1st Basic Rule of Good Management, Leadership must have credibility.

1st Basic Rule of Good_Management: GOOD LEADERSHIP NEEDS CREDIBILITY: "Walk the Talk, Time Gentlemen Please!*

If the talk is all about austerity and the in thing is budget restrictions, it is not to say that our ministers happily apply the famous principle: "Do as I say, not what I do.
"Despite the crisis, therefore, the executive members have some difficulty in giving the facilities offered to them by the Republic. Spending it is difficult to know, as if he was still indecent to demand accountability on the use of public money.

Journalists break their teeth on these issues. But politicians, (as peers) and as part of their function (Job Specification) have proceedures which allows them  to seek clarification. Of the thousands of French parliamentarians, there is one, Rene Dosière, who decided to use the powers that are given by its function. This member of parliament (related to the Socialist Party) for the Deprtment of Aisne has been for some years now the expert on these sensitive issues which anger the executive.

The two appartments of Mr. Estrosi, Minister for Industry.

An executive who is obliged to provide answers to the "honorable" member. Even if these responses are sometimes slow to come (a few weeks to a few years ...!) And sometimes intentionally inaccurate or incomplete. Even inaccurate.

Take for example the question asked in late May on staff accommodation attributed to the ministers and state secretaries. The answer appears to be exhaustive, however  the response concerning Mr Christian Estrosi (Industry) appears only one mention to his apartment in the rue de Lille, while he himself admitted to benefitting from two staff houses, one where he lives, rue de Lille, the other at Bercy, he "used the latter when he ended his days work." Paris is a big city ...

Answers to take with some relative distance, but which nevertheless give a reasonable idea of the volume and use of public subsidies for those who are responsible.

Un-necessary work programmed on Residence formally attached to Matignon  annexed  by President Sarkozy and the work envisaged billed to Matignon (Prime Minister Fillon's allocated budget)

We learn for example that French President M. Nicolas Sarkozy, not content to attach the residence of the Lantern (an annex of the Palace of Versailles with gilding, paintings by masters and park but also with a pool and tennis), vested up Prime Minister in 2007, did a cost of "adjustments." Work that has not really started yet the budget of the Elysee (110 million) since they were essentially supported the President's request, by Matignon, for the modest sum of 390,000 euros over three years. A sum which, unlike the work done at the Elysee Palace may not have intended to "improve working conditions" of staff, since it is only a secondary residence.
80 000 euros of private aircraft for the Ministry of Culture

We also learn that our President is not alone in having a taste for travel. Take for example the Ministry of Culture, whose too Parisian side is often a source of criticism from  some ill intentioned spirits.[sarcasm] He, instead, spent lavishly to disseminate knowledge in the provinces and abroad.

In 2009, according to official figures he has just given the "air travel in France, overseas or outside the office of Minister of Culture and Communication" amounted to 403 000 "Taxes".
A sum which includes travel by commercial airliner and those operated with aircraft from the former Glam (now Etec, depending on the Air Force). A fleet that does not seem sufficient to the needs of Culture admits that about 80 000 trips in 'private plane. " Rigor? You said rigour?

*Glossary: Time Gentlemen Please! is the barman's call warning UK Pubs closing The preceding  call is " Last drinks, gentlemen".

Read also on Rue89 and Eco89 ref below
► "The Budget Ministry is the department that are the best paid '
► stampede of journalists in apartments Estrosi

REFERENCE and Supporive links for the above claims below (in french)
http://www.rue89.com/argent-elus/2010/10/22/de-la-difficulte-de-savoir-combien-nos-chers-elus-depensent-172447

Materials Science and Engineering Defined: Protect your laptop - Here I lacked Foresight

Materials Science and Engineering Defined: Protect your laptop -

NB all critical pass words now protected - if any concerns arise please contact me

Six Strategic Mental Attitudes Part II - Strategic Mental Attitude N° I - BENCHMARKING

I. BENCHMARKING.

In simple management terms, benchmarking is the best and arguably the easiest

method to initiate change to improve organisational performance. It consists in using the experience, of other organisations. Why re-invent the wheel? Why not seek ideas and practice of others which may help improve productivity or quality? By comparing one’s organisation al methods with those of the most performing in a sector of activity, using similar working processes. The benchmarker can identify practice which leads to better results and adapt them to his own needs.


This concept is probably the oldest. Indeed it has long found a place in common language. It consists in measurement, measurement to prepare working to size or to a standard.  Measurement of the task to be performed, be it cutting a material to size where the tradesman marks the required size on the work-bench or in a wider sense, measurement of performance to be improved, both from internal organisation practice and importantly against relevant external performance such as that of competitors activities.    So it is certainly the easiest concept to understand. communicate and find adhesion within a performance improvement (change) project.

A quick glance at the table of qualities valued in benchmarking reflects as expected the predominance of  percentage the objective  qualities: logic and information, (almost total implication-effort rated 90% each) The subjective quality: communication is next in call for resources (50% implication) . Of secondary importance are Ingenuity: introspection and reorganisation and Values: conviction and motivation (30% each) (admit that improvement is necessary and possible objectively and conviction and motivation are of course necessary for any successful project outcome.

Today benchmarking has evolved.  Once the precise measurement technique described above, it has evolved into a strategic management method and approach. Rather than or building upon the stricter narrower approach of adoption and imitation now the accent is given to the wider values of adaptation and innovation. The process of development (durable-sustainable) and holistic learning are privileged over the earlier constrained vision of products and markets. Benchmarking is no longer a short-term problem oriented project but a continuous process.  In the past, the benchmarks, here, the effective  measurements of comparative performance were the most important. Today focus is given to the key factors, processes and activities which lead to optimum performance and achievement. Benchmarking is no longer a punctual project but has become an integral part of the long-term commercial strategy.

Benchmarking is often associated with industrial companies but has now shown itself to be equally useful in non-industrial organisations. The following example is taken from the experience of First Chicago Bank, at the time, the biggest bank in Midwest USA. First Chicago Direction wished to improve their human resources management.

The direction identified ten important areas which could help the bank progress and decided to launch a benchmarking project. During the initial phase, two critical factors to ensure the banks success, were identifie.

2 Critical Factors:
1. Responsibilisation.
2. Autonomous Team Working.

A project team was formed to study all publications on theses two themes.

After intense discussion between team members a list of critical questions, relative to benchmarking, was drawn-up. It included measurement of the team-work in practice and of progress in responsibilisation as well as the results likely to be achieved.

