vermont has long been known for its progressive income tax system. for a couple of reasons, it makes sense to tax higher incomes at higher rates. those who benefit most from society have a responsibility to contribute more, and those with more discretionary income o whatis left after covering taxes and necessities o can afford to pay more. but while vermontis income tax system is progressive, the overall tax system is not. which may come as a surprise to many people. the institute on taxation and economic policy in washington, d. c., just released its latest dwho pays? e report o the fourth edition since 1996. itis an analysis of state and local taxes paid by people in various income categories. the study shows that vermontis tax system is better than many statesi o that is, itis one of the least regressive. but the lowest - income vermonters still pay more of their income in state and local taxes than those at the top. itis a coincidence that the report has come out right in the middle of the debate over gov. peter shumlinis proposal to cut the vermont earned income tax credit. but the data in the report are relevant. the eitc is a federal tax break for low - income wage earners. itis refundable, so if the credit is more than a person owes in income taxes, the taxpayer receives a cash refund. taxpayers must be working and earning income to receive the credit. the federal credit was made refundable, in part, to offset other regressive federal taxes, like the payroll tax. and as much as the eitc helps low - wage families make ends meet o it is cited in studies as one of the most effective anti - poverty tools o it can also be seen as a benefit to employers who pay low wages. vermontis eitc is piggy - backed to the federal credit. the state credit is 32 percent of the federal credit, and again taxpayers receive a refund if the credit is more than the personis tax liability. in tax year 2011, according to the most recent available data, about 44, 000 vermont tax filers received state earned income credits totaling $ 25 million. in most cases, people received a refund for all or some of the credit. one thing revealed by the report is that vermontis tax system would be even more unfair without the eitc. the bottom 20 percent of vermont taxpayers now pay 8. 7 percent of their income in state and local taxes. without the tax


note : this item is more than three years old. please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. dec. 18, 2009 officials investigating waterfowl die - off in panhandle dalhart, texas — state and federal officials are investigating the deaths of about 2, 000 geese and ducks discovered this week near dalhart in the northwest texas panhandle. preliminary results of lab evaluations indicate naturally - occurring avian cholera is a factor. avian cholera poses no threat to human health and while the die - off could affect local waterfowl populations, wildlife officials say isolated events like this are not uncommon for the area. on tuesday, dec. 14, texas parks and wildlife department biologists and game wardens observed about 1, 000 dead geese on lake rita blanca, a 500 - acre impoundment on the outskirts of dalhart. an additional 1, 000 dead geese and ducks were found on a nearby wetland. tpwd officials suspect the die - off event likely began during the first week of december when temperatures in the area dropped to near zero for lows and stayed near or below freezing during the day for about a week. flocks of about 30, 000 geese were on lake rita blanca when temperatures plummeted, causing the lakes to freeze up. biologists theorize the near zero temperatures triggered stress in the geese, which often gives rise to disease outbreaks. in this case, preliminarily signs suggest avian cholera as a likely bacterial agent involved. fifteen specimens of waterfowl collected from the site by tpwd were shipped to the u. s. geological service ’ s national wildlife health center in madison, wi, for clinical evaluation to determine the cause of death. usgs wildlife disease specialist dr. leann white advised tpwd that a preliminary examination of the specimens were suggestive of a cholera outbreak, but cultures of the causal agent will not be ready for several more days. a formal report will be sent to tpwd at that time. according to the wildlife disease action plan established to handle such problems and coordinated between tpwd, the u. s. fish and wildlife service and usda wildlife services, once a disease outbreak has been documented proper precautions are taken to protect wildlife and human health. precautions should be taken when handling dead birds, such as wearing protective gloves. avian cholera is highly contagious among most birds and can spread rapidly. prompt action is often needed to prevent and minimize the spread of the disease. in addition to monitoring the situation, during severe


handling dead birds, such as wearing protective gloves. avian cholera is highly contagious among most birds and can spread rapidly. prompt action is often needed to prevent and minimize the spread of the disease. in addition to monitoring the situation, during severe outbreaks dead and sick birds may be picked up and incinerated to slow the spread of diseases. while most birds can become infected with avian cholera, the species most commonly affected are ducks and geese, coots, gulls, and crows. avian cholera does not pose a threat to human health, according to the usgs wildlife health center, but common sense precautions should be used when handling wild fowl. geese can carry the organism without active disease symptoms showing until severe stress gets involved, triggering active symptoms. the bacteria can be transmitted by bird - to - bird contact, contact with secretions or feces of infected birds, or ingestion of food or water containing the bacteria. aerosol transmission may also occur. the bacteria may survive up to 4 months in soil and water. death may be so rapid that birds literally fall out of the sky or die while eating with no previous signs of disease. sick birds appear lethargic, and when captured may die within minutes. other signs include convulsions ; swimming in circles ; throwing the head back between the wings ; erratic flight, such as flying upside down or trying to land a foot or more above the water. the texas panhandle has long been known for small and occasionally large disease outbreaks of avian cholera in waterfowl when severe cold begins to stress the birds. tpwd waterfowl biologist bill johnson said he has seen these problems on an annual basis when the right conditions come into play, " but we are fortunate that severe cold usually does not last too long and the problems are usually relatively small. " " temperatures in the area have been moderating for the past week and the frozen lakes are rapidly thawing. there does not seem to be new birds being added to the die - off, " said johnson. " signs indicate the event is about to run its course, but we will continue to monitor the situation, especially if severe cold returns to the area. " publication — permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page. print — a print - friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default. e - mail — this link launches your e - mail client with the subject and message filled in


c. wright mills. ( image : jared rodriguez / truthout ) c. wright mills, the radical columbia university sociologist who died 50 years ago ( march 20, 1962 ) at age 45, would have loved occupy wall street. in the 1950s, when most college professors were cautious about their political views and lifestyles, mills rode a motorcycle to work ; wore plaid shirts, jeans and work boots instead of flannel suits ; built his house with his own hands ; and, in a torrent of books and articles, warned that america was becoming a nation of " cheerful robots, " heading toward a third world war and was being corrupted by an economic elite. in three books published between 1948 and 1956 - " the new men of power, " " white collar " and " the power elite " - mills challenged the widely held belief that american society, having triumphed over the fundamental problems of the 20th century ( depression, war and fascism ) had become a model of economic success, political democracy and social well - being. at a time when social scientists and journalists were extolling america ' s post - world war ii prosperity, mills warned about the dangers of the growing concentration of wealth and power. mills ' most influential book, " the power elite, " published in 1956, challenged the predominant view that america was a classless society and that all segments of society - farmers, workers, middle - class consumers, small business and big business - had an equal voice in its democracy. instead, he described the power structure created by overlapping circles of business, military and political leaders whose big decisions determined the nation ' s destiny, including war and peace. the academic and media establishment attacked mills ' caustic critique of what he called the " american celebration. " his was a lonely voice among academic sociologists, but his books sold well, suggesting that at least some americans were not happy with the postwar status quo. his writings eventually struck a chord with a significant segment of the american public and with the small but growing radical movement on college campuses. in a 1961 article, " who are the student boat - rockers? " in mademoiselle magazine, student activist tom hayden listed the three people over 30 whom young radicals most admired. they were norman thomas, michael harrington and mills. many of mills ' ideas, considered radical in his day, are now taken for granted. his phrase " power elite " - criticized by conservatives and liberals at the time - is widely used today by the mainstream media. public opinion today has now swung in mills ' direction


' ideas, considered radical in his day, are now taken for granted. his phrase " power elite " - criticized by conservatives and liberals at the time - is widely used today by the mainstream media. public opinion today has now swung in mills ' direction. even many americans who don ' t agree with occupy wall street ' s tactics or rhetoric nevertheless share its indignation at outrageous corporate profits, widening inequality and excessive executive compensation side by side with the epidemic of layoffs and foreclosures. most americans now recognize that the biggest corporations and the very wealthy have disproportionate political influence. a pew research center survey released in december found that most americans ( 77 percent ) - including a majority ( 53 percent ) of republicans - agree that " there is too much power in the hands of a few rich people and corporations. " pew also discovered that 61 percent of americans believe that " the economic system in this country unfairly favors the wealthy. " a significant majority ( 57 percent ) think that wealthy people don ' t pay their fair share of taxes. whether they refer to the elite as the " establishment, " the " power structure " or the " top 1 percent, " americans understand that this concentration of power subverts democracy. they see the revolving door among corporate board rooms, top military brass and the cabinet - exemplified by men like robert rubin, dick cheney, colin powell, donald rumsfeld, john snow, tim geithner and john bryson who served in the clinton, bush and obama administrations. they know that corporate campaign contributions buy access and influence and tilt the political playing field toward big business interests, made worse by the supreme court ' s citizens united ruling in 2010 that individuals and corporations can exercise almost unlimited " free speech " through political donations. the current wave of superpacs dominating our elections, funded primarily by millionaires and billionaires, reflects the corruption of democracy by big money. growing up in a middle class family, charles wright mills graduated from dallas technical high school in 1934. after a year at texas a & m university, he transferred to the university of texas, graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1939. he earned his ph. d. in sociology at the university of wisconsin, where he focused his research on social psychology and social theory. after a brief stint teaching at the university of maryland, he arrived at columbia in 1945 to work at the university ' s new survey research center and teach sociology. he remained at columbia until he died of a heart attack in 1962. at columbia, mills mastered the


