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umichenginabroad · 5 months ago

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Week 1: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (+ a Ferry)

Ciao!

In the past week, I have used Italian trains, buses, taxis, a shuttle van, planes, and taken a ferry ride, so this blog post will be dedicated to transportation.

To begin, I was supposed to fly from Chicago to Dublin, then Dublin to Naples, where CIS Abroad (the company hosting the program) provided transport shuttles to either the dorms or shared apartment accommodations in Sorrento. The initial long-haul flight wasn’t too bad, I read for the majority of the flight and was fed some half-decent food.

Unfortunately, due to delays on the tarmac in Chicago, I missed my connecting flight in Dublin and had to figure out another way to Naples. I luckily discovered someone else also in my program in my same flight and we navigated Europe together. Since the next flight out to Naples wasn’t until the following evening, we decided to go instead to Rome and then brave the Italian train system to navigate to Naples.

(Me and a fellow study abroad student taking a shuttle to our new terminal in Dublin)

To preface, figuring out the train system seemed to be one of the biggest learning curves people that I have talked to have encountered in the past, and as such it was something I was nervous about coming to Italy. Trains (and ferries, as it turns out) are frequently late and don’t align with posted schedules, tickets have to not only be bought but also validated at the station, and the platform numbers commonly change right before arrival. We were supposed to be briefed on how to handle it during our orientation the first day, however we were thrown straight in the deep end! We used one of the most common websites for booking high-speed trains, ItaliaRail, and managed to book a train from the Rome airport to the main Roman train station (surprisingly far from the airport), then one from Rome to Naples for a total cost of around 65 euros.

(Red passenger train with volcano in background)

Since the first train was a regional/local train, there were no assigned seats and thus we had to validate our tickets just before boarding through, however for the high speed cross-country train to Naples, since we had an assigned seat, we did not have to validate (something that stressed us out as you can face fines if you don’t properly validate tickets). Thankfully, everyone we talked to was very nice and helped us figure it out.

Once in Naples, we shared a taxi to the airport with two other travelers we met along the way (5 euros each) and waited until a few others from the program landed and got the last transfer shuttle to Sorrento. Finally, after over 36 hours of traveling (almost 16 more than intended) we arrive with a leg up on the local transport compared to our peers.

Just earlier today, I took a bus with two other friends from Sorrento to Positano, another town along the Almalfi coast, for 10 euros. Getting the ticket was very easy, as the ticket booth at the bus station was clearly marked. The bus was about 30 minutes late, but that is to be expected for Italian buses. After around 45 minutes and many many curvy and windy roads, we got off at Positano and explored the town. On the way back, we bought ferry tickets for 19 euros (cheaper with cash than online) and waited in a long line to board. As with the bus, the ferry was quite late, but actually took less time to get back to Sorrento. I think the ferry is my new favorite form of transportation as I loved sitting on the top deck and watching the coastline go by.

(view of Sorrentine peninsula from top deck of ferry)

Overall, I am quite proud of myself for figuring out how to get around on the fly, but I definitely took away some important lessons. First, be patient, both with yourself and the transportation. Everyone gets lost/confused sometimes and navigating a new country is daunting. Be willing to ask for help if you don’t know what to do! It’s better than facing fines or unknowingly breaking any transit laws. Additionally, some places only take cash, make sure to always carry some cash! Lastly, if you can, TAKE DRAMAMINE, especially for the buses. I am not one to get car/motion sick, but the switch backs and coastal curves are no joke and all three of us were very close to turning green by the time we got off the bus.

This post is getting long, but I wanted to share some details of Italian public transportation as that was one of my biggest questions going into this program.

See you next week!

Marika Ruppart

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento, Italy

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPESorrento #MarikaRuppart #IPESummer24 #Italy

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earaercircular · 2 years ago

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From mushroom to luxury handbag: will fungi soon take over from leather?

In the search for alternatives to animal leather, fungi seem to be the new ecological gold. Will they soon hang in our wardrobe?

A shoe, handbag or wallet that naturally recovers from a scratch? For that tour de force, the fashion sector looks to fungi.

Research into mushrooms (or fungi, those are synonyms) as an ecological alternative to leather is on the rise. The possibilities sound futuristic: from self-healing material to 3D printing techniques. Fashion brands such as Balenciaga[1], Stella McCartney[2], PVH[3] (the parent company of Tommy Hilfiger, among others) and Hermès have all entered into partnerships with companies that use fungi.

Or rather: on mycelium[4]. The true potential lies in that network of hyphae, explains Professor of Bioscience Engineering Eveline Peeters (VUB). “Mushrooms are the tip of the iceberg. You can compare the hyphae with the fruit, such as an apple. Mycelium, that's the tree itself.”

9,000 euros coat

How is fungi leather created? First you grow the fungus. A small amount of fungus is added to large containers of nutrient liquid. If you leave it for two weeks at the right humidity and temperature, a layer of hyphae will grow on it.

‘We call that layer the skin,’ says Peeters. "After two weeks it is harvested and treated to make it look like leather." Two weeks of production time is considerably less than the three years that you have to count on average for leather.

Moreover, you need less than a hundred litres of water per square meter of mycelium. For the same amount of leather, that is about 10,000 litres. An interesting advantage for fashion companies that want to get rid of the large ecological footprint of leather. "And then you haven't even mentioned animal suffering," says Peeters.

All this means that many brands trip over each other to test mycelium, especially in the luxury segment. In 2022 Stella McCartney released a first handbag, for his winter collection of 2022 it was Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga who released a first coat in the material. An oversized, long black coat, with a wink to the movie The Matrix.

But between a limited edition jacket worth €9,000 and a mass-produced product, there are still years of research, says Maurizio Montalti, co-founder of Sqim[5], the company that produced the material for Balenciaga's jacket. It is probably the largest European producer of mycelium with several thousand sheets of one square meter per year. “Within six years we hope to be able to produce on an industrial scale. Scaling up a biological process cannot be done in the blink of an eye,” says Montalti.

Elite ecology

The fact that you can make mycelium in a lab makes it interesting and complex at the same time. "I compare it to antibiotics," says Peeters. “It took years of intensive research to perfect it.”

One of the variants with which the researcher achieves the best results comes from a fungus that one of her students picked in a forest in Linkebeek[6], near Brussels. "How many other varieties would be even better, we have no idea yet."

Mycelium may be more environmentally friendly than leather, but it is not cheaper. Currently, it costs about the same as high-quality leather[7], the leading fashion website Business of Fashion (BoF) reports.

That price tag prevents the material from quickly reaching the general public. ‘And that is a pity,’ says sociologist Aurélie Van de Peer (KU Leuven), who studies the mechanisms behind ecological fashion. “Ecology takes on an elitist side, it becomes a status symbol. That can't be the intention.”

Doubts as to whether mycelium will meet customer expectations also seem to dampen the fashion companies' initial eagerness. In 2021, starting companies that worked on non-animal leather raised almost 900 million euros. A year later that had already dropped to 420 million dollars. This is evident from a report by think tank Material Innovation Initiative[8]. ‘While more research is needed,’ says Montalti.

As good as leather?

Hermès, maker of luxury handbags, invested 125 million dollars in Mycoworks[9], a California company, in early 2022. But apart from some photos of a prototype, we don't see anything on the shelves. The launch was delayed several times.

An official reason is not given, but presumably the end result did not correspond to what luxury brands such as Hermès want to offer: timeless heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation.

That customers do not adjust their expectations for ecological alternatives, designer Stella McCartney experienced with her first handbag, she told BoF[10]. “To make mycelium a success story, customers should not feel that it is a compromise. From the way it looks to the way it feels, there should be no difference from leather. As long as that is not the case, many brands will not take the plunge.”

Source

Karlien Beckers, Van paddenstoel uit Linkebeek tot luxehandtas: nemen schimmels het straks over van leer?, in: De Standaard, 13-04-2023, https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20230412_94376113

[1] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/664321527312957440/from-dirty-to-vintage-luxury-embraces?source=share

[2] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/676457111952179200/fashion-brands-are-launching-buy-back-programs-in?source=share & https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/672470746450345984/sustainable-luxury-between-recycling-and?source=share

[3] PVH Corp., formerly known as the Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, is an American clothing company which owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Warner's, Olga and True & Co. The company also licenses brands such as Kenneth Cole New York and Michael Kors.PVH is partly named after Dutch immigrant John Manning Van Heusen, who in 1910 invented a new process that fused cloth on a curve.

[4] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/667314088734507008/mushrooms-as-raw-material-for-leather-accessories?source=share

[5] SQIM is founded on the belief that innovative natural materials, grown by means of microbial fermentation, hold the promise for the creation of a near future where human activities and the rhythms of the larger ecosystem are not in conflict with each other. Accordingly, SQIM co-designs with nature to develop cutting edge technologies and deliver naturally grown products with superior properties, employing fungal mycelium as its engineering and manufacturing platform. https://www.sqim.bio/

[6] Linkebeek is a Belgian municipality in Flanders, part of the province of Flemish Brabant, and in the administrative district of Halle-Vilvoorde. The municipality only comprises the town of Linkebeek proper. As of 1 January 2006, Linkebeek has a total population of 4,759. The total area is 4.15 km² which gives a population density of 1,147 inhabitants per km².

[7] SARAH KENT, Would You Buy a Mushroom Handbag? In: BOF, 23-05-2022, https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/would-you-buy-a-mushroom-handbag/ For the first time, brands including Stella McCartney, Balenciaga and Hermès are bringing products made of mushroom-based materials to market, an early test for whether the next-generation fabrics could one day hit the mainstream.

[8] 2022 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT: NEXT-GEN MATERIALS. Next-gen material companies raised at least US$456.75 million from 28 publicly disclosed deals in 2022. The 2022 State of the Industry Report: Next-gen Materials highlights the investments, innovation, and industry partnerships that significantly impacted the next-gen materials industry in 2022. 16-2-2023, https://materialinnovation.org/reports/2022-state-of-the-industry-report-next-gen-materials/

[9] MycoWorks is a biotechnology company based in Emeryville, California, with the mission to create the highest quality materials using mycelium. The company was founded in 2013 by Philip Ross, Sophia Wang, and Eddie Pavlu. https://www.mycoworks.com/

[10] SARAH KENT, Would You Buy a Mushroom Handbag? In: BOF, 23-05-2022, https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/would-you-buy-a-mushroom-handbag/

#leather alternative #mycelium

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nickgerlich · 2 months ago

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By The Gallon

There is probably no single item that is more contentious in the US than a gallon of gasoline. We so completely bought into car culture in the 1950s, the post-war era of unbridled growth, prosperity, and a move to the suburbs, that in the process, we made ourselves extremely dependent on this precious commodity. We complain when prices go up, but we keep buying it because we can’t change our addiction in the short run. We’ll pay whatever.

