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four AAs), hook up the hose, check the particle filter and the water trap, turn the C75 on in ambient fresh air, select O2/CO on the dial, and take your readings. There are 20 memory slots in the software where the data can be stored. (Or you can just write it down!) Even though the information is not necessary for |
just measuring the CO level, it’s good practice to enter the type of fuel the appliance uses, so if the analyzer is being used for complete combustion analysis, it will be set up properly. Although the temperature sensor plug is polarized, it can easily be plugged in backward, which provides strange readings. Like the ... |
fitted with a NOx scrubber to reduce elevated CO readings. As with any of these devices, it’s a good idea to become familiar with all the functions and controls and read the manuals before you get into a real testing situation. Standing in front of a roaring boiler and fumbling to turn the backlight on or off or storin... |
reading in one of the memory slots can be frustrating. The Testo 327 is a comprehensive combustion analyzer with a bundle of capabilities that must be understood to be appreciated. It will allow you to gather all the information necessary to perform diagnostic analysis on a combustion system. It’s an investment. It can... |
It can also provide stack temperature, percent CO2, percent efficiency, percent excess air, percent O2, ambient temperature, and delta temperature. The 327 is a solid-feeling device with strong magnets on the back of the case that allow it to be mounted on the side of most combustion appliances. The probes attach to co... |
with the connectors there is a temperature sensor permanently mounted in a “cage,” and there are sockets for the flue gas probe, gas outlet, pressure input, and AC power input. The ON/OFF switch is on the top of the housing, and eight push buttons are located on the face. Three orange buttons have variable functions, w... |
different screens of the display. The ▲ (Up) and ▼ (Down) buttons scroll the display. There is a button to toggle the backlight on and off, a MENU button, and an ESC button to cancel an operation. With the analyzer fully charged, the probe needs to be connected before the 327 is switched on. The manual says, “Any conne... |
must be in the open air during the zeroing phase! [emphasis theirs]” The zeroing or start-up process takes 30 seconds. Pushing the MENU button allows one to scroll through Measuring, Adjust, Setup, Mode, Fuel Select, and Diagnostic menus. Pushing the middle orange button under OK when Measuring is displayed moves to th... |
CO-AirFree, Smoke/Oil, diff prs, Delta Temp, and Ambient CO. To measure the COAF, select Flue Gas and read the ppm CO-AF line. Here you can also choose the type of fuel; choices are Oil #2, Nat Gas, Bioheat5, Propane, Oil #5, Oil #6, Kerosene, or Wood. If you are only interested in COAF, you can use any of these fuels, |
because the CO level will be the same for any of them. The beauty of this is that if you are testing in a combustion appliance zone (CAZ) with a gas water heater and an oil-fired boiler, there is no need to change the settings. You can set up the display screen on the 327 so that the displays are |
in the sequence you want. For example, I have mine reading ºF T stac (stack temperature) first, then ppm CO, Pa draft, ppm CO-AF, %EFF, and then a bunch of other stuff. Performing a typical home energy assessment requires testing for CO in the ambient air and in the exhaust products of combustion. CO ambient is the CO ... |
present in the air that is not contained in the combustion equipment. It is the CO that the occupants are likely to be breathing. CO air free or CO-AF or COAF is a mathematical calculation of the amount of CO in a sample of air with the percent of oxygen removed. It is equal to CO ppm x ([20.9]/[20.9 – |
O2]) The combustion analyzers make that calculation after the operator takes a “clean-air” sample (generally outside). The COAF is the value that most combustion safety programs (including BPI) are looking for (along with the CO ambient value). An interesting feature of the 327 is the draft measurement process. A bar g... |
gas temperature corresponding to the highest draft rate. Moving the probe moves the line on the bar graph. The physical opening in the probe should be oriented across the flow to allow for maximum airflow across the sensor. All of this information can be printed out on the optional, infrared connected printer. The basi... |
gas probe, and charger. Options include a hard case, IR printer, smoke pump, digital smoke spot meter, adapter for pressure readings, air temperature probe, flexible flue gas probe, and 9-foot hose extension. The Testo 327 is capable of providing a lot more information than just COAF. The instructions are based on Germ... |
