Inconstant Constants

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Some things never change. physicists call them the constants of nature. Such quantities as the velocity of light, c , Newton’s constant of gravitation, G , and the mass of the electron, m e , are assumed to be the same at all places and times in the universe. They form the scaffolding around which the theories of physics are erected, and they define the fabric of our universe. Physics has progressed by making ever more accurate measurements of their values.

[More]

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=068630730c6a7b845fd28a1dcc29f9a2

harry connick jr rightnow bf3 portlandia buffalo chicken dip diverticulitis

Europe fights to save cap-and-trade as crisis hits (AP)

BRUSSELS ? Europe's main weapon in the battle against climate change is now fighting for its own survival.

In early January, investors in the continent's cap-and-trade system still had to pay some euro14 ($18.30) for the right to emit one ton of carbon dioxide into the air. By last week, the price of one emission allowance had tumbled to a meager euro6.41 ? making it much cheaper to pollute and slashing the financial incentives for companies to invest in low-carbon technologies.

Analysts warn that the prospect of another recession in the debt-ridden continent, and the accompanying decline in emissions, could push prices below euro2 by the end of next month.

The troubles in the carbon market, a system being watched closely from California to China, is linked to the struggles of Europe' other ambitious project, the euro. And just as financial investors have looked to the European Central Bank to save the currency through massive intervention in the bond markets, analysts say the emissions market may need similar centralized help.

Last week, 19 companies, including oil giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Philips Electronics NV and supermarket chain Tesco PLC, sent a letter to the European Commission urging it to reduce the number of emission allowances in the system and figure out how to protect the market from future economic shocks. The commission and national governments jointly manage the cap-and-trade system.

"The lower price is really undermining the development of technologies that will be needed in the decades to come," said David Hone, Shell's climate change adviser.

Shell, which is mostly known for selling oil and gas, has been one of the pioneers of carbon capture and storage, projects in which CO2 emissions are stored underground so they don't get released into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. But investing in new technologies like carbon capture and storage only becomes commercially viable at a carbon price of between euro25 and euro30, Hone said.

"Over the last few months, we have seen some of these projects disappear," he added.

In October, the U.K. government shut down the carbon capture project in Longannet in eastern Scotland in which Shell was one of the partners.

While the prospect of another recession is the main reason for the recent drop in carbon prices, experts say that ? just like with the euro ? serious flaws in the system are exacerbating the problems and could lead to its failure if they can't be fixed.

The economic crisis has lowered emissions and thus hit the price of carbon allowances. But the drop has been so dramatic because there were too many allowances in the system to begin with.

To get industry and skeptical governments on board, the Commission set a very high cap for emissions when it launched the carbon market in 2005.

Since then, most allowances have been given out for free to the 11,000 power stations and factories covered by the system based on their historical emissions. Companies that emit less carbon dioxide than they are allowed can sell their spare permits to firms that exceed their limit. As of next year, airlines will also be included in the system.

But the big test for Europe's carbon market ? and whether it can provide the financial incentives for cutting emissions ? will come in 2013, when governments start selling a growing number of allowances at auctions.

It is before then that the Commission has to intervene, say the companies that wrote last week's letters.

There are signs that their calls are being heard.

On Tuesday, the environment committee of the European Parliament voted to withdraw some 1.4 billion allowances, about 15 percent of the total, from the carbon market between 2013 and 2020. At the same time, the committee said, the annual cap should be cut by 2.25 percent per year, rather than the 1.74 percent currently planned.

While the committee vote is the first step in a long process of changing the system and few industry watchers expect the figures to survive negotiations among EU states trying to protect their national industries, it caused carbon prices to jump more than 18 percent.

"It opens up a much deeper discussion about what does the intervention look like and when is it going to happen," says Sanjeev Kumar, an expert on carbon trading at environmental watchdog E3G in Brussels.

"Without intervention," warned Kumar, "not only the ETS is over, but Europe's climate policy is over. It will put Europe back into the dark ages."

Apart from failing to encourage the necessary cuts in emissions and technological innovation, the collapse in the carbon price could also worsen Europe's debt crisis.

Between 2013 and 2020, when companies have to pay for more and more of their allowances, the cap-and-tade system could raise as much as euro190 billion for government across the EU if prices recover.

