“Racial Democracy” Reloaded

How the right-wing Brazilian government’s attack on the social sciences and its myth of “racial democracy” perpetuates racism in the country

July 5, 2019

Brazil’s Secretary of Education, Abraham Weintraub, speaking at the Senate’s Education, Culture, and Sports Commission (Geraldo Magela/Agência Senado/Flickr Senado Federal)

In Brazil, far-right politicians and their supporters have declared war against the social sciences and humanities. Why? There are many answers to this question, but only one gets to the root of the issue: political figures like Jair Bolsonaro and his appointees’ attack on the social sciences is their way of keeping the racial status quo intact, and to disrupt any progress it has made.

The study of social sciences poses a threat to Brazilian white supremacy in two ways. First, significant theoretical developments emerging from the field have challenged notions of racial democracy, shifting conversations in Brazil around race and successfully ushering in substantial changes to global and local understandings of racism and mobilizations in response to it. Second, policy-oriented research has effectively achieved a silent revolution, culminating in a racial and economically-based affirmative action strategy. Government officials like Weintraub and Bolsonaro sense these shifts and see them as directly endangering their supremacy in Brazilian society. In response, they deploy nationalistic discourses of unity and mestiçagem (miscegenation) to defend their positions. This strategy was evident in one of the Education Secretary’s first public hearings in Congress.

“We Are all Mutts”

On May 7, 2019, Brazilian Secretary of Education, Abraham Weintraub, spoke before the Senate’s Education, Culture, and Sports Commission to present his plans for the current year. After his presentation, some senators asked him about the budget cuts—or “contingencies” as he continually referred to them—to public universities and early education programs. Weintraub’s responses made his antagonism to the social sciences clear. For instance, he used the experience of Japan as an example for why the government should defund the social sciences and humanities in public universities. He also said that children should not study social science disciplines before reaching “a degree of maturity.” Although the secretary did not elaborate on what an acceptable level of maturity would be, he seemed convinced that these sorts of courses should only be offered at the graduate level.

However, it was the secretary’s personal stories and constant use of racialized language that confirmed his discomfort with themes covered in social science classes. As the secretary answered some of the senators’ questions, he persistently used the word “mutt” (vira-lata) to highlight his and the Brazilian population’s miscegenation, doubling down on the narrative that there is no racism in Brazil because “we are all mutts.” He legitimated his comments because, as he declared, half of his family had Indigenous and Black heritage (which, he noted, could be proven by DNA test), and were, therefore, “truly Brazilian.” And the other half was from northern Europe, and therefore, “white like a sheet of paper,” as he said. The secretary’s skin color, which he considered to be brown (moreno), was, according to him, the result of a mixture of northern Europeans with Brazilian northeastern,caboclos (mixed-race) from Ceará state.

Weintraub claimed that this background exempted him from any accusations of racism. “We are mutts, and we have this characteristic of being more tolerant,” he said. He connected miscegenation with unity, and any efforts to point out differences between the racial experiences of different groups as a disruption to this harmonious unity. “Trying to divide people is a recent thing,” he said. “You are of this race; you are of that race [...] that did not exist before. We are all Brazilians.” In his view, talking about race at all constituted a “threat” to national unity. Finally, he urged Brazil to return to the widespread use of language of racial democracy. “We must start to see Brazil as a whole; in fact, as it has always been seen, we have to see ourselves again as this mixed-race nation.”

Although his comments appeared somewhat apropos to the budgetary matters being discussed, that he brought them up in such a setting reveals the Secretary’s antipathy towards social scientific research that highlights persistent racial and ethnic disparities in Brazil. In the secretary’s understanding, anti-racist activists, Indigenous rights groups, and academics are creating divisions in society rather than responding to real concerns about inequality. In using anecdotes about his family, the secretary claims to be critiquing the “discourse of separation” that he believes must end in Brazil. But what he really wants is to erase any conversations about race relations in Brazil, so that white elites may continue wielding power in the country. His comments are part of a long legacy of masking racial inequality in Brazil in favor of focusing only on economic equality. Understanding Brazil’s long legacy of racism can help explain why Weintraub’s views are so pernicious.

The Myth of Racial Democracy

In 1888, Brazil became the last country in the western hemisphere to abolish slavery. The following year, Brazil became a republic, strongly influenced by a positivist ideology of science and reform imported from France. Even before the First Republic (1889-1930), the Brazilian scientific community was already importing ideas from Europe and the U.S., heavily inclined towards eugenics. The fears unleashed among white elites in Brazil after slavery ended created a perfect concoction for perpetuating racist ideas and practices across the country. The combination of eugenics and positivism made the Brazilian elite perceive the country in a state of degeneration and decay. In response, between 1850 and 1932, the government began subsidizing European immigration in an effort to whiten the population culturally and racially—in order to save the country from what they saw as complete cultural and biological regression. As scholar Thomas Skidmore has written, “Brazilians generally regarded whiter as better, which led naturally to an ideal of ‘whitening,’ articulated in both elitist writings and popular folklore.” But whitening policies had the opposite effect, as they increased regional and racial tensions in Brazil.

Around the 1930s, a disarming of what sociologist Antonio Sergio Alfredo Guimarães called an “ethnic bomb” marked a shift in Brazilian national racial discourse. This new narrative stressed the fusion of races rather than the whitening of the people. Gilberto Freyre (a famous U.S.-trained Brazilian anthropologist) became the face behind the newly created concept called “racial democracy,” an ideology similar to “colorblindness” in the United States. Although this ideology never actually provided the government with policies to address systemic structural inequalities, it was successful in masking discrimination in favor of a supposed common “mixed” origin of all Brazilians.

However, in the 1950s, UNESCO sponsored a series of empirical studies to attempt to understand the Brazilian “successful” racial experience so they could apply it to other parts of the world. Sociologists and anthropologists from Brazil, such as Florestan Fernandes, Thales de Azevedo, René Ribeiro, and Luiz de Aguiar Costa Pinto, and from abroad, including Charley Wagley, Roger Bastide and Alfred Métraux, collected and analyzed data in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Recife, São Paulo, and Salvador. In general, these studies showed that Brazilian racial democracy was a myth and that non-white people experienced racism in the job market and difficulties in climbing the socioeconomic ladder. Based on UNESCO’s published findings, several other empirical studies concluded that racial democracy was, in fact, an ideology that occluded racism and made it more difficult for Black and Brown Brazilians to close opportunity gaps with the white population. For historian and anthropologist Lilia Schwarcz, “racial democracy” was entirely discredited when the Black activist movement fighting for real equality and inclusion denounced the perils of following its ideology. By simply refusing to contend with racial inequalities, political and economic elites can rest assured that their roles in perpetuating racism will not be questioned.

Taking Off the Blindfold

Social sciences have also played a role in providing the necessary data for politicians to work with and create inclusive public policies—something the Bolsonaro government is not at all interested in doing. After publicly acknowledging historic racial disparities, the Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2003) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2011) governments took institutional measures to address them. Perhaps the most important was the implementation of affirmative action through racial quotas in universities and other areas of public service. According to the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), after more than 15 years of affirmative action programs in Brazil, the number of Black and Brown Brazilians who graduated from universities grew from 2.2% in 2000 to 9.3% in 2017. Their advancement, to people like Weintraub, marks a dangerous “division.” Homogenizing all Brazilians as the same race means Weintraub and others can turn a blind eye to racism. If we are all the same, racism does not exist, and policies that address racial inequality are unnecessary and even harmful.

Weintraub’s efforts to return Brazil to its myth of racial democracy should be of deep concern to anyone interested in decreasing Brazil’s persistent inequalities. Research undertaken by social scientists, who have constructed new questions, methods, and analytical strategies, have informed public policies and facilitated the implementation of reforms that address structural racism. Ignoring racial inequality worked well for dictators like Getúlio Vargas in Brazil and Antonio Salazar in Portgual.

We cannot separate comments like Weintraub’s from the government’s open attack on diversity and multiculturalism—to the point that even commercials are facing censorship for highlighting too many non-white Brazilians. Consequently, criticizing and threatening to defund the social sciences and humanities, masked by the seemingly-innocuous language of “racial democracy,” deconstructs rights and progress Black and Brown populations in Brazil have fought to achieve. It is a way to perpetuate the racial hierarchy that keeps people like Weintraub and Bolsonaro in the elite halls of power.

Rodrigo Serrao is a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida. His research examines how different racial ideologies inform the practices of first- and second-generation Brazilians and non-Brazilians in the context of a multiethnic congregation in South Florida.

The author would like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman and Dr. James Cavendish for their insightful comments on previous versions of this essay.

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Why climate change contrarians owe us a (scientific) explanation

For a while now, I’ve considered climate change denial to be akin to superstition, which the Oxford Dictionaries site defines as “a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences.” I mention this because when challenged, contrarians often claim that the climate changes we are witnessing are not man-made, but products of ‘natural variability’.  In this context, I find that ‘natural variability’ appears to be a synonym for ‘supernatural influence’.

Why? Because they can’t explain it. Not just that: many seem to believe they are not obliged to do so, which is suspiciously convenient, and all too reminiscent of those who would claim they don’t need to ‘explain’ God. In this, they share a view once expressed in a Guardian forum which, to this day, remains one of my favourite denialist non-sequiturs. When challenged, a poster calling himself Hamlet 4 insisted “I don’t need to prove climate change is caused by natural variability. It just is.”