but there is good information on the web, including instructional webinars from tool suppliers like TruTech Tools that specifically teach how to use the Testo 327. Testing for CO may be one of the most complicated tasks the building analyst faces. The four analyzers described in this article have been developed to do m... |
system diagnostics and repair. The Monoxor III and the Fyrite Tech60 could also be used for ambient CO monitoring, but they don’t have alarms. The UEI C75 and the Testo 327 can also measure draft, supplementing the need for a second manometer. All of these devices work well and reliably (once you add the NOx scrubber t... |
don’t have them). Just make sure that you understand the information they provide and how to use the equipment before you’re faced with a homeowner and a complicated combustion situation. Even the smartest equipment can provide useless information. - FIRST PAGE - PREVIOUS PAGE Enter your comments in the box below: (Ple... |
Monsanto Canada recently reported that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has granted approval for its latest GM offering, the intriguingly named "refuge in a bag" Bt corn. With all the hype surrounding GM crops, it would be easy to |
dismiss this announcement as just another piece of press puff from the GM giant. But unfortunately this new development is actually something we need to keep a close eye on. As we have come to expect, the government has let |
the GM community police itself, leaving the companies that are peddling the new technology to regulate its use. First, it is important to understand what a "refuge" is when it comes to GM crops. Despite the fact that Animal Welfare |
Approved has blogged extensively on the many drawbacks and dangers of GM technology, the concept of "refuge" actually relates to a problem that we haven't covered in detail before -- namely the inevitable development of pest resistance to GM crops. |
The requirement for a "refuge" arose because it is widely accepted that pest insects will, over time, develop resistance to the crops that have been genetically modified to poison them. One would logically expect that if you expose a large |
number of pests to a single pesticide year after year, the survivors will eventually breed, leading in time to the emergence of a resistant population. This same process happens with GM crops -- it's simply that the GM crop has |
been genetically modified to express the thuringiensis (Bt) insecticide within its plant tissues, rather than the farmer spraying it on to the crops to control the pests. Indeed, the GM companies themselves admit that the development of resistance to their |
GM crops is inevitable, and the requirement for a "refuge" is promoted as an attempt to preserve the efficacy of the GM technology for as long as possible. So how does this "refuge" system work? Whenever farmers sow a field |
with GM crops they are required to plant a certain proportion of non-GM seeds of the same crop type in order to provide a safe place -- a so-called "refuge" -- so that some insects which are still susceptible to |
the insecticide can survive and breed. The idea is that these susceptible insects will breed with resistant insects, thereby slowing down the development of resistance among the pest population. If you don't plant the refuge area then the only insects |
that survive are those which have developed some resistance to the GM toxin expressed by the crops. If those resistant insects are the only ones that breed, then the entire population will quickly become resistant and the insect-resistant genetic modification |
will be worthless. Initially, farmers were required to sow 20 percent non-GM seed alongside 80 percent GM seed. But once the GM companies began "stacking" GM traits -- that is, incorporating more than one mode of insect protection and herbicide |
resistance together in the same crop -- the requirement dropped to 5 percent of non-GM crop to be grown with 95 percent GM. However, farmers were expected to follow strict guidelines on how the non-GM component was to be incorporated |
in their cropping plans. Farmers had the option of growing blocks of non-GM corn either within a particular field of GM crops or in an adjacent field. Alternatively, farmers could plant strips of non-GM seed within the GM crop, but |
the strips had to be at least four -- and preferably six -- rows wide. These blocks or strips then provided a clear non-GM "refuge" area. So what's the problem with Monsanto's "refuge in a bag" system? Well, the requirement |
for 5 percent non-GM corn is still there. But instead of the farmer having to buy different bags of GM and non-GM seed, and sow them separately, Monsanto has mixed the 5 percent non-GM seed in with the GM seed |
-- hence the "refuge in a bag." On the plus side, this means the farmer can't get out of planting the non-GM portion (which has been a problem in some states). But what happened to the block or strip of |
