to interact with others, as well.”

That’s echoed by the non-profit organization, To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA). “It’s OK to go to an adult to help a friend,” said Chloe Grabanski, communications and benefit coordinator for the organization that is “dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. “

TWLOHA battles the stigma of mental health issues, adding to the conversation through its Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as meeting people where they are – at college campuses, communities and through music that is a large part of life.

With deep roots in music and collaborating with artists wearing its T-shirts that help to raise funds for the organization and programs it supports, TWLOHA has given $750,000 to treatment and recovery programs.

It also has begun its I Am Alive partnership with Hope Line to begin an online crisis counseling program to offer help through instant messages.

“Just be there. Show them love, care and listen,” Chloe suggested when reaching out to someone in crisis.

TWLOHA began in 2006 telling a story to help a friend by selling T-shirts to help pay for that friend’s treatment, using a MySpace page. From there grew the organization that has taken the conversation on the road, speaking its message of hope and help at concerts, universities, festivals and churches.

Some have started the conversation and are making information about mental health a part of every day life. More funding for research and implementation continues to be something organizations work toward by keeping the conversation going and growing. Increasing awareness, fighting for accessible mental health programs and combating the stigma of the issue continues – all to save a life from ending too soon.

Gulf oil spill wildlife rescue efforts move along

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:24:00 +0000

The impact of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on wildlife may not be known for years, but work is ongoing to assist the wildlife that is impacted now. Veterinarian Joe Smith of the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in Fort Wayne, Ind., is the information liaison between all the Association of Zoos and Aquariums member zoos and aquariums, government agencies and contracted organizations in the coordinated effort to work with and assist wildlife.

The zoos and aquariums are helping find permanent homes for animals that can’t be released because they have been oiled too severely or have injuries that won’t allow the release, Smith says. Those animals are going to zoos and aquariums as ambassadors of their species, he says.

The Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans is coordinating the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program for that state and the Jackson Zoo in Jackson, Miss., is coordinating bird redistribution to other zoos, Smith says.

With a system in place, Smith says, the unknown is still the oil spill’s impact on wildlife overall. This spill is anything but typical of what has been seen in the past when oil spills have been experienced in the oceans and seas.

“This spill is different than the typical oil spill because most of the time there is a confined area that is usually near shore and isn’t continuously spewing oil,” Smith says. “Helpers can get the wildlife all in one area and deal with the situation. But this spill is offshore with an ongoing oil leak, and it’s a much greater area.”

That means that wildlife workers have not seen the mass casualties as in the past, as in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. But instead, it’s been a slow and steady trickle of wildlife, Smith explains. “A lot of this depends on the waves, the winds and the weather, where we will see the wildlife impacted,” he says.

Work with sea turtles is happening out to sea as much as possible, where the turtles are treated from boats before they hit the shore because many times that is too late, Smith says.

While external oiling where the wildlife is covered in oil, impacts individual animals, bogging them down, there is also internal oiling and that impact may not be known for quite some time. This happens when the birds, turtles and other ocean wildlife breathe in the oil or preen themselves and ingest the oil in various quantities. This can cause liver and kidney failure and immunization issues long-term, Smith says.

And other impacts are not yet known. “The biggest impact is on the eco-system,” he says. “The impact isn’t yet known for fish and micro-organisms because when they die, they sink to the bottom (of the Gulf).”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is studying fish and other oceanic life, Smith says. NOAA scientists have been capturing fish and assessing their environment, as well as monitoring the time they spend in oiled and unoiled water.

NOAA scientists also have collected tissue samples from sperm whales and other marine mammals, as well as measuring plankton, fish and squid, the primary food for whales, according to releases from NOAA. All of these efforts will help measure the possible effects of the oil on them. “We have assembled an exceptional partnership with world-class academic scientists who will work with us to evaluate the potential for effects from the spill on marine mammals throughout the Gulf,” said Lance Garrison, Ph.D., of NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center and the principal investigator for NOAA.

NOAA and partners are also conducting aerial and boat-based surveys to document potential changes in dolphin populations.