Recently in the Guardian, Dana Nuccitelli wrote an interesting article entitled Magical climate contrarian thinking debunked by real science. The first sentence creates the context:

He follows that up with the premise on which his argument is based:

Dana is taking issue with a specific paper, authored by Syun-Ichi Akasofu, a retired geophysicist and former director of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks:

“[Akasofu] claimed that the current global warming is merely a result of the planet “recovering” from the Little Ice Age – a cool period (the cooling mostly isolated in Europe) that lasted between the years of about 1550 and 1850. Problem – Akasofu didn’t identify any physical cause for this supposed ‘recovery.’”

I’ve often remarked that climate change contrarians have no science. A common retort is that since we ‘warmists’ are making the claims, it is us that need to produce the evidence to support it. On the face of it, this seems fair enough – and indeed we have produced the evidence, not that contrarians are prepared to acknowledge any of it. (No surprise there). However, as with calls for probity, accuracy and transparency, one might imagine that such virtues, attributes or burdens of proof would be applicable to us all, not just scientists, advocates or journalists. Evidently, one would be wrong.

Clearly, the pseudo-sceptics do not care to understand that when they make claims, the same rules ought to apply. Describing the changes we have already witnessed as ‘natural variability’ without explaining the forcing or its origin is exactly the superstitious ‘magical thinking’ that Dana discusses, which explains absolutely nothing and has as much credibility in scientific terms as claiming that God did it.

Since theological explanations are no longer popular, contrarians need some kind of new, unknowable force to conveniently explain climate change; the new superstition of ’natural variability’. They don’t seem to understand that, in the scientific context in which these claims are usually made, this is yet another hypothesis, and requires exactly the same standard of scientific examination they demand of existing climate science.

Natural variability is not an explanation of cause, but the observation of a pattern of effect. It is not a mechanism, nor is it a description or function. Natural variability is an attribution, a generalisation, a vague but convenient catch-all. All phenomena are 'natural' and they vary a lot. Citing 'natural variation' as an explanation, explains nothing. The missing component in this 'explanation' is how and why ‘natural variability’ takes place at all - and to discover this, we must turn to science.

To bring about a ‘natural’ change still requires an energy input or output. Climate change contrarians cannot produce any science that attests to energy changes that might cause this recent ’natural variability’ any more than creationists can produce science (or evidence) to support their claim that 'it was God what done it'. This should not be surprising, because climate change denial is a belief system, founded not on science and evidence, but something akin to a religion, or superstition.

The problem with the claim that all the climate changes we are already witnessing are within the bounds of natural variability is that those making the claim cannot identify the forcing – the change in energy levels – required to increase the global temperatures rapidly over three decades, to melt glaciers, to warm oceans, to change seasonal periodicity, to expand deserts, to cause extreme weather, change precipitation patterns, to decrease Arctic ice volume or increase Antarctic sea ice extent.

All these and many more changes in our environment require energy, and what climate change contrarians cannot produce is even a convincing alternative hypothesis to explain where this energy is coming from, let alone produce empirical evidence for it. Yet this is their ‘theory’, their alleged explanation for what is happening to the climate. I think they owe us more than some vague, hand-waving generalisation. They owe us a scientific explanation of what drives this ‘natural variability’, because without it, they are asking us to dismiss a cohesive, consistent, consilient scientific theory in favour of nothing but untestable, unprovable, unfalsifiable superstition. They might as well be asking us to dump science in favour of magic – and then again, perhaps that’s exactly what they are doing.

When it comes to credibility, a source of information should surely maintain some kind of balance. That isn’t to say that an editorial policy can’t be applied – the Guardian is still (barely) a left-wing media outlet but that doesn’t mean its output is mere propaganda, even though its detractors might conveniently characterise it as such.

This point is particularly salient when considering the main contrarian websites. These sites cannot possibly be considered sceptical, for a simple reason; they find fault in all climate science, not just some of it.

Think about it: thousands of papers published over the last 50 years. I just wrote about the Charney report – a remarkably prescient bit of work dating from 1979 – but the audit trail goes a long way further back than that, all the way back to Fourier, Tyndall, and Arrhenius with his greenhouse theory, published in 1896. (Arrhenius received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1903 by the way, and in 1905 became Director of the Nobel Institute, where he remained until his death).

Surely I can’t be alone in thinking that a site calling itself ‘sceptical’ would find some papers to be accurate, some to be debatable, and some to be in error. That would be the logical assumption in regard of any statistical breakdown of technical materials, particularly when the material originates from scientists so geographically and culturally diverse.

The probability that all climate science is wrong (or right, for that matter) is, statistically speaking, zero. Indeed, Skeptical Science, while lauding many papers for their insight, had no compunction in finding fault with a recent paper about an alleged methane bubble. (A fine demonstration of true scepticism, the lack of an agenda – and the pernicious corruption of proper spelling by the colonies. Have they no respect?).

The unfortunate result of finding fault in everything is that one can no longer be seen to persuade, but to hector and harass, to denigrate and deny. Without a counter-argument, all that’s left is propaganda. Persuasion requires a counter-position at least as credible as the one argued against; propaganda requires only a credulous audience willing to believe something that confirms a view they already hold. When the subject is climate science, it isn’t a valid argument to dismiss one theory without being able to propose an alternative. As I’ve said before, to knock down an edifice, all that’s required is brute strength and a sledgehammer. Constructing a new edifice out of the rubble requires more; intelligence, architecture, planning, skills and crafts, design and construction. Contrarians certainly know how to wield the hammer, but there’s not much evidence of anything constructive in their position.

Why do I claim that criticism without a counter-theory is invalid? For the same reason Dana eschews ‘magical thinking’. At the heart of the climate change debate there is a question being asked, and to answer it requires science. (The Oxford Dictionary on-line defines science as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment”).

We study the physical and natural world for many reasons, but chief among them must surely be the desire to understand changes in the world around us that may affect us for better or worse. So we find ourselves contemplating an important question; the climate is changing – why is that?

If contrarians want to argue their case, it is not sufficient to be dismissive of climate science, any more than it is appropriate to pitch opinion against theory. There is no material explanation for climate change proposed by deniers, except the magical thinking of ‘natural variation’. The only valid way to improve science is through better science, and better science is not achieved by taking a sledgehammer to the existing canon, any more than it could be improved by burning books.

We have a really important question to answer: why is the climate changing? This question cannot be answered through rhetoric or debate. It is the stuff of science, and until those who take issue with anthropogenic climate change can produce an alternative theory of equal merit, they must rely entirely on hyperbole, demagoguery, personal attacks, misrepresentation, and bad science to promote their invidious case.

I’m open to persuasion, but only by one means; science. ‘Natural variation’ doesn’t explain anything. It doesn’t answer the fundamental question, which cannot be put back in the Pandora’s box it came from. We need an answer, and ‘natural variability’ isn’t it. What contrarians cannot do is persuade us that such a pressing question does not require an urgent answer.

All physical change involves changes in energy states. Until climate change contrarians can come up with a plausible, testable alternative explanation as to where this energy is coming from and why it is changing in distribution and quantity, they cannot present an argument that will persuade by force of logic. Appealing to pseudo-superstitions like ‘natural variation’ is an appeal to a mob mentality. It depends on predisposition, a certain ignorance, a credulous audience and a lack of sceptical enquiry. What it will never do is stop the ice melting, nor explain why it is.

Posted by gpwayne on Friday, 11 October, 2013


Repetitive Reads

Paloma Welch

The progression of a reading addicts bookshelf…

Why are students still reading outdated, over-taught books in schools? From To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, to Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the high school curriculum’s exploitation of problematic novels has no end. These books are riddled with harmful stereotypes and archaic generalizations, aside from many of them being unappealing to the younger reader. While these books may be enjoyable to some people, novels that appeal and relate to a larger group of students may urge them to actually complete the assigned reading. Some of these classic novels are still vital to our curriculum for teaching the history of literature to students, but the reading list could use some improvements. It is crucial for the upcoming generations to educate students with books containing diverse characters and amusing storylines to create a more progressive and successful learning environment within the classroom.

The high school reading list has shown little change over the decades, however, the students reading these books have. As the demographic of students is changing, so should the literature being exposed to them. Today, teens of all races, genders, physical capabilities, and sexualities are enrolled in the school system– so it’s time that the syllabus reflects that. When given the ability to relate oneself with a character, students can find a larger enjoyment in their reading material. The English reading curriculum should no longer be centralized around the “white male” that is commonly represented as the main protagonist in these classic novels. With a more diverse population of students, it is vital to provide a curriculum with relatable characters for everyone. Not only will diversified books help students feel more connected with the material, but they will push individuals to erase the “white male” superiority stereotype that is displayed in all forms of media and the real world.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a New York Times best-selling author, regarded highly for her award-winning novel Daisy Jones and the Six. Taylor Jenkins Reid lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Her novel titled The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was published in 2017 and has gained a great deal of attention since its release. This heart-catching story describes themes of love, loss, discrimination, and the cost of fame. The novel recounts the life of Evelyn Hugo, a famed movie star, through a reporter by the name of Monique Grant. From Evelyn’s rise to stardom in the 1950s to her retirement from show business in the 80s, the life of Evelyn Hugo was a glamorous and scandalous one. Throughout the novel, Evelyn struggles with her identity as a queer, Cuban woman. These features that we see in Evelyn are relatable to a large demographic of today’s students. This Goodreads Choice Award Nominee contains a multitude of plot twists and distinctive characters that would make the novel appealing to high school students. The captivating storyline and analytical themes would mark this book as a prime example of a modern classic.

