Every one of these Post Soviet Countries has incredible potential. Their people are very talented, some exceptionally educated, but, for the Old World values; they can't be beaten.
Latvia has ambitions to move forward with a society that may be more sophisticated. I can't believe when a young person leaves the country and the population falls just that much more, Latvia's leaders seek to change the face of the country, bring it to the modern era and embrace the values all the wholesomeness younger generations embrace.
There is every indication the GDP is improving, but, the one real deficit Latvia may be missing is a capital city that seeks to become more romantic and a fascination for it's young adults. Latvia has achieved a great deal in their years of freedom, but, it needs to look to it's charm and build at least one city tourists and young people like to frequent.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
By far, the biggest ambition in Latvia is electronics
The trade fair takes up two pavilions – Hall I (6700 m²) and Hall II (9300 m²) – offering 16,000 m² of total exhibition area....
The EU is getting serious about quantifying the carbon sink of land based forests.
The European Union (EU) (click here) has adopted a carbon-based accounting system for measuring how forest management practices can help mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The EU will use the approach as the scientific basis for integrating the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector in its climate strategy.
The new accounting system calculates the effect of forests on GHG mitigation by using factual evidence rather than forecasts of projected future policy impacts, an approach implemented under the Kyoto Protocol. This change addresses challenges with previous reporting systems, which used forest reference levels that included assumed effects of future policy impacts, resulting in unverifiable estimates based on counterfactual scenarios. The EU’s new system uses a fact-based carbon accounting system that sets reference levels based on documented historical forest management practices rather than projected future policy impacts....
Latvia has really nice forests.
Frequently, countries will site their forests as part of their carbon sinks; Latvia is no different.
This chart is from 2011. If this level of protection is still exerted, then they are doing well. At about this time more than 49 percent of the forest is exploited for lumber and wood products. Protecting over 50% of Latvian forests is a fantastic value for the country.
"Latvia's Forest After 20 Years of Independence" (click here)
Aussie scientists seek ideas in how to protect and preserve a large macadamia nut.
By Julie Power
Scientists at the Australian PlantBank have yet to work out how to preserve these large black bean seeds.
Why is one nut different from another? (click here)
Why does the palm-sized seed of the hairy walnut hate being dried, making it a tough nut to preserve? How can the macadamia withstand being frozen at minus 192 degrees celsius, and still revive to produce new seedlings – as new research discovered a few weeks ago – but other oily nuts won't survive in these conditions?
Far from questions leading to a punchline, these are the challenges facing scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney and Mt Annan who are racing to develop effective ways of preserving seeds from rainforest plants (like the macadamia) before they become extinct.
New research has called for urgent measures to conserve the diversity of plants found in rainforests. It looked at how rainforest plants in the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, could be preserved for the future if their remaining habitats were destroyed....
Four cornerstones of the Latvian economy are agriculture, chemicals, logistics and woodworking. Other prominent sectors include textiles, food processing, machinery production and green technologies.
31 percent of Latvia's agriculture is General Field Crops. That is good. Some is used for feed stock for it's domestic animals, but, there may be some surplus that can be exported to countries that might be experiencing a short fall.
Organic farming in general require labor and daily involvement in harvesting and processing products. Latvia is a perfect economy where small farms could easily entertain a shift into organic farming.
Latvia conducts an agricultural inventory every 10 years, the next due 2022.
In Latvia, (click here) organic farming is a rather new agricultural practice; it has been gradually introduced since 1999, when the first certificates on organic farming were issued. It must be noted that the 2000 and 2010 data on organic farms are not comparable because different definitions were employed in the two reference years: for this reason information on 2000 is excluded from Table 9. Indeed, within the framework of the Agricultural Census 2000, the term ‘organic farm’ covered all agricultural holdings producing agricultural goods with no use of chemical protection products and fertilisers, regardless whether they had received the organic farming certificate or not. Thus, in compliance with the data of the certification institutions, in 2000 there were only 28 certified organic holdings, 17 of which had received certificates meeting the EU requirements. After the EU accession, organic farming has rapidly developed in Latvia and, starting from 2007, a stable increase in the area has been observed. Moreover, in 2006 Latvia introduced the Organic Farming Register. Until then there had only been a database managed by the certification institutions, and this database included only information on enterprises that had received organic farming certificate.