While NOAA is heading these efforts, Smith is coordinating veterinarians and vet techs working in the Gulf. His ties to the Louisiana Gulf – his hometown is Baton Rouge, La. – made him interested and qualified to organize the efforts, he says.

“When the spill first started, I sought out information and found that I had more than what I could find, and it just sort of snowballed,” Smith says.

Climate Change or global warming – wording has different meanings

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:12:00 +0000

Global warming has become a contentious term met with both praise and controversy. Most recently, the phrase has been replaced by the term climate change. While scientists don’t agree on global warming, they do agree that the earth’s climate does change. What that means is interpreted differently by diverse scientific thought.

While many call science an exact, others say that science is an ever-evolving hypothesis. And, the future of the climate is one that has predictions from many scientists, but not all come to the same conclusion.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website, while greenhouse gases occur naturally in the earth's atmosphere, human activity also contribute greenhouse gases– primarily through burning fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And in the past century, carbon dioxide has increased. The average temperature of the earth also has increased about 1.3 degrees F – a correlation pointed to as proof that man is impacting the earth’s temperature.

Brian Kahn, Ph.D. and atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, agrees and says the agency’s work shows that on average the earth’s temperature is rising and that can be traced to man and an increasing use of carbon fuels or the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

However, for Jeff Logsdon, Science and Operations Officer with the National Weather Service Northern Indiana, he believes science proves something much different. While Logsdon does not speak for the National Weather Service – a part of NOAA, he says as a meteorologist, he finds that climate change is a true fact, but that the earth is warming as a whole is not a manmade phenomena or one that will last.

First, the time frame of global warming is a factor that must be considered, Logsdon says. Scientists must look at the earth’s entire history, not just a portion of it. “The past 200 years are just a blink of an eye,” he says.

According to a temperature chart from Logsdon, the earth’s temperatures were in a warming period, the “Medieval Warming Period,” from about 400 AD to around 1100 AD. A cooling period followed, and the “Little Ice Age” was in place from about 1400 AD to about 1800 AD.

Land-based measurements have been kept since the 1800s, which is a relatively short period of time during the earth’s life cycle. Logsdon explains that there is definitely an underlying argument for warming since that time, but that doesn’t mean there’s agreement on cause for that warming.

“The atmosphere tends toward normal, day-by-day, season-by-season, decade-by-decade,” Logsdon says. “Any period where there is unusually warm temperatures is followed by a period of unusually cold temperatures. The atmosphere always tries to balance out and strives for a state of equilibrium.”

To show this, he says to consider what people think as an extreme – it’s because it hasn’t been experienced before in their lifetime. But what if the earth isn’t working its cycle in that same lifetime, he questions.

Kahn of NASA says the earth’s temperature is complicated and must be looked at both at the surface and in the atmosphere. NASA studies the earth’s temperature at both levels to study the climate and for weather forecasting. The decades of record shows both warming of the surface’s temperature, as well as the climate above the earth, he says. In addition, satellite records that have been kept by NASA for more than 30 years also indicate warming temperatures.

“All evidence shows that there is clearly warming,” he says. However, the rate of change on average of 1/10 degree C or 2/10 degree F per decade is not the same everywhere around the world, he adds. There are regions that are warming and others that are not, and some that are cooling. However, on average the temperature is warming, he says.

And, Kahn says, the warming trend can be attributed directly to carbon dioxide. “Humans are largely causing the changes in the climate, which a lot of evidence supports that it is direct and empirical,” Kahn says.

The impact can be seen in the arctic region, where glaciers have melted significantly – one of the most impacted areas. For example, because temperatures are warming in the arctic region, a bark beetle that survives only when temperatures are above freezing is having a longer life cycle and destroying more trees, Kahn explains.

But Logsdon says that the length of the earth’s climate cycles are not known and points to a November 1922 article in the “Monthly Weather Review,” that stated similar findings. “Ice conditions were exceptional. In fact, so little ice has never before been noted, ” the article stated. While some may say that points to a trend, Logsdon says it points to another period of time when warming was happening and man was not using carbon fuels at the rate he is today.

