Motorcycle USA was both excited and nervous when we learned we were going to be a primary sponsor of the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Shows being held in conjunction with the International Motorcycle Shows. As a sponsor, we would be giving away a custom 2011 Honda Fury, which we were excited about. We've had a bunch of parts off our prior Honda Fury project laying around the office with killer old-school gold metal flake and pinstriping by the talented troupe up at Cutting Edge Illusions out of Eugene, Oregon, just begging to be put on display. The paint catches every glimmer of sunlight and the striping is edgy and clean.
Unfortunately, we had to return our prior project before we had a chance to get everything reassembled, so we were excited for a chance to finally see the parts actually on a bike. But we were nervous because we only had three weeks to get the bike up to our HQ in Oregon from LA and get the work on it done. This didn't allow for much time to scramble for parts, get some powder coating done, and get everything put together in time to deliver the bike to San Mateo for the first round of the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Shows.
The stock 2011 Honda Fury fortunately came with a black frame and wheels, which matched up well with the gold metal flake, so we had a solid starting point. Our first goal then was to tidy up the look of the rear end. For this, we looked to our friend Chris Hagest over at Low and Mean for a little help. Low and Mean is at the forefront of creating aftermarket parts for metric cruisers and came through in a big way by sending over the L&M Honda Fury Lowered Rear Spring, its Honda Fury Reaper front fender, rear fender, and LED brake light.
To keep the new fender clean, we ditched the stock turn signals sticking out on both sides for Low and Mean's Honda Fury LED brake light because the rear fender is already cut to accommodate the thin LED strip. What a difference. The rear end looks ultra-clean now and the LED strip is almost unnoticeable until you hit the brakes or flip on the turn signals.
The final touch was relocating the license plate holder from hanging off the rear fender to the left side and replacing the stock one for an Accutronix side mount license plate holder. Attaching the Accutronix license plate holder required removing the swingarm bolt and washer so we could slide the mounting block and small spacer onto the swingarm, but the Accutronix plate holder uses the stock mounting bolt and washer to simplify the process. The wiring was then routed up and under the seat where it was attached to the factory license plate light wires.
The stock master cylinder mount had to come off, too, and then the wires to the brake light switch had to be cut. This allowed the brake line adapter to be installed and the braided line to be attached. The controls were then screwed into place and Loctited down.
The brake hose was reattached to the master cylinder and wire terminals were attached to the wires we cut earlier so they could be heat shrunk and plugged into the new brake light switch. After that, the brakes were bled and the brake lights were checked to make sure we hooked everything up correctly. Installation on the shift side required removal of the big plastic transmission side cover before we could start.
The swap overall was fairly straight forward with a little finesse required to thread the shift linkage and lining up the heim joints. But what a dramatic difference the Accutronix foot controls make. The “Night Series” means they're black and tie in perfectly to the color scheme of the bike, they make the bike look classier, and action at the new shift lever is smooth and deliberate.
Showing posts with label led strip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label led strip. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Monday, 13 June 2011
Svelato il mistero: «Quei tre punti luminosi erano lanterne volanti lanciate a una festa»
No unidentified object in the skies of Peschiera: UFO enthusiasts and lovers will be disappointed but the three luminous spheres observed on Friday night and photographed by many people are simply "flying lanterns" of oriental origin, very popular in the West that work with the same principle of the balloon. Have been used by Alice Hope in-law Claudia's birthday, celebrated on the shores of Lake Hotel Al Fiore owned by the family.
"I've bought on the Internet and we switched on during the party, "he says with amusement. "Before we turned one, around 21.30. After a while, 'we have seen that someone has sent around the campsite in the air two and so, almost like a challenge, we decided to light all three together, which were up more than usual accomplices apparently favorable air currents. And to be honest, given the height reached, "says the lady," there also were people who said "you'll see that someone will think UFOs. " It seemed to me an exaggeration but is actually just happened. "
"Sky lanterns": this is the trade name for this kind of "bags" of average size of paper coated with non-flammable material and supported by a rigid part. The base plate is placed a kind of fuel which, when lit, heats the air that fills the lantern making it fly. A flight that can last for twenty minutes and ends only when it ends the fuel and the flame goes out. Do you know the altitude limit that can achieve: to secure several hundred meters. In the Eastern tradition the lanterns are a symbol of good wishes. "But this is our meaning: you should write, " concludes Alice Hope, "their wishes on paper lanterns, bringing them in heaven, help to achieve them. " GB
"I've bought on the Internet and we switched on during the party, "he says with amusement. "Before we turned one, around 21.30. After a while, 'we have seen that someone has sent around the campsite in the air two and so, almost like a challenge, we decided to light all three together, which were up more than usual accomplices apparently favorable air currents. And to be honest, given the height reached, "says the lady," there also were people who said "you'll see that someone will think UFOs. " It seemed to me an exaggeration but is actually just happened. "
"Sky lanterns": this is the trade name for this kind of "bags" of average size of paper coated with non-flammable material and supported by a rigid part. The base plate is placed a kind of fuel which, when lit, heats the air that fills the lantern making it fly. A flight that can last for twenty minutes and ends only when it ends the fuel and the flame goes out. Do you know the altitude limit that can achieve: to secure several hundred meters. In the Eastern tradition the lanterns are a symbol of good wishes. "But this is our meaning: you should write, " concludes Alice Hope, "their wishes on paper lanterns, bringing them in heaven, help to achieve them. " GB
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Fear of 'phase-out' for incandescent bulbs fuels hoarding
Fear of 'phase-out' for incandescent bulbs fuels hoarding
Bunny Williams, the no-nonsense decorator known for her lush English-style rooms, is laying in light bulbs like canned goods. Incandescent bulbs, that is — 60 and 75 watters — because she likes a double-cluster lamp with a high- and a low-watt bulb, one for reading, one for mood.
"Every time I go to Costco, I buy more wattage," Williams said the other day. She is as green as anybody, she added, but she can't abide the sickly hue of a twisty compact fluorescent bulb, though she's tried warming it up with shade liners in creams and pinks. Nor does she care for the cool blue of an LED.
It should be noted that, like most decorators, Williams is extremely precise about light. The other day, she reported, she spent six hours fine-tuning the lighting plan of a project, tweaking the mix of ambient, directional and overhead light she had designed, and returning to the house after dusk to add wattage and switch out lamps like a chef adjusting the flavors in a complicated bouillabaisse.
She is aware that there is legislation that is going to affect the manufacture of incandescent bulbs, but she's not clear on the details, and she wants to make sure she has what she needs when she needs it.
So does John Warner, a restaurateur in Washington, D.C., whose new bistro, Le Zinc, will open next month on Wisconsin Avenue. He has signed a 15-year lease on the place, which is layered in warm woods, with lots of art and photographs and 50 light fixtures, 16 of them designed to hold a 40-watt Soft White GE incandescent bulb. By estimating that his lights will be on for 15 hours a day, and factoring in the package's promise of a 2,000-hour life span per bulb, Warner has calculated that he will need 600 of these bulbs to last through his lease.
"I have a light-enough carbon footprint in the other aspects of the design," he said, "so I can allow myself a lighting splurge."
Darren Henault, a Manhattan decorator, has already splurged on light fixtures in his Millbrook, N.Y., farmhouse, which dates from the early 19th century, and he is fearful that the bulbs sold in the future won't be up to snuff.
"We went to great pains to keep it looking like an 1800s farmhouse," he said. "We used reclaimed woods, kept the old hardware and the old doors." He also added a dozen custom light fixtures, he said, including "one in particular that cost an arm and a leg, and only works with these particular incandescent bulbs."
He has filled the basement with antique-style Edison bulbs — the clear bulbs with the fuzzy filaments that restaurant designers are so fond of — as well as silver-bottomed incandescent bulbs, which throw light on the ceiling in an appealing way, both of which he buys in bulk at Gracious Home. (The former cost $19 each; Gracious Home is no Costco.)