31 percent of Latvia's agriculture is General Field Crops. That is good. Some is used for feed stock for it's domestic animals, but, there may be some surplus that can be exported to countries that might be experiencing a short fall.
Latvia conducts an agricultural inventory every 10 years, the next due 2022.
In Latvia, (click here) organic farming is a rather new agricultural practice; it has been gradually introduced since 1999, when the first certificates on organic farming were issued. It must be noted that the 2000 and 2010 data on organic farms are not comparable because different definitions were employed in the two reference years: for this reason information on 2000 is excluded from Table 9. Indeed, within the framework of the Agricultural Census 2000, the term ‘organic farm’ covered all agricultural holdings producing agricultural goods with no use of chemical protection products and fertilisers, regardless whether they had received the organic farming certificate or not. Thus, in compliance with the data of the certification institutions, in 2000 there were only 28 certified organic holdings, 17 of which had received certificates meeting the EU requirements. After the EU accession, organic farming has rapidly developed in Latvia and, starting from 2007, a stable increase in the area has been observed. Moreover, in 2006 Latvia introduced the Organic Farming Register. Until then there had only been a database managed by the certification institutions, and this database included only information on enterprises that had received organic farming certificate.
No one can deny, Koko was real.
Why would an animal choose to bond with human beings and learn language? Quite possibly, a better and richer quality of life?
June 21, 2018
By Bill Chappell
Koko, the gorilla who became an ambassador to the human world through her ability to communicate, has died. She's seen here at age 4, telling psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson (left) that she is hungry. In the center is June Monroe, an interpreter for the deaf at St. Luke's Church, who helped teach Koko.
"The Gorilla Foundation (click here) is sad to announce the passing of our beloved Koko," the research center says, informing the world about the death of a gorilla who fascinated and elated millions of people with her facility for language.
Koko, who was 46, died in her sleep Tuesday morning, the Gorilla Foundation said. At birth, she was named Hanabi-ko — Japanese for "fireworks child," because she was born at the San Francisco Zoo on the Fourth of July in 1971. She was a western lowland gorilla.
"Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world," the Gorilla Foundation said.
Throughout her life, Koko's abilities made headlines. After she began communicating with humans through American Sign Language, she was featured by National Geographic — and she took her own picture (in a mirror) for the magazine's cover.
That cover came out in 1978, seven years after Koko was chosen as an infant to work on a language research project with the psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson. In 1985, the magazine profiled the affectionate relationship between the gorilla and her kitten: Koko and All Ball....
June 21, 2018By Bill Chappell
Koko, the gorilla who became an ambassador to the human world through her ability to communicate, has died. She's seen here at age 4, telling psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson (left) that she is hungry. In the center is June Monroe, an interpreter for the deaf at St. Luke's Church, who helped teach Koko.
"The Gorilla Foundation (click here) is sad to announce the passing of our beloved Koko," the research center says, informing the world about the death of a gorilla who fascinated and elated millions of people with her facility for language.
Koko, who was 46, died in her sleep Tuesday morning, the Gorilla Foundation said. At birth, she was named Hanabi-ko — Japanese for "fireworks child," because she was born at the San Francisco Zoo on the Fourth of July in 1971. She was a western lowland gorilla.
"Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world," the Gorilla Foundation said.
Throughout her life, Koko's abilities made headlines. After she began communicating with humans through American Sign Language, she was featured by National Geographic — and she took her own picture (in a mirror) for the magazine's cover.
That cover came out in 1978, seven years after Koko was chosen as an infant to work on a language research project with the psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson. In 1985, the magazine profiled the affectionate relationship between the gorilla and her kitten: Koko and All Ball....
In the face of falling population, the GDP is growing.