brief stint teaching at the university of maryland, he arrived at columbia in 1945 to work at the university ' s new survey research center and teach sociology. he remained at columbia until he died of a heart attack in 1962. at columbia, mills mastered the techniques of social research, particularly the skills of conducting interviews and doing large surveys, which he used to carry out several projects that his senior colleagues suggested. but mills was restless. he wanted to use his academic perch to reach outside academia, influence public thinking and help build a progressive movement. in new york city, he met a widening circle of radicals and rebels, like novelist harvey swados, critic dwight mcdonald and labor activist j. b. s hardman, who expanded mills ' political horizons. he quickly became what today we call a " public intellectual, " writing essays for progressive and left - wing opinion magazines like the new republic ; the nation ; new leader ; partisan review ; dissent ; and especially politics, which criticized america ' s warfare state and sought ways to invigorate grassroots democracy. the country mills wrote about had overcome the depression, triumphed over fascism in world war ii and was in the midst of an unprecedented economic boom. the gross national product and the standard of living increased rapidly in the postwar decade. a growing number of american families were able afford to move to the suburbs, buy homes, install air conditioners, purchase a new contraption called a television, pay for a new car every few years, take a yearly vacation ( and stay at a new phenomenon called a " motel " ) and even fly on an airplane. they could send their children to college and save money for a comfortable retirement. the postwar prosperity was fueled by big government initiatives - a massive national highway - building program ; huge subsidies and financial aid to expand the college and university system ; federal insurance to increase home building and home buying ; and, most importantly, an immense defense budget. all this government spending boosted employment and put money in people ' s pockets, stimulating the consumer demand that provided america ' s businesses with record profits. business, political, religious and academic leaders justified all this government spending as critical to winning the cold war. russia, japan, germany and the rest of europe had been destroyed - economically and physically - by the war. the united states, in contrast, was the dominant economic and military superpower in the world. american businesses were able to produce goods - cars, cameras, tvs, movies, blue jeans and sodas - that would sell at home and around the world. but most


in contrast, was the dominant economic and military superpower in the world. american businesses were able to produce goods - cars, cameras, tvs, movies, blue jeans and sodas - that would sell at home and around the world. but most business and political leaders warned, all this could end unless the united states was ready to stop the spread of communism, especially in europe and the poor nations of the world. american schools and universities had to train the next generation of skilled workers, corporate managers, school teachers and scientists, particularly to compete with russia, which launched the sputnik satellite in 1957. we even had to be prepared, if necessary, to fight a war with the soviet union. the vast defense budget - what some called a " permanent war economy " - paid for expensive new weapons systems ; military bases around the world ; and millions of american civilians and troops employed by the army, navy, marines, air force and private military contractors. at home, the fear of communists and other radicals led to the hysteria called mccarthyism, led by business groups worried about stronger unions and higher taxes and by politicians who got into office by scaring voters about the red menace taking over the public schools, unions, hollywood and universities. mills rebelled against this conventional thinking. in his first few years at columbia, mills joined a network of academics who provided research to help union leaders understand the major social and economic changes facing their members. a wave of militant strikes across the country after the war and an increase in union membership gave radicals hope that the labor movement would be in the forefront of progressive change. mills ' ties to the labor movement led to the first of his major books on what he called the " main drift " of american society - " the new men of power : america ' s labor leaders, " published in 1948. when mills was writing the book, union membership had increased fivefold in the previous decade and represented one - third of non - farm workers. he believed that unions could be a bulwark against america ' s drift toward " war and slump " by pushing to convert the war economy to civilian uses, improving workers ' incomes and job security and giving ordinary americans a voice in government to challenge big business power. at the core of " the new men of power " is mills ' survey of 500 labor leaders. he discovered that blue - collar workers ' route to the middle class was more likely to occur via better union contracts than by being recruited into the ranks of corporate management. he found that cio union leaders were more progressive than their


of 500 labor leaders. he discovered that blue - collar workers ' route to the middle class was more likely to occur via better union contracts than by being recruited into the ranks of corporate management. he found that cio union leaders were more progressive than their afl counterparts, that many were open to the idea of a third political party based in the labor movement and that an astonishing 69 percent of industrial union leaders believed that the potential for fascism was a real threat in the united states. mills was particularly impressed with walter reuther, who had just been elected president of the united auto workers, and other progressive union leaders whom he hoped would move the labor movement leftward. mills examined the other major segments in american society contending for political power. he warned that moderates in big business and conservatives among small business, both well - entrenched within the republican party, as well as mainstream business - friendly cold - war liberals within the democratic party, could marginalize or even co - opt the labor movement. he dismissed the far left ( particularly the communist party ) and the far right as too small and isolated to be influential. mills ' chapter, " the program of the left, " outlined a labor - based radical agenda that was really an expansion of the new deal plus a call for halting the arms race and the war economy. it reflected bits and pieces of the views of norman thomas ' socialist party, walter reuther ' s uaw and what would later that year become former vice president wallace henry wallace ' s progressive party campaign for the white house. it included proposals for consumer cooperatives, neighborhood committees to monitor business practices ( including the continuation of war - time price controls ) and workplace democracy. " the new men of power " was cautiously optimistic about the labor movement ' s potential. but in 1947, while mills was writing the book, congress passed the taft - hartley act over president harry truman ' s veto, which weakened unions ' ability to organize. mills was also disappointed when, in the 1948 elections, the afl and cio unions ( including the uaw ) endorsed truman over thomas ( whom mills voted for ). in that political climate, few major union leaders were inclined to challenge the cold war, the arms race and the attacks on radical dissent. indeed, most unions would soon purge themselves of their radical leaders as part of the red scare hysteria. mills drifted away from working with progressive labor activists as his confidence in the labor movement gave way to skepticism. having examined the blue - collar working class, mills ' next book, " white


themselves of their radical leaders as part of the red scare hysteria. mills drifted away from working with progressive labor activists as his confidence in the labor movement gave way to skepticism. having examined the blue - collar working class, mills ' next book, " white collar : the american middle classes, " published in 1951, explored the social conditions and psychology of the growing strata of americans in the professions and middle management, living in urban neighborhoods and suburbs and exemplifying the " american way of life " that the nation ' s leaders contrasted with the drab and compliant life in communist russia. based on interviews and surveys as well as analysis of popular culture, mills concluded that many middle - class americans were socially, intellectually and politically stifled, trapped working in offices in large business bureaucracies over which they had no control ( including no union representation ). instead of finding pleasure and pride in craftsmanship at work, they pursued happiness and status by buying things they didn ' t need and living without much purpose. he coined the phrase " cheerful robot " to decry the unthinking conformity of much of america ' s middle - class culture. in a speech in england, mills described what he meant : " we know that men can be turned into robots - by chemical means, by physical coercion, as in concentration camps and so on. but we are now confronting a situation more serious than that - a situation in which there are developed human beings who are cheerfully and willingly turning themselves into robots. " mills believed that such conformity was an aspect of what he called " mass society " - a condition of widespread political apathy that allowed business and political leaders to pursue the arms race and the potential for a nuclear war without much opposition. mills ' critique was not unique. throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, there were other indications that many americans were coming to question the nation ' s moral and psychological condition. the novel ( 1955 ) and film ( 1956 ) " the man in the grey - flannel suit " disparaged the lifestyle of middle - class managers. j. d. salinger ' s popular 1951 novel, " catcher in the rye " ; the 1955 film starring james dean, " rebel without a cause " ; and paul goodman ' s 1960 book, " growing up absurd, " all depicted the alienation of middle - class youth, raging against " phonies. " best - selling books by sociologically oriented journalists - william h. white ' s " the organization man " ( 1956 ) and vance packard ' s