The publishing industry is a challenging environment. Diversity in the publishing world is important for amplifying the voices of minority groups who are not justifiably represented in the book community. According to the Lee and Low Diversity Baseline Survey from 2019, 76% of people in the publishing industry are white, 97% are cis-gendered, 81% are straight, and 89% are non-disabled. These statistics reinforce the claim that diversity in the publishing industry is severely lacking. While this study includes publishing employees exclusively, it still displays an issue that can be found in the writing world as well. Having books written by more diverse authors be taught in schools can help eliminate the belief that you must come from privilege in order to be recognized as a successful author. Reading books with various authors can encourage teens from minority groups to pursue a writing career as well. Being taught about prosperous authors who are exclusively straight, white, and able-bodied, compartmentalizes an idea about who can be a successful author and who cannot. Varying authors being represented in school curriculums would also help to bring more attention to those who are underrepresented in the industry.

V.E. Schwab is a genderqueer author who is recognized centrally for their Shades of Magic trilogy, Villains duology, and Oprah Daily’s, Coming Out essay on the journey of understanding one’s relationship with gender and sexuality. V.E. Schwab writes adult, young adult, and middle-grade novels. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a New York Times bestseller that was written over the span of ten years and published in 2020. This novel follows the 400-year life of Addie LaRue from 1414 France, to the United States in 2014. Addie wants to travel the world, rather than fall subject to the life of a housewife, as many other women did. She makes a deal with a god, asking for the freedom to see the world. While granting her wish for freedom from her small town in France, the dark god also curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets. This book can be analyzed in a variety of different ways. The life of Addie LaRue describes the desire to make a mark on the world, displayed through individuality, art, love, loneliness, and remembrance. Students can connect to Addie through her longingness to be something in life. The story expresses a powerful message about what it can feel like to be forgotten. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue also contains a villain of which we are shown different perspectives. With this, students can be introduced to the function of a villain and what his development added to the story. As well as being a well-written antagonist, Luc is a great example of a villain who had no choice. V.E. Schwab continues this theme of two-sided “bad guys” in the Villians duology, rumored to be completed in later years through the release of Victorious. The first book, Vicious, is a story that centers around two college students who give themselves superpowers. The book centers around the lack of difference between good and evil, as well as focusing on how some individuals prioritize their well-being over what is considered “morally good.” Teaching Vicious in schools would provide students with the opportunity to understand the multi-sided concept of being the “bad guy” in a work of literature. Students would be able to analyze the duality of Eli Ever and Victor Vale through their ethical choices.

Novels like The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger have become normalized assets to English class curriculums. These novels, similar to many other popular classics, are centralized around the white male perspective. Younger people are impressionable to the media they consume. Adolescents are greatly affected by the books they read when they are younger. When the main books being prioritized in schools are concentrated on this isolated idea of white, male privilege, the minds of younger readers can develop a misleading paradigm as to how society should function. Having a more inclusive assortment of books on the school reading list would help students escape from these bigoted ideas.

Angie Thomas is a young adult novelist, known mainly for her 2017 debut novel, The Hate You Give. Since its publication, this novel has been adapted into a movie and won a multitude of awards. The Hate You Give follows the life of a high school student named Starr Carter who lives in a poor neighborhood as well as goes to an expensive prep school. While struggling to balance her two worlds, everything changes after her friend Khalil, an unarmed black man, is shot and murdered by a police officer. This book deals with real, modern issues that occur in society like police brutality, racism, and discrimination. Starr works to ensure justice for Khalil throughout the progress of the novel. The Hate You Give teaches students about real-world problems that they can relate to, thanks to the realistic characters. Throughout the years, English classes have been teaching books about racism in history, like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Hate You Give provides a perspective on the ways that racism is still affecting our society today.

Over the years, many of the classics that surround students in schools have been adapted in a myriad of ways. Whether it was set in modern times or the storyline featured zombies, there are multiple ways that one can create an adaptation. Adaptations like such are able to teach the story of these classics in a way that is more engaging to young readers. Classic reads have been adapted into graphic novels, films, television shows, and renditions as simple as another book. Adaptations can be fully accurate to the original writing, or they can include certain storylines that weave into a new one. For example, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies by Seth Grahame Smith is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. This adaptation tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters in a world that has been overrun with zombies. This sci-fi addition adds an entertaining aspect that appeals to more readers. By keeping the original plotline, this book is also able to intrigue the enjoyers of the original novel. There are many examples of classical adaptation that would be sufficient additions to the school reading lists.

Madeline Miller is the acclaimed author of The Song of Achilles and Circe. Published in 2011 and 2018, these novels have become well recognized Greek mythology adaptations. The Song of Achilles reimagines the story of Homer’s Iliad, from the perspective of Achilles’ dearest companion Patroclus. This retelling explores the historical speculations that wonder if the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles was more than platonic. This novel is a great example to readers of how the perspective of a narrator can change the way a story is represented. In the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, Achilles is portrayed as a hot-headed demi-god, driven by glory and fame. In The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller displays a side of Achilles that is less prominent in the original poem. Patroclus chooses to recognize the good parts of Achilles, shielding himself from the bad. Studying this novel as a comparison to the Iliad would teach students about the power of narration. This novel is a good example of how adaptation can vary from the original text. Another classical retelling that students would find entertaining is These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. This heart-wrenching novel is a reimagination of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, set in 1920 Shanghai. The protagonists of this adaptation, Roma and Juliette, are the heirs to rival gangs in Shanghai. When a monstrous plague overtakes their inner circles, they are forced to team up and find the culprit. This novel tells the tale of Roma and Juliette with a supernatural plot that will catch the attention of young readers. The book is also filled with relatable characters that students will love to read.

In summary, there are many diverting novels that would prove themselves worthy on the high school reading list. The existence of classics in school still remains important for teaching the evolution of literature through the years, though the current selection is not yet ideal. With some improvements, the English curriculum can work to make students feel more represented in their literature and feel more motivated to do the assigned reading. From The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid to Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights, the English class reading list has a number of choices to select from.


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U.S. sues VW over emissions-cheating software in diesel cars

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department sued Volkswagen on Monday over emissions-cheating software found in nearly 600,000 vehicles sold in the United States, potentially exposing the company to billions in fines for clean air violations.

The Volkswagen logo on a car is photographed during a car show in Frankfurt, Germany Sept. 22. (AP)

The civil complaint against the German automaker, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges the company illegally installed software designed to make its “clean diesel” engines pass federal emissions standards while undergoing laboratory testing. The vehicles then switched off those measures to boost performance in real-world driving conditions, spewing harmful gases at up to 40 times what is allowed under federal environmental standards.

“Car manufacturers that fail to properly certify their cars and that defeat emission control systems breach the public trust, endanger public health and disadvantage competitors,” said John C. Cruden, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Volkswagen Group of America spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said Monday that the company “will continue to cooperate with all government agencies investigating these matters.”

Intentional tampering

In past statements, high-ranking VW executives have sought to blame only a small number of software developers in Germany for the suspect computer code designed to trick emissions tests. The company has hired a U.S.-based law firm to conduct an internal investigation into the scheme. Preliminary results of that review have not yet been made public.

The federal lawsuit alleges that Volkswagen intentionally tampered with the vehicles sold in the U.S. to include what regulators call a “defeat device,” a mechanism specifically designed to game emissions tests. Under the law, automakers are required to disclose any such devices to regulators.

Because Volkswagen kept its suspect software secret, the lawsuit alleges the company’s cars were sold without a valid “certificate of conformity” issued by EPA to regulate new cars manufactured or imported into the country.

Justice Department officials said on Monday the case was filed in the Eastern District of Michigan because that is where “significant activity” related to the company’s cheating scheme occurred. EPA’s primary emissions-testing lab is located in Ann Arbor and Volkswagen also has facilities in the Detroit metro area. However, as the legal case proceeds, the venue is expected to move to Northern California, where hundreds of the class-action cases have been consolidated and state regulators played a key role in uncovering VW’s deceptions.