"My electrician said they were being phased out," he said. "If he's wrong, I'm going to kill him."
As it happens, Henault's electrician is wrong.
Late in his second term, George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which requires light bulb makers to improve the efficiency of incandescent bulbs by 25 percent. The details of the law dictated a phase-out of the manufacture of certain bulbs in their current incarnation, starting with 100-watt bulbs next January.
The law does not ban the use or manufacture of all incandescent bulbs, nor does it mandate the use of compact fluorescent ones. It simply requires that companies make some of their incandescent bulbs work a bit better, meeting a series of rolling deadlines between 2012 and 2014.
Furthermore, all sorts of exemptions are written into the law, which means that all sorts of bulbs are getting a free pass and can keep their energy-guzzling ways indefinitely, including "specialty bulbs" like the Edison bulbs favored by Henault, as well as three-way bulbs, silver-bottomed bulbs, chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, plant lights and many, many others.
Nonetheless, as the deadline for the first phase of the legislation looms, light bulb confusion — even profound light bulb anxiety — is roiling the minds of many. The other day, Ken Henderlong, a sales associate at Oriental Lamp Shade Co. on Lexington Avenue, said that his customers "say they want to stockpile incandescent bulbs, but they are not sure when to start. No one knows when the rules go into effect or what the rules are."
Bunny Williams, the no-nonsense decorator known for her lush English-style rooms, is laying in light bulbs like canned goods. Incandescent bulbs, that is — 60 and 75 watters — because she likes a double-cluster lamp with a high- and a low-watt bulb, one for reading, one for mood.
"Every time I go to Costco, I buy more wattage," Williams said the other day. She is as green as anybody, she added, but she can't abide the sickly hue of a twisty compact fluorescent bulb, though she's tried warming it up with shade liners in creams and pinks. Nor does she care for the cool blue of an LED.
It should be noted that, like most decorators, Williams is extremely precise about light. The other day, she reported, she spent six hours fine-tuning the lighting plan of a project, tweaking the mix of ambient, directional and overhead light she had designed, and returning to the house after dusk to add wattage and switch out lamps like a chef adjusting the flavors in a complicated bouillabaisse.
She is aware that there is legislation that is going to affect the manufacture of incandescent bulbs, but she's not clear on the details, and she wants to make sure she has what she needs when she needs it.
So does John Warner, a restaurateur in Washington, D.C., whose new bistro, Le Zinc, will open next month on Wisconsin Avenue. He has signed a 15-year lease on the place, which is layered in warm woods, with lots of art and photographs and 50 light fixtures, 16 of them designed to hold a 40-watt Soft White GE incandescent bulb. By estimating that his lights will be on for 15 hours a day, and factoring in the package's promise of a 2,000-hour life span per bulb, Warner has calculated that he will need 600 of these bulbs to last through his lease.
"I have a light-enough carbon footprint in the other aspects of the design," he said, "so I can allow myself a lighting splurge."
Darren Henault, a Manhattan decorator, has already splurged on light fixtures in his Millbrook, N.Y., farmhouse, which dates from the early 19th century, and he is fearful that the bulbs sold in the future won't be up to snuff.
"We went to great pains to keep it looking like an 1800s farmhouse," he said. "We used reclaimed woods, kept the old hardware and the old doors." He also added a dozen custom light fixtures, he said, including "one in particular that cost an arm and a leg, and only works with these particular incandescent bulbs."
He has filled the basement with antique-style Edison bulbs — the clear bulbs with the fuzzy filaments that restaurant designers are so fond of — as well as silver-bottomed incandescent bulbs, which throw light on the ceiling in an appealing way, both of which he buys in bulk at Gracious Home. (The former cost $19 each; Gracious Home is no Costco.)
"My electrician said they were being phased out," he said. "If he's wrong, I'm going to kill him."
As it happens, Henault's electrician is wrong.
Late in his second term, George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which requires light bulb makers to improve the efficiency of incandescent bulbs by 25 percent. The details of the law dictated a phase-out of the manufacture of certain bulbs in their current incarnation, starting with 100-watt bulbs next January.
The law does not ban the use or manufacture of all incandescent bulbs, nor does it mandate the use of compact fluorescent ones. It simply requires that companies make some of their incandescent bulbs work a bit better, meeting a series of rolling deadlines between 2012 and 2014.
Furthermore, all sorts of exemptions are written into the law, which means that all sorts of bulbs are getting a free pass and can keep their energy-guzzling ways indefinitely, including "specialty bulbs" like the Edison bulbs favored by Henault, as well as three-way bulbs, silver-bottomed bulbs, chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, plant lights and many, many others.
Nonetheless, as the deadline for the first phase of the legislation looms, light bulb confusion — even profound light bulb anxiety — is roiling the minds of many. The other day, Ken Henderlong, a sales associate at Oriental Lamp Shade Co. on Lexington Avenue, said that his customers "say they want to stockpile incandescent bulbs, but they are not sure when to start. No one knows when the rules go into effect or what the rules are."
Monday, 16 May 2011
Low-carbon energy-saving doors and windows full analysis of environmental protection - a low-carbon
Low-carbon energy-saving doors and windows full analysis of environmental protection - a low-carbon
Low carbon Environmental protection Has become the trend, China's many places in the implementation of the "low-carbon lifestyle", windows and doors industry is how low-carbon energy saving environmental protection for? Building energy efficiency is a huge systematic project, all aspects of the whole society together. The building itself, the reality of energy-saving shortcut from the "windows" to start. Impact of building energy consumption as one of the four parts of the doors and windows envelope, generally thin-walled lightweight components, is building insulation, heat insulation, sound insulation of the weak links. Especially in insulation properties of the worst, it passes through the radiation, convective transfer, conduction transfer and air infiltration led to the building of four forms of energy loss, the energy of ordinary single-glazed windows heat loss in winter and summer about building cooling energy consumption of 50 % or more. Therefore, to improve the indoor thermal windows and doors, light environment, most important, its performance directly determines the effect of building energy efficiency. Enhanced thermal insulation properties of windows, doors and windows to reduce energy consumption, improve building heat, light, environmental quality, an important step in building energy efficiency goals. Insulation and insulated doors and windows and glass, door window frame materials, construction and air tightness are closely related. Whatever the form of building doors and windows, glass materials to be used, it accounts for more than 70% area of the window glass, energy-efficient doors and windows so they should first consider the factors of glass. This is why Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and other big cities have enacted local laws and regulations, Vigorously Promotion and mandatory energy-saving buildings, but also, without exception, the implementation of hollow, inflatable, low-emissivity glass reasons. Promote the use of hollow glass is a sign of the times, building energy efficiency developments . Insulating glass is two or more layers of glass to seal up the air, during layer filling with viscosity coefficient and thermal conductivity coefficient of the inert gas to reduce the convection heat transfer between the layers, the energy-saving features of the key indicators??? Biography thermal coefficient K (refer to steady heat transfer conditions, the glass on both sides of the air temperature difference of 1 ° C when the 1 square meter per unit time through the mass heat insulating glass to W/m2K said. K value is lower, indicating hollow better thermal insulation properties of glass) was 2.7 ~ 3.3, 5.8 and ordinary monolithic glass. Of course, such as hollow glass with LOW-E, or SUN-E glass to match, due to its excellent thermal characteristics of the optical, thermal insulation performance is more prominent. Insulating glass in developed countries has been widely and applications. Application of the U.S. penetration rate has reached 83%. German government has not hollow glass construction of the proposed building shall not be approved, only 80 of the last century before the Federal Republic of Germany to use hollow glass reached 210 million square meters, saving Energy Cost 52 billion marks. Application of European penetration reached 50%. Industry experts believe that the nature and function of the window will be confined mainly to the heat preservation, heat insulation, energy-efficient development. This requires that the window should have considerable product strength, deformation warpage. The gap in the sash handle, the northern parts of the North to the window should double Bolivian facilities. China is a country lacking in energy, energy equivalent to twice that of developed countries. Windows open in the direction of the main push-pull doors and windows of development, the development of new suspension and the suspension of the window, where energy saving and air-conditioning requirements for the room. Window-based development is becoming smaller, flexible technology to meet the requirements of modern small bedroom. Push-pull window, open the convenient, flexible, space is conducive to window details of the deal, such as planters, etc. located. To develop security doors, require security, fire, sound insulation, thermal insulation effect. Size fan proposed development outside the open type with security, insulation, sound insulation triple door. This is beneficial to dry indoor space saving, opening the door fighting, strip changing his shoes and space. Size of the door set, for the daily travel and provide convenience for handling large objects. Key technology is the hinge security measures, a small fan fixed and door seal technology. Hot Recommendation: Watch 09 Hardware Ten selection