"This is a pretty important revenue stream for most member states," says Rob Elsworth, of climate campaign group Sandbag in London. "And they are watching revenues just disappear."

Experts like Kumar and Elsworth are hopeful that states will garner the political will to save the carbon trading system, which has pioneered the market-based approach to saving the environment.

"If you take away this green-economy narrative," asked Elsworth, "what's really left of Europe?"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111220/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_carbon_trading

aesop rock take care track list michael jackson trial carlos the jackal namibia namibia hell on wheels

Communications Equipment Procurement Risk Managemente and ...

home > Economics papers > Communications Equipment Procurement Risk Managemente and Response Measure

?Abstract? With the advent of economic globalization and China?s accession to WTO, all enterprises will be in the same competition under the rules of the game, the market competition for all enterprises are facing severe problem before. In this context, the communication businesses the sense of competition, increasing cost-conscious enterprises Procurement increasingly be taken seriously, thus becoming the communications enterprises in the development of an important strategic task..This article is to introduce the content of communications equipment procurement risk management. First of all, introduction of risk management at home and abroad, development and procurement of communications equipment the need for the introduction of risk management; discussed at this stage the characteristics of communications equipment procurement, the communications equipment at each stage of the procurement process of the existence of external risks and internal risks and external risks and internal risks of risk analysis and risk assessment, a detailed description of the corresponding risk response measures.Second, under ?Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide? for the risk management methodology, on the whole process of procurement of equipment to analyze the combination of procurement work, examples of risk management in day-to-day procurement of equipment applications. Procurement of equipment to use WBS job working decomposition, application brain storming for risk identification, Expert analysis of the case to identify the risk analysis assessment.Third, in light of its own job in detail communications equipment in the procurement of equipment to help themselves to pay the whole process of risk management. At each stage of the procurement application of risk management combined with theoretical knowledge of the characteristics of the procurement process to develop measures to deal with procurement risk, literally making the theory real. Early procurement of equipment to determine the functions, equipment selection, equipment to confirm the quantity; procurement of medium-term to determine the procurement methods, pricing methods, evaluation methods; procurement late on the management of supplier content reflects the procurement risk management awareness.

Title: Communications Equipment Procurement Risk Managemente and Response Measure
Category: Economics papers economics
Filename: Communications Equipment Procurement Risk Managemente and Response Measure.pdf
Pages: 132
Price: US$38.00
Buy This Paper: Download: FAVORITE: ADD TO FAVORITE
How to get this paper's electronic documents?
1, Click the "Buy Now" button to complete the online payment
2, Download the paper's electronic document from the successful payment return page/Or the system will send this paper's electronic document to your E-Mail within 24 hours
Contact: E-Mail:bizdg@126.com
??????????????TEL:1-888-774-999A
Version:zh-cn

Source: http://www.economics-papers.com/?p=77932

nome alaska alaska map bil keane storm in alaska storm in alaska asteroid eric johnson

Huntsman to ham it up with Letterman on Dec. 21 (AP)

EXETER, N.H. ? Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is set to appear on the "Late Show" with David Letterman next week.

The former Utah governor is struggling both in the polls and to raise money to keep his campaign going after the nation's first presidential primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 10.

Like some of his rivals, Huntsman is hoping the late-night comedy circuit will help boost his popularity.

CBS announced Wednesday that Huntsman will join Letterman on Dec. 21.

GOP candidates Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann have also done the late-night comedy tour. So did Herman Cain, before he suspended his campaign. Huntsman also took part in a recent "Saturday Night Live" skit.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111214/ap_en_tv/us_huntsman_letterman

western black rhino western black rhino jefferson county alabama marine corps marine corps veterans day 2011 veterans day 2011

Occupy the Climate Day Leads to More Protests and Few Results (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Taking a cue from the Occupy Wall Street movement, Saturday became Occupy the Climate in several cities around the globe. Officially named the Global Day of Action on Climate Change, protests coincided with the United Nations Conference of the Parties being held in Durban, South Africa. Unfortunately, the message of the protests became muddled amid the usual Occupy Wall Street agenda.

Gathering and Protesting

Protests were held around the globe with many participants blending Occupy Wall Street and Occupy the Climate. In London, a Climate Justice March and rally attracted several hundred protesters. In Boston, a similar number of people came together to show their concern about climate change. The Occupy Los Angeles movement was joined by groups of people voicing their anger about pollution and climate issues.