That’s what economists call a case of inelastic demand, meaning the quantity demanded remains fairly constant at any price level, at least within a relevant range. If we were to wake up to $5 gas tomorrow morning, we’d still pay it, in spite of swearing out someone under our breath. The US burns through 376 million gallons of gas each and every day, no matter what it costs.

Oh, and while I’m at it, I must remind you that the President of the US has very little to do with the price of gas, because the price of oil is determined on a global market. The President can release oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try to temporarily reduce prices (something each President has done since the 1970s), or reduce the federal gas tax, but that’s about it.

One more thing: The idea of energy independence is a myth. While it is true that the US has produced the most crude oil than any nation at any time during the past six years, we both export and import on the global market. We are a net exporter by a small margin. So please quit blaming one, while singing the praises of another for ridiculously low prices during a pandemic. It just doesn’t work that way, and I say that in the most politically disinterested way I can.

Today we find ourselves with prices headed downward in a hurry. Part of it is seasonal, of course, because vacation season is over. But the global market is trending down right now, and all on its own. In Canyon America, the price was $2.699 at the local Walmart. In Texas, the average is $3.054, while nationwide it is $3.36, with the overall year-over-year difference down $0.46.

But did anything change in terms of consumption? Doubtful. It’s not like you wake up one day and say, “Honey, gas sure has come down! Why don’t we go for a long drive today?” We just keep doing whatever it is we do, even our cherished family road trips, which are also part of American culture.

This last summer we took an outsized road trip covering 18 states and 12,100 miles, and included dipping our toes in both oceans. The cheapest gas I bought was right here in Canyon, while the most expensive was $4.999 in Susanville California. Yes, that one hurt a bit, but I didn’t have any option but to do it. Besides, we wanted to visit the PNW, and we were already three-fourths of the way there. All told, the gas bill on this trip was $1757.85. I know that seems like a lot, but can you think of a cheaper way for two people to travel that extensively?I’ll wait.

Now let’s compare to the price of fuel in Europe, where it is typically in the $8 a gallon range, once you convert for liters and Euros. This trip would have cost more than double had we zipped across the European continent. We have it pretty good here, at least on paper.

Of course, one thing that does matter is that we are somewhat a victim of our own geography. In population-dense areas, you usually don’t have to drive far. In remote West Texas and throughout the west, we measure distances in hours that could easily translate into multiples of 75 or 80 miles, depending on how fast you drive.

Regardless, we’re going to keep buying gas, because we need it for our jobs, education, and lifestyle. It’s hard to change the seemingly immovable objects, such as job and residence. I suppose if gas went to $10 more of us might be motivated to buy a Prius and relocate closer to our job. Until then, though, our consumer behavior is going to be predictably the same.

So how then do we adapt to rising prices? Simple. We take it out of something else. Gas is the non-negotiable product we buy. Maybe we dine out less, delay major purchases, skip the new shirt or dress. Whatever it takes, we just cut back somewhere else, because when you have inelastic demand—that is, a nearly perfectly vertical demand curve—you’re just going to keep buying, at least for the time being.

I’ll see you at the pump. Let’s all be thankful prices are down for now, because at $0.46 cheaper and considering a 20-gallon tank, that’s $9.12 we’re saving each time. That should cover your PSL or pint of craft beer, and leave enough for the tip.

Dr “Fill ‘Er Up!” Gerlich

Audio Blog

#marketing #gas price #gasoline

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greenbagjosh · 1 year ago

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13 + 14 June 1998 - HRH the Queen’s 72nd Birthday and the cringeworthy Donald Duck joke

Originally written in June 2018

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a nice evening.Twenty years ago today and tomorrow, I went on the cheapest path from Munich to Prague. And came back the next day almost 11 PM. Saturday the 13th June 1998, it was a few days before the start of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Widgetmeister International had two paid days off officially, namely Fronleichnam for Thursday the 11th, and Friday the 12th. Neither day counted against my vacation balance. On Thursday I did a bit of exploring on the S-8 line from Englschalking up to the Franz Josef Strauss airport, known also by its airport code "MUC". The Schönes Wochenende ticket would not be valid as it was a Thursday so I bought a ticket for the outer zones of the MVV-München transit area that were otherwise not covered by my month pass. It was raining so there was not much to see. At the time, there was also an expansion project for the S-1 train, instead of all trains going to Neufahrn and Freising, some S-1 trains would also go to the airport. This was called the "Neufahrner Spange".

Friday the 12 June was a shopping day. I bought myself a Czech language guide. Czech is not exactly romanized Russian. For that reason, it is a good idea to have a Czech language book.Saturday the 13 June arrived. I had to be at München Hbf by 7:10 AM to catch the train to Plattling, and it left from the "short-haul" track 25. On the German rail side, this was the only known electrified section. On Saturday *and* Sunday, the Schönes Wochenende Ticket was valid, and for only 35 Mark. The train stopped at Freising, Landshut and Landau on the Isar before arriving at Plattling about 9 AM. About 9:05 AM, a diesel unit went on to the border at Bayerisch Eisenstein. This train really went through the backwoods, made about nine stops about ten minutes from each other. The train did not arrive in Bayerisch Eisenstein until 10:13 AM. So what was at Bayerisch Eisenstein? It was a border town on the German side, and right at the same station was the Czech border, known as Železná Ruda-Alžbětín. You had to have your passport ready for stamping back then as the Czech Republic was neither in the European Union nor a Schengen member. Also, then as now, they did not use the Euro. So changing money was necessary. I think the exchange rate then was 21 Koruna to 1 DM. The smallest coin was the 10 Heller, then the 20 and 50 Heller, then 1 Koruna, 2 Koruna, 5, 10 and so on. Bills were 20, 50, 100, 200, 500. Please refer to XE.com in case I cannot otherwise provide an equivalent in Dollars, Mark or Euro. Back then the Czech Republic was inexpensive compared to Germany. Even the train fare. But somehow you get what you pay for, likely in speed and comfort.I bought a single fare ticket to Prague at the Zelezna Ruda station on the Czech side, paying in Koruna. I think it was 75 Koruna then, as today it costs 110 Koruna.

The train left about 11:08 AM, and arrived in Plzen about 1:10 PM. For a distance of 60 miles, it must have gone an average of 30 mph, unelectrified, windy and slow up to Klatovy, and then fairly straight, medium-fast and electrified the rest of the way. Plzen Hlavní Nádrazí (central station) has an interesting dome. At Plzen, I made a quick shopping journey to a grocery store along Americká called the Maxi Hit. I bought some beer and Slivovitz - the real good plum brandy.

When I arrived back at the Plzen station, I found that the regular train to Prague was delayed. I had my radio with me, and there was a BBC English broadcast on. Apparently it was Queen Elizabeth's birthday and they did a short tribute. Later in the broadcast, one joke that they told was "Why did Donald Duck? Because someone was shooting at him"

I think the train to Prague arrived around 3 PM. It went as far as Prague Smichov. The conductor on the train gestured at me, to take the subway to the town center. I bought a 24 hour subway/bus ticket, I think for 70 Koruna, and stamped it at Smíchovské nádrazí, and went to my hostel at Karlovo námestí and on the street Na Zborencí. Back then it was owned by the Czech chapter of Hostelling International. Google maps still shows the big "Na Zborenci" sign in the alleyway where it remains. The room was cheap but there was no breakfast served on Sundays. And, I would find out later, that the room I was in, was co-ed, something I was not used to in a dorm room in a hostel.

I dropped off my luggage at my bedside in the hostel, then took the subway at Karlovo Namesti to Staromestska, the old part of Prague, changing at Mustek. At Staromestska is the clock tower, the Chram Matky, and next door is the Josefov, the Jewish Quarter. The museums were closed that day so I could only walk around. I returned in 2006 to visit one of the synagogues and I still have the kippa. I took the Metro across the Vlatva river, and took a tram to Malostranské náměstí, the west side of Charles Bridge. It is a strictly pedestrian bridge, apparently a popular tourist attraction in itself. I have a selfie of being on that bridge in a red and white sweater, as Prague was a bit chilly, around the low 60s for temperatures. When I arrived on the east side, I found a store that sold hats, and that is where I bought that red-white-and-green striped hat. I think it is about a foot high, and yes, it is probably the silliest hat I ever owned. On 24th July 1998 I took a selfie of myself, yes, with that hat! I did not know blacklight theater back in 1998, though my next visit February 2006 I went to a show - albeit medicated - at the Image Black Light Theater, was very interesting and in the back rows it was optically amazing.

I was hungry and then looked for a place to have supper. Closer to the clock tower, the offers were a bit out of my price range. So I went to Staromestska. There was an interesting restaurant called the "Studentska Satlava" or "Student Jail". Apparently it was in the same building as where the writer Franz Kafka was born. They had excellent deals for supper, including dark locally produced beer. I had the sausage, chop and dumpling plate. Gosh that was good. Once that was done, I took the metro back to Karlovo Namesti, and went to bed. In the morning I had to check out, take my luggage to Karlovo Namesti and further on to Hlavni Nadrazi. I had a quick breakfast at what is now the CrossCafe. There were lockers in Hlavni Nadrazi to place luggage. Lockers were interesting as you could choose the combination with four dials. You would retrieve your luggage by picking the same dial positions.

I had not been to Vysehrad. There is a canyon between Vysehrad and I P Pavlova and the metro travels along the auto bridge. At Vysehrad there is a good view of Prague, also the Police Museum. I went shopping at the Budejovicka shopping center. It was open on Sunday, bought peanut flips, beer and slivovitz at the store because it was so cheap. I took the metro to I P Pavlova and a tram back to Staromestska, bearing in mind that I had to return to Hlavni Nadrazi by 12:30 to catch the train to Munich through Plzen, Zelezna Ruda, Bayerisch Eisenstein, and Plattling. I bought a ticket to Zelezna Ruda.

At 1 PM, the train left Praha Hlavni Nadrazi. I was in a second class compartment, where there were eight seats to a compartment, four on each side. In Germany, normally the same size would be for just six people in total. The compartment was not air conditioned, and it was okay as the temperatures were not expected to exceed the mid 70s that day. The train ride went without any extraordinary event up to Plzen. I had to find a post office to send a postcard, and I almost missed the connection from Plzen to Klatovy and Zelezna Ruda. At Klatovy I had to change to a very old diesel carriage, class 131, and to open the windows, you had to crank them up or down.