Mediterranean region are known as Class 7

If you want to learn the correct answers to the textbook questions that are according to the CBSE guidelines, all at one place then the NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Geography Chapter 6 from BYJU'S is the resource you will need. The solutions are framed by expert faculty members at BYJU'S based on the understanding abilities of Class 7 students VI) Mediterranean trees adapt themselves to dry summers with the help of their thick barks and wax coated leaves which help them reduce transpiration. VII) Mediterranean regions are known as 'Orchards of the world' for their fruit cultivation The Mediterranean region is known for its rainfall in winters. Answer: (i) The Mediterranean region lies between 30°and 40° parallels in both the hemispheres on the western side of continents. (ii) Therefore, the Mediterranean region comes under the influence of westerlies. (iii) Hence, it receives rainfall in winter. Question 3 NCERT Extra Questions for Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 6 Natural Vegetation and Wild Life. Prelude. Question 1. Mediterranean region is known as the orchards of the world because of their fruit cultivation. Question 2. Write major features of Mediterranean Vegetation

Answer: Mediterranean region is known as the orchards of the world because of their fruit cultivation. This vegetation is also found outside the actual Mediterranean region in California in the U.S.A., South-West Africa. 7 Class An Alien Hand English 04 Class-7 » Social Science Mediterranean regions are known as ' orchard of the world' for their fruit cultivation . so the mediterranean region is called the orchards of the world because major fruit resources arrive from there . fruits eg : oranges ,grapes and many other citrus fruits . Class VII: Chapter 6 - Natural Vegetation and Wildlife. Meaning of Natural Vegetation: Natural vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without human aid and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time. Thus, cultivated crops and fruits, orchards form part of vegetation but not natural vegetation practices part of the common culture of the Mediterranean region -- The region-wide competitive ethos gave rise to sporting competitions, wars, and a large number of colonial settlements. -- Mediterranean city-states constructed central market locations and issued coins, both for the purpose of facilitating trade The French Riviera (known in French as the Côte d'Azur; Occitan: Còsta d'Azur [ˈkɔstɔ daˈzyʀ]; literal translation Azure Coast) is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France.There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from Toulon, Le Lavandou or Saint-Tropez in the west to Menton at the France-Italy border in the east

In the Mediterranean, full-fat yogurt and milk, lamb, fatty fish, nuts, olive oil, and whole grains comprise our diets. It's considered far better (and more tasty) to savor a half-cup of full-fat yogurt than to eat a container of flavorless nonfat yogurt, sweetened with syrup and fake fruit. 3 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Class 7 MCQs Questions with Answers. Appearing Students of Class 7 Exams can download MCQ on Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Class 7 with Answers from here. By practicing Class 7 Geography Chapter 6 MCQ with Answers, you can score well in the exam 1492: An Ongoing Voyage. The Mediterranean World. The peoples who inhabited the semi-arid shores of the Mediterranean were united in a common world view - as the name suggests, they saw themselves as living at the center of the world. The region, similar in size to that of the Caribbean, had seen the rise and fall of several civilizations and. Class 7 Geography Chapter 6 Extra Question with Answer - Natural Vegetation and Wild Life. Geography Chapter 6 Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Class 7 Inside 5 Marks, 3 marks, 2 Marks & And 1 Marks Important Questions and Answers. MCQ Type Extra Questions (1) The coniferous forests are also known as (a) Tundra (b) Taiga (c) Pine (d) None of.

e. In historiographical terms, ancient Carthage ( / ˈkɑːrθɪdʒ /) was a Phoenician civilization during classical antiquity, beginning from the founding of Carthage in modern Tunisia in the ninth century BC, to its destruction in 146 BC. At its height in the fourth century BC, the city-state grew to become the largest metropolis in the. Chapter 6 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Class 7 Geography Extra Questions is very helpful in knowing what can come in the examinations and prepare yourselves. These Extra Questions for Class 7 will increase confidence amongst students and learning diverse topics in less time

Natural vegetation and wildlife are the plants and animals that survive naturally in a specific region and are part of the biosphere. The concepts that students will get to learn from Chapter 6 of CBSE Class 7 Geography are different types of natural vegetation, forests and grasslands RD Sharma Class 7 Solutions; RD Sharma Class 6 Solutions; Class 12. Class 12 Science. Human activities which generate income are known as economic activities. Economic activities are broadly grouped into four categories: »Viticulture or grape cultivation is a speciality of the Mediterranean region The Mediterranean region is known for heavy rain. A. In spring season. B. In autumn. C. In winter. D. In summer. Explanation : In winters the subpolar low pressure belt shifts downwards & lies in lower latitudes above Mediterranean Sea due to which weather activities such as rainfall occurs and winters are mild & rainy

The Mediterranean Sea was the center of life for the Romans, and remains an integral resource for the region today. 1. The Romans thought the sea was the middle of the earth. So much so, they first called the Mediterranean Sea mediterraneus—Latin for middle of the earth. 2. Believe it or not, Greece is made up of 6,000 islands To answer your question, here are 20 iconic Mediterranean foods that showcase the best eats this region has to offer. 1. Feta. PIN IT. Shelby Cohron. Feta is a classic Mediterranean dairy product that can be enjoyed on Greek salads, paired with zucchini, or even as a simple feta and bread combination. Depending on what country you're in, feta. • Mediterranean regions are known as 'Orchards of the world' for their fruit cultivation. Fig. 6.12: A vineyard in the Mediterranean Region Fig. 6.9: A Pheasant Fig. 6.10: A Monal Fig. 6.11: A Temperate Deciduous Forest Mediterranean V egetation You have learnt that most of the east and north east margins of the continents are covered by. ADVERTISEMENTS: In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Location of Mediterranean Climate 2. Temperature of Mediterranean Climate 3. Air Pressure and Winds 4. Precipitation 5. Natural Vegetation. Location of Mediterranean Climate: The Mediterranean type of climates, climatically known as subtropical dry summer climates, is called Mediterranean type because most of the areas falling unde

NCERT Solutions For Class 7 Geography Social Science

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife - Class 7 Geograph

Mediterranean Climates and Gardens . Ideally, if you live in a region with a Mediterranean or subtropical climate, you can grow many of the plants native to these regions. Mediterranean climates are conducive to outdoor living since residents enjoy longer periods of warm weather and infrequent rainfall Steeped in history and romance and almost in a class by itself, the pomegranate, Punica granatum L., belongs to the family Punicaceae which includes only one genus and two species, the other one, little-known, being P. protopunica Balf. peculiar to the island of Socotra. Despite its ancient background, the pomegranate has acquired only a relatively few commonly recognized vernacular names. Class-7 » Social Science. Natural Vegetation and Wildlife. why are mediterranean regions known as orchards of the world. Share with your friends. Share 1. the Mediterranean region has been modified to suit humans and lot of citrus fruits are grown here.Thus they are called orchards of the world. 1 ; View Full Answer. 4. Silver fox and polar bear are common animals of coniferous region. Answer. Answer: True. 5. The other name for coniferous forest is Tundra. Answer. Answer: False. We hope the given NCERT MCQ Questions for Class 7 Geography Chapter 6 Natural Vegetation and Wild Life with Answers Pdf free download will help you

MCQ Questions for Class 7 Geography: Ch 6 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife. 1. Forest is. 2. Tropical desert are found in ___ margins of the country. 3. The place which is extremely cold. The growth of natural vegetation is very limited here. It grows during the very short summer SURVEY. 30 seconds. Q. Both the Han and the Roman empires declined as a result of. answer choices. undisciplined armies and limited access to trade. overexpansion and foreign invasions by nomadic peoples. inefficient theocratic rulers and few government regulations. harsh climates and high taxes A) Rome's navy no longer had enough ships to control the Mediterranean Sea. B) The Roman army grew in size and became dominant in the Mediterranean region. C) Rome limited its soldiers to six months of service each year. D) The Roman army took greater care to treat conquered peoples better

Mr. Sipahioglu, The Chef of Mediterranean Breeze says most of first time customers expect traditional Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine before they experience our cuisine! That's why we chose this slogan for our brand to stand out; . UNEXPECTEDLY MEDITERRANEAN!. The Mediterranean region spans three continents and tens of different cultures. Spain to Syria Our Mediterranean road trip now takes us to the coast of the Region of Murcia, known as the Costa Cálida and notable for its family-friendly beaches. Distance:220km From north to south, some of the most interesting spots are San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, and Cabo de Palos where you can enjoy time on the beach by the peaceful lagoon of Mar.

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Add a side of tangy tzatziki sauce , Greek salad, or roasted veggies. Shrimp Pasta. 20 minutes or less is all it takes to make this bright garlic shrimp pasta recipe! Prepared Mediterranean-style and tossed in a light sauce with garlic, onions, white wine, and lemon juice. Moroccan Vegetable Tagine 7) Distribution of land and sea. 8) Altitude. At a macro-level, the first three factors are most important in influencing a region's climate. The animated graphic below provides us with a generalized model of the Earth's annual climatic variations. It also describes the latitudinal effects of these top three factors through the following. Spinach, known scientifically as spinacia oleracea is a green, leafy vegetable commonly eaten around the world. Spinach origins can be traced to central and western Asia, around... Sep 12, 201 The Mediterranean is over 5 million years old. The Mediterranean Sea is not quite old enough to remember the dinosaurs, but it is still really old. A massive flood that occurred about 5.33 million years ago created what is now known as the Mediterranean Sea. There are 3.7 million cubic kilometres of water. There is more than a cup or two that.

Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Class 7 Extra Questions

The Mediterranean Sea: Countries and Islands - Map Quiz Game: The countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea and the islands that dot its waters are a fascinatingly diverse collection. This quiz game will help you explore all the countries and islands that share the Mediterranean Sea. The group includes European nations like France, Italy, and Spain, along with the exotic countries of Egypt. Featured Mediterranean Shore Excursions. Eat, drink, and live like a local on Mediterranean cruise excursions and FOOD & WINE® tours. Visit a family-owned winery in Greece's Oia to taste the rich flavors of this renowned region. Go shopping with a chef in a tucked-away charcutería in Barcelona

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: 7th Class CBSE Geography

  2. Contents1 Climate2 Weather3 Precipitation4 Latitude5 Altitude6 Pressure and Winds7 Jet Stream8 Western Cyclonic Disturbances9 Southern Oscillation (SO)10 El Nino11 The Onset of the Monsoon12 Withdrawal or Retreat of Monsoon13 The Seasons13.1 (i) The Cold Weather Season (Winter)13.2 (ii) The Hot Weather Season (Summer)13.3 (iii) Advancing Monsoon (The Rainy Season)13.4 (iv) Retreating Monsoon.
  3. ing the relationship between diets in various countries and their prevalence of heart disease
  4. 7 night Mediterranean Oct 5, 2022. Swim in azure water at Corfu's stunning beaches, stroll through Dubrovnik's mesmerising red-roofed Old Town and, from Taranto, head out to Apulia's white-sand bays and whitewashed villages. Inside from. £ 799. per person
  5. Not all cruise ships circle the Caribbean. A Mediterranean cruise can be a great way to get a sample of the region, or bring expert travelers to little-known corners of the area. Read on for our.
  6. (a) Temperate cyclone also known as depressions, enter India from the Mediterranean Sea in the cold season. (b) These cause winter rains over the Northern plains and snowfall in the mountains. (c) The winter rainfall locally known as 'mahawat' is small, but is very important for the cultivation of rabi crops. Question 62

Global Connections . Geography | PBS. The Nile River is a prominent feature of the modern cityscape of Cairo, Egypt. The Middle East is at the junction of trade routes connecting Europe and China. For almost 30 centuries—from its unification around 3100 B.C. to its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.—ancient Egypt was the preeminent civilization in the Mediterranean world Discover little-known villages, breathtaking vistas and delicious regional cuisine during this 12-day cruise along Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines with stops in Spain, Morocco, Portugal and three remarkable days amid the sunny Canary Islands. Dine on spicy and succulent lamb dishes simmered in earthenware tagines

Hotel Mediterranean. 1,286 reviews. #33 of 121 Hotels in Rhodes Town. Visit hotel website. Save. Share. 35-37, Kos Street, Rhodes Town 85100 Greece. 011 30 2241 097000. Visit hotel website Our many exciting itineraries throughout the region give you the opportunity to travel to some of the most stunning destinations in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. Experience the magic of the Mediterranean while on a European cruise to sun-soaked ports of call. Marvel at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, and admire the eclectic architecture of. Shifting cultivation is a type of cultivation in which an area is cultivated temporarily for a period of time which differs from place to place and then abandoned for some time so that it restores nutrients in the plot naturally. This is very essential for the fertility of the land. It is a primitive method of cultivation which was practiced in. Little is known about al-Idrisi's life. It is likely he was born in Sabtah, Morocco (now known as Ceuta), around 1100 C.E. Al-Idrisi is believed to be a descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. He attended the university in Cordoba, Spain, and traveled throughout North Africa, Europe's Mediterranean region, and Spain

CBSE Class 7 - Geography - Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Which forests are popularly known as the 'Orchards of the world' ? (a) Temperate Evergreen Forests (b) Mediterranean Forests The animals in polar region have thick fur and thick skin. (ii) Tropical deciduous trees shed their leaves in the dry. Croatia's second largest city has been kept a secret for a long time, and not many people outside of the Mediterranean region think of it as a destination. A city known for its ancient history, beaches and epic sunsets, it should be on everyone's bucket list.. Explore this storyboard about European Travel, Croatia by Brogan Abroad on Flipboard The first period in Roman history is known as the Period of Kings, and it lasted from Rome's founding until 510 BC. During this brief time Rome, led by no fewer than six kings, advanced both militaristically and economically with increases in physical boundaries, military might, and production and trade of goods including oil lamps Hints of 7,200-Year-Old Cheese Create a Scientific Stink. Traces of fats on pottery from Croatia may be the region's oldest known cheese, but the controversial claim has some experts holding their. The Mediterranean diet is a plant-based pattern, where vegetables, fruits, cereals (preferably as whole grain), legumes, and nuts should be consumed in high amount and frequency. The Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) also includes moderate consumption of fish and shellfish, white meat, eggs, and dairy products

Why Mediterranean Vegetation is also called orchard of the

The Mediterranean Sea's only connection to the world's oceans is through a narrow strip of water between Europe and Africa known as the Strait of Gibraltar, as shown here in a image taken from the. Malta also makes an excellent base from which to explore the wider Mediterranean region. Plenty to See and Do. It's amazing just how much there is to experience in Malta, despite its relatively small size the island offers a surprising range of world-class attractions and activities for all ages Best Dining in Valencia, Province of Valencia: See 468,512 Tripadvisor traveler reviews of 4,298 Valencia restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more Scrubland, also called shrubland, heathland, or chaparral, diverse assortment of vegetation types sharing the common physical characteristic of dominance by shrubs.A shrub is defined as a woody plant not exceeding 5 metres (16.4 feet) in height if it has a single main stem, or 8 metres if it is multistemmed.The world's main areas of scrubland occur in regions that have a Mediterranean.

Ancient Mediterranean Collections. This online exhibit presents highlights of ASM's collection of some 520 ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman objects. The vast majority of these were acquired in the early days of the museum's history from the 1890s to the 1930s through exchange, donation, and less commonly, by purchase The Mediterranean diet is a primarily plant-based eating plan that includes daily intake of whole grains, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, beans and other legumes, nuts, herbs, and spices. Other foods like animal proteins are eaten in smaller quantities, with the preferred animal protein being fish and seafood. Although the pyramid shape suggests. 7 July 2017 - Data from 77 countries show that antibiotic resistance is making gonorrhoea - a common sexually-transmitted infection - more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat. Some countries - particularly high-income ones, where surveillance is best - are finding cases of the infection that are untreatable by all known antibiotics Bringing together authentic recipes from Italy, Greece, Provence, northern Africa, and the Middle East, DK's Mediterranean Cookbook gives cooks the necessary tools to recreate the flavors of the Mediterranean in their own homes.. Fresh, healthy, and easy to make, the Mediterranean Cookbook contains more than 300 recipes, from Citrus Lamb Tagine and Leek Moussaka to Panzanella and Tzatziki

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The region of Southern Europe, also called Mediterranean Europe, extends along the Mediterranean Sea on the Southern edge of Europe. It encompasses the major countries of Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece, as well as the lesser nations of Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino, and Malta (Bradshaw, 2002, p. 333) The Mediterranean Sea region covers 22 countries across three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe, commonly known as the northern and southern Mediterranean regions. 1 In the southern Mediterranean region, we can trace the particular traditions carved during decades by the first inhabitants (Berber and Roman), the Ottoman empire, and the.

Mediterranean diet is a generic term based on the traditional eating habits in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There's not one standard Mediterranean diet. At least 16 countries border the Mediterranean. Eating styles vary among these countries and even among regions within each country because of differences in culture. Overview. In 2015, WHO proposed the use of the Robson classification (also known as the 10-group classification) as a global standard for assessing, monitoring and comparing caesarean section rates both within healthcare facilities and between them. The system classifies all women into one of 10 categories that are mutually exclusive and, as a. The Mediterranean Sea is so large—965,300 square miles—that it can be broken down into regions, each with its own personality, cuisine, and scenery. The Eastern Mediterranean covers the Holy Land, the Greek Islands, and the countries of the Adriatic Sea. The Western Mediterranean is generally comprised of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and. U.S. News ranks the 14 Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean based on an expert analysis of traveler ratings and upcoming itineraries to help you find the right cruise

Class VII: Chapter 6 - Natural Vegetation and Wildlif

The Origins of Islam Islam was a religion founded in the 7th Century AD by Muhammad, an Arabian merchant from the city of Mecca.In the centuries leading up to the birth of Muhammad, Christianity had become the dominant faith of the Mediterranean and it's message was quickly spreading to other regions of the world via the major trade routes of the era 7) St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, was born in Demre, on Turkey s Mediterranean Coast. 8) The first church dedicated to Virgin Mary is in Ephesus. 9) Early Christians escaping from Roman persecutions found shelter in Cappadocia. 10) The First Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik, Turkey Read our insider's guide to the best Mediterranean islands, as recommended by Telegraph Travel. Find expert picks for family, luxury, beach, culture, walking and romantic holidays 1. Andalucia. This region covers the entire southern area of mainland Spain and includes the Costa del Sol, Costa Tropical, Costa de Almeira and Costa de la Luz.. This is possibly the region which typifies Spain in the minds of tourists; from beaches to quaint whitewashed villages, flamenco to fiestas, Andalucia has it all, including the popular cities of Marbella and Seville - the region. The United States is often divided up into geographical regions. Using these regions can help to describe a larger area and also helps to group together states that are similar in features such as geography, culture, history, and climate

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French Riviera - Wikipedi

  1. Russia's current eastern Mediterranean flotilla is supposedly made up mainly of the Moskva, two Krivak Class frigates, one Kashin class destroyer and a couple amphibious landing ships, among.
  2. The Mediterranean Diet is #1. Travel the World with Oldways. The Mediterranean Diet reﬂects a way of eating that is traditional in the countries that surround the Mediterranean, but you don't need to travel any further than your local... The African Heritage Diet is a way of eating based on the healthy food traditions of people with African.
  4. The region of Andalusia is known for the flamenco music and dance which incorporates the traditional seguidilla style. Other popular genres from the region include Sephardic and copla genres. Some notable musicians from Andalusia include Carlos Cano, Javier Ruibal, Joaquin Sabina and Luis Delgado
  5. This region has long been the source of slaves for the route through the Sahara to the Mediterranean. The arrival of the Portuguese opens up another channel. Nature even provides a new collection point for this human cargo. The volcanic Cape Verde Islands, with their rocky and forbidding coastlines, are uninhabited
  6. Physical Features of India Class 9 Extra Questions and Answer Geography Chapter 2 Short Answers Type. Question 1. Explain the theory of Plate Tectonics. Or. Give a brief description of the plate movements. Or. Classify plate movements into three types. Answer: According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, the upper part of the earth has been.