Low carbon Environmental protection Has become the trend, China's many places in the implementation of the "low-carbon lifestyle", windows and doors industry is how low-carbon energy saving environmental protection for? Building energy efficiency is a huge systematic project, all aspects of the whole society together. The building itself, the reality of energy-saving shortcut from the "windows" to start. Impact of building energy consumption as one of the four parts of the doors and windows envelope, generally thin-walled lightweight components, is building insulation, heat insulation, sound insulation of the weak links. Especially in insulation properties of the worst, it passes through the radiation, convective transfer, conduction transfer and air infiltration led to the building of four forms of energy loss, the energy of ordinary single-glazed windows heat loss in winter and summer about building cooling energy consumption of 50 % or more. Therefore, to improve the indoor thermal windows and doors, light environment, most important, its performance directly determines the effect of building energy efficiency. Enhanced thermal insulation properties of windows, doors and windows to reduce energy consumption, improve building heat, light, environmental quality, an important step in building energy efficiency goals. Insulation and insulated doors and windows and glass, door window frame materials, construction and air tightness are closely related. Whatever the form of building doors and windows, glass materials to be used, it accounts for more than 70% area of the window glass, energy-efficient doors and windows so they should first consider the factors of glass. This is why Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and other big cities have enacted local laws and regulations, Vigorously Promotion and mandatory energy-saving buildings, but also, without exception, the implementation of hollow, inflatable, low-emissivity glass reasons. Promote the use of hollow glass is a sign of the times, building energy efficiency developments . Insulating glass is two or more layers of glass to seal up the air, during layer filling with viscosity coefficient and thermal conductivity coefficient of the inert gas to reduce the convection heat transfer between the layers, the energy-saving features of the key indicators??? Biography thermal coefficient K (refer to steady heat transfer conditions, the glass on both sides of the air temperature difference of 1 ° C when the 1 square meter per unit time through the mass heat insulating glass to W/m2K said. K value is lower, indicating hollow better thermal insulation properties of glass) was 2.7 ~ 3.3, 5.8 and ordinary monolithic glass. Of course, such as hollow glass with LOW-E, or SUN-E glass to match, due to its excellent thermal characteristics of the optical, thermal insulation performance is more prominent. Insulating glass in developed countries has been widely and applications. Application of the U.S. penetration rate has reached 83%. German government has not hollow glass construction of the proposed building shall not be approved, only 80 of the last century before the Federal Republic of Germany to use hollow glass reached 210 million square meters, saving Energy Cost 52 billion marks. Application of European penetration reached 50%. Industry experts believe that the nature and function of the window will be confined mainly to the heat preservation, heat insulation, energy-efficient development. This requires that the window should have considerable product strength, deformation warpage. The gap in the sash handle, the northern parts of the North to the window should double Bolivian facilities. China is a country lacking in energy, energy equivalent to twice that of developed countries. Windows open in the direction of the main push-pull doors and windows of development, the development of new suspension and the suspension of the window, where energy saving and air-conditioning requirements for the room. Window-based development is becoming smaller, flexible technology to meet the requirements of modern small bedroom. Push-pull window, open the convenient, flexible, space is conducive to window details of the deal, such as planters, etc. located. To develop security doors, require security, fire, sound insulation, thermal insulation effect. Size fan proposed development outside the open type with security, insulation, sound insulation triple door. This is beneficial to dry indoor space saving, opening the door fighting, strip changing his shoes and space. Size of the door set, for the daily travel and provide convenience for handling large objects. Key technology is the hinge security measures, a small fan fixed and door seal technology. Hot Recommendation: Watch 09 Hardware Ten selection
Energy saving projects focus on measureabl
Energy saving projects focus on measureable results
Businesses throughout Connecticut are finding innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint while saving money on energy expenditures. Many are taking advantage of incentives offered by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund — a Peter Staye, associate director of utilities at Wesleyan University in Middletown, explains an energy monitoring display to Anna Sears, a freshman.partnership between the state’s utility companies designed to help businesses, homeowners and government entities save energy — to implement greener technologies and encourage others to think more carefully about their own energy use.
From solar panels at Webster Bank to a culture change at Wesleyan University, programs are showing measureable results. Here’s a look at a few:
Culture change
Since 2005, Wesleyan University has invested more than $6.5 million in a variety of measures on its 360-acre Middletown campus. The university began by focusing on “the traditional stuff” and now has moved into more innovative measures, said Peter Staye, Wesleyan’s associate director of utilities.
Lighting has been retrofitted with more energy-efficient options, occupancy sensors have been installed, and new management software automatically powers down computers and monitors during the night. The heating and cooling system in the Exley Science Center has been converted to an energy-efficient air volume system with computer-based temperature controls, and the Freeman Athletic Center now injects ozone into the water used by its laundry service, enabling the use of cold water for all laundry while cleaning more efficiently and fighting bacteria.
Through all its combined projects, Wesleyan has reduced energy use by about 22 percent since 2005, but the focus is now shifting to a more challenging initiative, but one with significantly greater potential for savings — changing the culture of energy use on campus.
“Not that long ago, energy was abundant and cheap. Now it’s neither, but there is still the feeling that everyone should have their own refrigerator and coffee machine and so on,” Staye said. Although those conveniences are still allowed, the school has mounted an effort to make students, staff and faculty more aware of the amount of energy they consume.
Wesleyan’s large dorms now have monitors that display information on how much energy is being used. Each month, all dorms compete with each other to achieve the greatest reductions, and they compete with themselves to achieve better numbers than the previous month. Regular reports track energy use in all campus buildings and a Sustainability Advisory Group comprised of students, faculty and staff is working to develop a campus-wide action plan and research additional measures for reducing the school’s impact on the environment.
Effecting culture change in the face of long-held habits and assumptions is “a long haul and we do encounter some resistance from time to time, but we try to take baby steps and never go back,” Staye said. “General concern for the environment is becoming more profound every day, and there is far more opportunity in changing our culture than in any other measures we could take.”
Solar panels
Waterbury-based Webster Bank has also entered the green revolution by installing solar panels on the roof of its New Britain office facility. The building houses 325 employees and includes back-office functions such as human resources and training as well as serving commercial banking customers.
The panels, which have been placed on one-third of the roof on the building’s south side, are expected to produce more than two million kilowatt hours of electricity over the next 25 years, according to Mark Johnson, assistant vice president and manager of corporate real estate. That’s enough energy to supply more than seven homes with electricity for 25 years and the carbon-reduction equivalent of taking more than 11 passenger vehicles off the road each year.
To help raise employees’ awareness of environmental issues, Webster has placed a video display in the building’s lobby showing real-time energy generation from the solar panels along with other information on energy savings.