And Kahn admits that there are other impacts on the earth’s temperatures, but says the most significant is carbon dioxide from the increased use of fossil fuels. Other aspects also can impact warming. For example, cloud feedback is still an unknown factor. Kahn says the warming temperatures have affected clouds and an ongoing study may not have results for use. “If clouds reflect light, they may counteract global warming, but if they don’t reflect light, the warming could be amplified,” he explains.

In addition, the results of the recent eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland also may not be known for years to come. In the past, significant volcano eruptions have cooled the earth’s temperatures,” Logsdon says.

Nature’s role in climate is much greater than man’s role, Logsdon believes. He points to Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption that resulted in cooling temperatures, and a warming period that immediately followed, attributed to the El Nino.

While Kahn agrees that other factors do attribute to the earth’s changing climate, he believes that science supports that man’s responsibility for the recent warming trend is undeniable.

Scientists continue to study the earth’s climate and temperatures and debate man’s impact and at the same time world leaders debate what policy should be enacted to combat global warming. The question remains, which science should be followed?

Freedom of religion and the separation of church and state debate continues

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:19:00 +0000

The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The section that deals with religion, known as the Establishment Clause, has become one of the most debated pieces of the document.

First Amendment Center Senior Scholar Charles C. Haynes believes the Establishment Clause stands for "no establishment" -- which, by definition, requires separating church from state.

“The fight for disestablishment in Virginia was the backdrop for James Madison's insistence on ‘no establishment’ on the federal level,” Haynes said. “Even if one only believes that the First Amendment prevents the government from establishing a particular religion, that is still separation.”

However, he said, the disagreement comes with how much separation is required to protect religious liberty. He said both sides go too far and the answer is somewhere in the middle.

That term separation of church and state originated with one of the country’s founding fathers, in a letter Thomas Jefferson penned in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist association in Connecticut.

In the letter, Jefferson states that he believes, as do members of the association, that the religion is a matter between man and his God. Quoting part of the First Amendment, he wrote, “’make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”

Since that time, the debate has continued about what is separation of church and state, with courts determining whether the line has been crossed.

Recently, the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in favor of allowing a Ten Commandments display on public property. In ACLU of Kentucky v. Grayson County the court found that a Ten Commandments display in a Kentucky county courthouse did not violate the establishment clause because it was displayed in conjunction with nine other historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence.

In another recent case, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina ruled that opening meetings with sectarian prayer by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners violates the First Amendment.

U.S. District Court Judge James Beaty wrote "In making this determination, the Court concludes that the invocation Policy, as implemented, has resulted in Government-sponsored prayers that advance a specific faith or belief and have the effect of affiliating the Government with that particular faith or belief."  

However, that doesn’t mean that governmental bodies cannot open meetings with prayer. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that government bodies are constitutionally permitted to open their meetings with a prayer if the prayers are nonsectarian.

At least some of those on both sides of the debate have reached common ground. Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Christian leaders from the evangelical, mainline and Catholic traditions joined with civil liberties leaders to draft Religious Expression in American Public Life: A Joint Statement of Current Law.

“The role of religion in public life has long been a source of controversy and litigation,” said Melissa Rogers, director of Wake Forest University Divinity School’s Center for Religion and Public Affairs, which produced the document. “We have brought together a diverse group of experts on law and religion to clarify what current law has to say about some of these matters.”

This document is the first of its kind to address a wide spectrum of issues related to the role of religion in public life, Rogers said. While it addresses that elected officials are not required to take the oath of office with their hand on the Bible, the document also states that elected officials may refer to religious ideas and communities and talk about their personal beliefs.

However, the debate outside of the group continues, including the Texas State Board of Education’s work on its curriculum. After public outcry, the board did not remove Christmas from a list of religious holidays and observances in a sixth-grade world cultures class, but debate continues on how much emphasis should be given to the religious beliefs of the nation's founding fathers. Some want to highlight their Christian faith, while others want to emphasize the separation of church and state.