, " all depicted the alienation of middle - class youth, raging against " phonies. " best - selling books by sociologically oriented journalists - william h. white ' s " the organization man " ( 1956 ) and vance packard ' s " the hidden persuaders " ( 1957 ) and " the status seekers " ( 1959 ) - expressed alarm during the height of the eisenhower administration at the influence of corporate employers, advertisers and suburban developers in shaping the daily lives of american families. arthur miller ' s 1949 play, " death of a salesman, " struck a similar chord. in 1952, two left - wing writers, william gaines and harvey kurtzman, launched mad, a comics magazine of political and social satire that became an instant sensation with the baby - boom generation. it poked fun at middle - class suburbia, the cold war and advertising. its slogan, " what? me worry? " was intentionally ironic because many americans were quite worried about the escalating arms race, the proliferation of fall - out shelters and the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. malvina reynolds ' 1962 song " little boxes " poked fun at the look - alike housing developments in postwar suburbs and the complacency of the people who lived in them. " the power elite, " published in 1956, was the most radical, controversial and widely read of mills ' three major books. it caused a firestorm in academic and political circles. america has a ruling elite, mills wrote, and its most active members - top corporate executives - have little sense of social responsibility. rather, they work collaboratively with the top military leaders and their allies in congress and the white house ( former gen. and world war ii hero dwight eisenhower was the republican president at the time ) to shape the nation ' s major priorities based primarily on greed and self - interest. the various interest groups that could contend for power - farmer organizations, labor unions, big - city mayors and others - fought over crumbs left over after the big spending decisions, particularly the military budget, had already been decided. mills pointed out that the corporate, military and political elites were not separate spheres, but overlapping groups at the " command posts " of society. top corporate executives ( such as eisenhower ' s secretary of defense, former general motors ceo charles wilson ) were recruited to serve in the cabinet and on numerous committees providing advice to the white house and congress. retired generals and admirals ( whom mills called " warlords " ) went to work for major defense corporations, using their influence to


ceo charles wilson ) were recruited to serve in the cabinet and on numerous committees providing advice to the white house and congress. retired generals and admirals ( whom mills called " warlords " ) went to work for major defense corporations, using their influence to argue for bigger military budgets, new weapons systems and government contracts for their new employers. corporate executives and pentagon leaders lobbied congress to increase the military budget, pointing out that it would create jobs in defense plants and military bases in their districts. mills was particularly concerned that few newspapers, academics or religious leaders spoke out against this concentration of power. instead, most went along with the power elite ' s ideology - a stance mills called " crackpot realism, " which involves dangerous, irresponsible ideas that the public accepts as normal. one such idea was " mutually assured destruction " - that a world war could be averted if both the us and soviet union had enough weapons to destroy each other. mills hated soviet totalitarianism, but he thought the us and ussr could cooperate to avoid a costly arms race and a possible nuclear holocaust. mills ' critique of america ' s power structure was dramatically at odds with the prevailing view of american democracy taught in high schools and colleges at the time. this idea - " pluralism " - viewed government as a neutral umpire among contending interest groups of roughly equal power. but mills ' view found unlikely validation in president eisenhower ' s farewell address on january 17, 1961, which warned about the " unwarranted influence " of the " military industrial complex, " an idea very similar to the power elite. during the 1960s and 1970s, " the power elite " ( along with floyd hunter ' s " community power structure, " a study of atlanta published in 1953 ) inspired hundreds of studies by academics that examined the overlapping networks of corporate influence on local and national politics. community organizing groups, unions, and other activists learned how to conduct power structure research in order to expose its web of relationships and find ways to challenge its influence and hold it accountable. by the time he wrote " the power elite, " mills had given up hope that a resurgent labor movement could revitalize american democracy. he seemed oblivious to the burgeoning civil rights movement that had erupted in montgomery in 1955. ( in fact, he was oblivious to issues of race throughout his writings. ) but mills ' books, particularly " the power elite, " resonated with the growing mood of discontent in the nation, particularly on college campuses. for example, its influence can be seen in the "


to issues of race throughout his writings. ) but mills ' books, particularly " the power elite, " resonated with the growing mood of discontent in the nation, particularly on college campuses. for example, its influence can be seen in the " port huron statement, " the founding manifesto of students for a democratic society ( sds ), written in 1962. the " statement ' s " principal author, tom hayden and other sds leaders, like sociologist dick flacks, greatly admired mills. the " statement ' s " analysis of power and its call for " participatory democracy " echoed mills ' views. during the last few years of his life, a few trends - the rise of student activism in the united states and europe ; the cuban revolution in 1959 ; and the awakening of anti - colonial movements in africa, asia and south america - gave mills a new sense of hope. energized by these movements, he quickly wrote two short books - which he called " pamphlets " - that he aimed for a wide audience. " the causes of world war three " ( 1958 ), an impassioned plea for an end to the nuclear arms race, sold over 100, 000 copies. " listen, yankee " ( 1960 ), a sympathetic look at the cuban revolution from the viewpoint of a cuban revolutionary, sold over 400, 000 copies. in the fall of 1960, he published a " letter to the new left " in the british journal new left review, encouraging young radicals around the world. mills ' writing combined analysis and outrage. he was a meticulous researcher, but he did not wish to be what he called a " sociological bookkeeper. " he wrote about the fundamental questions facing american society and he had strong opinions. " i try to be objective, " mills wrote, " i do not claim to be detached. " toward the end of his life, the mainstream media began asking mills for his views on major issues of the day. in december 1960, he was invited to appear on the nbc television show " the nation ' s future " to debate a. a. berle, a spokesperson for the newly elected kennedy administration, about us policy in latin america. on the eve of the program, mills suffered a heart attack and had to cancel the debate. he never fully recovered his remarkable energy. a second heart attack on march 20, 1962, was fatal. he didn ' t live to see the emergence of the student and antiwar movements that his work helped inspire. few occupier wall


. he never fully recovered his remarkable energy. a second heart attack on march 20, 1962, was fatal. he didn ' t live to see the emergence of the student and antiwar movements that his work helped inspire. few occupier wall street activists have probably heard of mills or are familiar with his work. but mills ' breakthrough ideas - especially his notion of the " power elite " - resonate today with the growing recognition that too much wealth and power in the hands of the superrich undermines democracy. for further reference : daniel geary, " radical ambition : c. wright mills, the left and american social thought, " berkeley : university of california press, 2009. kathryn mills with patricia mills, editors, " c. wright mills : letters and autobiographical writings, " berkeley : university of california press, 2000. john h. summers, editor, " the politics of truth : selected writings of c. wright mills, " new york : oxford university press, 2008. g. william domhoff, " who rules america? challenges to corporate and class dominance, " sixth edition, new york : mcgraw - hill, 2010. tom hayden, " radical nomad : c. wright mills and his times, " boulder, colorado : paradigm publishers, 2006. c. wright mills, " the new men of power. america ' s labor leaders, " new york : harcourt brace and co., 1948. c. wright mills, " white collar. the american middle classes, " new york : oxford university press, 1951. c. wright mills, " the power elite, " new york : oxford university press, 1956. c. wright mills, " the causes of world war three, " new york : simon and schuster, 1958. c. wright mills, " listen yankee : the revolution in cuba, " new york : mcgraw hill, 1960.


mac 101 : adjusting your mouse and trackpad speed if you ' ve ever used the trackpad on a pc laptop connected to an external monitor and noticed how many times you have to swipe your finger across the pad to get the mouse cursor from one screen to the other, the end result can be quite frustrating and tiresome. of course, the same thing can easily happen if you hook up an external display to your macbook or imac, although it usually is not as obvious thanks to the larger surface area that apple has designed into recent trackpads. luckily, this can be easily corrected on any mac in just a few simple clicks. before we dive into the settings, though, let ' s talk about what is causing this to happen in the first place. although we often take it for granted, one of the most astonishing aspects of using a mouse with a computer is the fact that you only have to move your hand by a couple of inches, while the pointer on the screen moves from one end of the screen to the other - - even if the screen is over 20 " wide. this feat is accomplished by a simple mathematical conversion being done in the background that measures the distance the mouse ( or your finger, if using a trackpad ) moves and multiplies that by a specific factor to determine how far - - and in what direction - - to move the cursor on the screen. read on to find out how to give your mouse ( or trackpad ) a speed boost. this factor is called the tracking speed, and it can easily be adjusted to your liking. you ' ll want to start by opening the system preferences application. if you often switch between using a mouse and a trackpad, you ' ll be pleased to know that os x allows you to set separate tracking speeds ( as well as several other settings ) for mice and trackpads, so you won ' t have to update your settings whenever you change devices. the settings for the mouse can be found under the mouse preference panel, and they are pretty straightforward : to adjust the tracking speed, simply drag the slider at the top left of the window to the left to lower the speed, or to the right to increase it. slower tracking speeds give you more control over the mouse pointer, but the pointer will not move as far and may require you to reposition the mouse on the pad if you are attempting to move your pointer very far on the screen. higher speeds will allow the pointer to easily move from one end of the screen to