7 Things We Can Learn From The Mediterranean Lifestyl

Cedar (scientific name Cedrus) is a genus of cone-bearing trees in the plant family Pinaceae.They are native to the mountains of the western Himalaya and the Mediterranean region. They are found at heights of 1,500-3,200 metres (4,900-10,500 ft) in the Himalaya and 1,000-2,200 metres (3,300-7,200 ft) in the Mediterranean earthquakes today - recent and latest earthquakes, earthquake map and earthquake information. Earthquake information for europe. EMSC (European Mediterranean Seismological Centre) provides real time earthquake information for seismic events with magnitude larger than 5 in the European Mediterranean area and larger than 7 in the rest of the world The Mediterranean peninsula: Italy, meaning the entire peninsula south of the Alps, is known as such from about the 1st century BC. Several centuries earlier, when the name first appears, it is used only of the area in the extreme south - the toe of the peninsula THE NEW OMC RETHINKING ENERGY TOGETHER, ALLIANCES FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE In over 25 years the OMC Offshore Mediterranean Conference and Exhibition of Ravenna, now renamed OMC Med Energy Conference and Exhibition has grown into the leading event in the Mediterranean region for energy insights with particular emphasis on the upstream sector

MCQ Questions for Class 7 Geography Chapter 6 Natural

The Thar Desert is also known as the Great Indian Desert and lies in the northwestern part of India - predominantly in the Royal Rajasthan states. It is the 7 th largest sub-tropical desert and the most sparsely populated region in India. Even so, the Thar Desert is the most densely populated desert in the world There are no known adverse affects of Mediterranean horseshoe bats on humans. Conservation Status. Rhinolophus euryale is the rarest of all European rhinolophids, and is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. Data are scarce on population estimates, however, it is known there was a 70% decline in numbers in France between 1940 and 1980 The size class [2-4] mm is less observed with only 5.5%. The size class [4-5] mm is not observed. For the accuracy of 2.5%, 1,537 microplastics were randomly subsampled. The size distribution of microplastics is also dominated by the size class [0.5-1] mm, which accounts for 46.7% of the particles 8.3.1 Unmitigated loads. There are a range of models available for estimation of soil loss rates from construction sites, with perhaps the most widely applied being the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The RUSLE is described in IECA (2008) as having the following form: (8.1) A = R · K · LS · C · P

The Mediterranean World - 1492: An Ongoing Voyage

Italy is known for its Mediterranean climate, which is found mainly on the coast. Inland, it is generally cooler and wetter but usually hotter during the summer. Southern Italy has a hot and mostly dry climate while the north has more of an Alpine climate, getting lots of snow in winter Mediterranean Food Kent. Mediterranean food is known as one of the world's healthiest styles of eating. And while there are common elements that unify Mediterranean food, there are rather significant differences regionally and culturally among the three culinary regions: Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, and Southern Europe This region, in California's north-east corner, is known for mountains, forests, waterfalls, and amazing, safe to visit volcanoes. The region, a 3 hour drive north of Sacramento, takes its name from the rugged Cascade Mountains and their signature peak in state, 14,180 foot/4,322 metre Mount Shasta, a volcano 6b) Countries that border the Mediterranean Sea 6c) Countries that border the North Sea 7) Know nations located on the Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavian Peninsula, and Balkan Peninsula. 8) Know the countries that make up Russia and the Republics as well as which of the republics are located in Europe and those located in Asia Cooking dry bulgur is simple: Place some in a bowl, pour hot water over the grains and cover. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes until the bulgur is tender and then drain. Your water-to.

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  2. Known for bringing people together over its bright and flavorful dishes, Le Sud Mediterranean Kitchen has been a neighborhood favorite in Roscoe Village since it opened in 2018
  3. ation of a great historian's unparalleled art and scholarship. John Julius Norwich provides brilliant portraits of.
  4. U.S. News ranks 79 Best Cruises to the Mediterranean based on an analysis of reviews and health ratings. Seven Seas Explorer is the top-ranked ship overall. But you can sort the rankings to find.

Ancient Carthage - Wikipedi

Yet within this dry region lies an arc of land that provided some of the best farming in Southwest Asia. The region's curved shape and the richness of its land led scholars to call it the Fertile Crescent. It includes the lands facing the Mediterranean Sea and a plain that became known as Mesopotamia (MEHS•uh•puh•TAY•mee•uh). The. Question 12: India is known as the land of the endless growing Season. Explain. Answer: India is known as the land of the endless growing Season because being a sub-tropical land it enjoys a growing Season throughout the year. Growing Season is that part of the year when the growth of vegetation is made possible by the favourable combination of. SEX/GENDER. Although the terms sex and gender are often used interchangeably, they, in fact, have distinct meanings. Sex is a classification based on biological differences—for example, differences between males and females rooted in their anatomy or physiology. By contrast, gender is a classification based on the social construction (and maintenance) of cultural distinctions between males. Onions, garlic, parsley, and cilantro are the herbs utilized most in everyday Moroccan cooking, while na'na (spearmint) is used in equally robust quantities to flavor tea. Some other popular aromatic plants used in Moroccan homes, either to flavor teas or to benefit from their medicinal and therapeutic properties, are listed below

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Extra Questions Chapter 6

  1. Now £59 on Tripadvisor: Mediterranean Beach Resort, Laganas. See 448 traveller reviews, 523 candid photos, and great deals for Mediterranean Beach Resort, ranked #39 of 78 hotels in Laganas and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Prices are calculated as of 02/08/2021 based on a check-in date of 15/08/2021
  2. Racial Groups of India. The present population of the Indian subcontinent has been divided into four racial groups- the Negritos, the Proto-Australoids, the Proto-Australoids, the Mongoloids, and.
  3. The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree that grows between 5 and 10 m (16 and 33 ft) tall. The pomegranate originated in the region extending from Anatolia to northern India or South Asia.. Although previously placed in its own family Punicaceae, recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Punica belongs in the family Lythraceae, and it is classified.
  4. The beautifully carved palette, 63.5 cm (more than 2 feet) in height and made of smooth greyish-green siltstone, is decorated on both faces with detailed low relief. These scenes show a king, identified by name as Narmer, and a series of ambiguous scenes that have been difficult to interpret and have resulted in a number of theories regarding.
  5. Download CBSE Class 7 Geography Notes Chapter 6 - Natural
  6. Class 12 Geography NCERT Solutions Chapter 5 Primary

The Mediterranean region is known for heavy rai

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此外,有一些危险和不良选择将出现在这种情况下,由于所有权和控制权的分离。是因为,如果高管将持有股票,那么他们将被视为一个所有者,主要会影响组织的决策。,决策制定和控制之间的冲突问题也会产生在组织内(McGuigan moy &哈里斯,2010)。因此这个问题是一种苹果公司委托代理问题。在这种情况下,道德危害与所有权和控制权和逆向选择的决定做出申请,如果高管将持有公司的股票。

这个问题存在于大多数组织的雇员和雇主的关系,因为它创建了一些问题代理理论的道德风险和逆向选择问题。苹果公司的道德风险是减少利润,收入和收入由于所有权的分离。此外,可能会有一些相关的逆向选择购买袜子的复杂的执行官,谁可能会干扰组织的决策。公司的高管可以容纳太多的股票,主要代理问题;因为行政和业主将同一个人(卡德 & 霍姆斯特龙,2011)。

In the current business environment, the organizations have several principle agent problems. For example, Apple Inc. faces the problem in hiring the people, because it wants that its people do work on behalf of it to achieve its objectives. So, the organization is considered as a principal and its people are hired as its agents (Worstall, 2013). Apple wants that its executive must hold the organizational stock and have some ownership in its profits, so they can work effectively and collectively.

In addition, there are some hazards and adverse selections which would arise in this situation due to separation of ownership and control over the organization. It is because; if the executives would hold the stock then they would be considered as an owner and principal and they would interfere in the decisions of the organization. And, the problem of conflicts among the decisions making and control would also generate within the organization (McGuigan, Moyer & Harris, 2010). Thus, this problem is a type of principal agent problem in the case of Apple Inc. In this case, both moral hazards related to ownership and control and adverse selection of decisions making apply, if the executives would hold the stock of the company.

This problem is found in most of the organizational employees and employers relationship, because it creates some problems agency theory problem of moral hazard and adverse selection. The moral hazards in Apple are reduction in profit, revenues and income due to separation of ownership. In addition, there may be some adverse selection related to buying of stocking by a sophisticated executive, who may disturb the organizational decisions. The executives can hold too much stock of the company that would be principal agent problem; because the executive and owners would be same people (Cudd & Holmstrom, 2011).


Different Types of Cosmetic Lasers

Our skin is the body’s biggest organ, so it’s important to take care of it. Many people use skincare and sunscreen, but sometimes that isn’t enough. There are many things that affect the skin, including external and internal factors. Wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and acne are common skin concerns. A cosmetic laser is one of the most effective ways to treat the skin. We put together a guide with the different types of cosmetic lasers, so read on to learn more.

IPL is a type of light therapy. IPL stands for intense pulse light. Lasers and IPLs are rated as class IV medical devices by the FDA. IPL can minimize or remove many skin concerns such as age spots, sun damage, birthmarks, varicose veins, rosacea, and more. Although IPL is like laser treatment, it’s not technically a laser. This is a common misconception. A laser uses just one wavelength of light, whereas IPL uses many different wavelengths.