The team rapidly understood that there was little to be learned from the First Chicago itself nor from the rest of the banking industry. Therefore it did not orient it’s research on it’s competitors but instead, turned towards partners who have more to offer in these two fields.

Fourteen companies of which only one was a bank were chosen as benchmarking targets. These partners were contacted individually in order to set-up the indispensable co-operation required for all benchmarking.

Data was gathered from the partners during visits, meetings and telephone conversations. The methods and performances were studied and documented on the basis of the previously determined benchmarking questions. The final analysis was presented to the board in a written report underlining the role of the board in the two critical areas of responsibilisation and team work. The report also treated other points such as; training and support, the key elements for implementation, the importance of compensation and recognition and of the results and risks associated with diverse activities.   

Many important lessons were learned from the exercise and several interesting methods were discovered from benchmarking partners. However the First Chicago studies were complex and did not allow the team to find an optimal practice to use within the bank in order to attain the two principle aims: 1. responsibilisation and 2. The setting-up of team practice. On the other hand, 1st Chicago benefited from the experience of it’s benchmark partners in order to choose diverse concepts and techniques amenable for adoption in the context of the commercial objectives and the company culture of the bank.

Good benchmarking follows a point by point approach and names a benchmarking project team which assumes the direction and management of the project. The team is put in charge of; drawing up the outline of the study, finding benchmark partners, observation and documentation of partners work-flow and processes, identification of  dysfunctions and of their fundamental causes and of choosing the optimal practices which may be adopted and put into practice within the organisation.

3 points to be remembered in undertaking a benchmark project.

1. Construct a programme which justifies benchmarking as seen from the viewpoint of the board and the principle shareholders, one which meets the overall aims and objectives of the organisation.

2.Guarantee the support of the benchmark study by choosing powerful sponsors, by building a competent team and by ensuring proper training.

3. Support the project throughout it’s duration by presenting it’s successes and it’s evolutions, by maintaining the benchmarking operation’s visibility within the organisation and by recognising and compensating the best efforts of benchmarking.

Six Benchmarking Check-list Questions:

1. Do we know how to draw up the list of products and processes, set them side by side and compare them in a fair and equitable manner?

2. Have we defined the aspects to be compared?    

3. Are we certain that we are carrying out comparisons at equivalent and adequate levels?

4. Do we know how to and where to find the critical information which we require that is
capable of distinguishing that which is specific and essential in other organisations and of applying it to our own case.

6. Have we examined each optimal practice identified in order to check if it truly is applicable to our case.

MORE NEXT WEEK...

World Future Society - Thomas Frey-Futurist, His blog and some videos

A quick introduction to themes raised by Thomas Frey :

I have added a few videos to my "Hindsight-Foresight" video wall, see above.

Thomas Frey's blog

Check some themes from Fray's blog list:

Paradigm-Breaking Books

Artificial Islands are Floating in Our Future

Cycling would be good for your health ... and financial health, follows Walking is good for your health

Cycling would be good for your health ... and financial health
(Translated from French using Google toolbar Translator)

"According to an article from Reuters , reprinted in extenso and in the same way , by the sites of theExpress and Point ( almost identical to the photo .. ) the bike would be good for health .

The study by the Altermodal - Indiggo was made for Hubert Combed , Interdepartmental Coordinator for the development of cycling. It is not a scoop but the study put a cost saving figure to well-known qualitative experience.
According to Nicolas Mercat co - founder of Altermodal Indiggo - project leader of this study and great fan of cycling before the Lord (he committed two books on the theme of travel by bicycle ,Successful political cycle - Practical Tools for Effective Communication and Greenways : Attendance and impact )

POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS:
 With 87 kilometers on average per inhabitant per year , the French are far from the Dutch, who are 800-1000 , but also of " Platoon " where there are particular Germans , Belgians and Swiss, credited 250-500 km per year ... . Based on a Danish study based itself on a WHO methodology , it is estimated that 5.6 billion euros the impact of cycling on health in France ... . ' to finish on an optimist " With 350 km cycling per year per capita, there is no hole for Social Security "
 
Related Post:

Walking works, is good for your health and for business -Universities and CollegesTop brains look at Sustainability_EAUC Confs"

References on Cycling studies:

WHO-World Health Organisation Physical Activity,Health and Disease

WHO-Cycling,Health and Overweight

Do the Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh the Risks?

More?
"A study authored by Professor David Bassett Jr. from the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and three other researchers was published August 19 in the American Journal of Public Health, concluding that communities with more walkers and cyclists are healthier than those where people must rely on cars to get around"

ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2010) — Want a slimmer, healthier community? Try building more sidewalks, crosswalks and bike paths.

Overall, the U.S. doesn't measure up well.
"European countries with high rates of walking and cycling have less obesity than do Australia and countries in North America that are highly car-dependent," the authors wrote.


Full Article and references:
Link Between Walking, Cycling and Health from Science Dailey

THE ART OF FINDING THE MANAGEMENT STYLE BEST SUITED TO AN INDIVIDUAL AND HOW TO INTEGRATE THIS TO OBTAIN TEAM AND ORGANISTIONAL PERFORMANCE.

SIX STRATEGIC MENTAL ATTITUDES I.

This is an introduction to my planned series of 6 posts on Six Strategic Mental Attitudes corresponding to the list of six important and well documented management concepts listed below.

I have chosen to write on this approach due to its originality, its emphasis on mind-sets and personalities which so often play a determining role in team work and management meetings decisional and pre-decisional

(reference translated from the french version a booklet ISBN: 87-90172-10-8 by M. Wiman, Stefan Boéthiusand Per Hamann.)

INTRODUCTION

Management is about thought for organisational action and improved performance.

Management science is a field of many concepts and organisational performance methods.

This ebook will consider in depth, the essentials of six important concepts.

1-Benchmarking to measure and improve performance.

2-Networking and Virtual Organisation.

3-Re-engineering. Re-engineering a company’s work-flow processes for a new start.

4-Learning Organisation to improving the company collective know-how.

5-Key Competence, know-how as competitive advantage.

6-Empowerment, individual responsabilisation.

Underlying principles are brought to the fore in order to make better use of each individual manager’s style-preferred thinking processes individually and as a member of the project management team. It will be shown how to optimise overall project and company performance by integrating the benefits of multiple concepts and methods.