non-GM seed? Well, as the seeds are mixed up together, the non-GM plants now grow scattered throughout the crop, rather than in dedicated areas. So how will a significant population of non-resistant insects survive and breed over time on random |
single non-GM plants, rather than in dedicated areas? These thoughts have crossed the minds of others, too. Christian Krupke, an entomologist from the University of Purdue, has real concerns about Monsanto's "refuge in a bag" technology, namely that using such |
seed mixes can actually promote greater pest resistance. In a press release from Purdue Krupke says that: "The concern with refuge-in-a-bag, or seed mixes, has always been sub-lethal exposure with toxic plants and non-toxic plants standing side-by-side. You could have |
a young corn rootworm beetle larva emerge, feed on a toxic plant but not die, and then move over to a non-toxic plant and feed until reaching adulthood. The larva now has sub-lethal exposure to Bt. That's one of the |
ways that resistance can develop in an insect population more rapidly... It's that old adage that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We could be giving those larvae selective advantage in the long term. That was one of the |
reasons this technology wasn't embraced initially." Sub-lethal exposure works the other way, as well, Krupke explains. Larvae could feed on a refuge corn plant and become larger, then move to a Bt plant to continue eating. Because the larvae are |
larger, and it takes more Bt toxin to kill bigger insects, the larvae might not ingest enough toxin to die. Aside from Krupke, other published papers, such as Agi et al (2001) and Onstad et al (2011), also express reservations |
at the efficacy of "refuge in a bag" to ensure the survival of susceptible insects. Even the Environmental Protection Agency has released a report stating that it expects resistance to occur within 8.1 years for a 5 percent blended refuge, |
11.3 years for a 10 percent blended refuge and 20.2 years for the 20 percent block refuge. So it would seem that Monsanto's "refuge in a bag" is also a "shot in the foot," as it will actually hasten the |
spread of resistance to Bt among the insect population. This obviously has huge implications for both GM and non-GM growers. Bt (or Bacillus thuringiensis) is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces proteins called endotoxins that act as a natural insecticide. |
As Bt is not a synthetic chemical product and it is very selective (it's only toxic to a very specific range of target pests) it is often used by organic growers. The spread of resistance to this natural pesticide -- |
a product that is selectively fatal to certain insects and non-toxic to just about everything else -- could cause real problems for growers who have never embraced GM technology, and certainly had no part in promoting resistance. So why would |
Monsanto promote a product that could actively reduce the efficacy of one of its GM seed lines? We've seen this time and again with other insecticide and pesticide products. Rather than encourage the sustainable use of pesticides, too often agrochemical |
companies seek only to maximize short-term sales and profits. Once insect or weed resistance begin to cause problems in the fields, the company can simply abandon it and roll out another "improved" product range -- and the whole process starts |
again. You can bet your bottom dollar that Monsanto will have the next GM crop with a built-in insecticide already in development. Besides, do you really think that Monsanto and the other Biotech companies are worried about creating problems for |
organic and other responsible growers, who rank among the most vociferous opponents of GM technology? Me neither. Agi, A. L., Mahaffey, J. S., Bradley, Jr. J. R., and Van Duyn, J.W. (2001) Efficacy of Seed Mixes of Transgenic Bt and |
Nontransgenic Cotton Against Bollworm, Helicoverpa zea Boddie. The Journal of Cotton Science 5:74-80 Onstad, D. W., Mitchell, P. D., Hurley, T. M., Lundgren, J. G., Porter, R. P., Krupke, C. H., Spencer, J. L., Difonzo, C. D., Baute, T. S., |
Hellmich, R. L., Buschman, L. L., Hutchison, W. D., and Tooker, J. F. (2011) Seeds of Change: Corn Seed Mixtures for Resistance Management and Integrated Pest Management. Journal of Economic Entomology 104(2) |
The age-old question of "What makes a good leader?" is making its latest debut on the education front in New York City. With all the recent developments regarding teacher evaluations, the discussion of principal evaluations has emerged. In order to improve education, every aspect of a school must be addressed |
-- including the principal. Principals, like any other type of leader, have a lot of responsibilities. The main job of a principal is to ensure that the students in their school are receiving an effective education, and they must do whatever it takes to ensure that that happens -- no |
