Vega VV02 lift-off from Kourou on May 7, 2013 at 02:06 UT

Estonia’s first CubeSat ESTCube-1, amateur radio callsign ES5E, was launched from Kourou in the Caribbean on May 7 at 0206 UT on an ESA Vega rocket into a 704 km orbit. Also on the same launch were Vietnam’s VNREDSat-1A and ESA’s Proba‑V satellites.

ESTCube-1 – Image credit University of Tartu

This Vega mission required five upper-stage boosts and lasted about twice as long as its first launch, in February 2012.

The three solid-propellant stages performed flawlessly and, after two burns of the liquid-propellant upper stage, Proba‑V was released into a circular orbit at an altitude of 820 km, over the western coast of Australia, some 55 minutes into flight.

After releasing Proba-V, the upper stage performed a third burn and the top half of the egg-shaped Vega Secondary Payload Adapter was ejected. After a fourth burn to circularize the orbit at an altitude of 704 km, VNREDSat-1A was released 1 hour 57 minutes into flight. ESTCube‑1 was ejected from its dispenser three minutes later.

ESTCube-1 was built by students at the University of Tartu. The main mission of the satellite is to test electric solar wind sail technology, a novel space propulsion technology that could revolutionize transportation within the solar system. It will deploy a 10 meter conductive electrodynamic tether and the force interacting with the tether will be measured.

ESTCube-1 at press conference in Tallinn before shipping January 21, 2013 – Image credit University of Tartu

The technology is based on the electrostatic interaction between the electric field generated by the satellite and the high-speed particles being ejected from the Sun. A spacecraft utilizing this method would first deploy a set of electrically charged wires, which allow to generate an electric field over a large area. This area effectively forms a “sail” that can be pushed by the charged particles by being diverted by it and therefore transferring momentum to the craft.

The team also aim to capture images of Estonia for outreach purposes.

The IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel have published these frequencies for ESTCube-1
437.250 MHz – CW beacon, callsign ES5E/S
437.505 MHz – 9600 bps AX.25 telemetry, callsign ES5E-11

The CW beacon has been received slightly high of the published frequency on 437.2515 MHz (+/- Doppler shift). Among those reporting the signal have been Nader Omer ST2NH in Sudan, Mike Rupprecht DK3WN in Germany, and Hector Martinez CO6CBF in Cuba who was using an AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle SDR.

Watch Estonian’s ESTCube-1

Watch Exploded view of ESTCube-1

Electric solar wind sail http://www.electric-sailing.fi/

EstCube on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/estcube/

EstCube website http://www.estcube.eu/en/home

Wiki EstCube-1 http://tinyurl.com/WikiESTCube-1

ESA report on launch and deployment
http://www.esa.int/For_Media/Press_Releases/ESA_s_Vega_launcher_scores_new_success_with_Proba-V

Keplerian Two Line Elements (TLEs) ‘Keps’ for new satellites launched in past 30 days
http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/tle-new.txt

Keplerian Two Line Elements (TLEs) ‘Keps’ for CubeSats are at
http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/cubesat.txt

Free satellite tracking software:
• SimpleSat Look Down http://www.tomdoyle.org/SimpleSatLookDown/
• Gpredict http://gpredict.oz9aec.net/
• Orbitron http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=9051

ESTCube Ground Station Antennas

Here my partner has had a letter saying he’s in the WRAG group and detailing his benefits breakdown but we aren’t sure if this is the result of his medical or not as there wasn’t any points breakdown. Or do you only get that if they refuse you ESA? He has also had a letter with an appointment for a work related interview next month. We’ll see what happens!

Myself I’ve just had enough. I’m in the process of trying to start a business but it is off-putting when they are changing the benefit rules to penalize even this. I’ve applied for a few jobs but no joy, have applied to volunteer, no joy, it seems I’m stuck in this trap. To be honest and I’m sorry if this sounds callous but I don’t want to be where the buck stops any more. I don’t want to be the one who sorts out all the bills, keeps the house something like clean, feeds everyone, washes and irons the clothes, sits doing anything they can to make a bit of extra cash on the internet, just so we can have the things we need. I don’t want to go out shopping and come back to find the same mess I left when I went out because him indoors can’t be bothered to do anything. I’m losing the plot. Being the one who runs the house I could cope with but being the one who runs the house and has to deal with someone who is negative from the minute he rises everyday is just too much and I want out. I’ve had enough!!!

Latest statistics from Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) reveal that the DWP’s increasingly controversial Employment & Support Allowance is leading to a massive surge in the numbers of appeals lodged with independent Tribunals.  The Ministry of Justice figures can be read here and confirm that for the period July to September 2012 the number of appeals was up by 69% on the same quarter on the previous year.  Benefit appeals are now accounting for 58% of all cases received for appeals across all Tribunals – an alarming increase.

The Ministry of Justice figures exhibits all the signs of impending chaos with a staggering 813,500 tribunal cases in total; an increase on the previous year when the number had already exceeded three quarters of a million appeal cases.

The number of Employment & Support Allowance appeal receipts is of particular concern, in the year 2011/2012 a total of 181,000 appeals were received by the Tribunals. In the first six months of 2012/2013 the figure has shot up to 133,700 indicating that these appeals alone are well on track to exceed a quarter of a million by year end.

42% of DWP decisions in ESA cases are wrong!

from http://ilegal.org.uk/thread/7377/page/1/benefit-appeals-on-rise

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Capitol News:  A Very Bad Proposal – High Quality Research Act.

Congressional, Administrative, Courts

CONGRESS: Nuclear Waste Bill; Immigration; Farm Bill, Helium; Higher Education Act; Congressional Hearings.

ADMINISTRATION & INDEPENDENT AGENCIES:  Nominations and Confirmations; EPA and Power Plants; EPA on Keystone; ESA and Wolves; ED and Grant Cuts; Testing

COURTS: EPA Wins – Revoking Bad Permits

Noteworthy News: Energy Storage Technology; Common Core Attack; Americans and Climate; Obama’s Environmental Record; Federal Funding of Universities; School Reform Realities; Humanities PhDs; Hydrofracking and Water; Fusion

In the Know: A Preview of Upcoming Events in DC.

Capitol News.  

In first steps for reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act, which added new programs like ARPA-E and aimed to double funding for several science agencies of an approximate seven-year period, the House Science Committee Republicans floated a draft bill, the High Quality Research Act (HQRA).  The HQRA would fundamentally alter the peer-review scientific granting system, first at NSF and then the other science agencies, by requiring an extra layer of “political” review by agency directors who certify that any funded research:

(1) is in the interests of the United States to advance the national health, prosperity, or welfare, and to secure the national defense by promoting the progress of science; (2) is the finest quality, is ground breaking, and answers questions or solves problems that are of utmost importance to society at large; and (3) is not duplicative of other research projects being funded by the Foundation or other Federal science agencies.

The HQRA, which followed a recent attack on funding for political science funding by NSF that survived in the final funding bill for fiscal year 2013 (see Federal Policy Week posting Money Makes Washington Go Around) goes further by expanding to all science funding.  Chairman Smith (R-TX) continues to take a critical view of NSF funding for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Directorate (see Federal Policy Week posting Congress Finishes Recess section on House Committee’s Views and Estimates) or funding that he doesn’t characterize as “hard science.” In anticipation of these attacks and the reauthorization of COMPETES, a group of original supporters of COMPETES, including Norm Augustine, released a set of Principles.  The Principles call on Congress to provide increased funding for major research agencies, in all research disciplines; maintain and strengthen the science pipeline, sustain peer review and eliminate unnecessary regulations.

In response to the HQRA and a letter Chairman Smith sent a letter to NSF Director Marrett questioning some grants and demanding detailed explanations, Ranking Member Johnson (D-TX) sent a scathing letter to Chairman Smith criticizing his approach as undermining research and the Committee.  Chairman Smith defended the universal panning of the bill by claiming it helps NSF prioritize funding. For more background on the events that transpired see Inside Higher Ed.