GENERAL-OVERVIEW:

In essence every activity implies the repetition of three [thought] mechanisms:

1. VALID - Choice of orientation. Identify what is available -VALID.

2. TRUE - Understand the situation: requires sufficient knowledge pour determiner what is TRUE.

3. NEW - Evaluate one’s own capacity: keep an open mind in order to seek what is NEW. [what is changing.]

Each of these three mechanisms has in turn two aspects or dimensions:

1. Objective


2. Subjective .

They are two fundamentally differing types of thought:

- Objective thought is rational and realistic. It entails making a good choice of measures which require to be taken, choices based upon sound principles and foundations, sound information and knowledge and capable of functioning in the real world.

- Subjective reasoning is intuitive and affective: delegate tasks, call upon the understanding of others and apprehend the subjective pulsions-automatisms- motivations of the people involved.

These six different management concepts and underlying principles are summarised in Table 1, (2x3) above:

Table 1 allows us to efficiently describe, not only personal mental attitudes, but also the type of reasoning required by a particular situation or task.

Successful action implies an interaction between the six types of reasoning. An effective manager or project of management is capable of evolving between the six aptitudes and to use those which respond best to the characteristics of any situation.

Insights into many modern management concepts may be obtained by referring to the degrees with which the six strategic mental aptitudes are required to achieve a success in practice and also how the concepts or methods are related to one another in order to achieve successful project results.

For example management by objectives is based on intuitive values, a rationality and objective information. Team work, by definition, is an activity based on communication and a group of shared values

Each of the following six modern well known management concepts:

-Benchmarking to measure and improve performance.

-Networking and Virtual Organisation.

-Re-engineering. Re-engineering a company’s work-flow processes for a new start.

-Learning Organisation to improving the company collective know-how.

-Key Competence, know-how as competitive advantage.

-Empowerment, individual responsabilisation.

will be considered in turn, in the six post to follow in the following weeks(approx 1/week). Each concept and associated methodology gives, and in fact requires, a different emphasis, a different blend of the these different mental aptitudes.

The degrees to which the six management concepts listed above may be characterised by different blendings of the six strategic mental aptitudes. These will be illustrated graphically using a grid system, whereby the mental attitudes are the defined colours as shown above in Table 1, and the degrees to which these enter into the Management Concepts and methodology are estimated in percentage given on the vertical axis.

Cause for concern-Commodities for export still threaten rainforests in Brazil_ Correspondence in the leading Science Journal Nature

The authors of correspondence to Nature find that the conclusion "that there is no longer a direct correlation between food production in Brazil and deforestation in the Amazon", published in the previous number (Nature 466, 554–556; 2010) are premature. An increase in demand by international markets for export commodities such as soya beans and beef will mean more rainforest clearance.

en référence à :

"find your conclusion premature that there is no longer a direct correlation between food production in Brazil and deforestation in the Amazon (Nature 466, 554–556; 2010).An increase in demand by international markets for export commodities such as soya beans and beef will mean more rainforest clearance."
- Access : Commodities for export still threaten rainforests in Brazil : Nature (afficher sur Google Sidewiki)

Materials Science and Engineering Defined: Creativity in Materials Science, Invention, Innovation - Innovation Sells.

Materials Science and Engineering Defined: Creativity in Materials Science, Invention, Innovation - Innovation Sells.


This series of posts arise from a pointer from my latest September 2010 Issue of Materials World, Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IOM3) house journal, Materials World (MW). Our professional development p.19, reported on (improving) "Connecting research with creativity" the article title. The work is supported by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) who first brought together together 15 senior academics in order to get strategic input on what was required to free creativity in research.

EU Research & Management Issues:Car versus plane_travel and the climate change

Research Headlines 

• Car versus plane: travel and the climate change debate
  Which is worse for global warming: travelling by car or by plane? According to the results of an EU-funded study, car travel increases global temperatures more than an air travel for the same journey but only in the long term. Travelling by plane, on the other hand, adversely affects short-lived warming processes at high altitudes. The findings are part of the QUANTIFY ('Quantifying the climate impact of global and European transport systems') project, which was funded EUR 8.39 million under the 'Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems' Thematic area of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

Transport is affecting the climate and experts say it's only going to get worse. Data show that transport was responsible for around 10% of the total net man-made warming nearly a decade ago; topping the list was carbon dioxide (CO2) followed by tropospheric ozone (O3). Researchers at the Oslo-based Centre for International Climate and Environment Research (CICERO) in Norway have calculated how transport will affect global warming in the coming years. The study's results, presented in the journal Atmospheric Environment, are part of the EU-funded QUANTIFY ('Quantifying the climate impact of global and European transport systems') project, which received EUR 8.39 million under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Ref Atomspheric Environment

Atmospheric Environment, Volume 44, Issue 31, October 2010, Page i

Ref:
1. QUANTIFY

2. CICERO


3. IIASA

4. ENVIRONMENT Climate feels the transport effect.

work Published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology

Walking works, is good for your health and for business -Universities and CollegesTop brains look at Sustainability_EAUC Confs

And well beyond......

This is most fittingly an issue for "This-Above-All"  and in many respects a "Wedge" to alleviate current financial and economic crisis, (Sustainability?) loss of management credibility...now personified by top EU Nations France and Italy's Football Results respectively vice champion and current champion World cup 2006. Over-paid, over played!!!!!)

MORE :

EAUC   

Tuesday 31st: Workshop A 4.15pm: Walking Works: Promoting Walking to and on Your Campus (9.9Mb) #1377by R. Smith Head of Business Services Consultancy.

Conversations-on-Innovations: New on Innovation_The Economist-Innocentive Co-operation 1st visit the 6x6 page video series Management-Thinkers on Innovation

Conversations-on-Innovations: New on Innovation_The Economist-Innocentive Co-operation 1st visit the 6x6 page video series Management-Thinkers on Innovation


Impressive video and lecture notes resources, many authors presented

OneDrop.org addresses a world class problem_Drinking Water Shortage-This is the Place to Post and Link

However, I am far from convinced that this initiative, if certainly better than none, is of the Prof David J.C. Mackay Class of Big Fixes. To quote David "Big Problems need Big Fixes, Big Actions. "Every big helps.

The Onedrop creator is better known as CEO of the Circque du Soleil, private trip to the Intl. Space Station etc.Guy Laliberté,LINK]

I scanned the list of subjects on Onedrop's Site to discover that I do all and more of the pledged actions!