Music piracy impacts bands, forcing them on the road and into merchandising

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:55:00 +0000

How do we define stealing, anyway?

Stealing means to take something unlawfully. But when the discussion turns to downloading or using intellectual property without permission, including music, there seems to be a gray area. When someone produces art or entertainment, goods or services, they expect to be – and under normal circumstances are -- paid. But the world has changed.

Many people believe that downloading music, and other intellectual property, like books, movies and video games, without paying for them is acceptable. If they can find it on the Internet, it seems to be fair game.

This attitude was shared by several college students in northeast Indiana during a recent discussion. It seems that it’s the norm to download music free and without permission, and it’s seen as OK. The justification varied from not having the money to make the purchase, to indifference; it’s just the way it is.

“I don’t have a lot of money and I’m in college,” was one reply. “They (musicians) make enough money.”

But do they? Today, CD sales are still important, but numbers aren’t what they once were.

“The biggest thing is sales – if you look at how many records it takes to get into the Billboard chart now compared to even a few years ago, it is a lot less,” said Jenny Reader, director of worldwide publicity for Fearless Records. “Bands are still judged by their first week’s sales, but if a record leaks too far in advance of release this is massively impacted.”

While, there have been cases when a record is leaked and is still received so well by so many people that it sells anyway, she said, that is not true for the majority of bands. They are hit negatively by low sales because so many copies have already been illegally downloaded, Reader explained.

And because stealing does affect the revenue a band receives from record sales, there are repercussions. Record sales are everything to a band’s progression, said Shawn Milke, singer for Alesana.

“Getting on bigger and better tours, more marketing money, more exposure, and larger retail purchases are all examples of achievements that rest solely on the state of a band’s record sales,” Milke explained, adding, “This is an issue I am very sensitive about. I believe that illegal downloading is the biggest epidemic in all of entertainment.

“What makes it worse is that the majority of people who do illegally download music, movies, books, and all other forms of intellectual property, feel as if they are doing nothing wrong.”

There are options for those who don’t want to purchase CDs without downloading music illegally. Many bands share their music with fans, but on their terms and not an entire album. Bands provide easy ways for people to access and learn their music through sites like MySpace music.

“There is no reason that a person cannot determine whether or not they like a band based on of the four, five, sometimes even six songs that are provided by the bands themselves on their networking sites,” Milke said.

So, why steal the music?

People and groups have been prosecuted for stealing music under copyright laws, including the law passed by former President George W. Bush in October 2008 that stiffened the penalties for music and movie piracy at the federal level. The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act increased statutory damage awards in civil counterfeiting cases, strengthened remedies available for prosecution of criminal cases and enhanced resources for the Department of Justice programs that fight against intellectual piracy theft.

Even with prosecutions and civil suits that have favored artists and recording companies, the piracy continues. The federal government estimates that counterfeiting costs hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

Asking Alexandria is one of those bands hit by illegal downloads. The band’s first CD debuted in September, but the world had already heard the music. The CD was leaked before its release date and people were already downloading its songs, said guitarist Ben Bruce.

“It’s hard, with people illegally downloading music and it’s a real shame,” he said. “The Internet is a great thing, but there are consequences.”

By illegally downloading the music, instead of purchasing CDs, fans miss the additional features that come with a CD, including the cover art, Bruce added.

And it’s not only new bands hurt by the stealing of music. U2 made the news in recent years, not only for the piracy that impacted the release of one of its albums, but also because Manager Paul McGuinness’ vocal outcry against music piracy.

And while some may say it’s not a big deal that a band loses a few dollars from a CD sale, the fall out sometimes results in the ultimate cost for a band. Milke said bands break up because of low record sales and are even dropped by management because their record sales were not at the level expected – all the direct result of illegal downloading.

“Possessing music created by someone else is not a right, it is a privilege,” Alesana’s Milke said. “Illegally downloading a record is exactly the same thing as walking into a Best Buy store and stealing the record from the shelf.”