Ablative Laser

There are many different types of cosmetic lasers, and one type is an ablative laser. An ablative laser is a wounding laser that removes the epidermis and heats the dermis. There are a few types of ablative lasers, including the carbon dioxide laser and the Er: YAG laser. The carbon dioxide laser is commonly referred to as a CO2 laser. Ablative lasers can minimize wrinkles, age spots, uneven skin tone, and acne. This laser provides incredible results, as it’s highly effective.

Non-Ablative Laser

A non-ablative laser is a non-wounding laser that improves the tone and texture of the skin. This is less invasive than an ablative laser, which means there’s less downtime. Although there’s less recovery time than ablative laser resurfacing, it is less effective. A few examples of a non-ablative laser are the Pulsed Dye laser, Alexandrite laser, and ND: Yag Laser.

At All States Medical Distribution, we offer cosmetic laser equipment at an affordable price. We offer new and refurbished medical equipment to meet all your facility’s needs. We have over 12 years of experience in the medical field, so we’re confident that we can help you out with anything you need. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call.


Between Fortitude and Folly: The Incredible True Story of the USS Pope

K. Partridge

Publisher: Argive Press Pages: 457 Price: ISBN: 9780578354668 Reviewed: February, 2022

Between Fortitude and Folly, by K. Partridge, is an historical novel that recounts the captivating story of the fight for survival by the USS Pope, an obsolete destroyer desperately pressed into service during WWII’s first months in the South Pacific.

As the Japanese blitzed the out-manned American and Allied forces, the Pope’s crew bravely fought on, attacking or dodging the newer and better Japanese ships. Inevitably, after only four months of harrowing combat, three hours of pounding by enemy gunfire sank her. The surviving crew spent 60 hours in lifeboats before a Japanese destroyer rescued them.

The novel gives proper due to both the characters and the history. Readers are immersed in the terrifying realities of war. The author describes the intricacies of operating a 315-foot warship precisely and accurately. From weapons and propulsion to navigation and even berthing, readers encounter a world usually experienced only by sailors. Maps, diagrams and other graphics help readers grasp the unique feel of a warship in battle.

But while details of parabolic distances and fuse times are central to the construction of a compelling story, Partridge’s skillful creation of credible, conflicted and fearful characters bring it all alive. Main protagonists, Ensign Jack De Vries and two Australian signalwomen, Margaret Martin and Dorothy Walker, ride a roller-coaster of emotions and passions in a world in which a Japanese victory appears certain. The two women, whose job ashore is to monitor ships’ at-sea transmissions, meet the sociable, caring and attractive Jack at an Allied naval base where the Pope was home-ported. A love story unfolds, but with which one?

Readers will stand with De Vries on the Pope’s deck as eight-inch enemy shells roar down on the ship, sounding like, “gravel in a chute.” The dialogue and narrative skillfully re-create the era and convey the story’s tensions.

Partridge dedicates “this novel to the officers and men of the USS Pope. I hope it does them justice.” Indeed, it does.

Author's Current Residence
Edina, Minnesota


Virginia Tech researcher seeks to improve emergency hospital, community evacuations

April 22, 2011

When a hurricane or another major threat requires an emergency evacuation of a hospital, or an entire coastal community, the logistics can be a nightmare. In the first, hospital personnel must balance the risks involved in moving potentially hundreds of patients to safety while considering their individual medical needs, against the risk posed by the threat. In the second, regional or city officials may be tasked with evacuating hundreds of thousands of people in only a few days or hours, without creating transportation gridlock or leaving people stranded.

These efforts are fraught with dangers, missed cues, and the likelihood of traffic congestion and other problems that can halt or slow an evacuation. Douglas Bish (, an assistant professor in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering's Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (, hopes to alleviate some of uncertainties.

He has won a 5-year, $400,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to create mathematical-based computer models that eventually will help emergency managers better plan, train and carry out these logistical complex tasks. A CAREER award is one of the most prestigious awards given to creative junior faculty likely considered to become academic leaders of the future.

"Hospital evacuations require decisions that are both medical and logistical in nature, while regional evacuations must consider social issues," Bish wrote in his grant proposal abstract. "To be successful, both evacuation problems require the integration of multiple processes and the coordination of a large number of resources in an efficient manner. While these problems are distinct, they can both be modeled using novel network formulations that are combinatorial in nature and involve high levels of uncertainty. Furthermore, solutions to both problems require robust, implementable strategies that consider risk. An operations research-based methodology will be used to study these evacuation problems."

Because of the complexities involved in evacuations, emergency managers train and prepare for such events, but full scale drills are nearly impossible because of the numbers of people involved, in addition to time, resources, money and risk. Therefore, computer modeling is an alternative. One can't just wait for an emergency - a hurricane on the coast or a fire in the hospital - and hope for the best in evacuating residents and patients, respectively, Bish said.

"We need to move people efficiently and safely during an emergency," Bish said, adding that logistical problems could be extremely complex and require planning. In the event of hospital evacuations, the timing of the emergency - fire, hurricane, earthquake aftermath - must be considered, but as well as the number of patients being moved, and care requirements. Patients who require constant life support or other 24/7 care will have greater needs - and take more time to move - than patients who have had minor surgeries or injuries.

"As coastal populations grow, especially on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, more sophisticated evacuation strategies will be required in response to seasonal hurricane evacuations, among other threats," Bish wrote in his abstract.

In the event of regional evacuations one must consider all transportation modes, change-over of Interstate lanes, and in what order - if any - different communities will be evacuated. For instance, evacuating residents closest to the coast during a hurricane likely will take precedence over those residents several miles inland.

Bish will study methods to organize those evacuating by automobile using detailed evacuation plans, while also developing plans for those without access to automobiles. These must consider the level of communication efforts - be it TV, Internet, cell phone, or radio required to disseminate the plans

Bish's research will have him talking to various hospital personnel, various levels of government, and emergency managers. The CAREER grant builds on work he previously performed under a Resource Allocation Program grant from Roanoke, Va.-based Carilion Clinic for studying hospital evacuations and an earlier National Science Foundation grant regarding regional evacuations.
He earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from California Polytechnic State University; two master's degrees, one in biomedical engineering and another in industrial engineering, from Northwestern University; and a doctoral degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech

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Leonardo Impett

Leonardo Impett is a digital humanist working at the intersection of computer vision and art history. In trying to bring "distant reading" to visual studies, his current research focuses on unveiling the implicit image-theories of computer vision and constructing new computer vision systems based on early modern philosophies of vision. He is assistant professor of computer science at Durham University, and was previously a digital humanities scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Art History, Rome; a digital humanities fellow at the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies; a member of the Image and Visual Representation Laboratory at EPFL; a visiting fellow at Cambridge University Digital Humanities; and an associate researcher at the Orpheus Institute for Artistic Research in Music, Ghent.


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War Aims

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Faced with the brutality of Russia’s war, the emotional urge to do more to help Ukraine is fully understandable. But emotions are a bad strategic counsellor. The European Union and its Member States must remain cool-headed and stick to the strategy that they have decided upon.

War Aims

Faced with the brutality of Russia’s war, the emotional urge to do more to help Ukraine is fully understandable. But emotions are a bad strategic counsellor. The European Union and its Member States must remain cool-headed and stick to the strategy that they have decided upon. Ever since the initial Russian invasion in 2014, the EU’s aim has been to maintain a sovereign Ukraine on as much of its territory as possible, with which it will continue to build an ever deeper partnership. To that end it supports Ukraine militarily and financially, and adopts sanctions against Russia, but it does not become directly involved in the war. Any action, and any rhetoric, that goes beyond that, puts the world on a slippery slope towards great power war – which may mean nuclear war.

Nobody can switch off their emotions, of course. In war, emotions are necessary even. Emotional attachment to their way of life and to their community, however defined, motivates people to take risks and to fight. But those that define strategy for the war must put their emotions aside. Sound strategy demands a sober assessment: What interests are at stake? What power do the different parties have? What are the costs and benefits of the different courses of action (or inaction)?

The vital interests of the EU are not directly at stake, not in 2014 and not in 2022: its survival does not depend on the survival of Ukraine, whereas a great power war would effectively threaten it. That is why the EU Member States have decided not to join the fight. But a stable international order is a vital EU interest. The EU could not deter Russia from upsetting it, but now it must be made to pay a price for it; that, at the same time, is a strong message to any other potential aggressor. Furthermore, an independent Ukraine will de facto remain a buffer state between the EU and Russia: that does serve the EU interest. Finally, the EU has a moral duty to assist Ukraine: having strongly encouraged it on its chosen path, it cannot abandon it when Russia now tries to block that path by making war.

Thus the war aims are clear. The EU has decided the core strategic question: which relationship with Ukraine it wants, and what is it willing to pay for that. It is important to note that only the EU could have taken this decision: to associate Ukraine with its single market – that, at heart, is the strategy. No individual EU Member State, and certainly not NATO or the US, has the authority to decide on that. All the rest follows from that original 2014 EU decision: EU sanctions; NATO deterrence; French, German, and American diplomacy. Had the EU not decided to offer Ukraine an association agreement in 2014, the country would likely already have been forced into the Russian sphere of influence.

This makes the EU into a non-belligerent: it has taken the side of Ukraine and supports it in every way possible short of sending its own soldiers into combat. Just like the United States supported the United Kingdom against Nazi Germany without entering the shooting war, until in December 1941 the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought it into the war. That much too is clear today: Russia observes the same limitations as the EU and NATO  and does not use force against any of its members, or collective defence guarantees would be activated and great power war unleashed.