Here is a copy of my comment contributed to OneDrop. Hopefully management "Gros Legumes"-Big vegetables" as they are called in French will find matter for reflection and action for a BIG FIX!

-Limit private and public manned space travel to the strict necessary. Right Guy?
-In order to invest much much more on intelligent water economies and cleansing, svp.

I shall put a link on one or other or all of my blogs but I do not want my readers to be taken to the cleaners or taken for less intelligent than they are!!!
PS We do almost all of the above, not necessarily for altruistic reasons but for pragmatic, economic ones. most are good for your pocket so please join me not the gas gelling, water wasting, polluting ("high fliers"?)

"Big problems need a big fix "every big helps"
quote Prof. David JC. Mackay FRS,
His book is   "Without Hot Air"

free online version and no paper wasted, but it's tough to read all that way as I mostly do or go to the library on foot.  I am lucky to live near the library although high level books are few and in english non-existent. More's the pity, such is the effect of clientelisme.
cf my approaches.
-Materials Science and Engineering Defined AND
-This-Above-All, this blog.
2 of Seven.

some Refs on Amazon

1 .                                  2.

THE MILLENIUM CHALLENGE:
MCC has approved over $7.4 billion in compact and threshold programs worldwide that support country-determined projects in such sectors as:
•agriculture and irrigation,
•transportation (roads, bridges, ports),
•water supply and sanitation,
•access to health,
•finance and enterprise development,
•anticorruption initiatives,
•land rights and access,
•access to education.

Comment on ref.2: Even at 10times the price of ref.1 it is certainly worth the inversment for serious national, regional, professionals, governance etc


Ref 3. in French from and  for Quebecois.
Eau potable au Quebec dans la vallee du Saint-Laurent: l'impact des changements climatiques.: An article from: Quebec Studies

Check of course: Drinking Water on Wikipedia

Amazon Affilate programme - Today no Foresight can do without GPS

I have just linked to the Google Blogger-Amazon Affiliate Programme on this blog following my trials on other sites in which I reviewed several books, specifically quite lengthy book previews on google Books. The Amazon post link facility allows me to offer readers who prefer their own paper book version the excellent offers available via Amazon, New and almost new second hand books are often available. Indeed until now I have been only an interested intermediary for the family and friends who like to buy via Amazon.  I do the ordering via the web.

It is high  time that I improve my act so to speak, setting up all my sites with the Amazon-Blogger tool not only for books and book reviews one of my favourite longstanding activities but also when their is adequation linking with chosen products from the quite extensive Amazon catalogue.

In the present case, a main focus of "This-Above-All" is Foresight, Road-mapping so without stretching my self imposed science based mandate, it is both amusing and highly relevant that a mention of GPS and its importance in all modern precise speed measurement dependent activity for example the influence of the Chilean earthquake on the earths speed of rotation ( “The length of the day should have gotten shorter by 1.26 microseconds (millionths of a second),” Gross, said. links below

Chilean Quake Likely Shifted Earth’s Axis, NASA Scientist Says from business Week March 01, 201
 
Academic article-book Champ,Mass displacement and the earth's rotation by Robert Gross

MY ROAD-MAP 2010 CHOICE
GPS TomTom Europe 22 country includes UK
and in $
TomTom ONE 130 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished) 

RELATED POSTS

NPL-UK's National Physical Laboratory open day

Reviews of "Materials and Environment" by M.F.Ashby published on MW, Google Books, and Amazon

This Above All

more about "This Above All", posted with vodpod

Climate Studies-Small Steps Toward Rules for Geoengineering following 'Asilomar 2' Conference

CO2 counter follow-up "Getting the message across"

"Cuts in greenhouse emissions should be a priority, it said, mirroring statements by the American Geophysical Union and the U.K. Royal Society."

The conference organizers declared that geoengineering research is "indispensable" but said that it should be done with "humility." Governments and the public should work together to decide what schemes are "viable, appropriate, and ethical," the statement added and further supported their comments, if needed, with quoted statements from two of the most respected sources on the planet American Geophysical Union and the U.K. Royal Society.

"Cuts in greenhouse emissions should be a priority, it said, mirroring statements by the American Geophysical Union and the U.K. Royal Society."

Full story at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/328/5974/22?sa_campaign=Email/sntw/2-April-2010/10.1126/science.328.5974.22

No further comment.

en référence à : (12403 unread) Yahoo! Mail (afficher sur Google Sidewiki)

New CO2 counter widget for you "Gov" from CO2 now

I have just added a couple CO2 counter widgets to some of my pages. CO2 is the current N°1 warning-light, a tracer for human related (anthropological) Climate change (CC). It is the most important GHG-greenhouse gas in absolute terms of weight or volume. (H20vp-water vapour ignored-really a base line and a friendly one at that.)

I manage two other blogs in which, as a scientist and engineer, I try to focus on measurement, facts and solutions. (Refs 1 & 2 below) This does not exclude opinion and is certainly open to free speech comment, questions and/or suggestions.

I believe this page is best place to further comment on CO2 count and GHGs and CC, in the first instance, such is the magnitude of work to be done (WTBD) in order to adequately tackle, what many consider to be the most important issue facing humanity today.

WORK

I deliberately chose to use the word "work" in opposition to "effort", since some prominent commentators here in France where at least one in particular Mr. C. Allègre ex-Gov minister for education (and employment?) and a prominent geophysicist appears to me to be involved in "pulling the cover to himself and perhaps to his recent publications on CO2, it'spredicted effects while stigmatising others. He has recently strongly criticised what he considers exaggerated modelled levels of global warming (GW), (due perhaps to efforts of simplification for wider understanding?) as well as sea level rising as priorities to be tackled, as if they can be separated! While Mr C Allègre in verbal presentations on radio or TV appears to quibble "re-inventing the wheel" if I may say so, in pin-pointing Jobs as the main issue to solve - I know of no one who would argue with that, as the number one societal need, and I have a lot more experience than he especially the wrong side of the great divide or of the barrier reef...(Jobs ref. poem 1). Reef.., cast your minds eye owe'r that last word as my favourite poet Hugh MacDiarmid -would say. Yes, Claude is most worried about the consequences CO2 acidification of the oceans. He could well be right and probably is . That's my reading also, CO2 +H2O=>H2CO3, a serious danger to coral reef barriers, (Calcium Carbonate, CO2 sinks-"The rain forests of the seas" and ecosystem protectors) Fortunately he is concerned for the role of CO2 and likes to mention his practical participation (if any?) in CO2 sequestration, but avoids mentioning the dearth of sites of significant size. Others too work and work hard on this theme (hence my knowledge as a member of the UK, Royal Chartered professional Institute The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). For example, IOM3, mining colleagues are currently involved in assisting China find suitable sequestration sites for their frightening capacity to generated massive amounts CO2. That China is concerned is some slight consolation. Only slight, given their main-stream intentions, to use coal powered electricity generation, (to be on par or to beat their great neighbour across the Pacific slowly acidifying Ocean?) I do indeed hope our colleagues may find many, many suitable sequestration sites. For the time being, I believe they have ear marked only 6 sites to-date. I am also a motivated amateur and follow such news and materials related requirements since I and my relatively close neighbours are sitting on a coal reserve, reputed to be the largest in Europe, here in France (58) cf. my poem 2.