President Obama, in a speech celebrating 150 years of the National Academies of Sciences, he stated, in what is seen as a rebuke against Republican efforts to politicize science,

I mean, one of the things that I’ve tried to do over these last four years and will continue to do over the next four years is to make sure that we are promoting the integrity of our scientific process; that not just in the physical and life sciences, but also in fields like psychology and anthropology and economics and political science — all of which are sciences because scholars develop and test hypotheses and subject them to peer review — but in all the sciences, we’ve got to make sure that we are supporting the idea that they’re not subject to politics, that they’re not skewed by an agenda, that, as I said before, we make sure that we go where the evidence leads us.  And that’s why we’ve got to keep investing in these sciences. 

CONGRESS

• Nuclear Waste. As mentioned in the Federal Policy Week posting Energy Innovation, the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Energy authorizing and appropriations committees continue to tackle nuclear waste issues.  Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Alexander (R-TN), Wyden (D-OR), and Murkowski (R-AK) released a draft nuclear waste bill in an attempt to reach a long-term, consent-based solution to the nuclear waste bill.  The legislation would create a new nuclear waste administration and an “integrated storage and repository system” to address both commercial and defense waste. Comments on the legislation are accepted until May 24, 2013.
• Immigration.  Now that the bipartisan group in the Senate has released its immigration blueprint and there has been some movement in the House (see Federal Policy Week posting Immigration), the House Judiciary Committee plans to introduce several pieces of immigration legislation in a slower, more piecemeal approach, as described in Chairman Goodlatte’s (R-VA) response to the Senate proposal. Senator Rubio (R-FL), a conservative member of the bipartisan Senate group pushing for reform acknowledged that the Senate plan is likely DOA in the House.  Former Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R-WI) has joined the debate, pushing for immigration reform, based on economic issues, as reported in The Wall Street Journal.  Senator Majority Leader Reid has vowed to push through immigration reform, hoping to get a bill through the full Senate by July 4.
• Farm Bill.  The Agriculture Committees have announced plans to move a farm bill this year.  Senator Stabenow (D-MI) plans to start with a mark-up of the Senate-passed bill from last Congress in May and Majority Leader Reid plans to take up the Senate bill in June.  The House plans to mark up its farm bill on May 15. Chairman Lucas plans to cut an additional $3 billion more from last years farm programs for a total savings of $38 billion. This misguided approach cuts from important conservation and food programs instead of bloated commodity programs.
• Horary for Helium.  The House unanimously (almost – the one no voter said it was an accident) passed the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act (H.R. 257) legislation that enables the Department of the Interior to sell helium from the Federal Helium Reserve to prevent a global shortage. The bill would establish “semi-annual auctions and establishes a three-phase plan to sell off the remaining helium in the Reserve.” More information on the Reserve and the Act is available at the House Natural Resources Committee site. The Senate Energy Committee plans a hearing on May 7, 2013.
• Higher Education.  Congress is moving forward with reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).  The House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Kline (R-MN) and Ranking Member Miller (D-CA) called on the public to provide input on HEA reauthorization.  The Committee letter, also signed by the Higher Education Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member, asks stakeholders to provide feedback on many issues including, improving student aid programs, increasing college affordability and completion, and promoting innovation and improving access to higher education, by August 2, 2013.

Upcoming Congressional Hearings

Senate Energy:

• Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, May 7, 2013
• Business Meeting to consider a variety of bills, May 8, 2013

Senate EPW:

• Nomination of Gina McCarthy for EPA Administrator, May 9, 2013

Senate Commerce:

• Role of Immigrants in America’s Innovation Economy, May 8, 2013

Senate Appropriations:

• Interior: Dept. of Interior Budget, May 7, 2013
• Defense: Dept of Defense Budget, May 8, 2013
• AG: Dept. of Agriculture Budget, May 8, 2013

House Science

• Keystone Pipeline, May 7, 2013
• Exoplanet Discoveries, May 9, 2013

House Energy

• US Energy Abundance – Exports, May 7, 2013
• FDA Bills, May 8, 2013
• Grid Reliability, May 9, 2013

House Appropriations

• Interior: BLM Budget, May 7, 2013
• Interior: EPA Budget, May 8, 2013

Administration & Independent Agencies:

• Nominations and Confirmations.

1. Secretary of Energy.  The Senate Energy Committee voted to report out Moniz’s nomination favorably.  Senator Graham (R-SC) continues to have a hold on his nomination over a nuclear fuel facility based in his state.
2. EPA Administrator. The Senate EPW Committee plans to hold a vote on the confirmation of EPA nominee Gina McCarthy on May 9, 2013 (see above).  Expect a party-line vote.
3. Commerce Secretary. Penny Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt family fortune and Chicago resident was nominated to be Secretary of Commerce.

• EPA and Power Plants.  EPA announced proposed rules to address water discharge from coal power plants.  The rules would not begin to be phased in until 2017, reports The Washington Post. The water from these plants constitutes a major pollutant of our Nation’s waterways.
• EPA on Keystone.  In a cross-agency dispute, EPA took aim at the State Department’s environmental impact statement for the Keystone XL pipeline.  EPA, according to The New York Times, criticized the State report for failing to fully consider the impacts of climate change or look at alternative pipeline routes.
• ESA and Wolves.  In a dramatic setback to the Endangered Species Act and the survival of gray wolves, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to remove species protection. As reported in The LA Times, Western officials, hunters and livestock owners have lead the charge to remove ESA listing. Now, the fate of the wolves will be left to the states, many of which our hostile to their survival.  However, as the article states “scientists and conservationists who reviewed the plan said its reasoning is flawed.”
• ED and Grant Cuts.  EDannounced that two education grants would be cut as a result of sequestration, including TEACH Grants which would be cut by 7.1 percent.  TEACH grants provide grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching.  To be eligible, you must agree to teach in “a high-need field at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families for at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.”
• Testing.  A recent spade of rebukes against testing has put ED Secretary Duncan on the defense.  In a recent speech, he defended testing vigorously and championed the Common Core curriculum, pushing for more research on assessments.

COURTS:

• EPA and Mining Permits.  The conservative US Court of Appeals for DC Circuit ruled unanimously that the EPA could retroactively revoke a mining permit using authority granted in the Clean Water Act.  As reported in The New York Times, EPA vetoed a permit granted by the Bush Administration that allowed dumping of mining waste into rivers and streams in West Virginia.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS:

• Energy Storage Technologies.  Energy Storage remains a key factor in advancing renewable energy, and this is true for hydropower.  As reported in Roll Call, Senate Energy Committee Chairman Wyden, has embraced the promise of pumped storage, which holds water in a reservoir as a form of energy.
• Common Core Attacks.  Despite a generally enthusiastic call for testing, some Republicans are beginning to question the wisdom of the Common Core State Standards, reports The Washington Post.  For example, Senator Grassley (R-IA) is moving forward with an effort to eliminate federal funding for the Core.  More over, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution strongly rejecting elements of the Core and calling for repeal of some regulations.
• Americans and Climate Change.  As reported in The Washington Post, most Americans do not see climate change as an immediate threat or top priority.  And, Americans are split on the causes of change, with a breakdown based on party affiliation.
• Obama’s Environmental Record.  How good is President Obama’s environmental record?  The Washington Post attempts to sum it up with a list of actions he has taken (ocean management, vehicle emissions), is in the middle of taking (greenhouse gas emissions from plants) and may not do (Keystone XL pipeline).
• Federal Funding of Universities.  Which universities get the most federal R&D money?  Johns Hopkins, with the Applied Physics Lab, leads the pack with $1.88 billion in federal R&D.  Next is University of Washington at Seattle and rounding out the top five are University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh.
• School Reform Realities.  We have head quite a bit about the successful school reforms in three major metropolitan areas: New York, Chicago, and DC.  The success has fueled many foundations and federal policy.  In a critical look at the three cities in a report by A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education finds that “reforms delivered few benefits and in some cases harm the students they purport to help.”
• Humanities PhDs.  Given the difficult market for academic positions in the humanities, most PhDs should consider non-Academic options.  As reported in Inside Higher Ed, the Scholarly Communication Institute at UVA surveyed graduates not pursuing faculty positions and found more needs to be done to bring career expectations in alignment with realistic options and to provide more guidance and training for non-academic careers.
• Hydrofracking and Water.  In a new twist on hyrdofracking complications, Western states are may find significant strains on water resources reports The New York Times. A new report by the group Ceres found “that a significant portion of this activity is happening in water stressed regions of the United States… It concludes that industry efforts underway, such as expanded use of recycled water and non-freshwater resources, need to be scaled up along with better water management planning if shale energy production is to grow as projected.”
• Fusion.  The debate over fusion’s future is long-standing.  Always seen as the energy of the future, just a few decades down the road.  Great progress has been made in recent years.  Bloomberg provides an article on the ups, downs, and future of fusion energy.