By the time the train reached Zelezna Ruda, about 6:50 PM, the lady at the sales hut was about to close. I made a few last minute purchases before crossing into Germany. The snack bar was crummy on the German side at Bayerisch Eisenstein so I thought I would wait until I arrived at Plattling for some food. Did not work out too well. The German customs stamped my passport and did not look at my bag of slivovitz and beer. The diesel train from Bayerisch Eisenstein arrived at Plattling about 8:45 PM, and there was not much time to get anything of value at the snack bar there.

The train to Munich arrived around 9:30 so I had to take my snack to go. The sun was about to set, and it was raining in the distance. In the sky was an interesting effect. I arrived home in Munich around 11 PM, I entered very quietly. I was not told about any alarm clock issues (see w/e 31 July - 2 August 1998), and the next morning I went to work on time, and at lunch I had some interesting stories to tell my work colleagues and I mentioned the striped hat.

Next adventure, Salzburg and the Berchtesgaden Salzbergwerk, weekend of 20th and 21st June 1998. Servus und Gute Nacht!

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regard-luxury · 2 years ago

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Selling Your Watch On Chrono24

Then there are those that outline luxurious based on legendary brands corresponding to Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Breitling. The top two — Rolex and Patek Philippe are thought-about to be, by far, the most collectable luxurious watch brands, and the most likely to hold and even respect in worth top 5 watch brands over time. This is due to brand recognition, exclusivity, recognition, quality, and so forth. If you’re selling, it’s a bit extra nerve-breaking, as you don't have any possible way of understanding that the customer has acquired the watch you’ve bought them.

Unfortunately, that’s not all the time the case since Chrono24 has no means of controlling how much the shipment was insured for. The only thing they see is the monitoring quantity given to them by the seller. This tracking number doesn't involve any information exterior of the present standing of the supply. It is dear to ship a watch fully insured, particularly in a single day. If they are attempting to save tons of a few dollars, they may not insure it, or partially insure it. The majority of sellers are fine and you won’t have to fret about this, but simply know it could occur.

I believe it's based mostly on the state you've as billing and transport tackle. Among sought-after pre-owned models, the worth of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in platinum has fallen 28% to about £83,000 ($102,679) in a year, the Subdial knowledge exhibits. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 with a blue dial has dropped 35% to about £84,000, whereas an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with a blue dial has tumbled nearly 29% to about £57,000. Chrono24 employed about a hundred employees final 12 months amid the growth. Stracke mentioned the worth of transactions conducted on the platform increased by about 28% in 2022, although growth slowed in the second half.

When we talk to sellers, it nearly never occurs that they don’t know us. We attract between 10 and 12 million visits per month on our platform. In 2017, the transaction quantity generated by way top watch brands of Chrono24 was one billion euros. Professional sellers should not be allowed to have watches on the market each in their shop and on chrono 24. The escrow service is the one way I would purchase a watch I didn’t have in my hand.

Almost all watch acquisitions are made by non-public people. People use Chrono24 for inspiration, to compare prices, to get info and in the end to purchase or sell watches. On the gross chrono24 sales side, more than 90% of sellers are skilled sellers. They include established names like Govberg in the USA. We have 2,400 dealers registered and lively on Chrono24.

The safest way to take action is with Chrono24's free Buyer Protection. This complete protection includes payment by way of the Escrow Service. Here, you transfer the purchase worth to our escrow account, after which the seller sends you the watch. Once you might have received your watch, we maintain your money safe in our escrow account for 14 days, giving popular watch brands you time to examine the watch and ensure it is as described. The Subdial50, an index compiling costs of the 50 most traded watches by value, consisting largely of Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet fashions, has dropped 33% prior to now 12 months. UK-based Subdial is a watch trading platform and vendor of second-hand luxury timepieces.

#chrono24

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visaservicesindelhi · 4 years ago

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11 LOW TAX COUNTRIES FOR LIVING IN EUROPE

Ever dreamed of living in Europe?

Many of us have.

However, Europe’s stereotypically high tax rates have turned many successful entrepreneurs and investors away from the idea in search of zero-tax countries in the Caribbean, Middle East, or the Pacific Ocean.

Here’s the deal: while living in Europe and paying zero income tax is a rare feat, it is possible for almost anyone to live in Europe full-time and pay low taxes on their income… even if they’re not a millionaire.

I’m not talking about living like a digital nomad. Sure, it’s possible to spend three months in the summer living in Europe, then spending another few months further south in a country like Serbia. So long as you don’t establish tax ties in any one country, your only concern is making sure you aren’t on the hook for taxes in your home country.

However, as I increasingly work with seven- and eight-figure business owners, one recurring theme I hear is the desire for a home. For many successful people, dragging a suitcase around the world just isn’t their thing. They want a (nearly) full-time home AND the benefits of minimal taxation.

That’s where low tax countries come in.

The good news is that you don’t have to move to the Bahamas or Dubai to enjoy low tax countries rates so long as you’re able to invest some of your money in Europe. While some countries like France will always be off-limits to those seeking excellent tax planning, We’ve made a list of nearly a dozen European countries with favorable tax rates.

1. ANDORRA

Nestled into the mountainside, this medieval village shows the beauty of the Andorran countryside.

Pressure from the European Union caused Andorra to implement its first ever income tax in 2015, but Andorra still remains a low tax haven conveniently nestled between high-tax Spain and France.

Long known as a destination for duty-free shopping, Andorra is an idyllic mountainous country that also happens to offer residence permits to investors and business owners. Fortunately, Andorra has positioned itself to attract those of more average means than other low tax countries like Monaco.

Andorra is perfect for those with capital gains or generational wealth; it has no wealth tax, no gift tax, no inheritance tax and the only capital gains tax is assessed on most sales of Andorra real estate.

The only tax is an income tax, of which a generous 24,000 euros is exempt, and the top rate of 10% takes effect at the 40,000 euro level.

Unless you’re well-noted in your field, there are two ways to qualify for residence: make an investment or start a company. Either way, you’ll need to pledge to spend 90 days per year living in Andorra, rent or own a property, maintain a bond, and maintain health insurance; many residents are exempt from the already low tax rates depending on how their income is earned.

To start a company, you will need to present your CV and a business plan, as well as deposit a 50,000 euro bond for a single applicant. This route requires far less upfront capital but you do need to actually run a business, which means living in Andorra should be part of your overall corporate and tax planning. If you prefer to be a passive resident, you may invest 400,000 euros in Andorra, which can include an investment in real estate.

2. BULGARIA

Bulgaria offers Eastern European city charm, plenty of beach resorts on the Black Sea… and a flat 10% tax rate with no minimum.

At a flat 10%, Bulgaria has the European Union’s lowest personal income tax rates. Corporate income tax rates are the same flat rate of 10% (tied with Cyprus), and Bulgaria maintains tax treaties with many countries that could allow for special tax treatment for some international entrepreneurs.

Basically, Bulgaria’s tax system is simple: live there and pay 10%. You can become a fiscal resident by living in Bulgaria for at least 183 days in a year, or by convincing the tax office that Bulgaria is your “center of life”. While merely staying in the country is often easier, the “center of life” test gives you more flexibility and involves a number of factors.

Eastern Europe is one of the world’s most underrated places for living in my opinion, although out of the Balkan countries I would personally prefer living in Serbia or Romania. That said, Bulgaria has the advantage of being a rather open place to operate, with bank accounts being easy to open and a substantial low-tax offshore company industry attracting plenty of entrepreneurs and capital.

3. CZECH REPUBLIC

Despite being a top tourist destination in Europe, Prague has one of the cheapest costs of living in central Europe.

The Czech Republic is often ignored as a low tax jurisdiction despite the fact that it has streamlined both personal and corporate income tax rate to reasonable levels. Considering that Prague is one of the most cooed-over cities in Europe, the idea of living in the Czech Republic is worth considering.

As a low-tax residency, the Czech Republic (or Czechia, as they prefer) is best suited for European Union citizens. That’s because self-employed Europeans can not only avail themselves of Czechia’s 15% flat tax rate but may also apply a lump sum tax deduction in lieu of actual expenses. For most business owners, the lump sum can reduce the flat tax by 40% or 60%, leaving an effective tax rate of 6% or 9% on self-employed entrepreneurs.

Like Portugal and other European Union countries, real tax planning is required if you choose to live in Czechia. For one thing, you will need to rent or own an actual home; the good news is that the cost of living in Prague is surprisingly low given how popular the city is for tourists and digital nomads.

4. GEORGIA

Georgia has a diverse tourism landscape. For instance, Mtskheta, Georgia is home to a UNESCO world heritage site.

While Georgia may not be in the center of Europe, its position in the Caucasus places it squarely between eastern Europe and Asia. Fun fact: Georgia also happens to be the only European country with a largely territorial tax system, meaning properly structured foreign source income is not taxed in most circumstances.

For non-US citizens, it is easy to create an international structure and pay zero tax on profits while being a legal resident of Georgia. It is also possible to maintain a part-time home base in Georgia without incurring tax obligations. You can even become tax resident without living in Georgia if you can prove wealth or high income.

While Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi is not Paris, Georgia is one of the safest countries in the world and a favorite of ours here at Nomad Capitalist. The cost of living is extremely low, and activities like smoking and gambling are extremely cheap compared to the highly over-regulated European Union.

5. GIBRALTAR

Gibraltar offers residence visas to wealthy investors willing to pay an annual flat tax.

Gibraltar has long been a popular tax residence for British citizens, but Gibraltar’s benefits as a low-tax residence are available to anyone. Nestled at the southern tip of Spain, Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and not a sovereign country, but is able to set its own tax policies.

There are two ways to become resident in Gibraltar: start a company or demonstrate a high net worth. As is usually the case with these programs, it is easier for entrepreneurs to qualify by forming a company but proving wealth is easier in the long run.

The High Executive Possessing Specialist Skills method, or HEPSS, allows entrepreneurs with Gibraltar companies to pay a maximum tax on their salary. You must earn more than £120,000 per year, but will only be taxed on £120,000. That essentially translates to a flat tax of £29,940, although you must also consider any Gibraltar corporate tax. You will need to own or lease a home in Gibraltar.

The Category 2 visa program is also appealing but requires a £2 million – roughly $2.5 million – net worth to qualify. There are few requirements besides proving this level of wealth; the main requirement is to purchase or lease a “qualifying” home.