As the marches and rallies spread, I think it was difficult to distinguish between the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy the Climate movements. It seems that some of the protesters were also confused by the two groups. The protests were a mishmash of ideas and banners that did not produce any real results.

Outcomes

The protests were designed to coincide with the United Nations climate talks. The Conference of the Parties is expected to last through Friday, but activists felt it was better to hold the Global Day of Action on Climate Change after the conclusion of the first week of the talks. Although the global protests may not extend beyond Saturday, the protests in Durban have been ongoing and are expected to continue.

Will the protests lead to any real change? Demonstrations have been held at all the previous COP meetings without producing significant results. While some countries are urging action and concrete plans, the debate over the Kyoto Protocol continues to be the center of attention. Unfortunately, this year's Global Day of Action on Climate Change may be even less beneficial to furthering the protesters' agenda because of the difficulty many are having distinguishing it from Occupy Wall Street. The message for climate change action is being lost amid the cries of anger over the 1 percent and the plight of the 99 percent.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111204/pl_ac/10592025_occupy_the_climate_day_leads_to_more_protests_and_few_results

millionaire matchmaker millionaire matchmaker shawshank redemption 3 10 to yuma west virginia football west virginia football black friday violence

NAACP: New laws assault minority voting rights (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/170363421?client_source=feed&format=rss

aircraft carrier apocalypse now happy veterans day happy veterans day brian eno tomb of the unknown soldier tomb of the unknown soldier

Can Mozilla survive without Google? (Digital Trends)

Mozilla?s Firefox browser occupies a unique place in the industry. Developed as an alternative to Microsoft?s market-dominating Internet Explorer, Mozilla is the only major Web browser on the planet that isn?t a commercial operation. Firefox aims to answer to actual Web users, rather than cow-tow to corporate goals and pursue every opportunity to capture users and (of course) make profits. And Mozilla has succeeded: the company has been operating for years and steadily eroded Microsoft?s share of the browser market to become Internet Explorer?s leading competitor.

However, just because Mozilla is a non-profit doesn?t mean all that work happens for free. It still has to pay for office space, connectivity, servers, hosting, employee salaries and benefits, plus all the other costs of a software development operation: computers, software, licensing, and (probably) the odd Nerf gun. Mozilla gets support from contributors, but the bulk of the company?s revenue comes from partnerships with search providers, which pay Mozilla the equivalent of referral fees every time someone comes to their search service through a Mozilla browser. Mozilla?s biggest source of revenue is Google, which is set up as the default search on most Firefox installations.

However, Google is also the developer of one of Firefox?s biggest competitors: Chrome. And Mozilla?s search partnership agreement with Google expired in November.

There has not yet been any formal statement from either organization about the agreement?s future, but the situation leaves one to wonder: Can Mozilla survive without Google? And does Google need Mozilla?

Mozilla?s finances

Mozilla isn?t exactly hurting for money. According to the company?s 2010 audited financial statement (PDF) the organization pulled in just over $123 million during 2010, a revenue increase of over 18 percent from 2009. However, of that $123 million in income, more than $121 million came from ?royalties,? which is the category that would encompass partnerships with search-engine companies. That?s more than 98 percent of Mozilla?s annual revenue for the year, meaning its search partnerships are essentially the lifeline of the outfit.

How much of that money was from Google? Mozilla isn?t saying, but some estimates put it around 85 percent, or over $100 million. Mozilla is quick to point out it has search agreements with a number of companies other than Google, including Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Yandex, and ?others,? but Mozilla hasn?t broken out royalties received from individual search partnerships since 2008. Back then, its partnership with Google accounted for 88 percent of its royalty income. It?s safe to believe that proportion has changed a bit: Not only has Mozilla expanded out into new partnerships and platforms, but Microsoft?s Bing search engine wasn?t a blip on the horizon back in 2008. Now Bing is roughly even with Yahoo for a distant second place in search market share (and powering Yahoo behind the scenes), has its own partnership with Mozilla. Getting still cozier with Bing, Mozilla just launched Firefox with Bing that makes Bing the default search engine for both Firefox?s search field and so-called ?Awesome Bar.?