Latvia has done well on it's own. It is an open economy of Northern Europe and is a member of the EU's single market.
1999 - Member WTO
2004 - Member EU
2011 - Ranked high as a country practicing Very High Human Development (HDI) (click here)
Automation that is adverse to human development and well being is a detriment to a country's best interest. Unions should bring this aspect of human development and economic security to the attention of companies and employees.
The Human Development Report
Each year since 1990 the Human Development Report has published the Human
Development Index (HDI) which was introduced as an alternative to conventional measures of national development. The HDI represents a broader definition of well-being and provides a composite measure of three basic dimensions of human development: health, education and income.
2014 - Member Eurozone
2016 - Member OECD(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)
Today, Latvia is ranked 19th by the World Bank in Ease of Doing Business (click here)
Karenia brevis will react to warmer waters.
Karenia is a dinoflagellate with a very bad reputation of causing respiratory distress and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The is the largest bloom in at least ten years in offshore waters of Florida.
July 30, 2018
By Mindy Weisberger
Scores of dead fish (click here) itter the shorelines of beaches in southwest Florida, and hundreds of dead and ailing sea turtles have washed up on shores there in recent weeks — all victims of a toxic red tide caused by the single-cell alga Karenia brevis.
July 30, 2018
By Mindy Weisberger
Scores of dead fish (click here) itter the shorelines of beaches in southwest Florida, and hundreds of dead and ailing sea turtles have washed up on shores there in recent weeks — all victims of a toxic red tide caused by the single-cell alga Karenia brevis.
Algal blooms occur seasonally in the Gulf of Mexico, when water conditions enable their populations to explode and spread. But this year's event includes especially high quantities of algae that produce a toxin, and the impact on marine wildlife is devastating, affecting sea birds as well as fish and turtles in unprecedented numbers, the Fort Myers News-Press reported.
The algae's toxins can also be dangerous to humans if inhaled, particularly for those people who have respiratory issues. Concentrations of algae in some coastal areas have been so high that the National Weather Service (NWS) issued beach hazard advisories over the weekend, warning about risks of respiratory irritation. Those warnings remain in effect as of today (July 30), according to the NWS....
Latvia population is equivalent to 0.03% of the total world population.
Latvia ranks number 166 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
The population density in Latvia is 34 per Km2 (89 people per mi2).
The total land area is 62,200 Km2 (24,016 sq. miles)
69.7 % of the population is urban (1,345,602 people in 2018)
The median age in Latvia is 42.8 years.
There is a good chance the population of these Post Soviet Countries drops because young people seek better opportunities and a different way of life. When young people abandon a country such as Latvia, they take their reproductive capacity. So a country, such as Latvia will realize a dropping population density for two reasons, emigration and the future of babies with that emigration.
Latvia, as well as Lithuania and Estonia de facto ceased to be parts of the USSR four months before the Soviet Union itself ceased to exist (26 December 1991). Soon, on 6 September, the independence of three Baltic states was recognized by the USSR. ... Latvia later joined NATO and the European Union in 2004.
Latvia's estimated population is 1.93 million, which is lower than the population of 2.07 million at the last census in 2011. Latvia has a relatively low density of just 34 people per square kilometer (89/sq mi), which ranks 166th in the world. Latvia is currently the third-poorest country in the European Union and about 30,000 people leave the country each year, most of whom are young and well educated. This is most visible in the capital of Riga, which is becoming a ghost town.
Coral Reefs are facing collapse.
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald today describing the alarming reality of the collapse of Australian coral reefs. This is a very painful reality by the global community. This type of indifference by the USA is why poorer relations with countries like Australia exist and rightfully so.
Indifference is exactly the right word for the USA's engagement of the Climate Crisis.
The Australian government (click here) is offering funding to research ways to protect the Great Barrier Reef after repeated bleaching episodes that scientists say are putting the reef in jeopardy.
To the left a living reef and the right is a dead reef.