The decision to go solar also meant putting a new roof on the building, and Webster used the opportunity to do some major recycling. The old roof was a ballasted system using small stones to hold the roofing components in place, so when the stones were removed, they were given to a local landscaper, Johnson said.
Energy conservation
The Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop grocery chain has begun taking steps to reduce energy at its 217 stores, including 93 in Connecticut, by installing energy-efficient lighting and new motors for its freezers.
The project, which is being rolled out as time and budgets allow, also enables the company to take advantage of utility rebates and reduce maintenance expenses, according to Mark Macomber, energy project manager for Ahold USA, Stop & Shop’s parent company.
In 2010, Stop & Shop retrofitted 20 Connecticut stores with LED track lighting throughout the facilities, and the lights will be installed in another 24 stores this year, resulting in a 40 percent reduction in energy use. Fluorescent lights in frozen food cases are also being replaced with LED lighting. Five Connecticut locations are slated to be completed this year, which will bring the total number of retrofittings to 46. Also by the end of 2011, 86 Connecticut stores will have new electronically-commutated motors in its freezers and walk-in coolers, cutting previous energy usage in half.
In addition, solar energy panels have been installed at eight Stop & Shop stores, including the one in Fairfield, three in Massachusetts and four in New Jersey, netting a 9 percent reduction in electricity use, Macomber said.
“We’re anxious to do more solar projects in the future, and also install LED lighting in our parking lots,” he said. “Right now, it’s quite expensive, so we’ll do that once the costs come down.”
Through programs supported by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund in partnership with Connecticut Light and Power, Stop and Shop expects to save nearly 30 million kilowatts and avoid more than 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the life of the measures. That’s enough to provide more than 3,500 homes with electricity for a year, according to figures provided by CL&P.
Businesses throughout Connecticut are finding innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint while saving money on energy expenditures. Many are taking advantage of incentives offered by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund — a Peter Staye, associate director of utilities at Wesleyan University in Middletown, explains an energy monitoring display to Anna Sears, a freshman.partnership between the state’s utility companies designed to help businesses, homeowners and government entities save energy — to implement greener technologies and encourage others to think more carefully about their own energy use.
From solar panels at Webster Bank to a culture change at Wesleyan University, programs are showing measureable results. Here’s a look at a few:
Culture change
Since 2005, Wesleyan University has invested more than $6.5 million in a variety of measures on its 360-acre Middletown campus. The university began by focusing on “the traditional stuff” and now has moved into more innovative measures, said Peter Staye, Wesleyan’s associate director of utilities.
Lighting has been retrofitted with more energy-efficient options, occupancy sensors have been installed, and new management software automatically powers down computers and monitors during the night. The heating and cooling system in the Exley Science Center has been converted to an energy-efficient air volume system with computer-based temperature controls, and the Freeman Athletic Center now injects ozone into the water used by its laundry service, enabling the use of cold water for all laundry while cleaning more efficiently and fighting bacteria.
Through all its combined projects, Wesleyan has reduced energy use by about 22 percent since 2005, but the focus is now shifting to a more challenging initiative, but one with significantly greater potential for savings — changing the culture of energy use on campus.
“Not that long ago, energy was abundant and cheap. Now it’s neither, but there is still the feeling that everyone should have their own refrigerator and coffee machine and so on,” Staye said. Although those conveniences are still allowed, the school has mounted an effort to make students, staff and faculty more aware of the amount of energy they consume.
Wesleyan’s large dorms now have monitors that display information on how much energy is being used. Each month, all dorms compete with each other to achieve the greatest reductions, and they compete with themselves to achieve better numbers than the previous month. Regular reports track energy use in all campus buildings and a Sustainability Advisory Group comprised of students, faculty and staff is working to develop a campus-wide action plan and research additional measures for reducing the school’s impact on the environment.
Effecting culture change in the face of long-held habits and assumptions is “a long haul and we do encounter some resistance from time to time, but we try to take baby steps and never go back,” Staye said. “General concern for the environment is becoming more profound every day, and there is far more opportunity in changing our culture than in any other measures we could take.”
Solar panels
Waterbury-based Webster Bank has also entered the green revolution by installing solar panels on the roof of its New Britain office facility. The building houses 325 employees and includes back-office functions such as human resources and training as well as serving commercial banking customers.
The panels, which have been placed on one-third of the roof on the building’s south side, are expected to produce more than two million kilowatt hours of electricity over the next 25 years, according to Mark Johnson, assistant vice president and manager of corporate real estate. That’s enough energy to supply more than seven homes with electricity for 25 years and the carbon-reduction equivalent of taking more than 11 passenger vehicles off the road each year.
To help raise employees’ awareness of environmental issues, Webster has placed a video display in the building’s lobby showing real-time energy generation from the solar panels along with other information on energy savings.
The decision to go solar also meant putting a new roof on the building, and Webster used the opportunity to do some major recycling. The old roof was a ballasted system using small stones to hold the roofing components in place, so when the stones were removed, they were given to a local landscaper, Johnson said.
Energy conservation
The Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop grocery chain has begun taking steps to reduce energy at its 217 stores, including 93 in Connecticut, by installing energy-efficient lighting and new motors for its freezers.
The project, which is being rolled out as time and budgets allow, also enables the company to take advantage of utility rebates and reduce maintenance expenses, according to Mark Macomber, energy project manager for Ahold USA, Stop & Shop’s parent company.
In 2010, Stop & Shop retrofitted 20 Connecticut stores with LED track lighting throughout the facilities, and the lights will be installed in another 24 stores this year, resulting in a 40 percent reduction in energy use. Fluorescent lights in frozen food cases are also being replaced with LED lighting. Five Connecticut locations are slated to be completed this year, which will bring the total number of retrofittings to 46. Also by the end of 2011, 86 Connecticut stores will have new electronically-commutated motors in its freezers and walk-in coolers, cutting previous energy usage in half.
In addition, solar energy panels have been installed at eight Stop & Shop stores, including the one in Fairfield, three in Massachusetts and four in New Jersey, netting a 9 percent reduction in electricity use, Macomber said.
“We’re anxious to do more solar projects in the future, and also install LED lighting in our parking lots,” he said. “Right now, it’s quite expensive, so we’ll do that once the costs come down.”
Through programs supported by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund in partnership with Connecticut Light and Power, Stop and Shop expects to save nearly 30 million kilowatts and avoid more than 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the life of the measures. That’s enough to provide more than 3,500 homes with electricity for a year, according to figures provided by CL&P.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Gekko Technology Reports Accelerating Demand For LED Lighting At NAB
Gekko Technology Reports Accelerating Demand For LED Lighting At NAB
Gekko Technology, a leading provider of LED lighting for film, television and photographic applications, has reported a buoyant and successful NAB 2011.
Exhibiting with US distribution partner PRG in the Central Hall of the April 11-14 show, Gekko demonstrated recent additions to its expanding range of location and studio luminaires.
David Amphlett, Gekko Technology Founder and Managing Director, commented: "Demand for LED lighting continues to grow as content producers become increasingly aware of its many inherent advantages over traditional light sources. NAB 2011 was notable for the increasing popularity of DSLR cameras which combine remarkably good quality and outstanding value for money in a very compact size.
"Our product demonstration included the smallest Gekko ringlight, lenslite, mounted on a DSLR rig. lenslite is a controllable on-axis light which can fulfil a number of functions. With an integral filter housing, it can be mounted directly on the lens or 15 millimetre bars, and powered from any source which produces between 12 and 40 volts."
Ian Muir, Gekko Technology's Business Development Manager, added: "We have seen a good cross-section of people from the broadcast and film industries. NAB is becoming a very global show. We talked with existing and potential clients not only from the US but also many other countries including Britain, France, Belgium, the Middle East and Far East. We experienced a lot of interest in the kezia 50 and 200 tunable-white sources. The karesslite 6006 DD has also proved very popular because it generates a large volume of light. We can light medium size studios now quite comfortably though we would struggle to emulate the light output of the larger HMI heads employed on film sets. But give it time!"