Other Options

To make up for the lost revenue, bands are finding other ways to continue their artistic endeavors. Tours top that list and bands find themselves staying on the road more and more, even playing smaller or self-booked tours.

Asking Alexandria band members understand this; it’s the world in which they live. The UK band goes from one tour to the next, trying to make a living in the world of rock and roll, without the luxury of counting on the same type of record sales as bands in the past have done.

“We might get a week off between tours, and then we start a new tour,” Bruce said. “That makes it difficult to do anything, including writing new music.”

The band works on songs from its RV as the group travels, but writing on the road is difficult, Bruce said. The band is taking a month-long break in January to recuperate and to do some more writing before hitting the tour road again.

And bands aren’t the only ones impacted by music piracy. The record companies who sign the bands also are feeling the effects. Fearless Records, a 15-year-old company that came into the business when the Internet was beginning to become a daily part of people’s lives, has an edge because it doesn’t think under the old business model, according to Reader.

But while Fearless Records has been able to thrive in an industry on the decline, illegal downloading still has its impact. The company has evolved other revenue-producing options, including merchandising and touring. “It's (illegal downloading) basically changed the way the industry has to think, and goes hand in hand with the way people are now discovering and consuming music,” she said.

Another thing Fearless is doing is carefully choosing who gets pre-release copies of records, using only trusted sources on secure album streams. This has resulted in a drop in leaks, Reader said. However, the adverse effect of this practice is less press for the new music, since the media still need the music to write about it.

Fearless also has priced albums “reasonable” to give consumers an incentive to buy.

Trying to win the battle isn’t the answer, since there seems to be no fear of the laws. Instead, adapting has become the norm for companies and artists, Reader said.

“People will always want music. And, although the way bands make records is already changing to evolve with the new ways of listening and purchasing music – reliance on tracks and singles rather than full albums – the only way to thrive in this climate is to be highly tuned to what our audience wants and needs,” Reader said.

While some fans will always want something tangible, the physical product and packaging to hold and have in their collection, Fearless has found that by keeping its bands on the road, connecting with their fans, it is proving to be one of the labels actually thriving in these harder times. “By keeping close to the ground and adapting to change fast, with creative ideas and passion for our bands and the music, it is possible to not stop the tide, but ride with it to some level of success,” Reader said.

The Battle of Health Care

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:24:00 +0000

Health Care in the United States: Is it a right?

As citizens of the United States watch, listen and participate in the ongoing debate of health care reform, there is one question at the center of the debate – and one that seems to determine your stand on the health care issue: Is health insurance coverage a right?

The majority of people in the United States are covered by insurance. However, according to the most recent Census estimate, in 2008 15.4 percent of Americans under age 65 – 46.3 million people – were without health insurance.

There is much debate on whether the Census figures accurately reflect those without insurance, but the questions remain. What are the rights of citizens? Does everyone deserve and should they be given health insurance, even if their employer doesn’t offer any or they choose not to purchase health insurance themselves?

According to the Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2009, medical care benefits were available to 71 percent of private industry workers, but only about half of those workers participated in a plan. And for those who did participate, employers paid 82 percent of the cost of premiums for single coverage and 71 percent of the cost for family coverage.

Dr. Stacey Bowen, DO, in Toledo, Ohio, says that people who aren’t insured choose not to be, so their costs should be their own. Since there is medical coverage for low income people available through Medicaid, Bowen said those who are middle income earners not covered by health insurance have chosen to purchase a third car or a larger home instead of medical coverage. And, she said, when those who do not have health insurance need medical treatment, they visit emergency rooms where they cannot be turned away.

However, Jim Morone, chair of Brown University’s Political Science Department and co-author of The Heart of Power: Health and Politics in the Oval Office, said that’s not a full picture of the uninsured or underinsured in the U.S. He said many of those who have no health care coverage cannot afford to purchase it. And because states operate Medicaid, it varies across the country when it comes to who is covered and not covered.