IN THE KNOW: EVENTS TO CONSIDER

Upcoming Events (listed by date):

• Wilson Center, The Farmer’s Dilemma: Climate Change, Food Security, and Human Mobility, May 7, 2013
• Brookings, Is there a Better Way to Prepare Disadvantaged Students for College?, May 7, 2013.
• AEI, America’s Natural Gas: Exports, May 7, 2013
• CAP, Honoring our Nation’s Mothers and Children through Investments in Early Childhood Education, May 7, 2013.
• Wilson Center, Backdraft: The Conflict Potential between Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation, May 16, 2013
• ITIF, Is Technology Responsible for American Job Loss? June 13, 2013

THE STARFISH NEBULA AT A GLANCE

Photo By: NASA Hubble Space Telescope

Say hello to HE 2-47 or The Starfish Nebula. It’s a planetary nebula some 6600 light years away in the constellation Carina. Although it got its name for obvious reasons, WHY it looks as it does takes some research.
It turns out that those six distinct lobes surrounding the main body of this dying star appear to be from three previous outgassing events that occurred in three different directions. The reason there are six is because of the classic bipolar pattern of these planetary nebula. Every time the star fired off jets of material into space, it did so in a narrow pair of opposite jets.

NAME?: Henize 2-47, HE 2-47 or The Star Fish Nebula

WHAT IS IT?: Planetary Nebula (dying star).

HOW BIG IS IT?: Barely a quarter of light year.

HOW FAR AWAY IS IT?: About 6600 Light Years.

APPARENT MAGNITUDE?: Extremely dim +17.

WHERE IS IT? (General): Southern Constellation Carina.

WHERE IS IT? (Exact RA/DEC J2000): RA 10h, 23m, 09s / DEC -60d 32’ 43”.

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Photo: http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/nebula/pr2007033b/

ESA Hubble Space Telescope Photo: http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo0733b/

SNR 0519 is over 150 000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Dorado (The Dolphinfish), a constellation that also contains most of our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud, a region of the sky is full of intriguing and beautiful deep sky objects. The Large Magellanic Cloud orbits the Milky Way galaxy as a satellite and is the fourth largest in our group of galaxies.

Image Credit: NASA/ESA

I thought today would be a bit dull after the elections, but thankfully the Daily Mail has rushed to entertain us all with its latest ludicrous attempt to make workless benefit claimants seem to be ‘workshy’.

You can read all about it right here on the iLegal website - it even has a link to the original article. I’m not going to go into it in too much detail because the article really does a much better ‘blood and thunder’ job than I can.

Having said that, when an article is run under the headline What the Left doesn’t want you to know about Britain’s £200 billion welfare bill and then states that benefits are not being cut, even though we know that inflation is rising faster than the uprating given to benefits by Generous Gideon Osborne, meaning that he really is pushing a real-terms cut onto people who cannot stop him… You know it has nothing to do with the facts.

The same website also contains – if you scroll further down – the Fail‘s ‘Workshy Map of Britain’. This is a map showing the number of people claiming ESA who were found ‘fit for work’ according to the bogus DWP/Atos work capability assessment (which, I remind you, is not a medical assessment at all). Bear in mind that, on appeal, more than one-seventh of these findings are overturned. Appeals supported by legal experts have a 90+ per cent chance of being upheld, which indicates that more of these decision are wrong than the statistics suggest.

Priceless. Please read it and spread the word about it.

The Conservative Party’s capacity for deception and (self-) delusion would be hilarious if it weren’t so dangerous.

Faced with the emergence of UKIP as a serious contender and the new third-placed party in British politics, David Cameron pledged – not to change Tory policies into something remotely in touch with what most people want, but to “work really hard to win back” former Conservative voters who have defected.

In policy terms, he’s determined to do more of the same, as we’ll explore later in this article, but the plan is to dribble gibberish into the ears of the Party’s formerly-faithful and hope that they’re stupid enough to believe it.

What’s really worrying is it might work. This is a group including people who stopped supporting the Conservatives because they were disgusted with current welfare policies (Atos/Unum, ESA, WCA, 73 deaths per week on average, by now you should all know the facts), only to vote for a party that describes benefit claimants as “a parasitic underclass of scroungers”.

UKIP’s policies include forced unpaid work for all Housing and Council Tax Benefit claimants (presumably this now applies to people on Council Tax Reduction Schemes, and it will be interesting to see how the 90+ per cent of HB claimants since 2010, who already have jobs, would manage this extra unpaid work commitment), slashing ESA to Jobseekers’ Allowance rates, and cutting childcare support for working parents.

A more rational view of the situation might be that the defectors are people who, disgusted with Conservative policies, invested their vote in the current ‘party of protest’ – UKIP – for one election only, in the hope of effecting real change in the mainstream parties.

Fat chance. The Conservative Party is not a mainstream organisation but a minority-interest party working for the tiny proportion of extremely rich people who are sitting at the top of our society, manipulating the rest of us while taking all our money.

Look at Cameron’s response. He said he understood that people “want us to do even more for hard-working people”. That was the Tory slogan, though, wasn’t it? “For hard-working people”? So no policy change there.

“More to help with the cost of living, more to turn the economy round, more to get immigration down, to sort out the welfare system.” In other words, more of the same.

Note that the cost of living has skyrocketed under the Conservative-led Coalition government. Grocery bills are up by around a fifth, energy bills are up under the privatised profit-driven companies, rents are up because of greedy landlords sucking in all the Landlord Benefit they can get before the benefit cap turns off the tap for them. Need I go on?

If the Conservatives do more to turn the economy around it will crash altogether. They halved infrastructure investment when they came into power, raised VAT, cut benefits and wages, meaning the money supply was cut off; rich people bank the majority of their money and do not spend it, which is why ‘trickle-down’ economics is nonsense. Poorer people, who do spend everything they get, no longer get anything to spend. There is no money going into the system, and there has been no investment in modernising the system to make it work.

The problem with immigration is not that it is too high but that it is uncontrolled. As I wrote yesterday, people in the UK would not travel to live in a foreign country where they didn’t have a job or place to live and couldn’t speak the language, so why should anyone come here under the same conditions? They need to be moving here for a good reason – because they have work here. That’s all the system needs – why provoke a confrontation with Europe when all that’s required is a small tweak?

As for the welfare system, which is the single part of government spending that has suffered the heaviest cuts, affecting the poorest, the most vulnerable, the least able to protect themselves – Conservative policy on welfare is the greatest disgrace in British politics of the 21st century. It has put innocent blood on their hands that they should never be allowed to wash off. Hearing the Conservative Prime Minister who supported these policies say he wants to accelerate them is like hearing that a wolf has been set loose amongst a fold of sheep.