but the pointer will not move as far and may require you to reposition the mouse on the pad if you are attempting to move your pointer very far on the screen. higher speeds will allow the pointer to easily move from one end of the screen to the other, but it will make it more difficult to constrain the pointer to a small area of the screen, which may be troublesome for detail - oriented work such as working with images. you can easily experiment with the effects here ; the pointer will immediately follow the new tracking speed when the slider is changed, so move the mouse around and see how it feels. if the pointer jumps around too much, drag the slider to the left a notch or two and try it out again. if it feels sluggish, drag it to the right. there are some other settings here that control other speed factors, such as how far a page scrolls when you scroll using the wheel, ball or buttons on your mouse, and how rapidly you must click the mouse for the computer to recognize a double click. if you ' re configuring a magic trackpad, there are many more options available, but the same basics apply. the tracking speed will not affect the speed of your gestures, it just affects the cursor speed when using the trackpad as a pointer. deals of the daymore deals software updatesmore updates - microsoft office for mac 2011 update 14. 3. 4 - pixelmator 2. 2 available with over 100 new features and improvements - dabkick for iphone lets you share photos, watch videos and now listen to music in real - time - google now added to search app on iphone, ipad - gateguru for iphone has been updated and greatly improved - twitter updates its os x client


uc davis study shows that the increase in obesity among california school children has slowed researchers recommend expanded fitness testing and outreach to reduce childhood obesity among the very youngest children click here to view this release en espanol. after years of increases in the rates of childhood obesity, a new uc davis study shows that the increase slowed from 2003 to 2008 among california school children. while encouraged by the results, the authors expressed concern about a group of youngsters currently driving the increase in obesity : children under age 10. " children who were obese entering the fifth grade remained obese in subsequent years as well, despite improvements in school nutrition and fitness standards, " said william bommer, professor of cardiovascular medicine at uc davis and senior author of the study. " and we suspect that this trend begins before kindergarten. " published in the february 2012 issue of the american heart journal, the results indicate a major turning point in efforts to reduce the impact of a chronic condition linked with a host of serious adult health issues that can begin in childhood, including heart disease, diabetes, breathing issues and some cancers. bommer served on a state task force that recommended standards to help protect k - 12 children and teens from diseases related to sedentary living and unhealthy eating. as a result, new laws in 2005 expanded fitness programs, nutrition education and alternatives to high - fat, high - sugar foods and beverages in california schools. since 1996, california schools have reported to the state department of education the results of a variety of fitness and body composition evaluations for fifth, seventh and ninth graders. body composition evaluations included body mass index - - or bmi - - measures, which determine if a child has a healthy weight or is overweight or obese. data on all students from 2003 to 2008 were provided to bommer to evaluate and gauge the success of the new standards. for the current study, he and his colleagues included data on a total of 6. 3 million students for whom complete fitness test results and body composition evaluations were available. there were some encouraging results. while childhood obesity is still on the rise ( 2 percent more children were overweight and obese in 2008 than in 2003 ), the rate of increase is slowing. national studies in prior decades showed annual increases in obesity among children and teens between 0. 8 percent and 1. 7 percent each year. for the current study, the rate of increase in california was an average of 0. 33 percent per year. in addition, while the results of fitness tests varied ( abdominal strength and trunk extens


. 8 percent and 1. 7 percent each year. for the current study, the rate of increase in california was an average of 0. 33 percent per year. in addition, while the results of fitness tests varied ( abdominal strength and trunk extensor strength worsened overall, while upper body strength and flexibility improved overall ), there was a significant increase in the percent of children with healthy aerobic capacity. " this was particularly heartening, because cardiovascular and respiratory endurance directly correlate with reduced risks of heart disease and diabetes later in life, especially if it is maintained over time, " said bommer. one concern, however, was that students with lower aerobic capacity and upper body strength fitness scores and higher bmis tended to live in counties with lower median household incomes ( less than $ 40, 000 per year ) or with higher unemployment. " we clearly need to do more to ensure that children, regardless of where they go to school, are benefiting from the recommended health standards, " said study lead author melanie aryana, a uc davis researcher in cardiovascular medicine. " expanding efforts to ensure that all california schools have the resources they need to make healthy changes will help. " the team ' s strongest recommendation related to reducing the trend toward early onset, persistent obesity among younger school children. this generation could eventually reverse recent advances in reducing heart disease risks and mortality, according to bommer. he advises earlier fitness testing, including during preschool, to better monitor this increase together with interventions that specifically address unhealthy weight prior to age 10. " our study proves that nutrition and physical activity standards can help fewer children become obese during a critical time in their lives for establishing long - term healthy habits, " said bommer. " but just imagine how much more we can do to reduce the impact of obesity if we are just as successful much earlier in children ' s lives. " in addition to bommer and aryana, zhongmin li, uc davis associate professor of internal medicine, was a study coauthor.


ovulation induction uses hormonal therapy to stimulate egg development and release, or ovulation. historically, these drugs were designed to induce ovulation in women who did not ovulate on their own — typically women with irregular menstrual cycles. the goal was to produce a single, healthy egg. the second use of ovulation induction was to increase the number of eggs reaching maturity in a single cycle, to increase chances for conception. the initial agents for this treatment — used first for in vitro fertilization ( ivf ) and only later for simpler treatments — were injectable medications. these agents carry an increased risk of multiple gestation, ovarian hyperstimulation, and increased cost and time commitment. more recently, in the mid - 90s, evidence developed to suggest there may be an advantage to treating even ovulatory women with fertility medications. these women with " unexplained infertility " may have subtle defects in ovulation, and medications may induce two to three eggs to mature, versus only one. this treatment therefore improves the quality and quantity of the ovulation, thus enhancing pregnancy rates. in ovulatory women, ovulation induction is always combined with intrauterine insemination. ovulation induction should progress only after a complete and thorough evaluation. all underlying hormonal disorders, such as thyroid dysfunction, should be treated before resorting to ovulation induction with fertility drugs. the following common fertility drugs are used for ovulation induction. clomiphene citrate is an oral medication that induces ovulation by blocking estrogen receptors. this artificial anti - estrogen effect makes your body believe that estrogen levels are low, which stimulates the production of more follicle stimulating hormone ( fsh ). clomiphene citrate acts as a fertility agent in women by inducing superovulation — the release of multiple eggs in a given menstrual cycle. some form of monitoring is necessary while taking clomiphene citrate. this monitoring may include ultrasounds, blood estrogen levels, and urinary leutinizing hormone ( lh ) testing. for unexplained infertility, clomiphene citrate is prescribed with intrauterine insemination ( iui ). when used for ovulation induction in women who do not ovulate, iui is not necessary. human menopausal gonadotropin (


citrate is prescribed with intrauterine insemination ( iui ). when used for ovulation induction in women who do not ovulate, iui is not necessary. human menopausal gonadotropin ( hmg ) is a medication that is composed of follicle stimulating hormone ( fsh ) and leutinizing hormone ( lh ). it is used to stimulate egg development in women who do not ovulate spontaneously or who ovulate extremely irregularly, or to increase the number of eggs developed in a single cycle in women who already ovulate. due to the variability in response from patient to patient, no fixed dosage regimen can be recommended. each patient cycle must be individualized. however, it is generally thought to be a stronger superovulation agent than oral medications. this fertility medication can be used with both intrauterine insemination ( iui ) and in vitro fertilization ( ivf ). some form of monitoring of the ovarian response is necessary. a combination of blood estrogen measurement ( e2 ) and ultrasound is the best approach at the present time. monitoring minimizes the risk of complications. human menopausal gonadotropin is available only in injectable form. self - administered injection techniques are taught in a special class given by the nursing staff at the ucsf center for reproductive health. fsh medications are used to stimulate the recruitment and development of multiple eggs in women during an ovulation induction cycle. fsh products may be used alone or in combination with human menopausal gonadotropin ( hmg ) to induce superovulation. due to the variability in response from patient to patient, no fixed dosage regimen can be recommended. each patient cycle must be individualized, with ultrasound exams and blood estrogen level tests to assess ovarian response. monitoring minimizes the risk of complications. fsh is available only in an injectable form. self - administered injection techniques are taught in a special class given by the nursing staff at the ucsf center for reproductive health. human chorionic gonadotropin ( hcg ) is a natural hormone that helps with the final maturation of the eggs and triggers the ovaries to release the mature eggs ( ovulation ). it also stimulates the corpus luteum to secrete progesterone to prepare the lining of the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg. o


the ovaries to release the mature eggs ( ovulation ). it also stimulates the corpus luteum to secrete progesterone to prepare the lining of the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg. ovulation usually occurs about 36 hours after the hcg is given. the drug is self - administered as an injection. self - administered injection techniques are taught in a special class given by the nursing staff at the ucsf center for reproductive health. lupron suppresses the brain ' s secretion of leutinizing hormone ( lh ) and follicle stimulating hormone ( fsh ). therefore, it is used in preparation for cycles of treatment with ovulation induction drugs, such as exogenous hmg - lh / fsh and / or fsh. it improves the recruitment of follicles by preventing the recruitment of a dominant follicle for the next menstrual cycle. lupron enables the ovaries to respond with the recruitment of multiple follicles since in most cases it ' s possible to override the selection of a single dominant follicle. it also prevents premature ovulation by preventing lh release. to confirm the effectiveness of the lupron treatment, an ultrasound is performed before the ovarian stimulation is begun and a blood estrogen level ( e2 ) test may be required. lupron also may be used to stimulate fsh if it is used early in the menstrual cycle. this property of the drug is helpful in patients expected to respond poorly. lupron is available in an injectable form. self - administered injection techniques are taught in a special class given by the nursing staff at the ucsf center for reproductive health. reviewed by health care specialists at ucsf medical center. this information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. we encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have. center for reproductive health 2356 sutter st., seventh floor san francisco, ca 94115 phone : ( 415 ) 353 - 7475 fax : ( 415 ) 353 - 7744