The risk of escalation into great power war is present, but it is manageable. What will definitely increase the risk, is thoughtless rhetoric, mostly (but not only) from the US and the UK, that implies a creeping increase of war aims. For that is what statements that all of Ukraine must be liberated, that Russia must be defeated, and even that Putin cannot stay in power, really mean. These are aims that Ukraine alone cannot achieve; those who nonetheless state them as aims are effectively saying that they want the EU and NATO countries to directly enter the war. We have seen this before: in Afghanistan and Iraq, realistic initial war aims (eliminating al-Qaeda as an organisation, destroying weapons of mass destruction), once achieved (or proven to be false, for Iraq had no WMD), did not lead to an end of operations, but to ever more ambitious and unrealistic aims, resulting in prolonged war and, ultimately, failure.

The EU must prevent the West from repeating the same mistake in a situation in which the potentially catastrophic consequences of escalation are far greater. The EU ought to push back against all too fiery rhetoric and clearly restate its actual aims as a non-belligerent. Brussels must also refrain from being swayed by emotions itself, notably by making the false promise of fast EU membership for Ukraine. The harsh truth is that Russia may be halted, but not defeated; that, therefore, there will be no war crimes trial (but all war crimes must be documented nonetheless); that, unless the Russians themselves bring him down, Putin will stay in power; and that Ukraine will be a buffer state for years to come.

In the end, faced with this strategic reality, two emotions remain: shame and admiration. Non-belligerency is the only viable option, but nevertheless I personally feel ashamed that Ukraine is fighting alone. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I spoke each year at the National Defense University in Kyiv (in the framework of the European Security and Defence College). I do not see how I could ever go there again, except to express my shame. And my admiration: for the Ukrainian soldier. Unfortunately, this is a war he cannot win; but with our help, he will not lose.

Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop is well aware that as an armchair strategist he is in a luxury position.

(Photo credit: Sven Biscop)


Keeping our older community healthy and active for longer.

At Elixinol Wellness our mission is to make a positive contribution to people's health & wellbeing. We use science and technology as the basis for our product development. Today, our Global Director of R&D and Innovation Beata Silber, PhD discusses how we can keep our older community healthier and active for longer through adequate nutrition.

Keeping Our Older Community Healthy And Active For Longer.

Why adequate nutrition is so important as we age

As we get older, the process of aging is marked by significant physical, physiological and cognitive changes in the body, which can have a negative impact on the health and lifestyle of the elderly population.

The older population are at high risk of developing nutritional deficiencies due to either low dietary intake, impairment in the mechanism of absorption, or failure of conversion to active forms that the body can use. These increased nutritional deficiencies pose major risk factors for certain chronic diseases, such as Type II Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases; loss of bone density and muscle mass increasing risk of osteoporosis and sarcopenia; dementia; increased digestive problems leading to higher laxative use which can affect absorption of key nutrients such as B12, calcium, iron and magnesium; and deteriorated age-related health. For successful aging, although energy needs decline, the need for key macro and micronutrients increases.

Key nutrients that are essential as we get older but frequently deficient

Reduced daily food intake among elderly fails to provide them with crucial levels of protein. This insufficiency of protein intake results in loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) & affects bone functional loss & frailty. Due to metabolic alterations, the ability to produce muscle protein decreases drastically. Adequate intake of essential amino acids or protein is known to stimulate the synthesis of skeletal muscle protein rates. Research indicates that high quality protein sources, timing of protein intake & amino acid supplementation/content are known to enhance protein absorption among elderly. To overcome risk of sarcopenia, it is recommended to incorporate high concentrations of Essential Amino Acids (EAAs), particularly leucine, into the diet. Protein supplements are an effective solution for boosting muscle protein synthesis among elderly.

Iron deficiency, resulting from decreased food intake, medications, gastrointestinal malabsorption, occult bleeding, is common with the elderly. Low iron levels affect quality of life, cognitive functioning, and is associated with depression, fatigue, loss of muscle strength. Zinc deficiencies lead to weakened immune system and increased susceptibility to infections. Deficiencies in calcium due to malabsorption, reduced food intake, high sodium diets, and inadequate Vitamin D3 levels, increase risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption, maintenance of muscular strength and prevention of osteoporosis. Degenerative digestive conditions result in frequent use of laxatives resulting in poor nutrient absorption, such as B6, B12 and folate, affecting cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms, increasing serum homocysteine levels, which is related to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s Disease, and dementia. Food’s high in fibre can reduce use of laxatives and enhance B vitamin absorption. Polyunsaturated fats are considered healthy fats that are needed to maintain good health and particularly important as you get older. Polyunsaturated fats can help reduce cholesterol levels in your blood, lowering risk of heart disease and stroke, and reduce inflammation. Diets with a healthy omega ratio have been associated with decreased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

How can we ensure adequate intake of vital nutrients as we age?

The majority of the age-related illnesses can be somewhat prevented by following appropriate nutritional interventions and consuming food’s rich in nutrients and antioxidants. In order to meet this requirement successfully, the use of dietary supplements, fortified foods, and protein supplements has grown in demand. Research has demonstrated that supplementation can significantly improve the health status of this fragile population and subsequently reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Foods rich in vital nutrients, such as a variety of hemp foods, should be consumed daily as part of a healthy balanced diet to help avoid nutrient deficiencies. Special emphasis must be given to geriatric health for improved health status maintenance and to decrease the prevalence of chronic diseases.

**This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical practitioner or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regime.

Shop Hemp Foods Australia products here.


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Why the new CSRD is breaking down the walls between ESG and finance

Why the new CSRD is breaking down the walls between ESG and finance 40

By Andromeda Wood, Senior Director of Global XBRL Strategy, Workiva

Financial reporting has historically been an arduo us and time-consuming task, due to the many different factors involved. Companies must be able to provide stakeholders with an accurate depiction of finances, including revenues, expenses, profits, capital, and cash flow.

It’s not surprising that proposed changes in regulations will have an impact on internal processes. The new proposals for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) builds on the existing Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) and will apply to all large companies and all listed companies in the EU. This means an increase from 11,000 who were subject to existing requirements, to nearly 50,000 that will need to follow detailed EU sustainability reporting standards.

As these changes come into play, sustainability is moving to the top of investors’ priority lists and      regulation is directing investors to care, or at least make sure that the sustainability of a fund is disclosed. In addition, they must ensure that the information and funds are assessed against a common set of criteria (for example, EU sustainable finance, in particular the EU Taxonomy and associated SFDR).

As a result, how a company performs against environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors now has a direct effect on whether funding can be secured. Companies who fail to get this right may face challenges accessing capital.

Taking a closer look at CRSD

Social movements and increasing concerns around climate change have driven much introspection within the investor community. More emphasis has been placed on individual responsibility, and investors want to be sure that their investment is aligned with their morals. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by Workiva, 66% of all respondents in France wanted to know whether a company lived up to their social and moral beliefs before investing.

As the needs of investors have changed, it’s evident that the existing NFRD was no longer sufficient. Following three years of consultations, market pressure and political discourse, the CRSD has been proposed to enhance and strengthen the measures already in place. The new directive seeks to emphasise that the term ‘non-financial’ is technically incorrect. Sustainability factors have a financial impact on the business. As such, both sustainability and financial factors will be considered together as part of the organisation’s Annual Financial Report.

There are also practical changes to the way the information is prepared. Companies will now be required to digitally tag reported information (powered by Inline XBRL) to ensure that it is machine-readable, standardised and comparable. This also has the benefit of speeding the data to the users. In addition, there is an assurance obligation with respect to the sustainability disclosures, ensuring that audit professionals will be required to confirm the validity and accuracy of reviewed information.

Andromeda Wood

Andromeda Wood

A challenge arises

Historically the production of the financial statement has sat in the office of the CFO, but ESG data encompasses a wide range of factors which may reside across different departments outside of finance. As a result, this information doesn’t sit as part of a repository, but is a critical part of the management of sustainability operations. More information from across the company will be required, both to align operations with a sustainability strategy and to fulfil disclosure requirements in areas such as carbon footprint and employee demographics.

Organisations need to come up with a clear approach to ensure that their reporting processes are well-managed end-to-end and produce the right format to remain compliant. This will be beneficial with the rising investor demand for good quality ESG data due to the recent  Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the EU Taxonomy coming into force.

Breaking down the internal siloes to achieve success

The first step towards compliance is performing a frank assessment of what is in place and what areas need attention. Alignment with the existing finance processes will give companies the opportunity to use the experience they already have to help bring the ESG data and controls up to speed.

This approach will result in shared oversight of all operations and joint reporting will break down the walls between finance and sustainability, which will ultimately help streamline operations.

This is where technology can be implemented to support the organisation’s intentions. Automation can be used to accurately and efficiently collect and integrate data from different departments across the business. From this, the data can be analysed to determine the materiality, before being collated into the right easily-audited format.

A future-proofed solution

Interest in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues will only continue to intensify. Investors want to be sure that the companies they invest in are genuinely committed to sustainable practices, and unlikely to have a detrimental impact on the planet and society. Large investors already see the importance of valuing a company based on a broader set of standards, as these are inextricably linked to current and future performance.

The new regulations will force organisations to be more transparent with their reporting, enabling would-be investors to have a clear understanding of their practices and intentions. Additionally, this will allow them to compare and contrast with other companies within industries. It’s critical for organisations to get their houses in order, by streamlining processes now to prevent losing out on future investments.

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