Globally there are insufficient geological sites to store and sequester the volumes of CO2 involved. But I agree it is a step in the correct direction a Wedge. [Comments welcome]. It is one of the few geoengineering projects to be currently under large scale pilot testing. cf. ref1.

Deforestation (cf.my poem 3) is low on M. Alègres list-the main rain forests are not in France, still Mr Allègre and perhaps even more so the journalists who invite him are usually (always) pleased to tell us of his international reputation (clout?) cf. my poem4 entitled "Global Reach". below.

Questions: So is CO2 and Co. (the GHGs) wedging important or not?
Where is the supposed conflict between jobs and environment and lets face it long-term profit?
-Should we "work" for more security in the face of "natural" more and more costly disaster".

_An engineer would certainly say, yes we should;

_I believe the economist-account would probably say yes cf. the famous Stern Report. It is globally accepted that Stern did his job properly and set the stage for the correct Options for the Future.

_In fact in France the administration plan to alleviate the high probability of a massive flooding of Paris, so the Administration say yes (at least for Paris where 80% of the top Admin and managerial jobs-people live.)

-Should we work to improve health-care, alleviate disease and illness, of which many remaining health problems are strongly related to environment?

_The doctor, the environmental and ecological scientist and engineers certainly say yes and they do, although in pre-Barck Obama USA, I have some doubts.

The Industrial R&D Scientist and Engineer?

I am biased as a student of the 'The A.J. Cronin School of Medicine', A.J. Cronin doctor and novelist did much to publicize industrial-work related disease in his novel, The Citadel, notably lung related disease notably, silicosis among miners. This type of "anti-industrial"work still meets strong resistance in application due to what is seen as economic and financial conflicts of interests, especially in underdeveloped and fast developing nations.

A SIMPLE MODEL

1.Human related activity (anthropological) effect on the CC-Energy issue is a well established fact, as we say "for all intents and purposes"

2 It is better to be safe than sorry (the story told to children of the 3 little pigs who had to choose how and where to build their house. Adults take heed!

3. It gives directions. It focuses humanity on practical, important, issues whereby their individual and more so their collective action counts and can be measured - recognition.

4. It is in the class of millennium-world class endeavours such as it's predecessors "The infamous Cold-War and the Enlightened Moon Challenge. Indeed many observers consider that important measurable progress should be made in mush the same timeline as J.K.Kennedy' Moon-landing programme ie. 10 years! Hence CC milestones of 2015, 2020 etc?

Some further thoughts-Notes to share comment and criticize.

Demographic increase will continue to increase considerably before natural causes interrupt the present trend. The current 6 billion, 6x10^9 people on earth is predicted to peak at 9billion, 9x10^9 people. As with climate skeptics and the misled, demographic predictions may also be considered with a wise dose of precaution and preparation to ensure manageable worst scenarios

A fundamental question is what increases fastest? Demography or Scientific Technological and Engineering (applications) I suspect, that human activity left to it's own devices (vices) weak focus, and direction and even modern developed world birth-control extension world wide, can only get, demographically speaking, worse since even at modern rates of scientific and technological progress; (References? Pacalow cf ref 1 or 2 speaking about his work with Socolow on Wedges ref1 or 2 to master CO2 emissions.)

To the point.

Humanity, either on the individual level or as communities; local, regional, national and international, needs a sense of purpose, long before "www", which we can expect to both define difference more acutely and also to increase shared value systems among greater numbers. For good or bad they will reach some sort of equilibrium. (We see, as usual, a majority of humanity tries to make the best of things by peaceful means while a minority tend to take more extreme views and actions. Can it change through improved knowledge and more so through improved understanding?)

Since WWII Two major paradigms galvanised peoples.

1. The rather depressing but efficient Cold-War shaped the world in an East-West divide.

2. The adventurously, enlightening Moon Challenged announced by Pres. J.F. Kennedy in 25 May 1961 and in his Rousing speech at Rice Univ in 1962 quote: 'Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there." 'Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."We_choose_to_go_to_the_moon LINK, His goal was achieved 1969, when Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped off the Lunar Module's ladder and onto the Moon's surface.

Various Space related programmes have fuelled youth's imagination and motivation to better achievement and fulfillment in favour of International co-operation for Peaceful applications of science and technology, notably The International Space Station. into the 1990's

"Dale Carnegie, Maslow, and others have documanted intrinsic factors that motivate human beings to achieve and to "work hopefully for the better". ref TBD

Arguably, today's developed society requires challenges on par with the indubitable scientific and technological prowess (if not progress?) Such 'power' and power and wealth differentials and discrepancies appears to me to put our Western (Anglo-Saxon) value system, and work-ethic, on trial. (Obama wins US Presidential elections and is attributes the Nobel Peace-Hope prize on such issues)

Today and for some time to come it is more than conceivable that the Climate -Energy issue can fulfill this role.

Disadvantages:

In spite of it's current lack of luster; Worse or is it better, it calls for courage from all especially developed nations and not just the brave few, an elite such as John Glen, and Yuri Gargarin.

On many occasion many unknown heroes have come to the fore. WWII has seen much abnegation and proud and profitable resistance against tyranny. (this must not be forgotten in current conflicts of interest).

It is not a "Business -as-usual (BAU)" proposition for all our call, it calls for important changes, such are the magnitude of indicator warnings, and the inertia, or more accurately competitive balancing of efforts (1s Law thermodynamics) of competitive societies and governments in any attempt to impliment changes. Hopefully it can be evolutive (more peaceful & comfortable) and not disruptive (painful),

Advantages are many:

-Massive co-ordination in an attempt to avoid near certain destruction of one sort or another. JOBS, security justice and ethics

-It is a focus just as the previous post-World Wars programmes I and II were. JOBS, security justice and ethics.