network articles & tutorials search : home : help : articles & tutorials amd, the berkeley automount daemon amd - a public domain automount daemon an architectural overview of unix network security - by robert b. reinhardt - the goal of this paper is to present my concept of a unix network security architecture based on the internet connectivity model and firewall approach to implementing security. arp networking tricks bsd sockets : a quick and dirty primer - by jim frost february 13, 1990 curing remote - access ailments with ssh dns operations guid - domain name server operations guide for bind dns tips and tricks - generating cache file with dig ; recovering from an soa typo ; ultrix needs primaries in host file ; slip and bind ; what is a lame delegation? ; terminology : domain, zone, label ; cnames as rr targets ; local dummy zones ; legal characters in hostnames ; checking if a domain is registered already ; setting up a resolver ; given a choice of servers, which one is queried? - the purpose of this tutorial is to provide basic information about fddi, a networking protocol used in local area networks ( lan ' s ). by keith mcguigan - email @ example. com integrating your machine with the network - very comprehensive networking resource and reference from the unix system administration independent learning project. ethernet, dns, nfs... you name it, it ' s here. - the isdn shop mbone how to guide - dan ' s quick and dirty guide to getting connected to the mbone network administrator ' s guide ( nag ) - this is the reference on linux networking. i ' d advise you to save yourself toner and eyestrain and buy the book, but if you need a quick reference you can always hit this page. network computing success network information services plus tutorial - what it is and what it isn ' t. by douglas w. stevenson - starting nfs daemons, exporting / sharing file systems, mounting remote file systems, automount ; includes sample files and man pages. - basic overview of nfs. if you don ' t understand it, start here and read the last two paragraphs. subnet addressing - by ron cooney securing your data and e - mail with pg - introduction to the internet protocols ( tcp / ip ) - by scott newton tcp / ip primer - by hal stern - using the cmu snmp library to build an snmp manager.


a literature review of the efficacy of natural systems in removing faecal indicator bacteria two wetland types have been distinguished according to the presence of a free water surface. this feature determines the extent to which key processes, including oxygen diffusion and the balance of removal mechanisms between sedimentation and sieving, will operate. removal of faecal indicator organisms and pathogens has been represented as a two step process, where initial retention is followed by elimination. short - term by - pass and channelled flow, which might occur during storm - events, represents a potential problem to operational efficiency. despite this fact, almost no intensive, event - based, sampled data exist. the majority of studies rely upon infrequent ( weekly or longer ) paired sampling of influent and effluent flows which are likely to be biased towards more stable flow conditions. few data quantify seasonal changes to fio and pathogen populations within individual wetlands. thus, the principal data gap is event - based faecal indicator flux assessment to assess impacts on ‘ protected areas ’ such as bathing waters. customers who bought this report also bought... establishing the relationship between farm re - stocking and cryptosporidia : the caldew catchment study05 / dw / 06 / 19 - isbn : 1 - 84057 - 374 - 0 this report details an investigation into the relationship between farm re - stocking and cryptosporidia. the study took place following the foot and mouth disease ( fmd ) related cull within the river caldew catchment, cumbria.... more... price : £100 add to basket effect of climate change on river flows and groundwater recharge, a practical methodology : use of climate change scenario data at a catchment level05 / cl / 04 / 3 - isbn : 1 - 84057 - 373 - 2 this report provides background information on using the united kingdom climate impacts programme ( ukcip02 ) climate scenarios ( hulme, et al., 2002 ) and catchment scale climate scenario data developed as the deliverable fro... more... price : £200 add to basket tightening wwtw emission standards - a review of the treatment technologies and their impact on climate change02 / ww / 04 / 1 - isbn : 1 - 84507 259 0 this study examines the feasibility of meeting tighter effluent quality standards at wastewater treatment works. the impact of these tight standards on energy use, greenhouse gas ( ghg ) emissions and costs has been assessed.


return to artiodactyla body length : 180 - 195 cm / 6 - 6. 5 ft. shoulder height : 110 - 120 cm / 3. 6 - 4 ft. tail length : 10 - 15 cm / 4 - 6 in. weight : 70 - 110 kg / 154 - 242 lb. the slightly shaggy coat is primarily reddish brown or chestnut in colour, with the undersides, especially the lower surface of the neck, being lighter. the lower legs are black in colour. unlike many deer species, young marsh deer are born without spots. there is a faint white eye ring, and the muzzle and lips are conspicuously black. the ears are large and lined with fluffy white hair. the upper surface of the tail is the same colour as the back, while the bushy underside is dark brown or black. like other ungulates adapted to a boggy habitat, the dewclaws of the marsh deer are well developed and the widely - splayed hooves are very long, growing 7 - 8 cm / 2. 8 - 3. 2 inches in length. males bear a pair of large, dark yellow antlers about 60 cm / 24 inches in length, with four or five tines each. the heavy antlers, each weighing 1. 65 - 2. 5 kg / 3. 6 - 5. 5 lb, are shed irregularly, and a grown set may be retained for up to 21 months. ontogeny and reproduction gestation period : 260 days. young per birth : 1 weaning : about 5 months. sexual maturity : at 1 year. immediately after parturition the female comes back into heat, and hence may be pregnant throughout her breeding years. fawns may associate with their mother for over a year after birth. ecology and behavior remaining hidden during the day, marsh deer emege at dusk to graze in flooded clearings, retiring again in the early morning. as its name and habitat preference infer, the marsh deer frequently enters water. however, it is primarily a wader, preferring areas where the water is less than 60 cm / 2 feet deep. excessive flooding causes these deer to retire to higher ground, where they often come into contact with domestic cattle, which carry several diseases which are fatal to this species. the hindquarters are well developed - an excellent adaptation for jumping ( the fastest way to move in waist - deep water ). males do not spar for breeding privileges, which renders the antlers as primarily ornamental objects. population densities range from


##quarters are well developed - an excellent adaptation for jumping ( the fastest way to move in waist - deep water ). males do not spar for breeding privileges, which renders the antlers as primarily ornamental objects. population densities range from one deer per 3. 8 - 42. 0 square kilometers. family group : solitary, or in groups of less than 6 animals, generally and adult male, a few females, and their young. diet : grasses, reeds, aquatic plants. main predators : jaguar, anaconda, domestic dogs. floodplains and and moist forests in central south america. range map ( redrawn from whitehead, 1993 ) the marsh deer is classified as vulnerable by the iucn ( 1996 ). sometimes called the swamp deer, care must be taken to differentiate between this species and the barasingha ( cervus duvaucelii ). fortunately for this species, the meat of the marsh deer is said to be unpalatable. blastos ( greek ) a bud or shoot ; keras ( greek ) the horn of an animal. dikhe ( greek ) in two ways ; tome ( greek ) cutting, sharp : a reference to the doubly forked antlers. eisenberg, j. f., and k. h. redford. mammals of the neotropics. chicago : the university of chicago press, 1999. geist, v. 1990. pampas and swamp deer ( genera ozotoceros and blastocerus ). in grzimek ' s encyclopedia of mammals. edited by s. p. parker. new york : mcgraw - hill. volume 5, pp. 218 - 219. whitehead, k. g. 1993. the whitehead encyclopedia of deer. stillwater, mn : voyageur press, inc. wilson, d. e., and d. m. reeder [ editors ]. 1993. mammal species of the world ( second edition ). washington : smithsonian institution press. available online at http : / / nmnhwww. si. edu / msw / return to artiodactyla © brent huffman, www. ultimateungulate. com