Gekko Technology's karesslite 6006 DD is populated with twice the number of LEDs as the standard 6006 unit. Available as tungsten or daylight, it has a peak output of 4,500 lux at 10 feet. All karesslite fixtures can be operated under local control from the luminaire itself, from wires remote dimmer, or DMX. Powering options include a single V-Lock battery, 12 to 40 volts DC via an industry standard XLR4 connection, or mains transformer.
Gekko Technology, a leading provider of LED lighting for film, television and photographic applications, has reported a buoyant and successful NAB 2011.
Exhibiting with US distribution partner PRG in the Central Hall of the April 11-14 show, Gekko demonstrated recent additions to its expanding range of location and studio luminaires.
David Amphlett, Gekko Technology Founder and Managing Director, commented: "Demand for LED lighting continues to grow as content producers become increasingly aware of its many inherent advantages over traditional light sources. NAB 2011 was notable for the increasing popularity of DSLR cameras which combine remarkably good quality and outstanding value for money in a very compact size.
"Our product demonstration included the smallest Gekko ringlight, lenslite, mounted on a DSLR rig. lenslite is a controllable on-axis light which can fulfil a number of functions. With an integral filter housing, it can be mounted directly on the lens or 15 millimetre bars, and powered from any source which produces between 12 and 40 volts."
Ian Muir, Gekko Technology's Business Development Manager, added: "We have seen a good cross-section of people from the broadcast and film industries. NAB is becoming a very global show. We talked with existing and potential clients not only from the US but also many other countries including Britain, France, Belgium, the Middle East and Far East. We experienced a lot of interest in the kezia 50 and 200 tunable-white sources. The karesslite 6006 DD has also proved very popular because it generates a large volume of light. We can light medium size studios now quite comfortably though we would struggle to emulate the light output of the larger HMI heads employed on film sets. But give it time!"
Gekko Technology's karesslite 6006 DD is populated with twice the number of LEDs as the standard 6006 unit. Available as tungsten or daylight, it has a peak output of 4,500 lux at 10 feet. All karesslite fixtures can be operated under local control from the luminaire itself, from wires remote dimmer, or DMX. Powering options include a single V-Lock battery, 12 to 40 volts DC via an industry standard XLR4 connection, or mains transformer.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
LED Flashlights and 4 Fun Nighttime Games
LED Flashlights and 4 Fun Nighttime Games
Most people realize that you need to bring a good flashlight or headlamp when going camping. However, many are unaware of all the fun camping games that can be played with them. On your next camping trip, bring a few LED flashlights or headlamps so you can try some of these games.
Flashlight Tag
Flashlight tag is similar to regular tag, except that instead of tagging the other players with your hand, you tag them with the beam of light. All you need to get started is at least one LED flashlight or headlamp and two or more players. One person is selected to start as "IT". The "IT" person closes their eyes and waits while the other players hide. After waiting a few minutes, the "IT" player announces that the game has started and begins to look for the hiding players. When another player is tagged with the flashlight, they become IT. By the end of the game, the player who was tagged the least is declared winner. Make sure to set the boundaries of the hiding area and the game time limit before starting!
Spotlight
Spotlight is similar to Flashlight Tag, except that the goal is to tag ALL the players in order to win. The game works best when using a headlamp; with your hands free, you can spot people much easier and faster than with a handheld flashlight.
To start, choose one player to be the "warden". He or she is in charge of the spotlight; everyone else is trying to avoid getting caught by the light. Next, choose an area that will be the jail. Make sure the jail is not too close to the warden but also not too far away. Each time a player is tagged by the warden's spotlight, he or she must remain in the designated jail area near the warden.
If the warden tags all the players before time is up, the warden wins. To make things more difficult, players who are captured can assist the warden with additional LED headlamps or flashlights, making it easier to tag the remaining players. To make things less difficult, allow for jailbreaks - if someone can sneak into the jail and rescue another player, that player can rejoin the game. This game is best played in large numbers, the more the merrier!
Flashlight Limbo
Next up is flashlight limbo, a camping version of the famous dancing game. In order to form a strong beam of light that will act as the limbo pole, you will need at least two LED flashlights and four or more people. Two people will hold one flashlight each and form a concentrated beam across from one another. The other players form a line and try to limbo under the beam of light without touching the brightest part. The person who can go the lowest without falling down or touching the beam wins. Try setting up the flashlights with tables or chairs, then everyone can join the limbo line. It never hurts to have some of your favorite dance music playing in the background!
Shadow Charades
Charades can turn any party into an uproar of laughter. The same goes for shadow charades, a laugh out loud camping game. The setup is simple; all you need is one LED flashlight or headlamp, a handful of players, a few pieces of paper, a pen or pencil, and a wall to project the shadow images onto. Tear the sheets of paper into a number of small pieces; write on them a number of animals or objects that can be formed with shadow images. Then, form two teams of two or more players each. Mix the pieces of paper up in a hat or bowl. As the game commences each team will take turns drawing from that hat. Each team has one player who forms the shadow images, while the other players try to guess them. For each correct guess, the guessing team scores one point. The team with the most points wins!
This is just a small sample of the more popular and interesting camping games that people have come up with since the invention of the flashlight. Enhance your next camping party with some of these variations on traditional outdoor games. Just remember to have fun and bring extra batteries!
Most people realize that you need to bring a good flashlight or headlamp when going camping. However, many are unaware of all the fun camping games that can be played with them. On your next camping trip, bring a few LED flashlights or headlamps so you can try some of these games.
Flashlight Tag
Flashlight tag is similar to regular tag, except that instead of tagging the other players with your hand, you tag them with the beam of light. All you need to get started is at least one LED flashlight or headlamp and two or more players. One person is selected to start as "IT". The "IT" person closes their eyes and waits while the other players hide. After waiting a few minutes, the "IT" player announces that the game has started and begins to look for the hiding players. When another player is tagged with the flashlight, they become IT. By the end of the game, the player who was tagged the least is declared winner. Make sure to set the boundaries of the hiding area and the game time limit before starting!
Spotlight
Spotlight is similar to Flashlight Tag, except that the goal is to tag ALL the players in order to win. The game works best when using a headlamp; with your hands free, you can spot people much easier and faster than with a handheld flashlight.
To start, choose one player to be the "warden". He or she is in charge of the spotlight; everyone else is trying to avoid getting caught by the light. Next, choose an area that will be the jail. Make sure the jail is not too close to the warden but also not too far away. Each time a player is tagged by the warden's spotlight, he or she must remain in the designated jail area near the warden.
If the warden tags all the players before time is up, the warden wins. To make things more difficult, players who are captured can assist the warden with additional LED headlamps or flashlights, making it easier to tag the remaining players. To make things less difficult, allow for jailbreaks - if someone can sneak into the jail and rescue another player, that player can rejoin the game. This game is best played in large numbers, the more the merrier!
Flashlight Limbo
Next up is flashlight limbo, a camping version of the famous dancing game. In order to form a strong beam of light that will act as the limbo pole, you will need at least two LED flashlights and four or more people. Two people will hold one flashlight each and form a concentrated beam across from one another. The other players form a line and try to limbo under the beam of light without touching the brightest part. The person who can go the lowest without falling down or touching the beam wins. Try setting up the flashlights with tables or chairs, then everyone can join the limbo line. It never hurts to have some of your favorite dance music playing in the background!