-It is a Marshal Plan ++ programme, (Stern Report) We have such previous experience. JOBS financed. Wonderful, Security, Justice, Ethics...

-Most actions required immediately are practicable with current technology ( Socolow) by simple common sense, although much perverted by modern consumerism as a substitute for health, equilibrium and simple happiness.

- Could James Cameron's film Avatar- the stuff dreams are made from, have scientific, technological, psychological and philosophical background one day? Anyway it is a most impressive work and touches human cord, as did Luc Besson's film "Le Grand Bleu".

Many Technical References:

1. My blog Conversations-on-Innovations My Blog Search: Wedge-a-War.

2.Materials Science and Engineering Defined My Blog Search: Wedge-a-War.

RELATED POSTS

eg.

Putting the Heat on Coal-Fired Power Generation_ Materials, Steels, Superalloys, Coatings to fight GHG Emissions? Information overload assistanceRead more: http://materialsscienceengineeringdefined.blogspot.com/search?q=Wedge-a-War#ixzz0k3ebAmNd Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Share Alike

A task of terawatts- Editorial from Nature looks at Renewable Energy Policy and criticises "The Traditional Fossile Fuel Dependency Read more: http://management-related-bsc-mba.blogspot.com/#ixzz0kKeDuMCR

Some of My Heart felt Peoms on No_Holds_Bard

1. "LE TRAVAIL C’EST LA SANTE…" (a damned good job too!)

2. Open Cast Coal Mining


3. Deforestation


4. Global Reach


5.Newton is Dead March 2008 On systems.

Conversations-on-Innovations: On track to reduce vehicule emissions - Electric Motorcycle-Bike Racing, Leads - Magny-Cours,Nevers(58) FR in the race Sept 2010. Electric Car GP-F1? -The Economist.

Leaders in Land Transportation-Cars, 4X4's Trucks and what have you.., check your strategy and timelines svp.

Read this post

Conversations-on-Innovations: On track to reduce vehicule emissions - Electric Motorcycle-Bike Racing, Leads - Magny-Cours,Nevers(58) FR in the race Sept 2010. Electric Car GP-F1? -The Economist.

A task of terawatts- Editorial from Nature looks at Renewable Energy Policy and criticises "The Traditional Fossile Fuel Dependency

According to Oliver Morton, Chief News & Features Editor, Nature.


"The tendency among governments and traditional utilities to see renewable energy sources as oddities or add-ons is thus deeply misplaced. These sources are, alongside nuclear power, the fossil fuel-free future that is so urgently needed. "

Universal Energy Source:
"The Sun shines down on the Earth with a power of 174,000 TW, providing the amount of energy every hour that humankind uses every year. "

POLICY PROPOSALS
"A threefold strategy to move from traditional fossil fuel to Sun power and its derivatives Photosynthetic-Trees & Plants, Wind,Marine,PV, is badly needed:
1. Drive up the efficiency with which energy is used through better technology, wider appreciation of the issues and targeted regulation;
2. Drive up the price of emitting carbon disproportionately through trading schemes, taxes and further regulations; and
3.Drive down the costs of generating energy in ways that involve no use of fossil fuels, most notably from the unending flows of light, wind, water and plant growth that the Sun so generously provides. "

The graph is due to Mark Z. Jacobson in his brillant paper publishe by the RSC The Royal Society for Chemistry cf related posts for more details and links.

"Renewables tend to suffer from the drawback that flows driven by the Sun are generally diffuse, not concentrated, and sporadic." [Too democratic for concentrated capital accumulation?]

Morton sees "great opportunity for technological progress in many of these fields, most notably in solar power and in energy storage."

THE CHALLENGE:
"The great challenge is how to scale these new technologies up for a global market. A significant part of the answer is investment in focused research and development. However, there is also a role for regulation and subsidy. "

-SCALING FACTOR
-"Current types of working subsidy are expensive, even at the megawatt scale.

-At the scale of tens and then hundreds of gigawatts they are likely to be unsustainable.

-Worse, poorly designed subsidies will damage markets and thwart the development they seek to encourage.

"Morton argues in favour of Government intervention" [to keep the boat moving in the correct direction with synergies minimising wasted energy and may I add - risking adding insult to injury - keep the trains on the rails and the cars off the roads well keeping traffic density sustainably low!]

Looking forward to reading the Energy Supplement 2009. NB. For readers with difficulty in accessing Nature, my pages carry references to Top Academic papers such as Phil Trans A on Energy freely available online Materials Science and Engineering Defined and Conversations-on-Innovations.

RELATED POSTS:

Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources Ranked_Review of solutions to global warming, air pollution, energy security_Information Overload Mastered (March 2008)

Solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy security reviewed _Parametres used to classify and rank_Follows previous post (Feb 2008)

Life-Cycle Analysis of Nuclear Fuel Route_Cradle-to-Grave, GHG-CO2equivalent emissions_Nuclear Inspections (April 2008)

REFERENCE (en référence à) : Editorial : Energy : Supplements : Nature (afficher sur Google Sidewiki)

NB The Supplement is sponsored (commendably)by French Petroleum Company TOTAL who "managed?" a recent "un coups de maitre". By putting pressure on one of their refineries managed a to provoke a near general fossil fuel for transportation strike. Of course the price of petrol and diesel went up almost immediately and of course did not come down once the strike was "settled." from about 1.00-euro/l it is now regularly priced in Supermarkets at 108 today at 1.09 euros. Perhaps an inside-expert reader could perhaps tell us how many day's sales are required for Total... to reach break even point?

Financial Innovation_The Economist Debate. Stiglitz sways the field advocating a more cautious regulatory approach. CASE for MASS TORTS?

Levine vs Stiglitz: A Case for The TORTS LAWERS?

The debate is summarised in 4 Points, by The Economist's Zanny Minton Beddoes, head of global economic coverage and ex-IMF economist, (cf full summary in reference below)

I. -Both Ross Levine and Joseph Stiglitz agree that financial innovation can boost economic growth.

-Both acknowledge that some innovations have caused harm.