- date submitted : 1 nov 2011 - stakeholder type : member state - name : montenegro - submission document : download full submission1 introduction this report presents in a condensed form the main findings and recommendations from several activities that were carried out in the framework of national preparations for the un conference on sustainable development ( uncsd ) to be held in rio in 2012 ( also known as rio + 20 ). the report draws on the following : - assessments and information included in the questionnaire on experiences, success factors, risks and challenges with regard to objective and themes of uncsd ; - results of the compatible national processes, such as an assessment of the key achievements and weaknesses exhibited with implementation of the declaration on ecological state ( analysis prepared by national council of sustainable development to mark 20th anniversary of the adoption of declaration ) ; - stocktaking report and consultations with various stakeholders ; - key discussion points and messages from the national multi - stakeholder conference on sustainable development held in october 2011. the questionnaire was submitted to the un in december 2010 and it contains a comprehensive set of answers pertinent to the objective and themes of uncsd, including information on experiences gained during the past 20 years in the area of sustainable development as well as views on successes, risks and challenges. the stakeholder conference on sustainable development was held in october 2011, organised by the ministry of sustainable development and tourism, with the support of undp. the objective of the conference was to provide a forum for debate on achievements and problems encountered with the implementation of sustainable development in montenegro and to identify / reach consensus on priority issues of relevance at the national level, priorities relevant for regional actions as well as those that could be significant for the decisions at the uncsd itself. 2 sustainable development commitments over the past 20 years : the key developments in montenegro in the wake of 1992 earth summit in rio ( united nations conference on environment and development or unced ), montenegrin parliament adopted a declaration on ecological state in september of 1991. the declaration has stated a high level of commitment to preservation of natural environment and balanced development, and these strategic determinations were later reflected in montenegrin constitution which defines the country ( inter alia ) as an ecological state. the declaration has also been recognised at the rio summit and enlisted as one of the conference documents. during the 1990s little has been done to operationalize and implement the concept of ecological state and rio summit outcomes. the first steps were taken to set up a modern legal and institutional framework for environmental protection and integrate environmental concerns into development planning, however the negative developments


the 1990s little has been done to operationalize and implement the concept of ecological state and rio summit outcomes. the first steps were taken to set up a modern legal and institutional framework for environmental protection and integrate environmental concerns into development planning, however the negative developments of the decade ( including wars and breakdown of former country, pronounced political and economic instability, international isolation and similar ) hindered these efforts and prevented achievement of progress towards sustainability. consequently, the opposite trends? deterioration of conditions and indicators for the three pillars of sustainable development - characterised much of the 1990s. montenegro took part in the world summit on sustainable development ( wssd ) in 2002 in johannesburg by reaffirming the ecological state idea. in the beginning of 2000s the region entered a more stable period and the country turned towards development of a comprehensive and systemic response to sustainable development challenges. the progress throughout the decade has been steady, although not as rapid and effective as desired. the past decade was also a decade when montenegro renewed its statehood and joined the united nations as an independent state, and embarked on a path of european integrations. the country has received a status of candidate country in 2010 and is expected to start with accession negotiations in the forthcoming period. when it comes to mechanisms and policy instruments for sustainable development, it is worth of mentioning that national council for sustainable development ( ncsd ) has been operational since 2002, while national sustainable development strategy ( nsds ) was adopted in 2007. 3 political commitment to sustainable development, progress achieved and gaps in implementation 3. 1 national efforts to implement sustainable development principles the main characteristic of the country ' s evolving legal framework in all the areas pertinent to sustainable development is its progressive harmonisation with the eu acquis, as a part of the accession process. the eu integration is a strong driver for implementation of sustainable development concepts in montenegro as european regulations and policies are seen as one of the most progressive ones worldwide, striving to achieve goals of competitive and knowledge based economy, equitable and inclusive society and preserved natural environments. in addition to intensive work on aligning national with the eu legislation, a large number of strategic documents were adopted during the past five years for areas and sectors significant for sustainable development, including inter alia spatial planning, energy, transport, waste and wastewater management, climate change, biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, regional development and others. furthermore, much has been done to improve policy and strategic frameworks for public participation, development of partnerships among stakeholders, application of principles of solidarity and equity ( within current generation and among generations ),


biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, regional development and others. furthermore, much has been done to improve policy and strategic frameworks for public participation, development of partnerships among stakeholders, application of principles of solidarity and equity ( within current generation and among generations ), equal access to resources and services ( including health and education ), poverty reduction and similar. as for the local level, a limited number of municipalities have developed local sustainable development strategies, environmental action plans and similar documents addressing sustainability issues. montenegro is committed to implementation of millennium development goals and is monitoring the progress in this area. country specific human development reports are prepared periodically. montenegro has ratified three major un conventions ( on biodiversity, climate change and on combating desertification ) and is at the various levels of implementation of responsibilities undertaken at ratification. in 2010, the first national communication to united nations framework convention on climate change has been completed, as well as national biodiversity strategy and action plan. besides these major un conventions, montenegro is a party or signatory to around 60 multilateral environmental agreements. regarding the institutional set up for sustainable development, national council for sustainable development ( ncsd ) as an advisory body to the government plays an important role. the council was established in 2002 and it is currently composed in a way that provides for participation of different stakeholders ranging from the national and local government representatives to members of academia, business and the ngo sector as well as independent experts. the ncsd task is to, inter alia, consider all the strategic documents pertinent to sustainable development ( sd ) and issue related opinions and recommendations to the government, thus contributing to policy integration. the council ' s mission is to promote and communicate sustainable development and contribute to implementation of sd principles in montenegro. the office for sustainable development, which used to operate as a separate body at government level, acts as a secretariat to the council and also has a mandate to ensure coordination of the line ministries in the processes of the adoption of long term policies. as of june 2011, the office has been integrated in the relevant ministry ( ministry of sustainable development and tourism ). with regards to the public sector, competences and responsibilities for sustainable development are spread over a large number of administrative bodies and public institutions. status and mandate of the part of administration responsible for environmental protection has often changed over the course of the past two decades. environment is now predominantly under competence of the ministry of sustainable development and tourism ( a composite ministry responsible for spatial planning, construction, communal issues? including waste and wastewater, housing, and tourism, in addition to environmental protection ).


the past two decades. environment is now predominantly under competence of the ministry of sustainable development and tourism ( a composite ministry responsible for spatial planning, construction, communal issues? including waste and wastewater, housing, and tourism, in addition to environmental protection ). other ministries, administrative bodies and institutions that have competences relevant for sustainable development include : ministry of economy ; ministry of agriculture and rural development ; ministry of transport and maritime affairs ; ministry of health ; ministry of labour and social affairs ; ministry of internal affairs ; ministry of justice ; ministry of external affairs and european integrations ; ministry of education and sport ; ministry of science ; agency for environmental protection ; nature protection institute ; hydro - meteorological institute ; public enterprise national parks ; public enterprise for public maritime domain ; centre for eco - toxicological research ; water administration ; forestry administration ; public health institute ; real estate administration, and others. local self - governments also have important competencies for implementation of sd principles. civil society has contributed significantly to formulation and implementation of sustainability policies, especially during the last decade. contribution of civil society stakeholders has been particularly important when it comes to opening and discussion of sensitive issues and to identification of societal problems that have a negative impact on development perspectives and equal rights of all citizens. a number of scientific and research institutions are operating in montenegro and they comprise an important segment of total capacities for development of knowledge based economy / society and for fulfilling sustainability objectives. business sector is another highly significant stakeholder for sustainable development. international organisations have, through various forms of assistance, played a very important role in implementing sd in montenegro. un assistance was particularly pronounced with development and implementation of sd policies and standards and development of national and local capacities. 3. 2 progress achieved and remaining gaps in implementation a more substantial progress with implementation of sustainable development was evidenced during the past decade, as opposed to 1990s when, despite some significant events, little has been done on balanced development within three sd pillars ( economy? environment? society ). the progress can be primarily attributed to improvements in legal and strategic frameworks, as well as to certain steps forward with institutional solutions. this primarily refers to the establishment of national council of sustainable development, the office for sustainable development and the adoption of the national sd strategy, harmonisation of numerous national regulations with the eu legislation ( and advancement in the eu integration in general ), as well as to adoption of important documents for biodiversity, forests, climate change, waste and wastewater management, regional development, energy efficiency etc. environmental protection agency has been established and decisions brought to remediate certain environmental '


eu integration in general ), as well as to adoption of important documents for biodiversity, forests, climate change, waste and wastewater management, regional development, energy efficiency etc. environmental protection agency has been established and decisions brought to remediate certain environmental ' hot spots ' ( some of these decisions have been realised and remediation projects completed ), and a new national park ( fifth one - prokletije ) has been declared. a progress has been achieved in the area of access to information and participation in decision making, and slight improvements in the overall development were recorded ( as measured by the human development index ). it should be noted however that indicators showing progress ( or opposite trends ) in relation to sd goals are not always available. situation is somewhat better when socio - economic aspects of sustainable development are considered ( including indicators such as poverty rate, human development index etc. ). sustainability indicators for socio - economic development aspects have been mainly revolving around same values during the past 7? 8 years, with some variations in both directions ( increases and decreases ). classical economic indicators ( such as gdp, employment etc. ) have exhibited positive trends throughout the last decade and have peaked in 2008, before the effects of economic crisis. in the years prior to 2008, montenegrin economy was one of the fastest growing in the region. in depth analysis on the extent to which this growth was sustainable is not available. when it comes to environment, there are no composite indicators ( such as ecological footprint or similar ) that could show whether environmental performances of montenegrin society / economy are sustainable. generally speaking, environmental statistics and indicators are not sufficiently developed ; a gef ( global environmental facility ) project is currently being implemented to address these gaps. implementation of laws, policies and strategies is still not fully adequate and should be further improved. other identified challenges that also contribute to implementation weaknesses include insufficient levels of harmonisation among sectoral policies, low level of integration of environmental concerns in sectoral / economic policies, inadequate estimation and lack of financial resources necessary for implementation, lack of sufficiently developed monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and similar. necessity of cooperation and partnerships among stakeholders based of the principles of transparency and participation has been recognised as a precondition for sustainable development. when reviewing developments over the past 20 years in montenegro, positive examples of synergetic conduct of different stakeholders towards common sustainability objectives can be identified, as well as examples of opposite practices. lack of integrated approaches is pronounced. institutional framework and stakeholder cooperation are certainly areas where it is possible and necessary to achieve substantial improvements in the forthcoming period