Shadow Charades
Charades can turn any party into an uproar of laughter. The same goes for shadow charades, a laugh out loud camping game. The setup is simple; all you need is one LED flashlight or headlamp, a handful of players, a few pieces of paper, a pen or pencil, and a wall to project the shadow images onto. Tear the sheets of paper into a number of small pieces; write on them a number of animals or objects that can be formed with shadow images. Then, form two teams of two or more players each. Mix the pieces of paper up in a hat or bowl. As the game commences each team will take turns drawing from that hat. Each team has one player who forms the shadow images, while the other players try to guess them. For each correct guess, the guessing team scores one point. The team with the most points wins!
This is just a small sample of the more popular and interesting camping games that people have come up with since the invention of the flashlight. Enhance your next camping party with some of these variations on traditional outdoor games. Just remember to have fun and bring extra batteries!
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
2012 will open LED lighting industry in the golden years
2012 will open LED lighting industry in the golden years
Through the industrialization development and production, LED would reach billion level. According to research institutions StrategiesUnlimited research estimates that LED lighting market in 2012 will reach us $5 billion. Meanwhile, the report forecasts, 2012 LED lighting will be the smooth baton changing LEDTV, this year will be the key to the development of years LED lighting.
The LED industry is obviously a crazy cake. Facing such a market share, Chinese enterprises ever?
Investment expectations continue to high
"The scale of the 2010 substrate production cannot again big, again larger exploded." Senior ZhangXiaoFei LED chief executive, said a total of 12 projects last year to the first quarter horse, has not slowed speed.
"Sapphire substrates have more than 2,900. Extension production last year million pieces of 200, 250 sets the planning is this year."
ZhangXiaoFei prophecy, single last year and this year, he has added the investment needed to more than global. "I think after three quarters of this year, more than the entire global capacity will demand." He said.
But this for most Chinese companies to is undoubtedly the Gospel. Most Chinese LED enterprises with application primarily. Upstream to downstream saturated productivity surge in more power.
"Must firmly to upstream to price, will more cost turn upstream to consumption." ZhangXiaoFei said. Because, downstream profits would not have high.
Capacity from stimulation of the surge in market continuously. Senior LED industry research center statistics show that 2009 "ten city million lamp" 21 pilot city has installed about 22.2 million street lamp, projected to 2011 will reach 112 million lamp. According to the national bureau of statistics data, the street lamp in about 90 million lamp that number. If press every street lamp 5000 yuan calculation, the whole market scale over 45 million yuan.
2009 world lighting market LED lighting production value of $2.4 billion, permeability only 3.3%. LED lighting is expected to in the global general lighting market proportion in 2015, rose to 50% in 2020 achieved 80%.
It is based on the common market actively judgment, the LED industry mergers and acquisitions and investment also appears unusually fierce.
2011 February, China securities, reported industry association statistics, 2009 released the whole industry LED investment plans for 220 million yuan. Leds have obvious warming signs. Investment 2010, only listed companies LED investment plan is more than the amount 30 billion yuan. Among them, just three Ann photoelectric plans to invest $20 billion. Alone DE hao embellish of 41 billion yuan is announced to the LED.
Zhejiang sunshine in the 2010 annual report claims that the next three years total investment of leds for 10 billion yuan. "I estimated 10 million may be in 1 year is cast out. Now in the market 1.2 billion investment are embarrassed to speak." ZhangXiaoFei said.
"Analysis" says 2010 LED lighting has begun fermentation, compared with 2009 market demand soars, do LED encapsulation, LED display firms are entering the LED illumination fields. On the Chinese market at present only LED encapsulates the enterprise number has rarely, most do encapsulates the firms have started to r&d and production LED lighting products.
Relative home market, commercial space lighting in price acceptance undoubtedly more easily let LED enterprise enters.
Through the industrialization development and production, LED would reach billion level. According to research institutions StrategiesUnlimited research estimates that LED lighting market in 2012 will reach us $5 billion. Meanwhile, the report forecasts, 2012 LED lighting will be the smooth baton changing LEDTV, this year will be the key to the development of years LED lighting.
The LED industry is obviously a crazy cake. Facing such a market share, Chinese enterprises ever?
Investment expectations continue to high
"The scale of the 2010 substrate production cannot again big, again larger exploded." Senior ZhangXiaoFei LED chief executive, said a total of 12 projects last year to the first quarter horse, has not slowed speed.
"Sapphire substrates have more than 2,900. Extension production last year million pieces of 200, 250 sets the planning is this year."
ZhangXiaoFei prophecy, single last year and this year, he has added the investment needed to more than global. "I think after three quarters of this year, more than the entire global capacity will demand." He said.
But this for most Chinese companies to is undoubtedly the Gospel. Most Chinese LED enterprises with application primarily. Upstream to downstream saturated productivity surge in more power.
"Must firmly to upstream to price, will more cost turn upstream to consumption." ZhangXiaoFei said. Because, downstream profits would not have high.
Capacity from stimulation of the surge in market continuously. Senior LED industry research center statistics show that 2009 "ten city million lamp" 21 pilot city has installed about 22.2 million street lamp, projected to 2011 will reach 112 million lamp. According to the national bureau of statistics data, the street lamp in about 90 million lamp that number. If press every street lamp 5000 yuan calculation, the whole market scale over 45 million yuan.
2009 world lighting market LED lighting production value of $2.4 billion, permeability only 3.3%. LED lighting is expected to in the global general lighting market proportion in 2015, rose to 50% in 2020 achieved 80%.
It is based on the common market actively judgment, the LED industry mergers and acquisitions and investment also appears unusually fierce.
2011 February, China securities, reported industry association statistics, 2009 released the whole industry LED investment plans for 220 million yuan. Leds have obvious warming signs. Investment 2010, only listed companies LED investment plan is more than the amount 30 billion yuan. Among them, just three Ann photoelectric plans to invest $20 billion. Alone DE hao embellish of 41 billion yuan is announced to the LED.
Zhejiang sunshine in the 2010 annual report claims that the next three years total investment of leds for 10 billion yuan. "I estimated 10 million may be in 1 year is cast out. Now in the market 1.2 billion investment are embarrassed to speak." ZhangXiaoFei said.
"Analysis" says 2010 LED lighting has begun fermentation, compared with 2009 market demand soars, do LED encapsulation, LED display firms are entering the LED illumination fields. On the Chinese market at present only LED encapsulates the enterprise number has rarely, most do encapsulates the firms have started to r&d and production LED lighting products.
Relative home market, commercial space lighting in price acceptance undoubtedly more easily let LED enterprise enters.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Add Ground Effects To Your Bed For Gentle Night Lighting
It’s the middle of the night, and you have to go to the bathroom. Sure, you can stumble to the bathroom in the dark, possibly hitting your shins or toes on anything on the floor or in the path between you and the sky lanterns bathroom door, but you don’t want to blind yourself by turning on the light. The solution? Ground effect lighting for your bed!
Over at IKEA Hackers, they use a bed model commonly purchased at IKEA, but the trick can be applied to pretty much any bed with a flat underside that’s lifted up from the ground a bit. Bonus: it looks really cool.
Pedro Farinha decided that he was tired of blinding and being blinded by his wife when one of them would get up in the middle sky lanterns of the night to feed their newborn baby.
With a little elbow grease, a kitchen-style fluorescent light, and some screws, he mounted the light on the wood bar on the underside of the bed and connected a switch to the light with enough wire that he could put the switch at the top of the bed. Now he or his wife could get up to change or feed the baby and go to the bathroom, with enough light to see but not so much that they’d wake the other person still asleep.
One of the best things about this tip is that it doesn’t require anything IKEA really; a flexible strip-light or even a set of LED Christmas lights would work just as well as the fluorescent. Any bed sky lanterns that’s up off the floor high enough for the light to spread out from around the underside and that has a place you could mount or tie in the lights would work as well. Just make sure to clean the dust bunnies out from under the bed first and make sure the light you use doesn’t generate any heat (like incandescent Christmas lights or bulbs) – you don’t want to inadvertently create a fire hazard.