excuses. What are the qualities of a great principal? 1) Providing constructive feedback to teachers At an event hosted by teacher group Educators 4 Excellence, 64 percent of teachers in the room said that their principals do not provide meaningful feedback. This is a scary statistic. As a student, I |
am constantly being evaluated and given feedback -- this is how I know where my weaknesses are, and how I can improve. Teachers need the same type of support from principals. 2) Accepting feedback from teachers, administrators, and students An effective leader must receive feedback from those they are leading |
-- and respect it. Being a principal should not be a solo job -- every part of the school community needs to speak up, and be heard. A principal needs to take both praise and criticism constructively. If something is going right, build on it. If something is going wrong, |
find out why, and fix it. 3) Being accessible and consistent A principal needs to be available to teachers, parents, and students as often as possible. A principal can't spend all their time cooped up in an office, or outside the school building, rather a balance of in the classrooms |
and in an office. A principal needs to be present to ensure that what is supposed to be happening is happening, and ready to address any concerns that may arise. 4) Facilitating meaningful communication and collaboration between teachers Communication is a fundamental concept across the board -- from personal things |
such as relationships to worldwide issues. A school is no exception -- the teachers and administrators must work together to improve classes, and the school as a whole. Students working together is no foreign concept. Group projects, peer tutoring, and other methods of student collaboration have existed for quite a |
while, and research has shown that this is beneficial for the students. Teachers can learn a lot from each other, even across the disciplines. Mr. Dimitri Saliani, principal of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, recognizes the importance of continued learning, even as an educator: "I pride myself on being a learner, |
not just an educator. Every teacher is a learner and has obviously enjoyed learning in their lifetime, hence their career choice, so I wondered how else we can learn from one another at ERHS." Mr. Saliani implemented a system that allowed teachers from all disciplines to attend his classroom visits |
with him -- regardless of the subject. I saw math teachers in my history class, history teachers in my science class, and so on. He concluded by stating, "It has invigorated the faculty and myself to learn from one another, to think about employing new teaching and learning strategies, and |
opened the door to new opportunities for collaboration." A great principal goes beyond the simple teacher meetings, and creatively develops innovative ways for teachers to collaborate. 5) A constant effort to innovate and improve A great principal knows that there is always room for improvement. A principal should wake... |
every morning and ask "How can I make my school better?" Principals need to be creative, and develop unique ways to engage the teachers and students. Principals must be willing to take risks sometimes -- a school cannot be run the same tried-and-true way forever. Evaluators: keep this in mind |
-- measure a principal not just using pre-established rubrics and methods -- but on creativity and innovation, two things that don't always end up on paper. A short, numbered list doesn't cover all the qualities of an effective principal -- a principal should have years of experience to complement the |
qualities I highlighted. In a release by Educators 4 Excellence, Evan Stone, Co-Founder and Co-CEO states, "As school leaders, principals play a key role in evaluating and supporting teachers and we need to make sure that they get fair and useful feedback that will ultimately benefit teachers and students." The |
bottom line is that in a school, everyone has a job to do, and everyone needs useful feedback in order to create the best learning environment possible. Principals are no exception. Everybody, speak up! Share your thoughts on what makes a great principal, and how principals should be evaluated. |
The tomato sector in Ghana has failed to reach its potential, in terms of attaining yields comparable to other countries, in terms of the ability to sustain processing plants, and in terms of improving the livelihoods of those households involved in tomato production and the tomato commodity chain. Despite government i... |
processing factories, tomatoes of the right quality and quantity for commercial agroprocessing are not being grown. Many farmers still prefer to plant local varieties, typically with a high water content, many seeds, poor color, and low brix. Land husbandry practices are often suboptimal. Average yields remain low, typ... |