conduct of different stakeholders towards common sustainability objectives can be identified, as well as examples of opposite practices. lack of integrated approaches is pronounced. institutional framework and stakeholder cooperation are certainly areas where it is possible and necessary to achieve substantial improvements in the forthcoming period. though the organisational infrastructure for sustainable development is in place, but certain challenges persist. some of the issues that decrease public sector capacities to adequately respond to challenges and requirements of sustainable development are overlapping competences, insufficient or ineffective coordination, and lack of necessary skills and preparedness for strict enforcement of regulations. the areas over which these deficiencies have had an impact so far i. e. problems they generate include : deterioration of protected areas ; illegal construction ; illegal waste disposal ; conversion of agricultural land ; unsustainable forest cutting ; poor enforcement of regulations for industrial pollution of air, water and soil ; inadequate water management, etc. problem of insufficient capacities ( human, technical and financial ) in public administration bodies has been also noted, especially on local level. scientific and research capacities for numerous, often new and complex environmental, climate change and sustainable development issues can be also assessed as insufficient. this refers to human resources, equipment, assets and projects undertaken by these institutions. the role of civil society stakeholders and their contributions to sustainable development need to be further strengthened through continuous efforts to allow for meaningful participation in policy and decision making. existing partnerships need to be extended and new ones built to harness potential of this stakeholder group to its full potential. relative to the role of civil sector in the society, capacities are significant. this is mainly due to flexibility and openness of civil society stakeholders. on the other hand, there is a room for improvements. media, for example, could do more on awareness raising agenda and with better / more in depth coverage on all the issues from the sustainable development corpus. despite some positive examples during the last few years, the level of involvement of business sector and its contribution to sustainable development goals has remained at relatively low level. concepts such as sustainable consumption and production and corporate social responsibility are not widely applied. development of public - private partnerships is still at initial stage. during the past decade, the un assistance was to a large degree extended through undp office in montenegro and was referring to issues such as establishment and operation of the office for sustainable development, functioning and reform of ncsd as well as to preparation of nsds. assistance from un desa was received in improving the existing set of core indicators of sustainable development. furthermore, the un system provided an essential support to montenegro in the


sustainable development, functioning and reform of ncsd as well as to preparation of nsds. assistance from un desa was received in improving the existing set of core indicators of sustainable development. furthermore, the un system provided an essential support to montenegro in the areas of :? climate change ( strengthening capacities to address climate change and analyse its impacts on people, economy and environment ) ;? biodiversity ( building capacities for development and implementation of adequate policies, improving management of protected areas ) ;? monitoring and reporting on the implementation of millennium development goals and preparation of human development reports ;? preparation of strategic documents for regional development, public administration reform etc. continued support of the un system and cooperation towards montenegro? s sustainable development is expected in the future through the? delivering as one? initiative, based on consultations between un agencies and government partners. notwithstanding achieved progress, challenges with implementation of sustainable development goals remain numerous. they have been exacerbated lately by global challenges such as climate change and financial / economic crisis. in addition, long lasting negative trends that have been recorded within the country, such as spatial degradation, inadequate waste management, non - compliance with regulations, regional development disparities, poverty and economic vulnerability, inequitable distribution of benefits among social groups, inefficient use of resources and similar, make facing these challenges a more demanding and difficult task. due to pressures to achieve rapid economic improvements in the transitional period, there has been insufficient ability to translate the growing political commitment to sustainable development into concrete transformative actions and policies. lack of longer term perspective in policy formulation has been frequently seen due to pressures to achieve rapid economic improvements, and so despite formal advocating of the sd principles? the need to renew political commitment to this concept is evident. priorities identified through the hitherto preparations for rio + 20 and the key challenges for accelerating progress towards sustainable development over the course of the next decade are :? sustainable management and use of space ;? waste and wastewater management ;? biodiversity protection, preservation of resilience and stability of ecosystems, and rational use of water and forests ;? energy efficiency in all sectors and orientation towards new and alternative energy sources ( especially solar and wind energy ) ;? decrease of currently large regional development disparities and poverty eradication. in order to address these challenges it will be necessary to :? further harmonise national legislation with the eu acquis, international conventions and un recommendations as well as to strengthen commitment and readiness ( also capacities ) to implement regulations and undertaken responsibilities fully and efficiently ;? improve governance


challenges it will be necessary to :? further harmonise national legislation with the eu acquis, international conventions and un recommendations as well as to strengthen commitment and readiness ( also capacities ) to implement regulations and undertaken responsibilities fully and efficiently ;? improve governance system ( to enable stronger involvement of stakeholders in decision making and building of partnerships ) ;? develop and implement educational and awareness raising programmes in order to recognise and adopt values, principles and standards of sustainable development ;? build institutions and capacities at all levels ; improve coordination ;? ensure provision of adequate financial support from the national and local budgets for implementation of sustainability policies and strategies ;? integrate climate change into sectoral policies ; develop climate change adaptation strategies ;? provide for continuous development of scientific, academic, business and administrative capacities in order to promote and stimulate innovation ;? establish statistical system that will generate adequate basis for adoption of policies for sustainable development and their evaluation. 3. 3 recommendations 3. 3. 1 international level ( 1 ) the outcomes of unced in 1992 and wssd in 2002 were highly relevant for montenegro and had to a significant extent affected national level policy making. the rio principles, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, should continue to serve as the guiding principles and basis for international cooperation and move towards sustainable development. ( 2 ) the forthcoming uncsd or rio + 20 will be a unique opportunity to renew political commitment for sustainable development, to reinvigorate global sd efforts and to emphasise the need for integration of environmental, economic and social pillars. international organisations, in particular the international financial institutions, national and local governments, all other groups ( in particular vulnerable groups, women and youth, civil society, academia and business sector ) must be involved in order to ensure sustainable future. ( 3 ) un member states should lead discussions at the rio + 20 conference with the aim to ensure outcomes that will address global, regional and national challenges and provide for tangible, effective and action - oriented results. these outcomes will need to make a positive impact across the world now as well as future generations. ( 4 ) developed countries need to continue and enhance provision of assistance to developing countries ensuring at the same time improved effectiveness and coordination. 3. 3. 2 national level ( 1 ) high level political commitment to sustainable development has been exhibited in montenegro in the past period on strategic and policy level however it proved insufficient on the level of practical implementation and for delivering substantial results. it is therefore necessary to work on renewing and strengthening political commitment for implementation and for integration of all three pillars of sustainable development.


the past period on strategic and policy level however it proved insufficient on the level of practical implementation and for delivering substantial results. it is therefore necessary to work on renewing and strengthening political commitment for implementation and for integration of all three pillars of sustainable development. ( 2 ) government should have a leading role in sd implementation and integration, while other stakeholders need to be fully included in decision - making and assessment of the scope and dynamics in fulfilling the commitments. accountability is important for all stakeholders. partnerships must be strengthened both within the country and with international actors. ( 3 ) coordination between line ministries, national expert, research and scientific institutions as well as between national and local levels of administration has to improve and effective mechanisms for information and knowledge sharing need to be established. clear delineation of competencies and capacity building is necessary to this end. ( 4 ) the process of eu integration and sd implementation are synergetic processes that are reinforcing each other. advancement in transposition and implementation of european standards ( especially in areas such as environmental protection, energy, competitiveness, regional and rural development, social inclusion and equity ) will yield benefits for sustainability agenda and vice versa. it is therefore of the utmost importance to vigorously pursue the eu accession priorities. ( 5 ) national sustainable development strategy needs to be renewed to take into account progress made and remaining / emerging challenges. implementation of the updated strategy needs to be improved by securing adequate political backing and wide acceptance, as well as by setting aside adequate resources both for its implementation and progress monitoring. a strong move from proclamations to actions is necessary. ( 6 ) funding sources for implementation of sustainable development policies and actions need to be diversified to include both public and private sources. additional efforts are needed to mobilise more funds from already recognized sources and to use them more effectively, as well as to identify new sources of finance. ( 7 ) knowledge and data availability need to be improved to ensure that informed decisions are made and sustainability achieved. ( 8 ) comprehensive education and awareness raising programmes need to be continuously developed and implemented to incorporate sustainable development values and principles into everyday life. 4 addressing new and emerging challenges from the long list of new and emerging challenges that are expected to put sustainable development on test globally, the following have been recognised as the most relevant ones for montenegro :? climate change ;? sustainable land use / management of space and linkages with biodiversity conservation, water management and energy ;? inefficient and harmful consumption and production patterns ;? degradation of coastal zone and marine ecosystems ;? further progress towards fu