Other than that, you may not carry out almost any business within the territory of Gibraltar. You will pay a minimum annual tax of £22,000, and a maximum annual tax of £28,360 based on Gibraltar’s oddly progressive-but-then-regressive income tax rates ranging from 10% to 29%.

6. MALTA

Malta allows foreign citizens to pay an annual flat fee and exempt their foreign income from Malta tax.

Malta is one of only four countries on this list that are part of the Schengen Area, and one of only three that are also part of the European Union. Malta has developed some of the EU’s most tax-friendly programs for both individual residents and corporations, with corporate tax rates as low as 5% possible for non-resident companies.

Malta has long had a flat-fee residence program available, but as I have discussed in the recent post the newer Global Residence Program has become the second residency of choice. Unlike Andorra and Monaco, Malta does not require any physical presence on its two Mediterranean islands, meaning you can establish residency but not live there at all. Furthermore, they have prided themselves on reducing bureaucracy and even allowing residents to include domestic staff on their applications (similar to Malaysia’s MM2H program).

Maltese residents are not subject to tax in Malta on foreign sourced income that is kept outside of the country. What’s more, they are not subject to tax on foreign capital gains even if those gains are sent to a Malta bank account. Other income, including pensions, can be taxed once at a flat 15% thanks to Malta’s tax treaty network.

The cost of maintaining the residence in Malta is a flat 15,000 euro “minimum tax” payable each year. With proper planning, this should also be the maximum tax. It is also possible to obtain a tax residence certificate.

7. MONACO

Monaco eliminated income taxes entirely in 1869, making it the only sovereign zero-tax jurisdiction in Europe.

While Monaco is not a full member of the European Union, it is a de facto participant in the borderless Schengen Area, offering excellent mobility. Monaco’s exclusivity and proximity to France and the rest of Europe make it a more serious tax residency than some tiny island in the middle of the ocean.

According to the tiny principality, it is not a tax haven. It does allow foreigners to establish residence in Monaco merely by proving their wealth. Doing this generally requires a 500,000 euro bank deposit and purchase (or in some cases, rental) of a property there.

Seeing that parking spaces can often sell for up to 1 million euros, residence in Monaco is reserved for the wealthiest entrepreneurs and investors. It’s also reserved for those actually willing to live there; you must spend three months per year for the first nine years, at which point you can obtain what is effectively permanent residence but requires 183 days of stay per year.

If you’re interested in getting a residency or second passport in Monaco, we have just published our Ultimate Guide where you can get all the details.

8. MONTENEGRO

Montenegro has low corporate taxes and is one of the least expensive countries in Europe to start a company.

Montenegro boasts the lowest headline personal income tax and corporate income tax rates in Europe, both pegged at a flat 9%.

Like many of its western Balkan neighbors, Montenegro has sought to attract business to its small country – population: 620,000 – by lowering tax rates. While almost all of eastern Europe offers rather reasonable tax rates in the teens, Montenegro offers the lowest tax rates and the benefit of a country you might actually want to live in.

Locals know Montenegro as Crna Gora, meaning “black mountain”, but the Italian name stuck and gives the country an air of sexiness by sounding similar to Monaco. Personally, I believe it is a completely stunning place to visit during the summer season, which is why I purchased my beach house for holiday getaway right there, where I relax, do some writing and enjoy the sunsets and Mediterranean cuisine.

Montenegro’s government seems to have played to that notion, inviting foreign investors to develop luxury resorts on its pristine coastline in a bid to be the jewel of the Adriatic Sea. It was enough to attract me to buy a home in Montenegro.

Montenegro allows foreigners who buy residential property to obtain a temporary residence card, renewable yearly. If you spend fewer than 183 days in Montenegro, you will generally not be taxed. If you live in Montenegro the majority of the time, you will become tax resident and be liable to pay the flat 9% rate on your income.

While Montenegro isn’t a zero-tax country for full-time residents, it is a very attractive home base primarily for Europeans seeking a legitimate low-tax residency to appease their home government.

9. PORTUGAL

Even though Portugal is a high tax country, foreigners can take advantage of a ten-year Non-Habitual Resident Tax exemption that exempts up to 100% of their income from Portuguese tax.

Most people don’t associate Portugal with low tax countries.

In most cases, they’re right; Portugal is hardly a tax rate favorable place for the average resident. However, foreigners can take advantage of a ten-year Non-Habitual Resident Tax exemption that exempts up to 100% of their income from Portuguese tax.

While this exemption doesn’t allow you to live in Portugal tax-free forever, it is long enough to allow you to claim Portugal citizenship if you meet the rather lenient physical stay requirements.

The first step to living in Portugal is to obtain Portugal residency; this can be done by purchasing real estate through the well-known Golden Visa program, but can be done more easily by hiring people or by merely proving you have rental income overseas.

There is a catch, though: the most tax-optimized structures won’t qualify for Portugal’s tax exemption. Income from blacklisted tax countries is not subject to exemption, meaning your offshore company in the BVI or Hong Kong won’t work. Substantial tax planning is needed to ensure that all of your business and passive income is structured to eliminate taxes while you live in Portugal.

10. SWITZERLAND

Switzerland was one of the first countries to allow wealthy taxpayers to negotiate a flat annual tax with its cantons

There is no doubt that Switzerland has become less friendly both for immigration and banking in recent years. That said, it is still one of the safest and most respected countries in the world with a location at the heart of Europe. Swiss residency offers an air of legitimacy that many other low-tax residencies can’t match. Foreigners have two residency options to choose from.

The first is to form a new company in Switzerland and hire local employees. This company will pay corporate income tax based on which canton (region) it is incorporated in, and you as the manager will pay Swiss income tax.

The more common and lower tax method to living in Switzerland is the Lump Sum Taxation method, also known as “taxation according to expenditure”. Under this method, a family may move to Switzerland and pay a flat annual tax based on their cost of living rather than their actual income. This has often been described as negotiating a flat tax, and each canton has their own policies.

Generally speaking, expect to pay at least $150,000 and up to $1 million in flat tax each year depending on which canton you want to live in. You will also not be able to legally reside in Zurich. If your income exceeds $1 million each year, maintaining your home and tax residency in Switzerland would give you a moderate tax rate. If your income is in the millions, Switzerland could reduce your tax rate below 10%. While Switzerland is hardly a cheap place to live, it has one of the highest standards of living in the world.

11. UNITED KINGDOM

The UKis far from a tax haven, but there are certain exemptions from the rule when it comes to tax rates, which you can take advantage of if you’re a wealthy entrepreneur.

Like Portugal, the United Kingdom isn’t exactly a haven in terms of low tax countries for all… but it is for a select group of wealthy individuals. By exploiting the difference between domicile and residence, certain foreign citizens can live in London and pay an annual flat tax.

This “non-dom” system has been popularized thanks to Middle Eastern and Russian billionaires who take up residence in the United Kingdom yet claim they are not running their businesses from Kensington. Because their income is a foreign source, it is eligible to be taxed on a remittance basis; keep the income out of the UK and it is not taxed.

Obtaining residency in Britain requires a substantial investment, but for the right person, the tax benefits outweigh the initial costs. Claiming non-dom tax benefits may be free for up to six years, after which the remittance basis charge is anywhere from £30,000 to £90,000 depending on how long you’ve been a resident.

Tax residence in the UK is a highly complicated topic and always worth discussing at length with a tax professional before claiming any benefits, particularly as some non-dom benefits must be claimed in advance.

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newstfionline · 3 years ago

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Thursday, June 24, 2021

World’s most expensive cities for expats in 2021 revealed (CNN) Ashgabat in Turkmenistan is the most expensive city in the world for overseas workers, according to this year’s Mercer Cost of Living Survey. The annual report ranks 209 cities based on the comparative cost of expenses including housing, transportation, food and entertainment, with New York City used as a baseline comparison. The Turkmenistan capital, which was number two on last year’s list, is something of an outlier in the top 10, which mostly features business hubs like Hong Kong (last year’s priciest city and this year’s second priciest), Tokyo (number four for 2021), Zurich (number five for 2021) and Singapore (number seven for 2021). Perhaps the biggest change from last year’s Mercer survey sees Beirut rising from the 45th most expensive city for international workers in 2020 to the third priciest for 2021. Mercer puts this development down to Lebanon’s economic depression, which was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Port of Beirut explosion in August last year. Meanwhile, as the Euro gained almost 11% against the US dollar, European cities were ranked comparatively more expensive than their US counterparts. This led to New York City dropping out of the Mercer top 10 altogether, while Paris climbed the rankings from number 50 in 2020 to number 33 in 2021.

Pressure builds to open U.S.-Canada border (Washington Post) A Florida man takes out ads to call out the U.S. and Canadian governments for failing to lift border restrictions. Lawmakers use salty-ish language. Business owners worry about losing a second lucrative summer season. As restrictions on nonessential travel across the U.S.-Canada land border enter their 16th month this week, pressure is rising on both sides for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Biden to crack it open—even a little—or to provide something, anything, about what a reopening plan might look like. Ottawa on Monday did announce some changes at the border, to start July 5. They’d allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are fully inoculated with a Health Canada-authorized vaccine, and who test negative for covid-19 before and after arrival, to bypass some quarantine and testing requirements. But the announcement means most fully vaccinated foreigners, including Americans, who hope to enter Canada for nonessential purposes are out of luck. And a growing number of lawmakers, residents and business groups on both sides of the world’s longest undefended border are out of patience.

GOP filibuster blocks Democrats’ big voting rights bill (AP) The Democrats’ sweeping attempt to rewrite U.S. election and voting law suffered a major setback in the Senate Tuesday, blocked by a filibuster wall of Republican opposition to what would be the largest overhaul of the electoral system in a generation. The vote leaves the Democrats with no clear path forward, though President Joe Biden declared, “This fight is far from over.” The bill, known as the For the People Act, would touch on virtually every aspect of how elections are conducted, striking down hurdles to voting that advocates view as the Civil Rights fight of the era, while also curbing the influence of money in politics and limiting partisan influence over the drawing of congressional districts. But many in the GOP say the measure represents instead a breathtaking federal infringement on states’ authority to conduct their own elections without fraud—and is meant to ultimately benefit Democrats. The rejection forces Democrats to reckon with what comes next for their top legislative priority in a narrowly divided Senate.