However, it?s safe to say that revenue from searches Mozilla brings to Google still accounts for the bulk of Mozilla?s revenue. Although Google?s deal with Mozilla has expired, Firefox downloads still have Google set as the default browser and reports say negotiations between Mozilla and Google are currently underway. It?s probably safe to assume the two will reach some sort of agreement soon.

But can Mozilla survive on a revised search agreement with Google?

Mozilla without Google

Mozilla could get along for a while without a search deal from Google. According to Mozilla?s 2010 tax filings (PDF) the organization had over $27 million in cash and investments and about $3.3 million in expenses; the organization?s consolidated financial statement claims over $105 million in investment assets. Although the situation is complicated, Mozilla could probably coast along for a few years on its existing assets if its search deal with Google were to dry up overnight.

That?s especially true considering Mozilla?s income would not drop to zero if Google went away. Mozilla still has its other search partners (like Yahoo and Bing), and could presumably wring more revenue from them if it offered to make one of them the default search provider for Firefox. And Mozilla hasn?t been letting efforts to solicit contributions slide: It has to receive at least 10 percent of its funding from public support to file as a publicly supported charity. In 2010, that proportion was a healthy 14.71 percent, accounting for $1.3 million from over 5,500 people. That?s a 500 percent increase from 2009, showing Mozilla is getting serious about raising revenue from public support rather than relying exclusively on search partnerships.

But the bottom line is that losing its search deal with Google would cause Mozilla to scramble to find new sources of revenue. The degree to which that would impact Mozilla?s development plans is unclear: The organization claims its software development and fundraising processes are separated. That means programmers wouldn?t be pulled out of code repositories to stand on street corners holding tin cups. But it?s hard to attract (and retain) solid software talent without financing. Over time, revenue shortages would have a negative impact on Mozilla development.

Google without Mozilla

Another way of looking at Mozilla?s situation is to ask: Does Google still need Mozilla? When Google and Mozilla entered into their first search arrangement five years ago, Internet Explorer was by far the market-dominant Web browser, and (of course) has always shipped with Microsoft?s search services set up as the default. Google?s interest in a search deal with Mozilla was to put Google services front and center in Firefox: as Firefox expanded its marketshare, it took Google services along with it.

However, things have changed since five years ago. Internet Explorer is still the world?s most popular browser by marketshare, but Google?s own Chrome is gaining fast: According to Irish tracking firm StatCounter, Chrome has already surpassed Firefox to become the second most-popular browser worldwide. StatCounter has Internet Explorer accounting for 40.63 percent of the global market; Chrome accounts for 25.69 percent and Firefox is at 25.23 percent.

Not all metrics firm agree with StatCounter: Net Applications has Chrome with a 18.18 percent share of the market in November, with Firefox accounting for a 22.14 percent share. However, if current trends hold, Chrome will overtake Firefox in Net Applications? analysis of the market by mid-2012.

Chrome is important in this equation because it ships with Google?s search services configured as the default. Back when Google made its search deal with Mozilla, it couldn?t compete with Internet Explorer with a browser of its own that had Google services set up as a default. Now it can.

Another arrow in Google?s quiver is that it can count on many Firefox users sticking with Google services even if Google were to abandon the search deal with Mozilla. After all, in the last five years Google has significantly expanded the suite of Web services it offers. Very few serious Internet users are completely independent of services like Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube ? heck, a few even use Google Plus. Google also now has years of experience convincing Internet Explorer users to switch away from Microsoft services to Google; it can apply the same techniques to Firefox.

Nonetheless, the worldwide expansion of the Internet means Mozilla is bringing more searchers to Google than ever before, and it?s reasonably certain Google doesn?t want to see those users driven to Bing. Now that Google has the number two (or number three) browser, those searchers from Firefox may not be as valuable to Google as they were five years ago, but they?re almost certainly worth something.

Firefox?s future

Mozilla?s search provider brouhaha has served to highlight the current dilemma of Firefox as a desktop browser. Mozilla has seen some success with its recent rapid-release development cycle, which so far has seen the company roll through Firefox 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in 2011 alone. The release strategy has been touted as a way to get major changes to the browser out the door sooner, including performance and memory usage improvements as well as new features like tab groups, location support, the ability to opt out of Web tracking, improved add-on management, and more.