As an example, he pointed to Texas and New York to highlight the differences in Medicaid coverage from state to state. In Texas, Medicaid covers those persons eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or who qualify for Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) or have incomes below the TANF income cap. As of 2008, that was a parent with two children earning $188 a month or less, according to state information. In contrast, New York’s requirements are much higher. A family of three may earn up to $1,048 a month to qualify for Medicaid in New York, as of April 1, according to state information. And some people can qualify for Medicaid if their income is above those levels and they have medical bills.

“It’s an incredible patchwork,” Morone said, adding that leads to many people not receiving health care. While he does agree that people do use emergency rooms and do find care there, they don’t receive medical attention for such care as cancer treatment or psychological issues, he said.

“There’s an estimated 18,000 Americans who die every year as a consequence of not having insurance,” he said. “Without insurance, it’s hard to access treatment and many people put off treatment (due to the cost or difficulty in accessing care).”

With a public option being considered as part of at least the major health reform bill now in the House of Representatives – H.R. 3200, there is concern about how that will be handled in comparison to Medicaid or even Medicare. Dr. Bowen said a government-run insurance program or social medicine would be detrimental to all people. She said with the reimbursement rates of Medicare already at such a low rate, she’s concerned over how another government-operated program would impact her ability to work as a general practitioner.

She said when looking at programs, such as Canada, she’s concerned because of the long waiting periods, which she said do exist and do result in deaths because of prolonging treatment. And, she added, insurance and hospital bureaucracy are the real issues here and those are the ones that should be the focus of reform.

Add that to negotiations with insurance companies, which she said are horrific, and the result for her as a physician has been no paycheck in three years. As a general practice physician, she said she is paid far less by insurance companies for doing the same treatment as a specialist. As an example, she said, she is paid less for drawing fluid off of a patient’s knee than an orthopedic surgeon is paid for doing the same procedure. She believes that will only get worse under a government plan and that general practitioners will disappear.

Morone agrees that the system is a mess, but he said it’s a complicated system and trying to fix it, therefore, is also complicated. An example is the billing system.

An Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from an insurance provider shows an initial billing from the physician, practice or hospital, minus the in-plan deduction to equal the final amount billed. So, if the original billing is the cost, why settle for less?

Bowen said the negotiation process for payment is so complex that medical providers bill at a rate they believe will help them to get costs covered. Morone said it’s even more complex than that. He said there are operating costs for medical practices and hospitals, and there’s a complicated formula to determine what procedures pays what.

He compared it to renting hotel rooms. Depending on what savings plan a person has, such as an AAA member or AARP member; people get rooms for different rates. So, what does a hotel room cost? It depends on discount programs, travel times or number of rooms, among other things. The costs of health care procedures are similar – it depends on the insurance and what the company has negotiated.

“There’s so much shifting of costs in the system that how much cost a patient bears depends on the insurance company and the incredible negotiating system,” Morone said. “There’s not a fixed cost for a procedure, there are costs for running the office or hospital.”

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has released statements saying that reforms can solve the problems without creating a government-run plan and has proposed guaranteeing coverage to all Americans, eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions and no longer basing coverage premiums on a person’s gender or age. But, AHIP said these must be paired with a requirement to get everyone into the health care system. In addition, there must be cost containment included, according to AHIP.

Some are calling for the marketplace to fix the incredible disparities in the health care coverage system. But Morone said that’s not likely. While it’s not impossible for the market to fix the system, it’s not practical, he said. That’s because, he said, society won’t let a hospital fail or a person who couldn’t afford to pay for treatment to die after being hit by a bus. And, he said, we couldn’t give cheap medicine, so it’s hard for the market to do its job.

“It’s not like buying a computer,” he said.

Morone does like the plan President Barack Obama has endorsed because he said it does something to address the problems, but doesn’t do too much. And, he said, a public option gives a process for cost control. Similar to Medicare, a public option would set a reimbursement rate, setting cost controls.

Bowen hates the idea of the government taking over any part of the health care industry. She points to the pharmaceutical companies who research and develop medications that she said have saved lives. She’s concerned that will change with too many government restrictions on the system.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PHRMA) support health care reform by making a commitment to the White House and Senate Finance Committee to help most seniors who are affected with the Medicare Part D coverage gap by providing a 50 percent discount for brand-name prescription drugs, an $80 billion investment. But the organization stresses that reform should not be made through price controls.