The Cuba embargo (Foreign Policy) The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote to condemn the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba, in a resumption of what has become an annual tradition at the body following a pandemic-related pause in 2020. Up until last year, the assembly had overwhelmingly voted to admonish the United States over the embargo each year since 1992. The United States and Israel tend to be the only two nations to reject the resolution, although Brazil joined them in 2019. The vote coincides with increased U.S. support for a temporary suspension of the embargo during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a recent poll showing 66 percent of Americans surveyed supporting a suspension in order for Cuba to export its home-grown vaccines. On Monday, Cuba announced that its Abdala vaccine—one of several vaccine candidates—was roughly 92 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 infection.

France’s Macron Pushes Controls on Religion to Pressure Mosques (WSJ) President Emmanuel Macron is redrawing the line that separates religion and state, in a battle to force Islamic organizations into the mold of French secularism. In recent months, his administration has ousted the leadership of a mosque after temporarily closing it and poring over its finances. Another mosque gave up millions in subsidies after the government pressured local officials over the funding. A dozen other mosques have faced orders to close temporarily for safety or fire-code violations. The government has taken these actions as a precursor to a much broader push to rein in the independence of mosques and other religious organizations across France. Mr. Macron has submitted a bill to Parliament, called the Law Reinforcing Respect of the Principles of the Republic, that would empower the government to permanently close houses of worship and dissolve religious organizations, without court order, if it finds that any of their members are provoking violence or inciting hatred. In addition, the bill would allow temporary closure of any religious group that spreads ideas that incite hatred or violence. Religious organizations would have to obtain government permits every five years to continue operating, and have their accounts certified annually if they receive foreign funding.

Can pandemic recovery plan end Italy’s years of stagnation? (AP) The COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy especially hard, killing more than 127,000 people and sending the European Union’s third-largest economy into a devastating tailspin. Yet out of that tragedy may come solutions for decades-old problems that have held back growth and productivity—and with them, a new sense of stability for the euro, the currency shared by 19 of the European Union’s 27 members. Backed by 261 billion euros from the EU and Italian government, the country’s plan for recovering from the pandemic calls for a top-to-bottom shakeup of a major industrial economy long hampered by red tape, political reluctance to change, and bureaucratic and educational inertia. The challenge is formidable: Italy has failed to show robust growth in the more than two decades since it joined the euro currency union in 1999. Execution of the recovery plan remains a risk given Italy’s often-fractious politics. But “if they succeed with even half, it will have a big impact,” said Guntram Wolff, director of the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

Militias in Afghanistan’s north are taking up the fight against the Taliban (Washington Post) A sweeping Taliban offensive across northern Afghanistan, unchecked by overstretched government forces, has triggered a sudden resurgence of anti-Taliban militias in half a dozen provinces, raising concerns that the country could plunge into a prolonged civil war. President Ashraf Ghani has endorsed the sudden call to arms by former ethnic rival groups. The Ghani government hopes the added support will shore up the beleaguered national defense forces, which have struggled to send reinforcements and supplies to troops facing repeated Taliban attacks. But the prospect of unleashing a hodgepodge of rogue warriors to repel their old enemies also raises the specter of civil war, a state of violent anarchy that Afghans remember all too well from the 1990s. And although the armed groups have pledged to coordinate with government forces, it is also possible that effort could unravel into confused, competing clashes among purported allies. In the past several days, fighting has been reported in nine provinces across the north, and armed militias or civilian groups have formed to repel the insurgents, often fighting alongside state forces. All are loyal to local leaders from minority Tajik, Uzbek or other ethnic groups that have no love for Ghani, a member of the dominant ethnic Pashtun group based in southern Afghanistan.

China prepares for Communist Party centenary in secret (AP) Chinese authorities have closed Beijing’s central Tiananmen Square to the public, eight days ahead of a major celebration being planned to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party. The square, which normally attracts tourists from around the country, was barricaded Wednesday and will remain closed until July 2. The party will showcase the country’s rise from civil war and disastrous political campaigns in the early years of communist rule to market reforms that have created the world’s second largest economy, with a superpower status rivaled only by the United States. Old habits die hard, however, and arrangements for the July 1 anniversary remain shrouded in secrecy. Around Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City former palace complex and other scenic sites are also closed. Flyovers by air force squadrons suggest an aerial review is in the planning, but authorities have yet to release details. The ruling party was established in secrecy in 1921, following the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1912. It held its first session at a girl’s school in Shanghai, and later moved to a lake boat to evade agents of the local warlord.

Apple Daily Shuts Down (Foreign Policy) On Wednesday, crowds of Hong Kong residents gathered in support outside the headquarters of Apple Daily, one of the last bastions of media resistance to Beijing, as it sent its final edition to print. The paper announced it would close after the arrests of senior leadership this week under the draconian national security law introduced last year. Banks froze the newspaper’s assets to avoid being charged themselves. The rollout of the national security law has seen successive groups targeted: first protest leaders, then democratic politicians, and now journalists. More than 800 Apple Daily staff have lost their jobs while Hong Kong has lost its long-cherished freedom of speech. But the impact of the closure goes far beyond journalism in Hong Kong. Each move like this raises the stakes for other sectors, especially academia and entertainment. Any challenge to the government has become a risk, making self-censorship even more likely. This kind of sweeping coercion has long been the norm on the mainland; in Hong Kong, it provides more proof China has shattered its promise to maintain “One Country, Two Systems” until 2047.

Tokyo shapes up to be No-Fun Olympics (AP) The Tokyo Olympics, already delayed by the pandemic, are not looking like much fun: Not for athletes. Not for fans. And not for the Japanese public. They are caught between concerns about the coronavirus at a time when few are vaccinated on one side and politicians who hope to save face by holding the games and the International Olympic Committee with billions of dollars on the line on the other. Japan is famous for running on consensus. But the decision to proceed with the Olympics—and this week to permit some fans, if only locals—has shredded it. The official cost of the Tokyo Olympics is $15.4 billion, but government audits suggest it’s twice that. All but $6.7 billion is public money. The IOC chips in only about $1.5 billion to the overall cost. The pressure to hold the games is largely financial for the Switzerland-based IOC, a nonprofit but highly commercial body that earns 91% of its income from broadcast rights and sponsorship.

World Powers Gather for Libya Conference (Foreign Policy) World powers gather today in Berlin to discuss a path forward for Libya, ten years after a NATO-led coalition helped oust former leader Muammar al-Qaddafi and eight months since warring factions agreed to a cease-fire in the country’s six-year civil war. The group of countries last met in January 2020. Since then, the October cease-fire has been followed by the selection in February of a transitional government. Today’s discussion will focus on the next steps in Libya’s transition, including preparations for elections in December and the removal of foreign fighters still active in the country. According to United Nations estimates, more than 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries from Syria, Russia, Sudan, and Chad remain in Libya. Although today’s meeting is a time to improve on positive developments, Libya is still far from a functioning state. Nearly 20 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, and the country remains a magnet for human traffickers as they move desperate migrants across the Mediterranean and into Europe.

Witnesses say airstrike in Ethiopia's Tigray kills dozens (AP) An airstrike hit a busy market in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray village of Togoga on Tuesday, according to health workers who said soldiers blocked medical teams from traveling to the scene. Dozens of people were killed, they and a former resident said, citing witnesses. Two doctors and a nurse in Tigray’s regional capital, Mekele, told The Associated Press they were unable to confirm how many people were killed, but one doctor said health workers at the scene reported “more than 80 civilian deaths.” The health workers spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The alleged airstrike comes amid some of the fiercest fighting in the Tigray region since the conflict began in November as Ethiopian forces supported by those from neighboring Eritrea pursue Tigray’s former leaders.

No laundry day in space (AP) On the International Space Station, there is no such thing as laundry day. Right now, an astronaut needs about 150 pounds of clothes in space per year, and will wear their clothes—gym, underwear, all of it—until they cannot stand the smell, and then throw the clothes away, ejecting the shirts to eventually burn up in the atmosphere. A new study, a collaboration between NASA and Procter & Gamble Co., will attempt to find a good way to clean clothes in space.

#headlines #news

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bitcointoeuro01 · 4 years ago

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Bitcoins - Should You Use Them?

Bitcoin was dispatched as a private drive in 2009. In contrast to conventional monetary standards, like the Euro, Sterling and Dollar, it isn't constrained by a focal financial power. All things being equal, it is supported by a distributed organization of its clients' PCs. This is like how Skype, a video visit administration, works.

The fundamental unit of significant worth is the bitcoin. Anyway each bitcoin can be partitioned into satoshies. One satoshi is equivalent to 100 millionth of a bitcoin (ie, a bitcoin isolated to eight decimal spots).

Bitcoins and satoshies can be moved starting with one web client then onto the next to pay for merchandise or administrations at basically zero expense. This permits you to make global exchanges without playing with trade rates and burdensome bank charges. Bitcoins can be purchased and sold for customary money at exceptional trades.

Bitcoin wallets

To utilize Bitcoin, you need a wallet, an uncommon piece of programming where you store, send and get bitcoins. There are three sorts of wallets, programming wallets, portable wallets and web wallets.

Programming wallets are introduced on your PC and they give you full power over your wallet. Portable wallets are introduced in your cell phone or tablet and permit you to utilize Bitcoin for day by day exchanges in shops and grocery stores by examining a speedy reaction (QR) code. Web wallets are situated on the World Wide Web, ie they are a type of distributed storage.

Installments utilizing bitcoins are really simple. They can be produced using wallets on your PC or cell phone just by entering the recipient's location, the sum and afterward squeezing send. Cell phones can likewise acquire a beneficiary's location by examining a QR code or by bringing two telephones that contain close field-correspondence (NFC) innovation, a type of radio correspondence, near one another.

Getting installments is comparably simple... you should simply give the payer your bitcoin address.

Ensuring your wallet

A bitcoin wallet resembles a wallet brimming with cash. To decrease the danger of misfortune, you should keep just limited quantities of bitcoins in your PC or cell phone and keep the majority of your bitcoins in a more secure climate, for example, a disconnected wallet. Given your wallet has been encoded, a disconnected back-up will permit you to recuperate your wallet, should your PC or cell phone be taken.

Encoding your wallet permits you to set a secret phrase that should be contribution before assets can be removed. In any case, recuperating a bitcoin secret key is unthinkable in the event that it is lost. That is the reason you should be certain beyond a shadow of a doubt you can recollect your secret key. On the off chance that the worth of your bitcoins is huge, you could store the secret phrase in a bank vault or any place you store significant papers.

To be just about as secure as could really be expected, you should store disconnected back-ups in a few areas utilizing different media, for example, USB streak drives and CDs.