However, users have generally been underwhelmed and confused by the flurry of releases, especially since few bring high-profile new features that seem immediately useful. Instead, Firefox?s release schedule brings many users disruption and annoyance ? and let?s not forget enterprise users who don?t want to be put in a position of having to test and certify new browser releases every six weeks. While Mozilla is trying to move die-hards off old versions of Firefox 3.6 ? the last old-school release ? it also left many people behind who can?t upgrade. For instance, while Firefox will run on Windows XP, it doesn?t run on anything older than Mac OS X 10.5, leaving users of older Macs out in the cold.

Firefox also faces another challenge in that it?s a desktop app? and a lot of the Web browsing world is moving off desktop and notebook computers. Firefox has been working on mobile versions of its browser, but so far it isn?t even a blip on the mobile browsing radar. According to Net Applications, Apple?s Safari browser is over 55 percent of the mobile browsing market, with Opera Mini as its nearest competitor at 20.09 percent and the Android browser coming in with a 16.36 percent share. Firefox and Mozilla browsers total up to less than 0.04 percent. So far, Firefox hasn?t shown any convincing strategy to move forward into the mobile world ? and, ultimately, that may mean fewer people give Firefox much consideration on the desktop.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

Google Chrome turns 15, Firefox goes Bing

Google Chrome overtakes Firefox in UK browser market

Internet Explorer users have lowest IQ of all web surfers, study shows [updated]

Mozilla spars with Microsoft over WebGL security

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/linux/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111206/tc_digitaltrends/mozillasdelicatedancewithgoogle

bcs standings 2011 rhodes scholarship rhodes scholarship ufc 139 results adrian peterson lee corso lee corso

Here's What Herman Cain's Exit Means For The ... - Business Insider

With Herman Cain's decision to "suspend" his presidential campaign, the 2012 GOP presidential race loses its most surprising ? and bizarre ? storyline.

It is tempting to dismiss the former pizza titan's meteoric rise and fall as a one-off that most Establishment Republicans would like to forget. Cain ? who spent a month at the top of the polls before crashing spectacularly amid allegations of his sexual dalliances ? ran a very weird campaign that was light on experience and knowledge and heavy on quasi-messianic rhetoric.

To be sure, Cain's campaign was probably over before today's announcement. His staff's inability to effectively deal with the barrage of sexual harassment allegations ? not to mention the Ginger White affair ? combined with the candidate's hubris revealed the limits of running an unconventional presidential campaign.

But Cain's unexpected success offers revealing insight into the state of the GOP's conservative voter base, which responded strongly to Cain's simplistic everyman message and charismatic speaking gifts.

Cain made it clear today that he has no intention of becoming a political sidenote. Even as Cain was preparing to make his announcement in Atlanta, his aides and advisors were urging the crowd to "Join the Cain Train." Cain said he would endorse one of his competitors in the near future, and predicted that there would be a scramble to court him and his supporters.

He noted repeatedly that his suspended campaign is now launching "Plan B." He announced the formation of Cainsolutions.com, a grassroots network he said would keep bringing the government back to the people.

"I am not going to be silenced, and I am not going away," Cain said, according to the AP. "And therefore, as of today, Plan B. Plan B."

The importance of Cain's endorsement does not appear to have been lost on the rest of the 2012 Republican field. His exit offers a major opportunity for the rest of the not-Romney candidates to pick up his support and mount a competitive campaign against the former Massachusetts Governor.

As it is unlikely that Cain will endorse Mitt Romney, the most obvious beneficiary of Cain's exit is Newt Gingrich, a fellow Georgian who is the latest frontrunner in the volatile Republican race. But Rick Perry and, to a lesser extent, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum could also benefit from the opportunity to win over Cainiacs.

These candidates wasted no time praising Cain in the wake of his announcement:

In a campaign statement this afternoon, Perry praised Cain for helping to "invigorate conservative voters and our nation with a discussion of major tax reform."

Similarly, Bachmann wrote in a statement that Cain "provided an important voice to this process. His ideas and energy generated tremendous enthusiasm for the conservative movement at a time it was so desperately needed to restore confidence in our country."

Even Jon Huntsman, who has criticized Cain's scandals as a distraction, praised the former Godfather's CEO's "unique and valuable voice."

DON'T MISS: Who IS Herman Cain? 11 Things You Never Knew About The GOP Wild Card

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/herman-cain-exit-campaign-republicans-2011-12

999 plan the village detroit weather detroit weather imessage imessage sukkot