climate change ;? sustainable land use / management of space and linkages with biodiversity conservation, water management and energy ;? inefficient and harmful consumption and production patterns ;? degradation of coastal zone and marine ecosystems ;? further progress towards fulfilment of millennium development goals, particularly regarding the position of vulnerable groups and regional development, since these are areas of particular interest in the national context ;? the unfolding of global financial crisis and recession and related negative impacts on the national economy. climate change is a relatively new policy area in montenegro. country specific assessment of potential impacts on communities, environment and the economy and efforts to develop adequate responses are in the initial stages. sustainable use of space and degradation of coastal zone / marine ecosystems are, on the other hand, recognised as re - emerging challenges for sustainable development due to prolonged negative trends that threaten to cause irreversible changes and thus affect future development prospects. similarly, efforts to contribute to full implementation of millennium development goals and related national priorities of eradicating poverty and providing for balanced regional development emerge in somewhat changed form in light of economic crisis of the past few years. adapting to and overcoming the impacts of crisis and creating innovative and sustainable approaches to growth is another new area, as is the need to establish sustainable consumption and production standards and practice. taking into account the size of the country and its limited resources, addressing all these challenges in an efficient and effective way is of vital interest. existing mechanisms for addressing these challenges are not well developed, nevertheless significant efforts have been made to establish coordinating bodies ( such as national council on sustainable development ; establishment of climate change council is being considered ), to develop adequate strategies and to implement projects that pilot sustainable approaches in dealing with these problems. furthermore, montenegro has been contributing to establishment of regional mechanisms and networks on economic development, coastal zone management and climate change ( regional forum on climate change for the western balkans being an example ). at the local level, individual positive examples in addressing some of the new and emerging challenges have been recorded ( including efforts to develop sustainable transport systems, increase energy efficiency for public buildings and lighting, etc. ). however, a lot remains to be done to ensure proactive role of local communities in addressing the stated challenges. the country has so far received significant technical and financial assistance to address new and emerging challenges and related areas, such as biodiversity and nature protection, climate change, energy efficiency, regional and rural development, organic agriculture, sustainable tourism development etc. there are continuous efforts and projects to enhance education for sustainable development at all


to address new and emerging challenges and related areas, such as biodiversity and nature protection, climate change, energy efficiency, regional and rural development, organic agriculture, sustainable tourism development etc. there are continuous efforts and projects to enhance education for sustainable development at all levels, nevertheless both scope and effectiveness of these programmes needs to be further improved. sustainable consumption and production is a new theme on montenegrin development agenda where significant progress is of the utmost importance for the future given current and inherited wasteful and polluting production and consumption patterns. assistance in this area has so far come through projects aiming to introduce cleaner production processes, and an assessment of technological needs for climate change mitigation and adaptation is on - going. it is necessary to provide continued and increased support for, in particular, climate change adaptation and mitigation, use of sustainable renewable energy sources, agriculture and sustainable tourism, as well as for introduction of sustainable consumption and production patterns in key sectors ( energy, transport, construction etc. ). further assistance is also necessary for strengthening capacities for integrated policy making and strategy development. 4. 1 recommendations ( 1 ) the success of the rio + 20 will to a large degree depend on the way the most significant global challenges? climate change, sustainable consumption and production, millennium development goals, water scarcity, degradation of marine ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, unfolding energy, food and economic crisis? will be addressed. the conference needs to provide commonly agreed guidelines for adequate responses while at the same time ensuring their flexibility and applicability for different levels of governance and county specific conditions. ( 2 ) cooperation in the areas of technology and research and development, as well as knowledge and technology transfers between developed and developing countries are needed, alongside with education, training programmes and capacity building activities to ensure adequate skills, information and technologies to address new and emerging challenges, and climate change in particular, exist around the world. ( 3 ) public awareness raising activities and strengthened management tools are needed to shift behaviours towards more sustainable lifestyles. ( 4 ) montenegro has recognized the significance of addressing the causes of climate change and adapting to it. improved cooperation and coordination on national, regional and international levels is needed in order to successfully address climate change threats. integration of climate change concerns into development planning is very important as the changing climate poses significant risks to economic growth and development of the country. ( 5 ) a more significant emphasis on sustainable consumption and production ( scp ) is needed on the national level. further integration of scp requirements into sectoral policies for energy, industry, transport, agriculture and


economic growth and development of the country. ( 5 ) a more significant emphasis on sustainable consumption and production ( scp ) is needed on the national level. further integration of scp requirements into sectoral policies for energy, industry, transport, agriculture and services is needed. ( 6 ) integration of development policies under the sustainability umbrella is necessary to provide for land use practices that will safeguard long term development opportunities and quality of life. rational use of space, in particular in the coastal zone, efficient use of resources such as water and energy, and preservation of ecosystem services are necessary preconditions for sustainable response to new and emerging challenges. ( 7 ) efforts to provide for economic growth and development need to be paralleled by more robust mechanisms and tools for balanced regional development and equitable sharing of benefits among all society groups. 5 green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication : experiences and aspirations similar to the situation on global level, there is still no consensus on the meaning of term ' green economy ' and no applicable definition. however, some examples of policies and measures that could be characterised as efforts towards green economy development have been recorded. these include implementation ( limited but evolving ) of the polluter pays principle, introduction of the concept of low - carbon development into national strategies and plans, increased attention paid to biodiversity protection and energy efficiency, incentives for research and development, introduction of clean technologies, strengthening of statistical system and information basis, adaptation to climate change and similar. the concept of green economy is generally understood as a way of achieving sustainable development and it includes social aspects such as poverty reduction, equitable regional development and building up of human capital. pollution charges are in place ( although with limited effects ) as a way of implementing polluter pays principle. nevertheless there is still a need for more comprehensive and effective application of market based instruments for greening the economy. legislation, strategies and action plans to improve resource efficiency are being developed, and specific projects are implemented in the areas such as energy and waste management. incentives for energy efficiency improvements in small and medium sized enterprises, public buildings and housing sector are increasing both in number and scope. even though there is no integral strategy on the development of green economy, some fundamental concepts and principles have been established in the national sustainable development strategy. regional development strategy ( 2010 ) links reduction of development disparities ( within the country ) and increase in employment to the concept of low - carbon development in the main economic sectors and envisages introduction of measures for encouraging private investments into green businesses. preparation of the new


2010 ) links reduction of development disparities ( within the country ) and increase in employment to the concept of low - carbon development in the main economic sectors and envisages introduction of measures for encouraging private investments into green businesses. preparation of the new strategy for construction sector based on green standards is planned, and measures to promote sustainable growth have been recorded in various sectors ( examples include organic agriculture, eco - tourism, renewable energy sources etc. ). a diversified policy mix is needed to achieve green, inclusive and competitive economy. market - based instruments include environmental taxes, charges and fees, tradable permits and subsidies. carbon pricing, which comprises carbon taxes and emission - trading schemes, has a central place in global attempts to achieve green economy. non - market instruments include regulatory and voluntary approaches. legislative or regulatory instruments are based on performance standards, licensing and banning of certain products or practices, while voluntary approaches include ratings, labelling and certification. within the eu accession process, montenegro needs to develop adequate policy mix that will deliver results in its transition to a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. priority sectors for green economy development in montenegro include energy, tourism, construction, agriculture and forestry. more specifically, opportunities exist for increased use of renewable energy sources ( particularly sun and wind ), improved energy efficiency, introduction of the environmental standards ( low carbon buildings ) into construction, development of rural, mountain and eco - tourism, organic agriculture, rural development, sustainable forestry etc. besides these, greening opportunities exist for transport ( introduction of combined transport, improvements in public transportation systems ) and waste management ( waste minimisation reuse and recycling ). there are also untapped opportunities with sustainable public procurement ( the new law on public procurement has recently been adopted by the government and it includes general provisions for introduction of both environmental and social criteria for the public procurement rules ) and introduction of voluntary instruments such as labelling and eco - certification schemes. partnerships with scientific institutions and business sector need to be developed in order to support development of low - carbon technologies and green jobs creation. development of adequate human and technical capacity is a prerequisite for transition to a green economy. availability of international assistance is also very important. discussions held during the national multi - stakeholder conference on sustainable development ( october 2011 ) confirmed montenegrins aspirations to become a pilot country for thorough restructuring and greening of the national economy based on the principles of social equity, resource efficiency and preservation of the environment. the idea and possibility to secure support for such an endeavour has been