Since bitcoin runs on programming you download to your (PC or PC) or cell phone, you need to refresh this product consistently to guard your wallets and exchanges.

Benefits of bitcoins

Bitcoins enjoy a few critical benefits:

1-you can send and get boundless measures of cash immediately whenever to and from anyplace on the planet.

2-handling doesn't cost any charges or without a doubt, little expenses.

3-bitcoin exchanges are irreversible, which shields venders from the fake chargebacks that are progressively normal with Mastercards.

4-installments are made without individual data being traded, which gives solid insurance against fraud.

5-the receipt and installment measure is totally unbiased, straightforward and unsurprising.

Hindrances of bitcoins

Nonetheless, utilizing bitcoins has a few detriments:

1-they are not yet acknowledged all around and accordingly can't be utilized all over.

2-their worth is unstable in light of the fact that the quantity of bitcoins available for use is tiny so moderately little exchanges can influence their cost fundamentally.

Would it be advisable for you to utilize bitcoins?

The short answer is NO or, in any event, not in a significant way yet.

Bitcoins are fungible resources with sturdiness, transportability, detachability and shortage, ie they have every one of the qualities of customary cash (Euros, Dollars, Pounds and so on) They have esteem so they can be traded for different monetary standards at trades.

In that lies the peril. There are times when the worth of the bitcoin can vary generally, by half in one day. Thus, as a store of significant worth, they are not for the cowardly. At the end of the day, you ought not have more cash than you can stand to lose as bitcoins.

Anyway a wallet with modest quantities of bitcoin in it very well may be utilized for minor everyday exchanges which would help acquaint you with web monetary standards. As the measure of bitcoins available for use expands, their worth viz-a-viz different monetary standards ought to balance out and you can begin utilizing them for bigger exchanges. Read more info here bitcoin to euro

#bitcoin to euro

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earaercircular · 3 years ago

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The obstacle course to 'green' Lego blocks

Lego has made a block out of recycled PET for the first time. A new step in the complex search for more sustainable variants of his iconic plastic toys, involving universities and companies such as Avantium[1], Indaver[2] and Ineos[3]. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is a type of plastic that is typically used to make soft drink bottles. “Through recycling, we can now make about eight classic Lego blocks from one such discarded bottle,” says Tim Brooks, sustainability director at the Danish company, as he shows a gray prototype. “It is the first time that we use PET as a raw material.”

Founded in 1916, Lego switched from wood to plastic to make toys in 1947. In 1958 it patented its typical building block: round studs at the top and hollow at the bottom. It conquered the world. The formula for success? Nearly indestructible blocks, with dimensions accurate to the hundredth of a millimeter so that all pieces from each set, from the 1970s to the present, click perfectly together and can be taken apart again. Time after time.

The essence

Lego makes 3,500 types of building elements, all of which it sells nearly 100 billion units a year. It uses 20 types of plastic for this, but 80 percent is made from the ultra-strong petroleum derivative ABS[4]. By 2030, Lego wants to switch completely to sustainable materials: recycled plastic or bioplastic. Lego is the largest toy manufacturer in Europe. In 2020, the company posted a turnover of 5.9 billion euros (+13 percent) and a net profit of 1.3 billion euros (+19 percent).

Half a billion

Technically ideal, but in times of growing environmental awareness and the pursuit of CO2 neutrality, this is by no means the way forward. It takes 2 kilograms of petroleum to make 1 kilogram of ABS. Not ideal for the reputation of a company that focuses on future generations. In interviews, CEO Niels Christiansen repeatedly said that he receives letters from young Lego fans who are concerned about the climate. So Lego announced a strategic shift in 2015: by 2030, the company only wants to use 'sustainable' raw materials for its toys. Do not read: no more plastic, but read: greener plastic. “There are two ways to do that,” Brooks says. “Or with more sustainable raw materials. So no plastics based on petroleum derivatives, but based on biological materials, such as plants, algae or even coffee residue. Or by recycling plastic. I estimate that will be the most important part.”

To make the change, Lego set up a Sustainable Materials Center in its Danish home base Billund, which now employs about 150 people. Since 2015, nearly half a billion euros in investments in research and development have been announced. “We do a lot ourselves. For the recycled PET, we ourselves looked for additional ingredients in the process. But of course we also work together with universities and a few dozen companies.”

Antwerp

There is ABSolutely Circular[5], for example, a European research project of chemical company Ineos - an important supplier of Lego anyway - and the Flemish environmental technology company Indaver for recycled ABS. In mid-July 2021 the first 10 kilograms of this were made at Ineos in Cologne. In a next step, there will be a small production in Antwerp, with a Lego block as a pilot product. Another example: Lego, together with the detergent manufacturer Henkel and the beer brewer Carlsberg, joined PEFerence[6], a project led by the Brussels-listed green chemical company Avantium to develop biological plastics. Partnerships are also underway with consumer goods groups Danone, L'Oréal and Bic and tire manufacturer Michelin. This is gradually producing the first results. In 2018, Lego presented a first small collection made of polyethylene based on sugar cane. It was a set of trees, plants and dragon wings. “These are more flexible elements,” explains Brooks, 'because it is a softer material that is not suitable for the hard blocks.'

The sugar cane cubes were an important milestone, but hardly the major turnaround. The material is suitable for barely 2 percent of the supply. But now there is a prototype made from recycled PET, which could possibly be used on a larger scale. Brooks doesn't want to put a number on that. “As much as possible, of course. But we still need to take steps to increase production. We hope to have the material effectively on the market in 18 to 24 months.”

Sweat

“The cover is very complex,” he explains. “Whoever makes children's toys cannot compromise on quality or safety. We go far into that. We test whether our blocks are resistant to sweat or saliva.” Lego simulates in tests the effect of biting with a force of 22.5 kilograms on a block. And whether nothing breaks off the block if it is crushed under a metal disc. "It shouldn't scratch or change shape or color if left in the sun for a long time." The challenge is then that the 'green' blocks have the same color and shine, even make the same sound. And above all: with the perfect coupling. “Our company is literally built on blocks that stick together and at the same time are easy to disassemble. That requires material with extreme precision. We have been perfecting ABS for fifty years. We are not there yet with the alternatives.” All kinds of problems arise in the experiments: the blocks shrink during production.

Source

STEPHANIE DE SMEDT, De Tijd, 23 juni 2021 https://www.tijd.be/de-tijd-vooruit/innovatie/het-hindernissenparcours-naar-groene-lego-blokjes/10315509.html

[1] https://www.brightlands.com/brightlands-chemelot-campus/companies-institutes/companies/company/avantium Avantium is a pioneer in the emerging industry of renewable and sustainable chemistry. [2] https://www.indaver.com/be-en/home/ Indaver – a European player with facilities and operations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland – manages and treats industrial and household waste in specialist facilities for businesses, waste collectors and governments. It recovers valuable raw materials from this waste that can replace primary raw materials. [3] https://www.ineos.com/ INEOS is a global chemical company. Its products touch every aspect of modern day life. It comprises 36 businesses with 194 sites in 29 countries throughout the world. [4] Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a common thermoplastic polymer. ABS provides favorable mechanical properties such as impact resistance, toughness, and rigidity when compared with other common polymers. [5] https://absolutely-circular.com/ The project, called LIFE ABSolutely Circular aims at demonstrating the environmental and economic benefits of using advanced recycling technologies to close the loop of plastic recycling. An initial key objective of the project is to demonstrate for the first time the production of ABS based on recycled feedstock taking advantage of advanced recycling technologies. [6] https://peference.eu/ PEFerence will establish a unique, industrial scale, cost-effective bioreﬁnery flagship plant producing FDCA (furan dicarboxylic acid), a bio-based building block to produce high value products. Bio-based FDCA can be used to make a wide range of chemicals and polymers such as polyesters, polyamides, coating resins and plasticizers and, crucially, can also be used to make PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a 100 % bio-based polyester used to make bottles, films and fibres.

#circular economy #recycled PET bottles

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simpleforexstrategy · 4 years ago

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Forex Lawyers Advise About Forex Trading

The forex trading market is a 24 hour per day, seven days per week, worldwide market where one currency is traded for another. This market determines international exchange rates for each major currency. It includes all the aspects of trading, buying and selling currencies in current or predicted prices. You can buy, sell and trade currencies from any corner of the world. With the help of online brokers, you can buy, sell and trade currencies with ease and comfort.

Forex has a lot of advantages. It is one of the safest methods of investment nowadays. It is also a leveraged instrument. Leverage implies that an investor has more buying power when compared to his selling capacity. The Forex market has a maximum trading volume of 5 trillion dollars daily.

There are many advantages in forex trading. Forex is the largest financial market in the world and handles a major part of the global trade. It is not only used for Forex trading, but also for trading in other currencies like: the U.S. dollar, Great Britain pound, Japanese yen, Euro, Swiss franc and others. The following is an in depth insight on how the Forex works.

In forex trading, one currency is traded for another in pairs. A particular pair of currency represents the trade of two specific countries. When a country's currency is stronger than another country's currency, then it means that the latter is selling its currency and buying that of the first country in which it is strong.

Successful traders always make use of some tricks and strategies that help them win trades. One of the most popular of these strategies is known as the cross-margin account or the FXCM. The FXCM is designed to make successful traders earn a lot of profits in a short period of time. This helps them achieve their financial goals. Click over here Simple Forex Strategy

The major part of this strategy involves the purchase of one currency and the sale of another. However, there are some traders who hold a variety of currencies simultaneously. These traders are said to be masters of the forex trading. They can buy one currency and sell another simultaneously.

For those who want to learn about the FXCM, there are various sites that provide information about it. But you should be aware of the fact that there are many more websites that try to sell their products at any cost. Some of these websites may provide useful information but you should also be careful. It is important that you choose a reliable source so that you do not end up in scams.

In forex there are two types of leverages. The one is known as short term and the other long term. A short term leverage has less risk, whereas the long term leverages allow you to earn high interest. With the use of automated forex robots, you can also work with leverage levels. There are many forex traders who use leverage and earn more profits than their counterparts.

The Forex Megadroid is a robot that has been designed to make your life easy. This is the reason that many people are asking about how they can become successful traders. The Forex Megadroid helps you enter the forex market with ease. Its artificial intelligence helps the robot to understand the process and trends of the currency market. You do not need any experience or any prior knowledge to start trading with this robot.