Over at IKEA Hackers, they use a bed model commonly purchased at IKEA, but the trick can be applied to pretty much any bed with a flat underside that’s lifted up from the ground a bit. Bonus: it looks really cool.
Pedro Farinha decided that he was tired of blinding and being blinded by his wife when one of them would get up in the middle sky lanterns of the night to feed their newborn baby.
With a little elbow grease, a kitchen-style fluorescent light, and some screws, he mounted the light on the wood bar on the underside of the bed and connected a switch to the light with enough wire that he could put the switch at the top of the bed. Now he or his wife could get up to change or feed the baby and go to the bathroom, with enough light to see but not so much that they’d wake the other person still asleep.
One of the best things about this tip is that it doesn’t require anything IKEA really; a flexible strip-light or even a set of LED Christmas lights would work just as well as the fluorescent. Any bed sky lanterns that’s up off the floor high enough for the light to spread out from around the underside and that has a place you could mount or tie in the lights would work as well. Just make sure to clean the dust bunnies out from under the bed first and make sure the light you use doesn’t generate any heat (like incandescent Christmas lights or bulbs) – you don’t want to inadvertently create a fire hazard.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Lantern vigils fuel farming concern
Concern is mounting over the dangers posed to livestock and property from Chinese lanterns lit in memory of missing people.
A growing trend has seen hundreds of lanterns released into the night sky over England during the past fortnight.
Some 40 lanterns were released to sky lanterns highlight the plight of missing cruise ship worker Rebecca Coriam, who has not been seen for almost two weeks.
More than 150 relatives and friends released 40 lanterns into the sky "to guide Rebecca home" at a vigil on Sunday (3 April).
The lantern release followed a similar vigil at Swindon's Polo Ground in memory of 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan on 26 March.
Some 10,000 people attended the Swindon vigil. Many released Chinese lanterns and balloons with messages of condolence.
While the vigils have drawn attention to tragic events, farmers have long warned of the dangers posed by Chinese lanterns to livestock, standing crops and thatched properties.
The lanterns are generally made from paper supported by a wire frame that incorporates a holder at the bottom for a solid fuel cell.
Wiltshire & Swindon Fire Authority said the risk of fire caused by Chinese lanterns should be fully considered prior to use.
While lighting and launch were largely in the control of the user, the actual flight path and ultimate destination were generally not.
There was also no guarantee that the fuel cell would be fully extinguished and cooled when the lantern eventually descends.
"Any subsequent contact with a combustible sky lanterns surface could result in a fire developing," said the authority.
The Women's Food & Farming Union has called for the lanterns to be banned.
"The lightweight metal structures are hazardous to cattle, sheep and horses, should they eat them," it said.
"Not only that, the metal may lie dormant on the land and then gets into silage or hay at harvest time.
"This has its own added problems when it is fed sky lanterns as winter feed and cattle eat it as part of their forage."
A growing trend has seen hundreds of lanterns released into the night sky over England during the past fortnight.
Some 40 lanterns were released to sky lanterns highlight the plight of missing cruise ship worker Rebecca Coriam, who has not been seen for almost two weeks.
More than 150 relatives and friends released 40 lanterns into the sky "to guide Rebecca home" at a vigil on Sunday (3 April).
The lantern release followed a similar vigil at Swindon's Polo Ground in memory of 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan on 26 March.
Some 10,000 people attended the Swindon vigil. Many released Chinese lanterns and balloons with messages of condolence.
While the vigils have drawn attention to tragic events, farmers have long warned of the dangers posed by Chinese lanterns to livestock, standing crops and thatched properties.
The lanterns are generally made from paper supported by a wire frame that incorporates a holder at the bottom for a solid fuel cell.
Wiltshire & Swindon Fire Authority said the risk of fire caused by Chinese lanterns should be fully considered prior to use.
While lighting and launch were largely in the control of the user, the actual flight path and ultimate destination were generally not.
There was also no guarantee that the fuel cell would be fully extinguished and cooled when the lantern eventually descends.
"Any subsequent contact with a combustible sky lanterns surface could result in a fire developing," said the authority.
The Women's Food & Farming Union has called for the lanterns to be banned.
"The lightweight metal structures are hazardous to cattle, sheep and horses, should they eat them," it said.
"Not only that, the metal may lie dormant on the land and then gets into silage or hay at harvest time.
"This has its own added problems when it is fed sky lanterns as winter feed and cattle eat it as part of their forage."
Witness lied, says MACC lawyer
Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah lied in court about being tortured by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), a lawyer for the MACC said today.
Tan had concocted the story about being mentally tortured and threatened with assault, alleged Mohammad Shafee Abdullah.
He said this while questioning Tan sky lanterns at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh Beng Hock’s death.
“You created this story about threats and assaults because you wanted to gain as much sympathy as possible,” Shafee said to Tan.
Shafee asked Tan why he had not included these allegations of torture in his lawsuit against the MACC. “There was not even a ‘hint of torture’.
“I’m putting it to you that the only reason you and your capable lawyers did not include torture in the affidavit is that the threats never happened,” Shafee said.
“Your honour, it happened. It really happened,” replied Tan.
Tan admitted that “an important point” was left out from the lawsuit but when pressed by Shafee, he said he could not answer why that (point) was left out.
Tan said his suit was focused on interrogations after office hours and he was trying to prohibit MACC from continuing with that practice.
“Actually about the torture, I made a police report sky lanterns. I also informed the press,” Tan said.
James Foong (RCI chairman): But why didn’t you say the same thing in your civil case?
Tan: I’m not so good about the law. And this affidavit was not done by me but by my lawyers (including Karpal Singh). The main thing we were focusing on is the word ‘day to day’.
Tan had given a statement to the police concerning Teoh’s death several days after he was found dead.
Asked why he had not sued sky lanterns the police for taking his statements after office hours (9-11pm), Tan replied: “Because they didn’t torture me.”
This drew laughter from the gallery.
Tan had concocted the story about being mentally tortured and threatened with assault, alleged Mohammad Shafee Abdullah.
He said this while questioning Tan sky lanterns at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh Beng Hock’s death.
“You created this story about threats and assaults because you wanted to gain as much sympathy as possible,” Shafee said to Tan.
Shafee asked Tan why he had not included these allegations of torture in his lawsuit against the MACC. “There was not even a ‘hint of torture’.
“I’m putting it to you that the only reason you and your capable lawyers did not include torture in the affidavit is that the threats never happened,” Shafee said.
“Your honour, it happened. It really happened,” replied Tan.
Tan admitted that “an important point” was left out from the lawsuit but when pressed by Shafee, he said he could not answer why that (point) was left out.
Tan said his suit was focused on interrogations after office hours and he was trying to prohibit MACC from continuing with that practice.
“Actually about the torture, I made a police report sky lanterns. I also informed the press,” Tan said.
James Foong (RCI chairman): But why didn’t you say the same thing in your civil case?
Tan: I’m not so good about the law. And this affidavit was not done by me but by my lawyers (including Karpal Singh). The main thing we were focusing on is the word ‘day to day’.
Tan had given a statement to the police concerning Teoh’s death several days after he was found dead.
Asked why he had not sued sky lanterns the police for taking his statements after office hours (9-11pm), Tan replied: “Because they didn’t torture me.”
This drew laughter from the gallery.
Vigils Held For Missing Cruise Ship Worker
Vigils Held For Missing Cruise Ship Worker
Candlelit vigils have taken place around the world for the missing cruise ship worker Rebecca Coriam, who has not been seen for almost two weeks.
The 24-year-old's parents and sister sky lanterns joined more than 150 relatives and friends in her home city of Chester at 8pm on Sunday, lighting candles and releasing 40 lanterns into the sky "to guide Rebecca home."