Obama has promised to overhaul the health care system, saying he’s determined to be the last president to deal with it. While Morone said he supports Obama’s plan, he said the president won’t be the last president to confront the issue.

Obama’s office didn’t return phone calls or answer questions that were e-mailed upon White House staff request. In a response to the initial list of questions e-mailed to the White House, staff asked for (additional) specific questions following the President’s address on Sept. 9. However, the list of questions was never answered.

History of Health Insurance

Health insurance coverage in America has seen price increases since 1952, steadily increasing at a greater rate than the rest of the economy. World War II was the initial biggest boost to employer-paid health insurance coverage. During the war, the IRS put limits on employee pay, but health insurance was a new thing and was exempted from those pay limits. So, employers used that as a way to offer employees additional compensation.

In the 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made the exemption permanent. In 1952, about 10 percent of workers had employer-paid health insurance. By 1962, most workers had health insurance coverage.

As of March 2009, medical care benefits were available to 71 percent of private industry workers, compared with 88 percent among state and local government workers. About half of private industry workers participated in a plan, compared to the 73 percent of state and local government workers. Employers paid 82 percent of the cost of premiums for single coverage and 71 percent of the cost for family coverage, for workers participating in employer sponsored medical plans.

Sources: Jim Morone, Chair of Brown University’s Political Science Department and the United States Department of Labor

Crash of two of the Big Three Automakers based on gas prices and recession, not lack of knowledge of what customers wanted

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:58:00 +0000

The Auto Industry

It wasn’t a lack of knowledge about what vehicles people wanted that caused the crash of two of the Big Three automakers, according to experts. The collapse was based on two things: 1. Gas prices shot up to more than $4 a gallon; 2. An economic recession immediately followed.

People were buying larger cars and SUVs, but once gas prices skyrocketed that changed, said Scott Baier, a Clemson economist.

“GM was doing OK until 2007-2008 when there was a run up of gas prices that hurt the models that GM had been successful with, and then the economy collapsed,” Baier said, adding that those two incidents drove GM to the point of bankruptcy.

And Gerald Meyers, professor of management and organization at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, agrees with that assessment. “GM built vehicles the public wanted and then gas prices rose and the public didn’t want as many of those big vehicles,” he said.

But one member of the Big Three – Ford Motor Co. – escaped bankruptcy during the collapse. The Detroit-based company had mortgaged many of its assets a few years earlier, and drained its assets from Wall Street before it collapsed, Meyers said.

Ford did not return calls for comments, but company information shows that Ford continues to hold its own today. In fact, its stock nearly tripled early this year, although the company took a $1.4 billion loss in the first quarter. However, Ford leadership said it had enough money to finish the year. Much of this is because of the steps it took earlier.

In late 2006, Ford raised $23.6 billion in loans by putting many of its North American assets up as collateral, including the Ford logo. The loans have kept it independent and on a course to survive the worst new-vehicle market in nearly 30 years, according to company statements.

Earlier this year, Ford completed a debt restructuring initiative to reduce its debt by $9.9 billion. The company also announced the sale of 300 million shares of its common stock in a public offering in May – at $4.75 per share for gross proceeds of about $1.4 billion.

Restructuring at GM and Chrysler LLC has been much different. It has included government loans, sales of companies and car lines, and bankruptcy filings – with government involved in each step. The future for these companies now depends on government staying out of the auto business, according to both Baier and Meyers.

Chrysler formed an alliance with Fiat and emerged from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in late April and early May. The new company is majority owned by the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA), which has 55 percent. The remaining ownership is 10 percent between the U.S. and Canadian governments and 20 percent ownership by Fiat with the right to increase its ownership another 15 percent.