The Forex Megadroid robot is capable of predicting the currency trends and then trades them on your behalf accordingly. It uses the RCPTA or the Reverse Correlated Time and Price Analysis technology. It enables the robot to gather data about past successful currency transaction and then applies this data to the current forex transaction. It then makes predictions about the future trends of the currencies. If you are interested in earning profits from the forex transaction, you need to have a higher level of leverage. With a leverage level of five percent, you can trade using much bigger amounts of money than you could in the traditional forex transactions.

Forex lawyers help you get involved in these trades without any risk. They collect the necessary information from the traders and then pass it on to you so that you know if you are dealing with a reputable dealer or not. Forex brokers earn high yield by facilitating these trades but there is also a high risk factor involved. If you are not confident about the dealer, you should move on to a new dealer.

Forex traders are constantly looking for tips and advice from forex lawyers and expert traders to avoid being cheated by the dealers. Traders have become very intelligent and it is now possible to converse with the dealer by using online tools. According to the foreign exchange experts, you can be a successful trader if you stay away from the scammers and only deal with legitimate companies. These companies employ more professionals who work day and night to ensure that the transactions are carried on smoothly. These professionals will inform you of the scam dealers who have used force and frauds to dupe the novice traders.

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cantwaitblog · 4 years ago

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Studying Abroad in London? Tips and Tricks for Thriving on a Student Budget!

In terms of partying, beauty, and entertainment, London is actually hiding a very important secret that not many people realize - if you're smart about it it's cheap! Here are the best, lesser known tricks to living a budget-friendly life studying abroad, while not sacrificing any fun.

1. Design My Night

Design My Night is a UK nightlife guide where you can discover bars, restaurants, pubs and events. Ranging from boozy brunches in a ball pit to a nice dinner by the Hudson - this website has everything. And the best part is, it has special student deals it advertises, most events don't even cost above 10£. On top of that, some events/venues offer free food or drinks when buying the vouchers from here. Overall, this website is a great way not only to know whats going on, but also for cheap tickets and entry.

2. Club Emails

Now this one may seem surprising, and it was something I stumbled upon completely randomly. All of the biggest clubs in London have email newsletters - and signing up will save you many £££. If you've heard of Ministry of Sound, Egg, and The Gallery, just to name a few, signing up is a lifesaver. Often times, these clubs will send out early access tickets which are cheaper, or even just free tickets. During Easter, I scored 10 free tickets to Ministry of Sound, which has been named the most popular club in the UK, and it was one of the best nights ever! Sometimes they'll even have raffles for tables at clubs. Normally, each club entry is around 20£ per person, so this is the smartest way to get into big night clubs that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere before!

3. Student Nights at Bars

Along with the emails, bars often have student nights. They're normally during the week - but we're studying abroad so it doesn't really matter right? During these nights entry is usually no more than 5£ and they have great drink deals. Here are a few of popular student nights:

Picadilly Instritute Throwback Thursdays: 8£ and 4£ jagerbombs + more

Roxy Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 4£ entry + happy hour all night like half priced pitchers

Cargo Tuesdays and Wednesday: FREE Entry and £2.50 drinks all night!!

4. Treatwell

If someone asked me what was the most surprising thing I found living in London, it would be this website. Treatwell is almost too good to be true! It has offers and discounts for every beauty service you could image. If you are someone who gets their nails done every two weeks, you'll actually save in London. I would get high quality full sets for 15£. Sometimes you may have to travel far out into zone 2, but hey its so worth it, and the double-decker bus rides were very enjoyable.

5. Travel Smart - Do the Math!

The last tip I want to share is assuming your going to want to explore the rest of Europe. Usually this includes flying EasyJet and Ryan Air for the cheapest flights , which honestly is not that bad in my opinion. The most inconvenient part about the ordeal is usually these airports include Stanstead or Gatwick Airport. Normally you can use the National Express Coach bus to get to these locations, however depending on how many people you are traveling with Uber could be cheaper! With six people coming back from Stanstead airport our Uber split between us was only 15£ compared to the 25£ for the bus. The train is even more costly at 30£ each way. When traveling throughout Europe, try FlixBus if your locations are close instead of flying! My friends and I took a 4 hour bus from Prague to Vienna for only 15 euros. It's a great way to see the country and taking buses saves airport transportation fees too, since buses usually travel from city center to city center. Costs add up so it is important you consider all the options when planning your trips.

I hope these tips were new and helpful. Currently, amidst Covid-19, I understand many people's study abroad plans have been halted or uncertainly suspended. I hope that we as a society, will rebound from this better than ever, and that those who are looking forward to studying abroad in London are able to go and enjoy their time there. Studying abroad in London was an amazing experience, so make sure to make the most of it. Saving and being cost efficient can help you enjoy more adventures inside the UK and out!

#london #uk #study abroad #study #study tips #travel tips #travel #travel blog #journey #experiences #adventure #student #budget #budget travel #travel cheap #cheap #saving

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scifigeneration · 5 years ago

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New technologies to recycle electronic waste

by Jean-Christophe P. Gabriel

Pulsed extraction column (normally positioned vertically). JCP Gabriel, CEA Marcoule DES/ISEC/DMRC

Our connected consumer society generates a lot of electronic waste, around 50 million tonnes per year worldwide. It is even currently the waste that shows the strongest growth from one year to the next. The value of the raw materials included in this waste is estimated at 50-60 billion euros, depending on materials prices. Legislation and recycling channels for this waste are organised in many countries, thanks to extended producer responsibility systems, but currently only 20% is recycled in a certified process . In addition, of the sixty chemical elements present in electronic waste, only a minority is recycled, ten in number_: gold, silver, platinum, cobalt, tin, copper, iron, aluminium and lead). Everything else ends up _ in fine_ wasted in landfills.

The ideal, from the point of view of the circular economy, would be on the one hand to prolong as much as possible the lifespan of these electronic devices, in particular by prolonging the first use, and on the other hand to facilitate and favour reuse or repair. The fact remains that these landfills represent real “urban mines”: potential deposits for those who know how to exploit them.

How do we deal with electronic waste?

Recycling electronic waste means separating materials, molecules or chemical elements, so that they can be sold as raw materials for the manufacture of new products. First you have to dismantle the devices and components, sort them, grind them, and finally separate the materials, most often by incineration and then by solution based chemical processes.

Getting more chemicals from the urban mine is easier said than done. Electronic waste is very varied in nature and is often mixed with other types of wastes. The composition of the waste to be treated therefore varies from one shovel of waste incinerator’s ash or from one batch of waste to another. This contrasts with the exploitation of a “traditional” mine where the composition of the ore is much simpler and constant, at least in comparison.

The chemist is faced with an extremely complex separation problem. This partly explains why the recycling industry is currently focusing on the most concentrated or economically attractive metals to recover, hence the list above.

New strategy: dismantle, sort, grind, dissolve

Sorting aims to minimize the chemical complexity of the mixture to be treated, as well as its variability. It can be done at all scales: that of the device (type, generation), of its modules (printed circuits, batteries, external envelopes, frames, etc.), of their elementary electronic components (cables, resistances, capacities, chips, bare boards etc.), or even at the level of the powder resulting from grinding, which can be carried out on all the scales described.

The complete disassembly of devices is theoretically the most effective approach. But, due to the multiplicity and complexity of equipment, it’s difficult to automate this step: disassembly is still mainly carried out manually, which means that its cost is often too high to allow sorting down to the level of the elementary components.

Consequently, the most common approach among recyclers (MTB, Paprec, Véolia), before any chemical treatment, is the grinding at the scale of the device or its modules, followed by steps of separation of the particles by physical methods using the differences in densities or magnetic properties. Depending on the purity of the powders obtained, thermal or chemical treatments are then used to refine the composition of the final products.

Pulsed extraction column, 5 cm diameter. JCP Gabriel, CEA Marcoule DES/ISEC/DMRC, Author provided

In the latter case, the most used process of separation in solution of chemical elements is the so-called liquid-liquid extraction. It usually consists first of dissolving the metals or their oxides in an acid (for example nitric acid), then making an emulsion, that is to say the equivalent of a French vinaigrette. The acid solution (“vinegar”) is vigorously mixed with an organic solvent (such as kerosene, “oil”) in an extraction column and one or more molecules (“mustard”) having the property of promoting the transfer of certain metals (“flavours”) from acid to solvent. As this separation step is rarely perfect, it is repeated in series in order to reach the desired purity levels. Several dozen, even several hundred, successive extractions are sometimes necessary to achieve the desired purity.

Optimising the costs and efficiency of such processes requires the study of the influence of a very large number of parameters (for example, the concentrations of chemical species, acidity, temperature, etc.) in order to define the combination which represents the best compromise.

New processes to increase the recycling rate

In the laboratory SCARCE, we are working on new processes which will ultimately allow “ increase the number of chemical elements recycled and increase their recycling rates: on the one hand with mechanical processes (automation of disassembly and sorting), on the other hand with chemical extraction processes in solution.

For example, as we have seen, the chemical composition of electronic waste is very variable. The development of an extraction process, for a specific chemical composition, can easily take five to ten years of research and optimization and the adaptation of an existing process to a new composition (for example a new metal) requires several months to several years. This is hardly compatible with the volumes of waste, the resources and the time available for recycling waste.

Microscopic piping to optimize the extraction of elements

To reduce the time and cost of developing new extraction processes, we have miniaturized and integrated in a single device microfluidics automated all the equipment necessary for a process study. In a microfluidic device, the piping is smaller than a millimetre (in our case 100 µm thick, the thickness of two hairs or less). This allows very small amounts of material to be used: a few microliters of solvents and acids instead of millilitres, and a few milligrams of chemical compounds instead of grams. With the integration of analysis methods (X-rays, infrared and sensors), we can study the different combinations of parameters continuously, automatically and quickly. This allows us to do a study in a few days which can normally take up to several months.

Elemental component of the 5 cm side extraction microfluidic chip. Fluids flow through the half-pipe in a zigzag pattern and the chemical elements pass through a membrane sandwiched between two such components. The piping, pumps and analysis modules, e.g. infrared, are added. A. El Mangaar, JCP Gabriel, CEA, Author provided

Additional advantage of microfluidics compared to a conventional device: we better understand the phenomena of transfers of chemical elements at the interface between water and oil. Indeed, we control both the exchange surface between water and oil thanks to the use of a porous membranes, as well as the contact time between the two phases, which are pushed into the microfluidic channels using computer controlled syringe pumps. Material flows can then be calculated precisely.