Let’s not forget that Cameron said UKIP’s policies would be “subject to proper scrutiny”. Can we hope that this scrutiny will in fact go into the policies, rather than into efforts to smear particular candidates or councillors, which is where the Tories concentrated their efforts before the election?

So really, when he says “we need to do more”, Cameron means “The plebs are getting uppity so we must punish them”!

Still, it’s good news for some. One of my less-attractive acquaintances wants to find himself a young woman who admits voting Conservative. His attitude is: “If she’ll let David Cameron and Eric Pickles shaft her, then even I might be in with a chance!”

He’s working-class. I don’t think he’s thought it through.

Public sector workers, including at the DWP, will soon face sanctions under Universal Credit unless we take action now

The PCS conference takes place in Brighton later this month. Join a rally urging delegates to support a position of non-cooperation with sanctions against welfare claimants at 12.30pm on 21st May.

We are extremely disappointed that PCS leadership have decided not to allow debate at their conference on two motions which called for the union to move from theoretical to practical unity with claimants in challenging sanctions.

Current welfare policies and reforms represent an unprecedented attack on claimants and on the welfare state itself. Conditionality, workfare and the huge rise in sanctions are driving claimants further into poverty and destitution. At the same time a vicious campaign of hatred driven by the media and political classes has stigmatised those on benefits and poisoned public debate.

Workfare forces claimants to work without wages under the threat of sanctions. Those on workfare are exempted from legislation that protects the rights of people at work and denied access to union membership and representation. Sick and disabled people claiming ESA can now be forced onto workfare. Workfare drives down wages and conditions for all workers and it is in all our interests to end it completely. Between 2009 and 2011 the number of sanctions handed out to claimants tripled to reach over half a million. In January this year 85,000 people were sanctioned, suggesting that the number of sanctions could reach one million this year. People are now having benefits withdrawn for up to three years (including for failure to participate in workfare). As the PCS have said this increase in the number and severity of sanctions is purely a political decision.

As conditionality and sanctions have increased and become more severe so the range of claimants subject to them has been extended. Sick and disabled people found “fit for work” by the hated Work Capability Assessment are now subject to this regime as are single parents with young children. Plans for in-work conditionality will see sanctions applied to part time workers and the self employed. The introduction of Universal Jobmatch and a requirement for claimants to spend 35 hour each week on jobsearch or workfare will inevitably lead to more sanctions and is intended to do so. Plans to make hardship payments a recoverable loan will force those who are sanctioned into debt. Housing benefit is increasingly being suspended where people are sanctioned. This systematic removal of welfare support is causing sharp increases in homelessness and the use of food banks.

Boycott Workfare welcome the fact that the PCS have spoken out against workfare and the huge rise in sanctions. We also understand that the primary role of the PCS is to represent their members including around 84,000 staff in the DWP. It should be obvious that there is a tension here where the PCS are campaigning against policies that their own members are required to implement. But there is also the possibility that the PCS could take concerted action to defend the welfare state in the interests of both claimants and their members. Government policies cannot be implemented without workers to implement them.

At meetings with the PCS we have raised the possibility of action being taken. Sadly the PCS have been dismissive of our suggestions and they have been met with arguments for inaction. PCS leadership have argued that anti-strike laws prevent action being taken in solidarity with claimants. But the interests of claimants and PCS members are intertwined and these policies directly impact on the working conditions of PCS members. Increased aggravation between PCS members and claimants put both at risk. And under Universal Credit many DWP staff will themselves face conditionality and sanctions. The right of workers to withhold their labour is fundamental. Laws which undermine this right do not comply with international obligations and should be challenged. Without those prepared to take risks and challenge injustice we would not have unions or a welfare state.

This is not about blaming those PCS members tasked with implementing unjust policies. We know that the blame lies elsewhere. This is about the role that unions could and should take in building solidarity between workers and claimants and in empowering workers to take action. If the PCS are sincere about campaigning for social security justice then they should refuse to cooperate with the implementation of unjust policies. Words are not enough. Boycott Workfare therefore calls on the PCS to take action to protect welfare provision and to frustrate the imposition of policies designed to undermine it.

Boycott Workfare would like to thank those PCS branches who have signed our pledge and those members who have taken part in our actions. We are grateful to members of the PCS in the Civil Service Rank and File Network who put forward a motion to this year’s PCS conference. We urge all PCS members to call for proper debate and practical action on challenging sanctions and to support the emergency motion calling for non-cooperation with sanctions to be debated as well as the rally on the 21st May.

© Copyright 2013 | Boycott Workfare | All Rights Reserved

Malik’s article was the most-read of the day in the newspaper’s ‘Society’ section. Clearly the unethical actions by the DWP have struck a chord in people – and rightly so. It’s been great to see such a spotlight shone on such a fundamental issue as the way in which the government is cynically manipulating – and nakedly threatening – disadvantaged people.

However, it appears that the government’s behaviour in this instance is not only unethical but also illegal.

The fake ‘test’ was initially launched as a ‘randomised control trial‘ in Loughton, Essex and – according to the government – such a roaring success there that it was rolled out all across Essex and also in Teesside (my home area).

A Cabinet Office blog about the ‘success’ of its trial lists 3 key parts of the experiment. Step 3 is described as follows:

3. Building psychological resilience and wellbeing for those who are still claiming after 8 weeks through ‘expressive writing’ and strengths identification.

The blog goes on:

Following these results, we are about to launch a much bigger trial across all of Essex, alongside even larger trials in the North East.

Note, because it’s very important, that the government is here recognising – repeatedly – that the ‘tests’ form part of a ‘randomised control trial‘. In other words, the test itself is not the point – what is being trialled here is the supposed effect of going through it on the subjects of the trials – the unemployed people being made to participate.

EU ‘informed consent’

This is critical because it essentially forms the government’s admission that it has behaved entirely illegally.

Directive 2001/20/EC of European law defines the ‘informed consent’ that must be expressly given before anyone can participate in any kind of clinical trial. It defines that consent very clearly:

Informed Consent is the decision, which must be written, dated and signed, to take part in a clinical trial, taken freely after being duly informed of its nature, significance, implications and risks and appropriately documented, by any person capable of giving consent or, where the person is not capable of giving consent, by his or her legal representative; if the person concerned is unable to write, oral consent in the presence of at least one witness may be given in exceptional cases, as provided for in national legislation.

As the NHS’ National Research Ethics Service document “Active Informed Consent” notes, this EU directive has been enacted in UK law:

The requirements are set out in Schedule 1 to the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 (S.I.2004:1031) as amended by S.I.2006:1928, S.I.2006:2984 and S.I.2008:941. The Regulations transpose the provisions of the European Clinical Trials Directive (EC2001/20) into UK law.

You may be thinking, ‘So what? These regulations refer to clinical, medicinal trials.’ You’d think so, but you’d be wrong.

As a document on clinical ethics by CORDIS, the EU’s Community Research and Development Information Service, points out:

The principle of “informed and free decision” remains valid for any other kind of research.

Data Protection

Another issue is the handling of data and the obtaining of informed consent on what data is to be gathered and how it is to be handled. The University of Southampton’s Sociology department published a paper addressing this issue. It notes:

In terms of legal frameworks, Article 8 of The Human Rights Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 1998 have relevance to consent in relation to all research (see Montgomery, 2003).The Human Rights Act protects the right to respect for private and family life and thus supports the need for consent to participate in research (Masson, 2004).In relation to the Data Protection Act (DPA), specific issues relating to consent concern the disclosure to researchers of data or information about potential participants, the need to ensure consent to individual’s data except in very specific circumstances, the use to which data is put (i.e., that this should be limited to that for which consent has been sought) and the storage of data (see, Masson, 2004; for a detailed discussion of these issues within a health context see Montgomery, 2003).

Clearly, no consent has been sought from those instructed to complete this test for their participation in the first place, nor for how the data is handled. It is emailed in plain format to a case-handler and clearly stored somewhere for the Behavioural Insight Team’s measurement of the results of the trial and for who knows what other purposes – all without any consent being given, or even sought.