market access, and competition from imports, some farmers are unable to sell their tomatoes, which are left to rot in their fields. Yet other farmers in Ghana have achieved higher tomato yields, production is profitable, and many farmers in Ghana continue to choose to grow tomatoes over other crops. International Food ... |
Vol. 17 No. 25 SUMMARY OF THE NINTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS: 8-15 NOVEMBER 2005 The ninth meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP9) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was held from 8-15 November 2005, at the Speke Resort Munyonyo in K... |
water: supporting life, sustaining livelihoods.” Nearly 1000 participants representing 120 Contracting Parties, as well as a number of observer states, UN agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, attended the meeting. COP9, the first Ramsar COP held in Africa, adopted 25 resolutions on a wide ... |
use concept; engagement of the Convention in ongoing multilateral processes dealing with water; the Convention’s role in natural disaster prevention, mitigation and adaptation; wetlands and poverty reduction; cultural values of wetlands; and the emergence of avian flu. The COP also adopted the Convention’s budget and W... |
on the wise use of wetlands in integrated water management and culture and knowledge in wetland management as well as an informal Ministerial Dialogue, organized by the Government of Uganda. Participating ministers adopted the Kampala Declaration, which emphasizes the role of the Convention in arresting continuing loss... |
International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (also known as the Ramsar Convention) was signed in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971, and came into force on 21 December 1975. The Convention provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and ... |
habitat for waterbirds, the Convention has subsequently broadened its scope to address all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use. This shift in focus reflects the increasing recognition of the importance of wetlands as ecosystems that contribute to both biodiversity conservation and human well-being. Wetlands co... |
of water supply, fisheries, agriculture, forestry and tourism. The Ramsar Convention is the only environmental treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem, and currently has 147 Parties. A total of 1524 wetland sites covering 129.2 million hectares are included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.... |
for inclusion in the Ramsar List and ensure maintenance of the ecological character of each Ramsar site; include wetland conservation within national land-use planning in order to promote the wise use of all wetlands within their territory; establish nature reserves on wetlands and promote training in wetland research ... |
shared water systems, shared species and development projects affecting wetlands. Contracting Parties meet every three years to assess progress in implementing the Convention and wetland conservation, share knowledge and experience on technical issues, and plan for the next triennium. In addition to the COP, the Conven... |
carries out the functions of a Secretariat. There have been eight meetings of the COP since the Convention’s entry into force: COP1 in Cagliari, Italy (24-29 November 1980); COP2 in Gröningen, the Netherlands (7-12 May 1984); COP3 in Regina, Canada (27 May-5 June 1987); COP4 in Montreux, Switzerland (27 June-4 July 199... |
March 1996); COP7 in San José, Costa Rica (10-18 May 1999); and COP8 in Valencia, Spain (18-26 November 2002). COP7: At COP7, delegates focused on the interrelations between human societies and wetland habitats. They considered the Convention’s implementation in each region and adopted 30 resolutions and four recommend... |
Ramsar Bureau and the UNESCO World Heritage Center. COP8: With over 1000 participants, COP8 was the largest COP in the Convention’s history. Focusing on “Water, wetlands, life and culture,” delegates adopted more than 40 resolutions addressing policy, technical, programme and budgetary matters, including wetlands and a... |
They also approved the Convention’s budget and Work Plan for 2003-2005, and its Strategic Plan for 2003-2008. The opening ceremonies for the ninth Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP9) to the Ramsar Convention were held on Tuesday evening, 8 November 2005. Antonio Fernandez de Tejada, representing Spain, COP8’s ... |
and the Environment. Commending the Government of Uganda for hosting the first Ramsar COP in Africa, Fernandez de Tejada drew delegates’ attention to new challenges facing the Convention and called for boosting international cooperation for the conservation of wetland ecosystems. Otafiire outlined Uganda’s progress tow... |