THE FOCUS OF THE DEBATE
They differ—and hence where the discussion focused—is in their assessment of whether the financial innovations of the past 30 years have, on balance, been beneficial; and on how best to minimise "bad" innovation while promoting the good sort.

II. Mr Stiglitz is sceptical of the benefits of much recent innovation. He focuses on the many misaligned incentives within finance, and advocates strong regulation with a precautionary focus. Mr Levine sees greater benefits from modern finance, and is concerned with government failures, especially regulatory failures. These differing perspectives are reflected in the debaters' policy prescriptions. Mr Stiglitz wants to create a "Financial Product Safety Commission" to assess the safety and effectiveness of new financial innovations. Mr Levine suggests a new independent agency to watch over today's financial regulators.

III. At the beginning of our debate a small majority (54%) supported the motion. Now a slightly larger majority (57%) oppose it.

MY COMMENTS AND REFERENCES
That's a big swing in electoral terms but there are still 43% against Stiglitz prescription. These are the numbers but where does the balance of power lie, most likely with those with most money - remember this is an educated persons debate and intelligence is not all. ]

These considerations remind me of a powerful minority call by top management (union) for improved self regulation on pay, "performance related" bonus, free stock options, etc...
Here we see daily with what diligence power puts its machine into motion to solve recognised issues.

->RELATED POSTS

INNOVATION -THE WORTHWHILE PROJECT-Conversational styled, review of science's powerful tool "The Experimental Method" in politics and humanities

Sidewiki REf (en référence à) :

"At the beginning of our debate a small majority (54%) supported the motion. Now a slightly larger majority (57%) oppose it."
- Economist Debates: Financial innovation: Decision ( afficher sur - on Google Sidewiki)

Policy, Politics: Sustainable development; Localism versus Centralisation

I came across the article entitled “Localism-Unravelling the Supplicant State” by David Boyle, New Economics Forum (nef)


Two key words caught my attention, "Localism" and "Sustainable Development". They brought my attention to “nef” a website, new to me, with a green bent and which I found well worth the visit. It proposes many freely available papers.

My rapid reading of "Localism" led me to believe that the example taken from Britain, upon which I am now, as an longstanding ex-pat, ill equipped to comment nevertheless as an international I felt could well have international ramifications and perhaps inspire other countries and economies. Specifically I am thinking of current trends in France where I have lived for many years. Generally Boyle’s paper and methodology could have useful benchmarking value.

Summary of the Localism pamphlet.
“Localism-Unravelling the Supplicant State - is a pamphlet that claims to mark a key shift in the relationship between central and local, as laid down in the Sustainable Communities Act in UK. It attempts, first and foremost, to set out a far broader agenda for the concept of localism, some way beyond the administration that so obsesses politicians, and one that might be capable of achieving a truly sustainable economy,” says Boyle.

It bases its economic analysis on a report , known familiarly as "Ghost Town Britain”, the brainchild of Andrew Simms and Alex MacGillivray who, in 2002, warned that many banks, shops and post offices were closing on Britain’s high streets and that many of them faced a looming tipping point into complete shutdown. The report also listed the disappearance of local police stations, local playing fields and local pubs. All these phenomena had been known before,[Indeed] but had been discussed as separate problems. [Déja Vu, the region where we live has been loosing about 1000 inhabitants per year for the last 10 years or so!]

“What Ghost Town Britain did was to package them as one problem, and – what is more –a problem of economic centralisation,” the author claims.
‘The Supplicant State’, is defined as a phenomenon whereby a state and corporate infrastructure that feels comfortable only when we are all reduced from citizens into supplicants (humble beggars or earnest prayers), to huge, impersonal forces beyond our control.

Administrative localism
Firstly Boyle considers Administrative localism. He quotes Lord Shawcross ( Lord Shawcross of Friston, died 2003 aged 101)
“The housewife of Britain has to accept that the man in Whitehall really does know best.” [The still very Colbertian - Etatic French equivalent would probably be The famous technocratic elite, ENARC Graduates from the prestigious Ecole National de l'Administration and in Industry it would be X-Mines, Graduates of Polytechnique Paris couple with a specialisation at the famous Ecole Nationale superieure des Mines de Paris.]

Boyle takes of course the opposing view to Shawcross, with examples from Norway and more dubiously from France albeit that the decentralisation effort was true in 1982. The point Boyle says he tries to make is that “the UK’s neighbouring countries and allies realised the damage that the drift towards centralised decision-making was doing, to their own democracy and public services, and reversed the trend.” (! )[ in spite of the efforts of French-Norwegian Judge Eva Joly , I may add.)

Boyle argues that political parties (PPs) decision-makers themselves, believe it is only about decision-making – just about the business of devolving decisions to local boards or local voters and claims that PPs do not yet understand either how damaging centralisation has become, or the official mindset that creates it, how it undermines – not just faith in government – but the effectiveness of our public services, our well-being and our ability to sustain ourselves economically.
Boyle provides a numbers to reinforce his thesis in favour of more and better balance in devolution, decentralisation and empowerment goes give similar treatment to administrative inefficiencies.

Five important areas requiring more decentralised power and responsibility Boyle listed are:
1. Re-localising decision-making
2. To front-line staff.
3. To service users.
4. To smaller organisations.
5. To local business.
Each is explained in Boyles pamphlet.

The pamphlet attempts to give a definition of a broader concept of what localism could and should mean in opposition to what the author sees as a ploy by political parties (PPs) to keep the localism debate narrow; The PPs do this by giving the impression that the whole idea is brand new, and that they are the brave pioneers.

Boyle considers that the roots of localism go back a very long way, via Catholic social doctrine – and the doctrine of ‘subsidiarity’ – right back to the Scottish enlightenment. "It was there, in the coffee houses of eighteenth-century Edinburgh, that the philosopher David Hume first cast doubt on scientific method, peering at ideas about what causes what and finding there was nothing there. All you can do, apparently Hume said, is say that events tend to happen together." [I would point out that Hume’s remark should be considered in the context of his time, a time of European turmoil notably the French Revolution,[David Hume Scots Philosopher was a friend of J-J. Rousseau, French Philosopher] times where political correctness and diplomacy were, in all probability, strongly advisable, democracy still to be re-invented - I have argued fairly recently following French, (English speaking) Sociologist Bruno Latour, in my paper on The Innovators Dilemma entitled “Conversations-on-Innovations” that politicians should take the scientific experimental approach to their decision making cf. Conversations on the Search for a ‘Physics and Chemistry – an Alchemy’ of Innovation - Reward Systems.