It appears that the case is as ‘open and shut’ as any could be on the data protection aspects of the DWP’s behaviour, and that there’s a strong argument at least that it also breaches EU and UK law on informed consent for participation in trials:

• The Cabinet Office’s own publication states clearly that having jobseekers complete the ‘strengths test’ is a trial to see what effect it would have on employment – the very definition of a trial.
• EU and UK law on ‘informed consent’ states that consent to participate in trials must be given freely and only ”after being duly informed of its nature, significance, implications and risks“. Not only that, but this consent must be given in writing unless the participant is unable to write.
• Data protection law also mandates that consent must be obtained for any collection or use of an individual’s private information.
• Neither the jobseekers in Loughton, nor in the rest of Essex, nor in Teesside, were either asked for or gave consent, written or otherwise, to be ‘guinea pigs’ in this trial.
• At no point was it explained to them that they were participating in a trial, nor were the “nature, significance, implications and risks” of the trial explained to them.
• Not only did they not consent, but they were coerced into participating by the threat of having their benefits removed – the very opposite of any definition of consent.

It seems beyond question – and supported straight from the “horse’s mouth” of the Cabinet Office, although undoubtedly unintentionally – that the DWP and therefore the government have been acting in clear, direct contravention of UK data protection laws and probably UK/EU ‘informed consent’ laws by imposing this trial on unknowing, vulnerable benefit claimants.

In other words, illegally.

This government has behaved like a bunch of crooks since it took office. But now it appears not only to be literally breaking the law, but also boasting about it.

This is a government that appears to have as much contempt for the law as it has for those it considers unworthy, as demonstrated its decision to rush through unprecedented ‘retrospective’ law to avoid having to pay back money it sanctioned unfairly after it lost a landmark ‘workfare’ case – and now by its decision to make unwitting, unwilling ‘lab rats’ of unemployed people.

Anyone whose benefits have been sanctioned – or for that matter who has suffered distress – because of this unlawful and unethical behaviour by the DWP should be seeking immediate legal redress. Oh, except that the government is removing legal aid.

#RT via http://skwalker1964.wordpress.com

The uncertainty and loss of even basic security that this process creates, leading to constant fear and anxiety, is having a damaging, negative impact on the health and well-being of so many.

A significant proportion of those required to have endless assessments have very obviously serious illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure, lung disease, heart disease, severe and life threatening chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, myalgic encephalomyelitis, rheumatoid arthritis, brain tumours, severe heart conditions, and severe mental health illness, for example. To qualify for ESA, the claimant must provide a note from a doctor stating that the person is unfit for work. There can be no justification for subjecting people who are so ill to further endless assessments, and to treating us as if we have done something wrong.

Negative labelling, marginalising and stigmatising the vulnerable via propaganda in the media, using despiteful and malicious terms such as “workshy” and “feckless” is a major part of the Government’s malevolent “justification” to the public for removing the lifeline of support from the sick and disabled. We are climbing Allport’s Ladder. That gives us a clear view of the Nazi realm. I have often suspected that Iain Duncan Smith is channelling the spirit of Goebbels.

In addition to very justified anxieties regarding the marked increase in disability hate crime that the Tory-led propaganda campaign has resulted in, many sick and disabled people have also stated that they feel harassed and bullied by the Department of Work and Pensions and Atos. Many talk of the dread they feel when they see the brown Atos envelope containing the ESA50 form arrive through the letter box. The strain of constantly fighting for ESA entitlement and perpetually having to prove that we are a “deserving” and “genuine” sick and disabled person is clearly taking a toll on so many people’s health and well being. Many families of those who have died have said that the constant strain, anxiety and stress of this revolving door process has contributed significantly to their loved ones’ decline in health and subsequent death. The figures from the DWP, and the marked contrast between the ESA and IB death statistics certainly substantiate these claims.

The unbearably horrific, unforgivable and massive increase in deaths over this period coincides with the Government’s totalitarian styled rapid fire legislation of the Reforms, in the face of protest, horror, disbelief, fear and mass opposition. The Tories cited “financial privilege” to trample over opposition, and drown out the voices of protest. Those protesting and challenging this Bill notably included many from the House of Lords.

David Cameron made a Freudian-style slip when he announced to Ed Miliband recently, during Parliamentary debate, that “We are raising more money for the rich.” Not that we didn’t already know this was so. Many of us – around 73 sick and disabled people every week –  are paying for that wealth increase for the already wealthy with our very lives.

There are many who have so tragically lost their lives because of this malicious Government’s brutal and grossly unjust economic war on the vulnerable, and because of the Tory-led ransacking and plundering of our welfare provision, and social support programs.

We must never forget this Government’s culpability. We must fight. We must succeed in ending this systematic State murder, and we must also ensure that this evil and abhorrent affront to decent and civilised human beings –  this catastrophic and silently unfolding Holocaust by stealth – never happens again.

#RT via http://kittysjones.wordpress.com

© ESA http://www.esa.int/Services/Terms_and_conditions

Scientists estimate the level of space debris orbiting Earth to be around 29 000 objects larger than 10 cm, 670 000 pieces larger than 1 cm and more than 170 million above 1 mm – and any one of these could seriously damage a spacecraft. Space debris, also known as orbital debris, space junk, and space waste, is the collection of defunct objects in orbit around Earth. This includes everything from spent rocket stages, old satellites, fragments from disintegration, erosion, and collisions. Since orbits overlap with new spacecraft, debris may collide with operational spacecraft.

Urgent need to act

There is an urgent need to remove orbiting space debris and to fly satellites in the future without creating new fragments. Future space missions must be sustainable, including safe disposal when they are completed. The current levels mean that we must soon begin removing debris from orbit, with research and development urgently needed for pilot ‘cleaning’ missions.

Global action needed

Space debris is a problem to which all space-faring nations have contributed. The removal of space debris is an environmental problem of global dimensions that must be assessed in an international context, including the UN. Space debris pose a risk to missions of all space-faring nations. Analysts first became aware of an emerging space debris problem in the early 1960s. Since then, the understanding of debris sources, of the resulting debris environment and of the associated risks has significantly improved. Today, the global dimension of the space debris problem is internationally recognised, and space system designers, space operators and policy makers share the common view that active control of the space debris environment will be necessary to sustain safe space flight activities into the future.

Expert consensus on the need to act

The findings from the 6th European Conference on Space Debris were released during the concluding press briefing at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. “There is a wide and strong expert consensus on the pressing need to act now to begin debris removal activities,” according to Heiner Klinkrad, Head of ESA’s Space Debris Office. “Our understanding of the growing space debris problem can be compared with our understanding of the need to address Earth’s changing climate some 20 years ago.”

Benefits of satellite infrastructure

In addition to providing daily benefits to citizens and economies, today’s satellite infrastructure has immense value. The replacement cost for the approximately 1000 active satellites in orbit today is estimated to be around €100 billion. The impact on the overall economy of losing these satellites would be several orders of magnitude higher. Society would be severely damaged. Satellite operators worldwide, including those flying telecom, weather, navigation, broadcast and climate-monitoring missions, are focusing their efforts on controlling space debris. “There is no alternative to protect space as a valuable resource for the critical satellite infrastructure”, according to the participants at the conference.

Role of European Space Agency

Cleaning space above our atmosphere is a strategic goal for ESA. ESA accelerates space debris research and development. The new Clean Space initiative includes maturing technology to approach, capture and deorbit targets – a mission is already under study.  Clean Space will also develop techniques to mitigate the problem, such as passive and active deorbiting devices and the means to ‘passivate’ retiring satellites. ESA’s most prominent debris and meteoroid risk assessment tool is the MASTER (Meteoroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference) model covering all debris and meteoroid sizes larger than 1 micrometre, and predictions of the space debris environment until 2050.