20 July 2018
By Nicole Hasham
He cited a 2017 report by the United Nations environment program that found Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were set to far exceed its pledge under the Paris accord. This agreement aims to limit global temperature rises this century to well below 2° and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°....
Corals of Australia are dead. This is happening now. This is not an ancient coral forest, it is now, today.
Indifference is exactly the right word for the USA's engagement of the Climate Crisis.
To the left a living reef and the right is a dead reef.
20 July 2018
By Nicole Hasham
...“Coral bleaching is projected to increase in frequency ... those coral reefs that survive are expected to be less biodiverse than in the past,” the plan says.
The reef is the world’s largest living structure, covering an area roughly the size of Italy.
Coral reefs are particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change including higher sea temperatures, ocean acidification and more intense storms and cyclones.
The plan recognised that “holding the global temperature increase to 1.5°C or less is critical to ensure the survival of coral reefs”.
“Respected coral scientists have documented in peer-reviewed journals that most of the world’s coral reefs will not survive unless the global temperature increase is limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels,” it said.
However WWF-Australia head of oceans Richard Leck said Australia’s emissions reduction efforts were not even in line with limiting warming to 2°.
He cited a 2017 report by the United Nations environment program that found Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were set to far exceed its pledge under the Paris accord. This agreement aims to limit global temperature rises this century to well below 2° and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°....Corals of Australia are dead. This is happening now. This is not an ancient coral forest, it is now, today.
Latvia affiliates with European allies to battle the climate crisis.
Last year Latvia was hit with debilitating floods.
At the same time (click here) due to its location in vicinity of Riga Gulf and in lowland in the mouth of three major rivers Daugava, Gauja, Lielupe, Riga is especially vulnerable in respect to impacts of climate change. Unless the high climate change impact risks and possible threats, it could be recognised that awareness of stakeholders and inhabitants can be considered as low. Despite that at the national level the Climate Change Mitigation Programme 2005 - 2010 is well functioning, the adaptation approaches in both in national and local levels are generally missing in Latvia.
September 7, 2017
The damage from heavy rains and resulting floods (click here) in eastern Latvia in August this year is around €4.38 million, Janis Eglits, the parliamentary secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Environment and Regional Development, said during the debate in the parliament on September 7.
Of this amount, €1.6 million are needed for road repairs and €2.7 million for rebuilding the infrastructure, he said.
The local governments will supply co-financing in the amount of €1.31 million but €3.07 million have to be allocated from the contingency fund in the national budget.
As reported, the Latvian parliament today approved the Cabinet of Ministers decision about declaring state of emergency in agriculture in 29 regions affected by floods.
The Latvian government on August 28 passed a decree declaring a state of emergency in agriculture in 29 regions in the country's east until November 30 due to floods caused by heavy rain.
Flood damage to crops and road infrastructure in the Latgale province in eastern Latvia is estimated at several millions of euros.
Meanwhile Agriculture Minister Jānis Dūklavs, appearing on LTV September 7, said that up to 20,000 hectares of farmland may have been devastated in the flood.
The risk of coastal erosion (click here) in the future is expected and it will be widespread in Latvia shoreline. It is changing with the coast sections where accumulation is occurring and almost equally observed both along the open Baltic Sea coast (69% of its coast length) and along the Gulf of Riga (66% of its coast length).
September 7, 2017
The damage from heavy rains and resulting floods (click here) in eastern Latvia in August this year is around €4.38 million, Janis Eglits, the parliamentary secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Environment and Regional Development, said during the debate in the parliament on September 7.
Of this amount, €1.6 million are needed for road repairs and €2.7 million for rebuilding the infrastructure, he said.
The local governments will supply co-financing in the amount of €1.31 million but €3.07 million have to be allocated from the contingency fund in the national budget.
As reported, the Latvian parliament today approved the Cabinet of Ministers decision about declaring state of emergency in agriculture in 29 regions affected by floods.
The Latvian government on August 28 passed a decree declaring a state of emergency in agriculture in 29 regions in the country's east until November 30 due to floods caused by heavy rain.