Two centuries after Hume was writing in Edinburgh, the Viennese philosopher Karl Popper, a refugee from the Nazis, came up with an interim answer. But, more importantly, he also applied it to politics. You may not be able to prove what you believe about the world, no matter how often an observation or experiment takes place, but you can disprove it. Popper used the example of swans. It doesn’t matter how many white swans you see, it still doesn’t prove that all swans are white. But if you see a black swan, then you know that not all swans are white. This rejoins the thesis referred to in Conversations above in that Popper’s method is an experimental one.

Popper was writing during the Second World War, when his home city was in the hands of totalitarians, and he found himself applying this insight to politics too. In doing so, he produced one of the classic twentieth-century statements of philosophical liberalism, (not Neo-liberal today’s abusive form) “The open society and its enemies, ( Neo-liberals) Societies, governments, bureaucracies and companies work best, he said, when the beliefs and maxims of those at the top (many of whom unwittingly are Neo-liberals) can be challenged and disproved by those below.” Quotes Boyle.

At the heart of all this is a decadent metropolitan snobbery. It is because the contempt that the City of London feels for industry and small business, and the contempt that Whitehall civil servants feel for their local counterparts, has been swallowed whole by Labour and Conservative governments alike.

That is the heart of the new Supplicant State, Boyle repeats.

As a conclusion Boyle asks, rhetorically, if there is any issue to the “Supplicant State” syndrome he describes?

His response is an optimistic "yes-we-can" Why? “Because of the economic crisis, adding that,” diverse local economies seem to be considerably more resilient than ones that are dominated by a few big names.”

Twelve measures necessary to target:
Boyle lists Twelve measures necessary to target: while bearing in mind the need for balance Localisation vs Centralisation. I’m afraid you must read the original, to be fair to Boyle.

COMMENT
My view of local vs central is a much simpler one dictated by birth, education and geographic distance from central power.

1. Culturally as a Scot, born raised and educated in devolution, independence of spirit and mind, engraved by church-religion protestantism "Life and Work" is the motto of the Scots Kirk, legal and eduction system, far from central power. As many individuals (social and sociable animals), a civic sense, a sense of neighbourhood, values of pulling one's weight not off-loading one's weight, over-weight on others.

2. Ecological-Environmental reasons: Peak in petrol, Climate- change Energy conundrum.
"Too easy to consume energy vs energy production" in today's developed economies not to mention the incredible race to emulate our model in rapidly developing countries or continents India, China... cf. FRS, Prof. David MacKay's Without hot air.

I strongly believe that taken together a balance - an equilibrium point, will be reached easily. The balance is written in the definition as it is in "Without hot air. So too are many of the action necessary to achieve an energy... balance.


I must note here that if I can manage the translation from the original french I must type an publish my "No-holds-Bard and Barred" "sketch for the development of a department and a region.

My Own 1st Approach:
Conversations on the Search for a ‘Physics and Chemistry – an Alchemy’ of Innovation - Reward Systems.

Links: Innocentive Challenges All categories

Innocentive Challenges All categories


Please find the following feed (RSS) to all current InnoCentive challenges; Multiple disciples are reported regularly. Most Challenges are of a highly skilled scientific nature. Major players such as Nature, NASA etc now contribute under the label Pavilion.

The Marketing Concept - Back to basics- Plus 8 Disciplines of Management

Bookmark this site, a handy reminder of a primary focus of all firms, and business in general, namely Marketing. It sets this against the two important composants; Production's focus and Sales' focus.

It is short and to the point.

And, as if to remind myself that this blog is focused on management, the site is equally efficient in recalling the "bottom line" on all 8 major disciplinary involved in any holistic approach to management

The Eight Disciplines of Management:

-Accounting.
-Economics.
-Finance.
-Management Theories, Models, Approaches.
-Marketing.
-operations.
Statistics.
-Strategy.

Don't hesitate to visit this rapid overview of these interdisciplinary subjects.

Reference NetMBA business Knowledge Centre

en référence à : Marketing Concept (afficher sur Google Sidewiki)

Technology Vision 2020 - Advanced Materials and Processing - India

While up-dating my list of earlier and much appreciated colleagues in metallurgy, materials and related industries, I came across this foresight activity carried out by colleagues in Materials & Processing in India.

"Materials & Processing : Technology Vision 2020" is reported on the attractive Gov. of India backed website dedicated to Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) .

As chief metallurgist, team leader and co-ordinator of the technical assistance "Know-How" team, I had the enormous pleasure to assist senior management of the MIDHANI project under its first Chairman Dr. Tamhanka during the successful first commissioning of their brand new plant designed for special steels and alloy manufacturing. Plant commissioned : EAF-VIR-electric arc furnace - vacuum induction refining unit, AIM-Air Induction Melting VIM-Vacuum Induction Melting VAR- Vacuum Arc Remelting and ESR-Electroslag Remelting (1979)

Full commercial production from the entire integrated plant : melting-remelting, transformation forging, rolling, extrusion, and finishing; machining,polishing...h began in 1983.

Best regards to all concerned and belated good wishes 2010.

More information upon request.

Reference (en référence à) : TIFAC (shown on (afficher sur) Google Sidewiki)

Materials Science and Engineering Defined: Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 released by US National Science Board (NSB), Jan15.

US lead in Science and engineering could be "cracking-up" according to NSB SEI 2010 Committee Member J-Marie Griffiths.

Truely an ebook:
Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 released by US National Science Board (NSB), Jan15.

Read my post via the following link
Materials Science and Engineering Defined: Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 released by US National Science Board (NSB), Jan15.

And for frequent easy access a link has been added to my RHS, Foresight-Hindsight vertical menu bar.

Apologies to IE users, Congratulations to FireFox...

I have just discovered and now rectified an IE browser problem on all my blogs. Unknown to me one of my widgets made my blogs inaccessible with this very popular browser. The incriminated widget has now been replaced by a similar approach "Blidget" from Widgetbox. I trust that readers will no longer encounter hindrance. I naturally hope that such incidents will no longer result in loss of followers and any click through revenue from what I believe to be relevant and informative adverts brought to readers by AdSense. Amazingly the widget problem did not result in loss of access using the FireFox browser. I now believe my posts will be accessible via both these majors and all browsers of my readers choice. If readers and followers experience further hindrance please do not hesitate to drop me a note, if possible.