European Parliament:

The European parliament in its resolution  of 19 January 2012 on a space strategy for the European Union that benefits its citizens stated that it “ considers that the creation of a European Space Situational Awareness system would help protect critical European space infrastructure against the risks of collisions between spacecraft or with space debris or near-Earth objects, plus the risks associated with space meteorology…”

Further reading:

Watch media briefing: Findings of the 6th European Conference on Space Debris, 25 April 2013, ESA/ESOC

Global experts agree action needed on space debris

ESA  ”Space Debris Mitigation Handbook.”: comprehensive document provides an overview of all major space debris research disciplines, with a large number of tables and charts to characterise the space debris environment, to determine related risks, and to outline effective protection and mitigation measures.

Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC)

Report of the International Interdisciplinary Congress on Space Debris: “Towards Long-term Sustainability of Space Activities: Overcoming the Challenges of Space Debris” (2011)

Requirements on Space Debris Mitigation for ESA projects

NASA Orbital Debris Program Office

Space Debris Illustrated: The Problem in Pictures

EC DG Enterorise: Space debris poses a risk to our space infrastructure and to the space services we rely on in our daily lives and to our safety on earth

Video on space debris: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=6063

Iain Duncan Smith demonstrates the size of the Department for Work and Pensions’ latest exaggeration of the truth. He seems to think it’s comparatively small!

Here’s a fascinating letter to Jay Danielle Waller from her MP, which she posted to the Facebook page of The People Vs The Government, DWP and Atos, describing it as “full of rhetoric and LIES”.

Let’s go through it together and pick out some of the choicer morsels.

“Thank you for your email. To be frank with you with regards to your first point, I am afraid I will not be demanding a vote of no confidence against the Coalition government. The reforms that are being implemented are absolutely necessary and absolutely right given the utterly disastrous legacy we inherited from the last government.

“Our reform of welfare is not just about cost-cutting (although our annual welfare bill does amount to over £160 billion a year) [£159 billion, in fact, of which 46 per cent is the State Pension - £73.14bn. Meanwhile, just three per cent - £4.77bn - goes on Jobseekers Allowance] but we are restoring confidence to a system which caused many thousands of people to be better off by sitting at home and claiming benefits rather than encouraging them to get up and going to work – this is simply not right [The problem isn't that people are claiming benefits - it's that there aren't any jobs. A survey by Unison found there are four jobseekers for every vacancy in the UK. More than 1,700 people applied for eight jobs at Costa Coffee in Nottingham]. And it is for that reason why we have implemented an annual benefits cap of £26,000; gone are the days when families can claim up to £100,000 a year in Housing Benefit alone! [Ah, but how many families were ever able to claim such a huge amount? I'll give you a clue: five. Last year, only 30 families in the UK were claiming more than £50,000. Housing benefit totals 14 per cent of the welfare budget - £22.26bn - and 90+ per cent of claims since the Coalition came to office have been made by working people, with an extra 10,000 claims made every month, last time I checked] I hope you appreciate that these reforms are tackling a something-for-nothing dependency culture which flourished during the years of the last government. [The MP provides no evidence to substantiate this claim]

“Your point about ATOS is an interesting one. Whilst I understand that some mistakes are reported and it is only right that they are rectified, [according to a debate last year, 38 per cent of decisions are appealed, and 38 per cent of those appeals are upheld - costing £26.3 million in judicial costs at last check] the actual process is something I support. It is also only right that recipients are required to demonstrate they should still receive payment and not to do so would undermine public confidence in the welfare system as a whole. The current Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) which ATOS administer were actually designed and developed in 2008 to be implemented in June 2010. These assessments have received universal support from all three major parties. [Shame on you, Labour! SHAME!] Another interesting note is that since ATOS began testing current Employment Support Allowance (ESA) recipients, almost 900,000 voluntarily refused to take the test and have since had their payments stopped. This raises a pretty important question: how come these 900,000 were in receipt of the benefit in the first place? [They weren't - this is probably the most despicable part of the letter. The figure he quotes is the 'natural wastage' figure of people who claimed, in accordance with the law, and then either got better, got a job they could do despite their illness or disability, or died - therefore they stopped claiming the benefit before taking the test. It is also worth noting the high number of people who are kept in pre-assessment limbo by the DWP and Atos - the longer they are left with no award, the more likely they are to stop their claim] According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) many [how many?] were claiming for ailments such as acne and a rather ambiguous ‘bad back’.

“Your final point about the NHS is one which I have heard many times before. There are numerous myths and falsities surrounding our reforms which need to be corrected. Firstly, NHS spending is increasing in real-terms in each year of this Parliament. [A lie. Andrew Dilnot, head of the UK Statistics Authority, has demonstrated a real-terms cut in NHS spending since the Coalition government took over] Indeed, the former Labour Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, famously called any real-terms increase in spending “irresponsible.” [He said he would protect levels of spending] Secondly, we’ve also seen 6,000 new doctors and 7,000 less managers since May 2010, lowest waiting times in history and almost the total abolition of mixed-gender wards. This is opposite to the Labour-run health service in Wales where there have been deep cuts in health spending [They love talking about Wales, where the Labour-run administration must make the best decisions possible on how to spend the rapidly-decreasing allowance it receives from the Coalition-run Westminster government - a real-terms funding cut of £2.1 billion. In Wales, there has been no reduction in frontline staff, especially nurses, unlike in England].

“I’m afraid for the reasons stated above I am unable to accept your sentiments or your request that I demand a vote of no confidence against the government. While my reply may not satisfy all of your concerns, I sincerely hope I have at least explained my reasoning.

“Thank you once again for getting in touch. It’s always interesting to hear my constituents’ issues and concerns. If I can be of any more assistance with this or any other matter – local or national – please do not hesistate to get in contact again.”

That was fun, wasn’t it? It shows the level of deception the Coalition government is trying to foist upon us – a level also highlighted in a New Statesman article, ‘Lies, Damn Lies, and Department for Work and Pensions Statistics’.

This gorgeous piece starts by quoting The Economist (!), which has described the DWP’s statistical output as “raw sewage”. I urge you to read the rest for yourself.

Now, fellow blogger Jayne Linney, together with Debbie Sayers, has launched a petition on the Change.org website, demanding that Iain Duncan Smith be made to account for his – and his department’s – questionable use of statistics.

“As two disabled people affected by the benefit changes, we’re fed up with the spin,” they wrote in a joint statement. “That’s why we’ve started a petition on Change.org calling for Iain Duncan Smith to be held accountable for his use of statistics which, according to reports, is in question. Click here to sign.

“Iain Duncan Smith needs to realise that what he says affects people. We live everyday with the reality of the benefit changes and it’s awful to keep hearing people like us portrayed as scroungers. Worse, it’s not the only the only misleading thing that Iain Duncan Smith has said. He was recently criticised by the former Chief Economist at his own department for spreading misinformation about the impact of welfare changes.”

The petition can be found here.

I strongly recommend that you visit the site, sign it, and hold this pathological liar – and his department of pathological liars – to account.

Reblogged from kittysjones:

Today is blogging against disableism day, this time last year I did a piece about how the media had whole heartedly embraced the scrounger  rhetoric condemning thousands of us to derision and hate from the general public.

Has much changed in that time?

Yes and No…

We still have a constant barrage of offensive and inaccurate reporting, that would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. We still appear to be at logger heads with our current government with regards to benefit reform, and those on welfare in general…Here’ just a Couple of examples… The Sun, The Daily Mail,

But, there have been some subtle changes, changes that have been hard-won… We are seeing more articles, about how the welfare reforms are not well thought out, more articles that question the statistics that are coming out of the DWP, articles that wholly disagree with some of the changes that have been introduced since April such as the Bedroom Tax, Universal Credit, and PIP… some even questioning whether the changes are even possible… here are some more examples… The Guardian, The Independent, The Huffington Post

So the bias has subtly shifted but still is a long way from the kind of treatment any minority would expect in the twenty-first century.