Flood damage to crops and road infrastructure in the Latgale province in eastern Latvia is estimated at several millions of euros.
Meanwhile Agriculture Minister Jānis Dūklavs, appearing on LTV September 7, said that up to 20,000 hectares of farmland may have been devastated in the flood.
Lolita Čigāne (born: August 18, 1973) is a Latvian politician. She was previously a journalist, public policy analyst and international consultant in the issues of good-governance, anti-corruption and elections. In 2010 she joined the centre-right Unity party Čigāne was first elected to the 10th Saeima (parliament) in 2010. She served a full term as a Member of Parliament in the 11th Saeima (2011–2014) and is currently a Member of Parliament of the 12th Saeima, convened in November 2014. In 2017 she switched to the liberal Movement For!, which she left again in April 2018.
It is reported Ms. Cigane received a Master of Science degree in 2001 from London School of Economics (LSE) London, UK with a specialization in International Political Economy.
"Par" is the newest political party in Latvia.
April 3, 2018
...Since the foundation of ‘Par!’ (click here) Čigāne was certain this party should serve as a centrist platform for veterans and newcomers alike. The party’s board and congress later decided to form a union with parties like For Latvia’s Development and Growth [Izaugsme party], said the politician....
Click here for a link to her debating those that would like to win her seat. (click here)
Dievs, svētī Latviju! (Baumaņu Kārlis, Dziesmu svētki 2013) (click here for World Choir Games)
"Dievs Sveti Latviju" national anthem of Latvia, interpreted Sunday, July 7, 2013 to 7:20 p.m. hour Riga by the Géant Choir 13,000 singers of the Closing Concert XXVth Festival of Songs and XV Dances of Latvia, directed here by the illustrious Choirmaster Zuika Roberts, honored this year for 100 years.
Mūs' dārgo tēviju
Svētī jel Latviju
Ak, svētī jel to!
God, bless Latvia!
Our beloved fatherland
Bless Latvia
Oh bless it, yet again!
Kur latvju meitas zied
Kur latvju dēli dzied
Laid mums tur laimē dietMūs' Latvijā!
Where Latvian daughters bloom
Where Latvian sons sing
Let us dance for joy there,
Our Latvia! (repeat)
Dievs, svētī Latviju!
Mūs' dārgo tēviju
Svētī jel Latviju
Ak, svētī jel to!
God, bless Latvia!
Our beloved fatherland
Bless Latvia
Oh bless it, yet again! (repeat)
Kur latvju meitas zied
Kur latvju dēli dzied
Laid mums tur laimē diet
Mūs' Latvijā!
Where Latvian daughters bloom
Where Latvian sons sing
Let us dance for joy there,
Our Latvia! (repeat)
Tonight at 11:00 pm the Perseids Meteor Shower will be at it's height.
My understanding is that the west coast USA won't be able to see it, but, if cities dim their lights and perhaps similar to that of "Earth Hour" the meteor shower will be far easier to see. The meteors come out of the northeast. Don't have a mobile phone with you because for the time one looks at 30 messages the best of the meteor shower will be over.
August 11, 2018
By Andrew Fazekas
Sky-watchers (click here) around the world are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Perseid meteor shower, which will be at its best from August 12 to 13. Often one of the most impressive spectacles of its kind, the Perseid shower should be especially vivid this year because the sky will be moonless and dark during the peak.
The Perseids are actually visible from July 17 to August 24, although you’ll see only a few meteors an hour throughout most of that time period. The sky show spikes on the peak dates, with an expected average of 90 shooting stars an hour....
August 11, 2018
By Andrew Fazekas
Sky-watchers (click here) around the world are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Perseid meteor shower, which will be at its best from August 12 to 13. Often one of the most impressive spectacles of its kind, the Perseid shower should be especially vivid this year because the sky will be moonless and dark during the peak.
The Perseids are actually visible from July 17 to August 24, although you’ll see only a few meteors an hour throughout most of that time period. The sky show spikes on the peak dates, with an expected average of 90 shooting stars an hour....
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