Convention would be upheld during the Conference. Highlighting the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), Ramsar Secretary General Peter Bridgewater noted that the rate of wetland degradation surpasses that of other ecosystems, and outlined two major tasks for the Conference: identifying problems and pro... |
Wetlands of International Importance with ensuring their representativeness and effective management. He called for synergies among biodiversity-related conventions, better environmental governance frameworks and capacity building. Bakary Kante, Director, Division of Environmental Conventions, UNEP, delivered an addres... |
opportunities created by market approaches to ecosystem services. Speaking on behalf of Ramsar’s International Organization Partners (IOPs), Achim Steiner, Director General, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), congratulated Uganda on its achievements in wetland conservation and called for greater coherence among multi... |
stressed the importance of wetlands for poverty reduction and their ability to provide support services for sustaining livelihoods. She also proposed developing legally binding mechanisms to hold Parties responsible for arrears in annual dues payments, and called on Parties to make information accessible to civil socie... |
to be a lower priority on the donor agenda. She requested that wetlands be put on national and international investment agendas and called on Parties to advocate for the wise use of wetlands and their resources. Youth representatives presented their concerns and proposals, asking delegates to ensure that information is... |
Philippe Jacob, Secretary General, Danone Group, presented the triennial Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards in the categories of science, management, and education, respectively to: Shuming Cai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; SH. A. Nezami Baloochi, Department of Environment, Province of Gilan, Iran; and a shared ... |
Tejada, Spain, officially opened COP9, inviting delegates to consider the agenda and other organizational matters. Delegates elected Kahinda Otafiire (Uganda) as COP9 President, and Tony Slatyer (Australia) and Flavio Cházaro (Mexico) as Vice-Presidents. Delegates adopted the agenda without amendment (COP9 Doc. 1, Rev.... |
delegates from each of the six Ramsar regions, namely: Benin (Africa), Thailand (Asia), Switzerland (Europe), Peru (the Neotropics), Canada (North America), and New Zealand (Oceania). Delegates also established a Finance Committee, chaired by Trevor Swerdfager (Canada), with, Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Baham... |
that the Committee is open to all Parties and observers. President Otafiire presented the list of registered observers (COP9 Doc. 31), stating this list would remain open as new observers are registering daily. Argentina objected to registering the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum as UK-based, as this non-gov... |
to these as UK territories. The UK reiterated its position on the sovereignty of the Islands. REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE AND THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REVIEW PANEL On Wednesday, Gordana Beltram (Slovenia), Standing Committee Chair, presented the report on the Committee’s work during the 2003-2005 triennium (CO... |
Technical Review Panel (STRP); financial matters relating to the implementation of the Convention; and creating synergies between the Convention and other MEAs. She called for greater attention to social and economic considerations related to wetland ecosystems in the Committee’s future work. The report was adopted wit... |
(COP9 Doc. 4). In providing technical advice for COP9, Finlayson highlighted the Panel’s work in preparing the following documents: additional scientific and technical guidance for implementing the Ramsar wise use concept (COP9 DR1); a Conceptual Framework for Ramsar’s wise use concept (Annex A); a revised Strategic Fr... |
Framework for Ramsar’s water-related guidance (Annex C); ecological “outcome-oriented” indicators for assessing the Convention’s implementation effectiveness (Annex D); and an Integrated Framework for wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring (Annex E). During the ensuing discussions, countries expressed general sup... |
scientific and technical guidance for implementing the Ramsar wise use concept (COP9 DR1). REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL On Wednesday, Secretary General Bridgewater reported on the implementation of the Convention at the global level over the 2003-2005 triennium (COP9 Doc. 5 and Doc. 6) and highlighted the prospect o... |
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