Recovery of rare earths: precious and little recycled materials

This approach recently allowed us to study the extraction of strategic metals found in mobile phones. These metals, essential in modern technologies, are produced mainly in China and are little recycled at present – under 5%. This is all the more unfortunate as their production is very expensive and can pose societal and environmental problems.

Our results show that the combination of two specific extracting molecules makes it possible to extract rare earths with an efficiency almost 100 times greater than the efficiency of extractions with the molecules used separately. In addition, we have demonstrated efficient extraction at acid concentrations 10 to 100 times lower than those used in industry, which generates less pollution. We have also identified combinations of parameters that make it possible to separate the rare earths much more efficiently from each other, which is conventionally very difficult to achieve in a few steps. We are now studying the transposition of these results, obtained on a very small scale, to that of the industrial production tool.

Finally, our microfluidic approach is modular which means that each of the modules can find its usefulness in other cases, for example, the liquid-liquid extraction module can be useful for the study of processes of extraction of organic molecules (essential oils); or the infrared spectroscopy module for online monitoring of agrifood or pharmaceutical processes. It allows you to determine the amount of unbound water – it is the water that surrounds the molecules that are dissolved in it, but that do not interact with them, a key parameter to follow in many formulations of these industries.

About The Author:

Jean-Christophe P. Gabriel, Directeur de Recherche au CEA (IRAMIS/NIMBE de Saclay) et Professeur invité à NTU/ERI@N (Singapour), Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)

This article is republished from our content partners over at The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

#technology #chemistry #recylcing

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chronicparagon · 4 years ago

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Free Verse

I decided to move this to its own post to keep verses better organized and make Harmony’s information versatile.

The profile for Harmony’s Free verse is below.

NAME: Harmony Halcyon NICKNAMES: Harm, Har, Harmy, Ha-chan, Har-chan, Mato Ciqana (by her family, which means Little Bear).

Her nickname in her family changes to Mato when she inherits her grandfather’s Lakota name in honor of graduating from high school. AGE: Varies by verse between 18 years to 26 years. Default age is 19-20. POSITION: Default verse is a university student majoring in nursing and member of the swim club. Becomes a certified midwife nurse later on. RESIDENCE: Grew up on the Black Hawk Reservation in Montana, United States. Her current location depends on the verse. FAMILY: Destiny Halcyon (mother), Lucas Halcyon (father), Issac “Mato” Halcyon (grandfather, deceased). NOTE: Mato means bear or fiercely angry in the Lakota language. Harmony’s relatives are found here: LINK

ETHNICITY: Native American (enrolled member of the Lakota) Note: She’s half Lakota Sioux, a quarter Crow (the Crow Nation), and a quarter Euro-American (Irish and British). SEXUALITY: Pansexual

RESIDENCE: Grew up on the Black Hawk Reservation in Montana, United States. She moves to Yokota Air Force Base near Tokyo before relocating to Iwatobi when her father retired from the Air Force.

IMAGE COLOR: Turquoise MOTIF ANIMAL: Grizzly bear SWIMMING STYLE: Butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle (crawl)

Reference

Art made by Yohao88

Appearance: Her long hair is dark brown, sometimes mistaken as black with long bangs and gray eyes. Harmony stands about 5 foot 4 inches (162.5 cm) who is toned due to working out with a pear-shaped figure. Her weight fluctuates between 135-140 pounds (61.2- 63.5 kg).

Her style varies. Compared to many girls in Iwatobi, Harmony is deemed to be a bigger girl due to her figure and musculature. Harmony is a member of the Lakota tribe from her father’s side. It was a goodbye present from her grandfather before leaving Black Hawk.

Harmony has three piercings. One on each ear lobe and she has a piercing on her tongue. When she swims, the piercings are replaced with retainers.

She also has features indicating her motif. Harmony has sharper canines to resemble a grizzly bear’s teeth. Hidden beneath her clothing are ghastly scars over her body. Her upper back, right shoulder from childhood. Growing up, there’s a reason why she opts to wear long sleeves. By the time she turned eighteen, Harmony received a tattoo on her upper back of an eagle.

Note: Due to cultural norms, Harmony would conceal the tattoo in public in Japan. in other verses where she is located elsewhere, she would be more likely to reveal her tattoo and scars.

More information for it can be found here: Link

PERSONALITY: Generally, Harmony a shy girl who can get excited on occasion. This can be off-putting to other people, especially if she just met them. It makes her come off as socially awkward. Most of the time, she’s more reserved, often in the background. She fears that people won’t like her because of the color of her skin, her name, or the scars she hides. This makes her have little confidence in herself. It will take time for Harmony to warm up to someone. Once she does, she’s sweet, even affectionate. Her most noticeable traits are her kindness, being polite, and quiet nature. Much like a grizzly bear, she can be fierce, which may be a bit scary. It occurs when she witnesses injustice or when her friends are in trouble. This is a little bit of a contrast to what she was like living in Tokyo prior to moving to Iwatobi. She was more belligerent and had a habit of getting herself into trouble. This is explained more in detail to what brought this on in her full backstory, which is further down the profile. She’s stubborn, sometimes this can do more harm than good. Harmony means well, but even after living in Japan for several years, she still has much to learn and a lot to adjust to. Harmony is dedicated, sticking to her tasks to the end. The last thing she wants to do is let anyone down.

BASIC MEDICAL INFORMATION BLOOD TYPE O+ MENTAL DISORDERS: Depression, anxiety, insomnia MEDICAL PROBLEMS: Scars, family history of Type II diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disorders (tied to diabetes). More information can be found here: LINK

STATUSES CURRENT STATUS: Stamina: 4/5 Body: 4/5 Mental strength: 2/5 Water repellency: 3/5 Logic: 3/5 Courage: 4/5 EXPECTED STATUS: Stamina: 5/5 Body: 5/5 Mental strength: 5/5 Water repellency: 5/5 Logic: 5/5 Courage: 6/5

FULL BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Triggers: Fire, racism, xenophobia, death

Harmony Halcyon was born and raised in Montana. Her parents owned a small bison ranch, and she used to spend her days helping her parents and riding her horse to endless plains. She loved the mountains that stand in the distance and the sky was open, limitless. As a child, she spent time with her paternal grandfather. He often told her various stories from legends passed down between generations and humorous misadventures of himself and his sisters as children.

She had a Karelian bear dog named Sedona and a paint mare, Mojave. She used to take long horseback riding through the trails in the neighboring forest. Harmony was a happy child.

.Unfortunately, her life would dramatically change. Harmony was a child when her parents lost everything. It all started with fire. It grew and ravaged the wilderness, stretching far and wide. The Halcyons couldn’t save their home. The fire surrounded Harmony who was riding Mojave on their way home with Sedona in tow. The raging fire scared the horse, and the girl fell from Mojave’s back. She was trapped in the fire. A burning tree strikes her down, pinning her to the scorched ground. A desperate attempt to free herself burned her right hand and arm. Burning debris fell upon the girl.

She couldn’t escape.But she wasn’t alone. Sedona desperately dug at the pile of fallen branches and ash. The dog pulled Harmony out and to the edge of a lake away from the smoke. Sedona left her, only to return with a rescue team following her. If it wasn’t for her Sedona, Harmony wouldn’t have survived. Mojave’s return without Harmony warned her parents and they acted quickly, only to find that rescuers found their daughter and was transported for burn treatments. The burns would remain as scars on her skin. Harmony struggled when she became ill from infections, a result of the burns. In the end, Harmony would pull through. But the same could not be said for the stability her family had.

The wildfire took everything. The herd was killed by the flames and stifling fumes. Harmony’s home engulfed by flames. It almost claimed her life.All that was left was her family, Mojave, Sedona, and a few of their belongings.

.The Halcyons had nowhere to go and the hospital bill was high, Indian Health Service couldn’t help cover all the costs. Employment was difficult to come by in Black Hawk. No one in their small town would hire them, except two Air Force recruiters who met Harmony’s father, Lucas. He took a chance that day. He enlisted and soon found out he must go to Yokota Base near Tokyo, Japan. The family made sacrifices before leaving the United States. Harmony’s heart broke when her parents sold Mojave. They couldn’t take her with them. The little girl could only watch when a strange man drove away with Mojave in a trailer behind his truck. Harmony wouldn’t ever see her again.

Thankfully, the family kept Sedona, and the family relocated when Harmony was ten years old. They lived modestly, just like always while sending some money back to help Mato make ends meet. She struggled in a new country. New expectations, new people, new language. She was rebellious as a child, not adjusting well to the culture shock. Children made fun of her trying to speak in Japanese and her appearance. She was darker compared to the other children. The children often question whether “Indians” still scalp people or live in tipis like in the old movies. They teased with war cries and left her out in most of their activities.Fitting in society was just part of the problem. Harmony couldn’t stand the sense of claustrophobia with the city enclosing around her. She stayed in the large city, almost forgetting what the stars looked like and it’s as though the sky that she once loved is imprisoned by towering skyscrapers. She missed the mountains and valleys, and the sky that could go on for thousands of miles.

Yet, Harmony soon got used to it. Slowly adjusting to the life on the base and in an urban setting. The family learned to speak Japanese and blend in the best they could. Unfortunately, there would be another tragedy inflicted on Harmony when she turned thirteen. Her grandfather passed away, succumbing to his long battle for hsi health.

First her home, Mojave, and now her grandfather. Harmony felt isolated, hurt, and yet she couldn’t do anything. Kids made fun of her for not looking the same, her necklace, and although she became more fluent in Japanese, she still stuck out. She tried to make the most of it but wished things were different. Isolation has left her longing for friends, becoming withdrawn and unsure of herself. This led her to get into trouble for any sort of attention. This included getting into fights.After several years, Harmony’s father went into retirement from the Air Force.

Her parents grew to love Japan, but missed the quiet life in the country. They were also afraid of Harmony getting into trouble, such as joining gangs that were rampant in the city. They thought Iwatobi would be the perfect place and relocated there. Harmony’s mother, Destiny, received an education from Yokota and gets a job as an elementary school teacher in Iwatobi. Lucas got a job as a security guard at Samezuka Academy, and Harmony transferred to Iwatobi High School.

After moving from the city to the quiet town, Harmony must acclimate to another dramatic change of environment. This time, it was easier because Iwatobi is closer to nature, just the way she likes it. However, making friends isn’t easy, which led her to wonder if joining a club would help in achieving that goal. After searching for all the options, Harmony discovered the Iwatobi Swim Club. A chance to challenge herself, make a name for herself, and make friends.

#ooc #for Harmony's Free verse #the default bio will be a little different #working on that for my new promo

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