People from as far afield as Australia, Canada and the US pledged to do the same at 8pm in their respective time zones after a huge response to the idea on an internet forum.
Rebecca's uncle, John Jennings, told Sky News the family had been amazed by the reaction. "So many people have written kind messages about Rebecca and it's given the family real comfort," he said.
"We just feel so helpless at the moment, so when someone on the forum suggested this we were very touched."
Mr Jennings described the vigil at Chester Racecourse as "beautiful"and "incredibly emotional".
Five thousand miles away some sky lanterns passengers and crew on the Disney Wonder cruise ship were planning to light safe battery-operated candles to show their support for Rebecca's family.
Miss Coriam had been working as part of the youth programme on the vessel, which left Los Angeles on March 22nd for a week-long cruise along the Mexican Riviera.
The alarm was raised three days into the trip when Rebecca failed to turn up for her shift.
Despite onboard inspections and alerts to the 3,000 passengers the ship returned to LA without her.
Candlelit vigils have taken place around the world for the missing cruise ship worker Rebecca Coriam, who has not been seen for almost two weeks.
The 24-year-old's parents and sister sky lanterns joined more than 150 relatives and friends in her home city of Chester at 8pm on Sunday, lighting candles and releasing 40 lanterns into the sky "to guide Rebecca home."
People from as far afield as Australia, Canada and the US pledged to do the same at 8pm in their respective time zones after a huge response to the idea on an internet forum.
Rebecca's uncle, John Jennings, told Sky News the family had been amazed by the reaction. "So many people have written kind messages about Rebecca and it's given the family real comfort," he said.
"We just feel so helpless at the moment, so when someone on the forum suggested this we were very touched."
Mr Jennings described the vigil at Chester Racecourse as "beautiful"and "incredibly emotional".
Five thousand miles away some sky lanterns passengers and crew on the Disney Wonder cruise ship were planning to light safe battery-operated candles to show their support for Rebecca's family.
Miss Coriam had been working as part of the youth programme on the vessel, which left Los Angeles on March 22nd for a week-long cruise along the Mexican Riviera.
The alarm was raised three days into the trip when Rebecca failed to turn up for her shift.
Despite onboard inspections and alerts to the 3,000 passengers the ship returned to LA without her.
We are alone after all
We are alone after all: 'UFOs' spotted in sky above Chicago turn out to be memorial lanterns from a charity vigil
As residents left their homes to gaze up at the mysterious lights in the sky, it seemed it was finally true: they were not alone.
But UFO spotters had their hopes dashed when it turned out the slow-moving orange lights above Chicago - which made it on to local news - had a more earthly origin.
They were in fact 'sky lanterns', released as a memorial to victims of child abuse at a rally organised by a city charity.
The lanterns turned into an unintentional publicity-grabber after one woman filmed the strange formation and sent it into a local television station.
UFO bloggers picked up on the sighting, and linked it to strange lights spotted over Miami the day before.
Nicole Dragozetich was driving through Chicago's southside on Saturday night when she saw about a dozen people standing on the sidewalk staring up at the sky.
She got out of her car and began filming the strange formation of blinking orange lights on her cellphone.
The lights were too close together to be aeroplanes, and too slow-moving to be a meteor shower.
She told CBS: 'I was just going to a local restaurant to pick up food, and as I was driving I saw residents out in front of their house, staring up in the sky.'
She said: 'You could see them – just moving down the street. And they took form. At one point, it looked like an arrow.'
But as television presenters mused on the possible cause and UFO spotters chalked up another sighting, a Chicago charity came forward with a more straightforward reason.
As residents left their homes to gaze up at the mysterious lights in the sky, it seemed it was finally true: they were not alone.
But UFO spotters had their hopes dashed when it turned out the slow-moving orange lights above Chicago - which made it on to local news - had a more earthly origin.
They were in fact 'sky lanterns', released as a memorial to victims of child abuse at a rally organised by a city charity.
The lanterns turned into an unintentional publicity-grabber after one woman filmed the strange formation and sent it into a local television station.
UFO bloggers picked up on the sighting, and linked it to strange lights spotted over Miami the day before.
Nicole Dragozetich was driving through Chicago's southside on Saturday night when she saw about a dozen people standing on the sidewalk staring up at the sky.
She got out of her car and began filming the strange formation of blinking orange lights on her cellphone.
The lights were too close together to be aeroplanes, and too slow-moving to be a meteor shower.
She told CBS: 'I was just going to a local restaurant to pick up food, and as I was driving I saw residents out in front of their house, staring up in the sky.'
She said: 'You could see them – just moving down the street. And they took form. At one point, it looked like an arrow.'
But as television presenters mused on the possible cause and UFO spotters chalked up another sighting, a Chicago charity came forward with a more straightforward reason.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Light up parties and gatherings with customized helium balloons and decorated sky lanterns
There is something about the simple balloon that attracts both adults and children to it. No birthday could ever be complete without the presence of the balloon. The joys of watching a kid hold his balloon is often inexpressible for many parents. Today, these decorative items have become better and bigger. Anshi.in offers customers a chance to purchase some of the best looking customized helium balloons and other decorative items for parties and special events. The simple use of these balloons can add to the quality of the event and catch the attention of guests.
Anshi.in has a large collection of helium balloons, which can be customized according to the interests of the host. These balloons are safe for use and are known to be lighter than other materials. This allows them to float for a longer duration of time than the ordinary balloons. This remains a source of joy and makes them an attractive piece of decoration for any party or event. The online website of anshi.in remains a party shop with a range of decorative items which add the fun and flavor back into the event.
Other than helium balloons, there are also items like the sky lanterns which have become popular among many people today. An oriental practice, these sky lanterns symbolize wishes made by people and sent into the sky to be fulfilled. Many people choose these for their housewarming parties or get together as an innovative and catchy way of spreading the good will. These have become very popular choices for people, looking to make an impression on their guests and visitors.
Anshi.in offers customers a chance to purchase personalized and customized balloons and lanterns which give a distinct and creative touch to their party atmosphere. Other than balloons and sky lanterns, there is an array of decorative items available on their online party shop. These can be chosen according to the event and the attraction required for it. There are also personalized photos which can be impressed on the balloons which have become a rage among kids. These are certain to light up children on the day of the event. From kids events to housewarming parties, there are a number of party decorations available on the http://www.anshi.in/ and can be booked online by customers. The website is easy to access and can be used by customers to make the right choice to light up their events and surprise their guests with.
Anshi.in has a large collection of helium balloons, which can be customized according to the interests of the host. These balloons are safe for use and are known to be lighter than other materials. This allows them to float for a longer duration of time than the ordinary balloons. This remains a source of joy and makes them an attractive piece of decoration for any party or event. The online website of anshi.in remains a party shop with a range of decorative items which add the fun and flavor back into the event.
Other than helium balloons, there are also items like the sky lanterns which have become popular among many people today. An oriental practice, these sky lanterns symbolize wishes made by people and sent into the sky to be fulfilled. Many people choose these for their housewarming parties or get together as an innovative and catchy way of spreading the good will. These have become very popular choices for people, looking to make an impression on their guests and visitors.
Anshi.in offers customers a chance to purchase personalized and customized balloons and lanterns which give a distinct and creative touch to their party atmosphere. Other than balloons and sky lanterns, there is an array of decorative items available on their online party shop. These can be chosen according to the event and the attraction required for it. There are also personalized photos which can be impressed on the balloons which have become a rage among kids. These are certain to light up children on the day of the event. From kids events to housewarming parties, there are a number of party decorations available on the http://www.anshi.in/ and can be booked online by customers. The website is easy to access and can be used by customers to make the right choice to light up their events and surprise their guests with.
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