This year I’ve become  aware of another form of disableism, least I think of it as disableism…

I keep having the same conversation with people… People who think disability campaigning is about politics… Which seems to be something the disabled should not be involved in… least not vocally… According to a few… Now I don’t deny that there is an element of working in the political arena that goes with disability campaigning, but the reason we do it, is not because of politics as such.

Disability campaigners have really one goal in mind, we want to see a society that is inclusive, we want to see a society that doesn’t marginalised, exclude or make us sicker by its very existence…  after decades of disability movements and some extraordinary campaigners, we still have people who think that lobbying an MP to improve a service, or try to get Ministers to tell the truth is about policies is politics… it isn’t…

It’s always about identifying areas that continue to need improvement,and fighting for that improvement… weather its Social Care or Benefits… and regardless of which political party happens to be in office.

If the transport system for example needs improvement, as disabled people how do we go about getting those improvements? We can lobby the companies to get them to one at a time change their policy or we can campaign via our MPs, we can petition or lobby the government to get the law changed so that all the travel company’s have an obligation in law to put changes in place to improve things…

Several times in recent weeks I have lost FB group members and friends because i refuse to be a good disabled person and sit quietly on the side lines and let someone else decide how the welfare system can help me, how social services can help me and how society will consider me…

Many think its wrong to stand up and say this is not right, we need you to include us in the process, you need to understand that We as disabled people want to be involved, to have a say, about how we challenge society, to finally get politicians and the public to grab the bull by the horns and accept us fully, as real meaningful members of society…

Being political is different to party politics. Whether we like it or not politics is everywhere, and if we want the right to be free to live how we choose, we have the responsibility to do something about it. It is time to move away from, “As long as Im ok then its someone else’s problem”… To one that says, “Are We ok as a society?”

Some people may choose to bury their heads and claim that “I’m too sick for this” or “I’m too disabled, and I have my own battles”.  But the only way to get what you need is to ask for it… the old ‘ those who ask dont get’ mentality will not help us in this fight, we need to not only ask, but to demand that equality becomes a reality… Before any more back peddling on our rites can happen. As the well-known disability rally cry states…

‘Nothing About Us With Out Us’

So Say We All… Dxxx

]]> http://bipolarjournals.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/omg-he-used-the-word-crazy-and-by-the-way-esa/ Wed, 01 May 2013 02:25:41 +0000 Bipolar Journalist http://bipolarjournals.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/omg-he-used-the-word-crazy-and-by-the-way-esa/ My latest update: the Condo Board meeting was sane and actually cooperative. I guess my fears were alleviated when I left the meeting. Although I can’t say it went off without a hitch. One of the topics discussed was about emotional support animals in our building. You see, there are (believe it or not) “pet-free” mandated buildings in Florida which do not allow dogs or cats. Our building is one of them. I broke the mold when my psychiatrist told me I could have a dog in the building due to my mental disability. My approval was not without an agonizing approval process by the then sitting Board members, but I did set a precedent in the building.

Since then, two others have used the process to obtain permission to have a dog. I needed a roommate more than a dog, so sadly I had to give mine up. With my meds I was unable to get up at the odd times for a potty break, and even unable to take walks with my panic attacks. But these two men are doing well. Now the Board wanted feedback on approving house cats for the building, which of course led into the ESA debate. I highly recommend a pet, but honestly I can say a roommate or other support person living with you is even better. But what shocked me is that one of the Board members Rick, said, “Now all the people who turn crazy are gonna want in on the pet thing.” OMG. He used that word. Crazy.

Let me clarify some ideas. I think I may be considered crazy. But despite that term, I am managing not to cause harm to myself (anymore). I prefer the word bipolar, but some raise their eyebrows even to that term. I cannot even bear to tell my parents I am bipolar for fear that they will think…I am crazy. And yes, that feeling makes me CRAZY.

My point is that if you have a need for an emotional support animal I would say GET ONE. They are a big help to those who may be suffering in silence. The process is simple: have your Pdoc type a letter like the one below:

Sample letter for Companion Animal

DATE

NAME OF PROFESSIONAL (therapist, physician, psychiatrist, rehabilitation counselor)

ADDRESS

Dear [HOUSING AUTHROITY/LANDLORD]:

[NAME OF TENANT] is my patient, and has been under my care since [DATE].  I am intimately familiar with his/her history and with the functional limitations imposed by his/her disability.  He/She meets the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Due to mental illness, [FIRST NAME] has certain limitations regarding [SOCIAL INTERACTION/COPING WITH STRESS/ANXIETY, ETC].  In order to help alleviate these difficulties, and to enhance his/her ability to live independently and to fully use and enjoy the dwelling unit you own and/or administer, I am prescribing an emotional support animal that will assist [FIRST NAME] in coping with his/her disability.

I am familiar with the voluminous professional literature concerning the therapeutic benefits of assistance animals for people with disabilities such as that experienced by [FIRST NAME].  Upon request, I will share citations to relevant studies, and would be happy to answer other questions you may have concerning my recommendation that [FULL NAME OF TENANT] have an emotional support animal.  Should you have additional question, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Signature

[NAME OF PROFESSIONAL]

By the way, you can cut and paste this letter. Exercise your rights. If you’re gonna be crazy, try being crazy over a loving dog. I can’t say I wasn’t offended by the term. I guess then my desire to kick him in the b—- might make me seem more sane. I mean, isn’t that what normal people do? All the crap on television happening and we are crazy. Hmm.

ہرشل دوربین کا ایک منظر۔ تصویر بشکریہ۔ یورپی خلائی ایجنسی

پیرس: ستاروں، کہکشاؤں اور خلا میں دو دراز مقامات کی تصاویر لینے اور تحقیق کرنے کے بعد یورپ کی تیار کردہ جدید ترین ہرشل دوربین اب مزید کام نہیں کرسکے گی۔ پیر کے روز یورپی خلائی ایجنسی نے اس بات کا اعلان کیا کہ ہرشل اب مزید مؤثر نہیں رہی۔

‘ ہرشل نے تقریباً 35,000 سائنسی مشاہدات کئے، 600 مختلف پروگراموں کے لئے 25,000 گھنٹوں کے برابر سائنسی ڈیٹا زمین تک بھیجا۔ یہ آرکائیو اس ( ٹیلسکوپ مشن) کی میراث ہے جو اس کی زندگی میں حاصل ہونے والی دریافتوں سے کہیں ذیادہ ہے۔’

مئی 2009 کو ہرشل دوربین کو خلا میں بھیجا گیا تھا ۔ اس میں 2,300 لیٹر مائع ہیلیئم تھا جس سے دوربین کو ٹھنڈا رکھنا تھا۔ یہ ہیلیئم رفتہ رفتہ بخارات میں تبدیل ہوتا گیا۔

ماہرین کے مطابق ہرشل اب تک بنائی جانے والی سب سے بڑی اور طاقتور دوربین تھی جس کے کام کرنے کا وقفہ صرف ساڑھے تین سال تھا۔

سائنسدانوں نے اس سیٹلائٹ دوربین کے آلات کو مطلق صفر (absolute zero) یعنی منفی ( مائنس) 273.15  ڈگری سینٹی گریڈ  پر ٹھنڈا رکھنے کیلئے ہیلیئم گیس کا استعمال کیا تھا تاکہ وہ درست انداز میں کام کرسکے۔

ناسا کی جانب سے ہرشل دوربین کے زریعے لی گئی اینڈرومیڈا گیلکسی کی ایک شاندار تصویر جس میں ستارے بننے کا عمل بہت واضح طور پر دیکھا جاسکتا ہے۔ تصویر بشکریہ ، ناسا، ای ایس اے اور رائٹرز

ہرشل دوربین کی اونچائی ساڑھے سات میٹر اور چوڑائی چار میٹر ہے اور اس کا وزن تقریباً ساڑھے تین ٹن ہے۔