The new General Motors Co. launched on July 10, made up of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. The U.S. Department of the Treasury owns the majority of the new company –60.8 percent. The rest is divided as follows: 17.5 percent UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust; 11.7 percent Canada and Ontario governments; and 10 percent the old GM.

“I worry about the government influence,” Baier said. “Government has different agendas that it wants satisfied, things not necessarily involved in the building of cars that people want. This introduces inefficiencies and cost, and cars people don’t buy.”

The White House says it has no intention of running the auto industry and will not make decisions on design, according to a White House spokeswoman. However, government influence can’t be ignored with new fuel efficiency standards announced earlier this year.

President Barack Obama set new fuel economy standards in May to increase fleet fuel efficiency by 5 percent per year beginning in 2012 and ultimately requiring the average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016. The 2009 requirement is 25 mpg.

But the real concern, some say, is what else politicians will require of the new GM and Chrysler since the federal government has ownership and/or influence in the companies following bailouts and loans. And, Meyers added, the Treasury Task Force has a deep bias against large vehicles, which could have an impact.

“Americans love their big cars, big anything, and you can’t take that away from the American public,” Meyers said. He gave the example of the early 1980s when higher emission standards were placed on the family station wagon, which had been popular.

When that happened, American buyers looked to Jeeps and similar vehicles. “That was the birth of the SUV,” he said.

Meyers said that while GM and Chrysler may feel the pressure to bring out more efficient and smaller vehicles, he sees Ford working in similar directions. “They’re all gambling on gas prices and it’s a gamble they’ll lose,” he said about the auto manufacturers. “Now, it seems we have oil coming out our ears and once the speculators are out of the picture, prices will probably get even lower.”

In fact, with gas prices lower this summer than last, SUVS are selling. Midsize SUVs, including GM’s Buick Enclave, saw sales up in June.

So, looking to the future, how do the revamped Chrysler and GM, as well as the other auto manufacturers, figure out what Americans want? Like all other businesses, it’s a guess based on the current facts.

“The plain truth is the public doesn’t know what it wants, it has to be sold on what’s there,” Meyer said. “The public, however, does know what it doesn’t want. The game is figuring out what that is three years from now.”

So, who seems to have it right? Meyers said it’s the niche companies – those that don’t try to build a car for everyone, but concentrate on one customer base. Pointing to BMW, he said that’s a company that puts out a high-end product and does it well.

Looking at the numbers from GM:

· In 2008, GM sold 2.98 million vehicles, compared to Toyota with 2.2 million.

· 12 of the top 20 best-selling vehicles last year came from U.S. automakers. Two of those were trucks – Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado.

The Beginning of this blog

noreply@blogger.com (TheWritersByline) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Journalists get a bad rap these days. Some deserved, others not so much. There are few jobs in the world where criticism is as harsh as it is for journalists, because there are few jobs that are so public and where the product is preserved for as long.

However, most journalists choose this noble career because they love the idea of doing the right thing, uncovering the truth and informing the public. I remember telling my sister, a teacher, that she teaches kids, but I teach the world. While I was kidding, I do believe that is part of the role of a journalist.

But there are those in the profession who give the rest of us a bad name. Unfortunately, like other professions, the bad ones seem to get all the headlines – pun intended.

In addition, today there are the so-called “citizen journalists” who are allowed as much space, or more, than trained journalists. So, there’s a lot of misinformation and information without substance or research to support it. And unfortunately, since many people use the Internet, social media and other online sources for their information, they may not be getting the true, complete story.

And before you say she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, anyone can be a journalist. Just let me ask you if you’d hire an architect to set a bone in your arm? Would you hire a teacher to do electrical work? Everyone has a skill and something they were trained to do, and journalists are the same.

Now that I’ve possibly made enemies, which isn’t hard if you’re a reporter, let me explain why I’m launching this news blog. I want to give you more information based on research, facts and experts. And yes, I am a journalist – with credentials and experience.

I will pick a subject monthly and try to make sense of it with only the truth – using data, experts and public statements to deliver the news to you, just as it has traditionally been done.

So, please read my first posting on the automotive industry and let me know what you think. I’ll be back next month.