ایک ارب یورو سے زائد رقم خرچ کرکے تیار کی جانے والی اس دوربین کا نام جرمنی میں پیدا ہونے والے ماہرِ فلکیات ، سر ولیم ہرشل کے نام پر رکھا گیا ہے جنہوں نے 1781 میں سیارہ یورینس دریافت کیا تھا اور 1800 میں انفرا ریڈ ریڈی ایشن دریافت کی تھی ۔

ہرشل دوربین پر تین کیمرے اور کئی سپیکٹرومیٹرز نصب ہیں اس کا مرکزی آئینہ ( مرر) اب تک بنائی جانے والی کسی بھی دوربین کا طاقتور ترین آئینہ ہے جو کسی بھی انفرا ریڈ خلائی دوربین سے بیس گنا زیادہ روشنی سمیٹنے کی صلاحیت رکھتا ہے۔

ہرشل دوربین کے زریعے کائنات کی انفرا ریڈ تصویر سے ایسی کہکہشائیں بھی دیکھنے میں مدد ملی جو اس سے قبل کائناتی گرد و غبار اور بادلوں کی وجہ سے ہماری آنکھ سے اوجھل تھیں۔

دوہزار گیارہ میں ہرشل نے خلا میں آکسیجن مالیکیول کی دریافت کیا تھا اور اس کا ثبوت بھی پیش کیا تھا۔

‘ہرشل دوربین کے ذریعے کائنات کے خفیہ گوشوں پر نظر ڈالی گئی۔ اس کے ذریعے ستاروں کی پیدائش اور کہکشاؤں کے بننے کے عمل کا جائزہ لیا گیا اور اس کے ذریعے نئے بننے والے ستاروں اور ان کے اطراف بننے وای ڈسکس میں پانی کے مالیکیولز کا بھی پتا لگایا گیا،’ یورپی خلائی ایجنسی کے ماہر گوران پلبراٹ نے کہا۔

 ہرشل دوربین سورج اور زمین کے درمیان ایک خاص مدار میں گردش کرتی رہی تاکہ وہاں سے کائنات کا انفرا ریڈ نظارہ کرسکے۔

NASAtelevision

Published on Apr 30, 2013

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NASA U.S. astronaut Karen Nyberg (L), Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin (C) and European Space Agency (ESA) Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano (R) j(Photo credit:  YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images)

ESA’s Herschel space observatory has exhausted its supply of liquid helium coolant, ending more than three years of pioneering observations of the cool Universe.

The event was not unexpected: the mission began with over 2300 litres of liquid helium, which has been slowly evaporating since the final top-up the day before Herschel’s launch on 14 May 2009.

The liquid helium was essential to cool the observatory’s instruments to close to absolute zero, allowing Herschel to make highly sensitive observations of the cold Universe until today.

The confirmation that the helium is finally exhausted came this afternoon at the beginning of the spacecraft’s daily communication session with its ground station in Western Australia, with a clear rise in temperatures measured in all of Herschel’s instruments.

“Herschel has exceeded all expectations, providing us with an incredible treasure trove of data that that will keep astronomers busy for many years to come,” says Prof. Alvaro Giménez Cañete, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration.

Ariane 5 lift off

Herschel has made over 35 000 scientific observations, amassing more than 25 000 hours’ worth of science data from about 600 observing programmes. A further 2000 hours of calibration observations also contribute to the rich dataset, which is based at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre, near Madrid in Spain.

The archive will become the legacy of the mission. It is expected to provide even more discoveries than have been made during the lifetime of the Herschel mission.

“Herschel’s ground-breaking scientific haul is in no little part down to the excellent work done by European industry, institutions and academia in developing, building and operating the observatory and its instruments,” says Thomas Passvogel, ESA’s Herschel Programme Manager.

“Herschel has offered us a new view of the hitherto hidden Universe, pointing us to a previously unseen process of star birth and galaxy formation, and allowing us to trace water through the Universe from molecular clouds to newborn stars and their planet-forming discs and belts of comets,” says Göran Pilbratt, ESA’s Herschel Project Scientist.

Dense filaments of gas in IC5146

Herschel’s stunning images of intricate networks of dust and gas filaments within our Milky Way Galaxy provide an illustrated history of star formation. These unique far-infrared observations have given astronomers a new insight into how turbulence stirs up gas in the interstellar medium, giving rise to a filamentary, web-like structure within cold molecular clouds.

If conditions are right, gravity then takes over and fragments the filaments into compact cores. Deeply embedded inside these cores are protostars, the seeds of new stars that have gently heated their surrounding dust to just a few degrees above absolute zero, revealing their locations to Herschel’s heat-sensitive eyes.

Published by ESA on 29 April 2013.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Herschel/Herschel_closes_its_eyes_on_the_Universe

Although Herschel won’t be making any new discoveries, scientists are still analyzing data and photos collected by the observatory. Herschel has helped scientists understand the formation of many new stars and planets. Herschel’s discoveries will be followed by many more space observatories to come.

Original article: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/herschel/news/herschel20130429.html

Here are two examples of photos taken by Herschel’s special instruments:

credit: ESA/Herschel/PACS & SPIRE Consortium, O. Krause, HSC, H. Linz

credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/IRAM

Iconic image of ESA’s Herschel space observatory set against a background of stellar nursery W40, 1000 light-years away in the constellation Aquila. Image credit: ESA and SPIRE & PACS consortia, Ph. André (CEA Saclay) for Gould’s Belt Key Programme Consortia

ESA’s Herschel space observatory has as planned exhausted  its supply of liquid helium coolant forcing its optics offline. In effect, Herschel has gone blind which ends over three years of pioneering observations of the cool Universe.  Herschel was Launched in May 2009 and, with a primary mirror 3.5 m across, is/was the largest, most powerful infrared telescope flown in space.

Herschel observed near-infrared and sub-millimeter wavelengths that are abundant inside star-forming nebulae and young galaxies.  Running out of coolant has declared the mission officially over.  In order to be sensitive to the extreme wavelengths Herschel  needed to be cooled to near-absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius or -459 F).

The space telescope was the most advanced of its kind making groundbreaking discoveries of the nature of our universe.  Although Herschel has died, other observatories are geared to observe in the sane wavelengths.  In Chile the ground-based ALMA array is now online and is able to access sub-millimeter wavelengths with the 747-mounted SOFIA telescope accessing near-infrared wavelengths.

So in three years how much data did Herschel collect.  “Herschel has exceeded all expectations, providing us with an incredible treasure trove of data that will keep astronomers busy for many years to come,” says Prof. Alvaro Giménez, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration.

The figures are impressive.  Herschel has made over 35000 scientific observations, gathering more than 25000 hours of data from about 600 observing programmes with a further 2000 hours of calibration observations also contributing to the dataset.

“Although this is the end of Herschel observing, it is certainly not the end of the mission – there are plenty more discoveries to come,” says Dr Pilbratt.

“We will now concentrate on making our data accessible in the form of the best possible maps, spectra and various catalogues to support the work of present and future astronomers. Nevertheless we’re sad to see the end of this phase: thank you, Herschel!”

The thumbnail images below show just a snippet of views from Herschel over the last three years.  Make sure you visit the official ESA Space in Images page and search for Herschel for more ‘cool’ images.

Cool Andromeda

Horsehead Nebula

The young star Fomalhaut

Cygnus-X star-formation region

All images copyrighted to ESA/Herschel, PAC and SPIRE

The image of Andromeda (M31) is awesome, it uses both the PACS (Photodetecting Array Camera and Spectrometer) and SPIRE (Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver) instruments to observe at infrared wavelengths of 70 um (blue), 100 um (green) and 160 um and 250 um combined (red).

Herschel will continue communicating with its ground stations now that the helium is exhausted, during which a range of technical tests will be performed.

Finally, in May, it will be propelled into its long-term stable parking orbit around the Sun.

Source: ESA

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