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Solar & Wind Reach a Big Renewables Turning Point : BNEF. Wind power is now the cheapest electricity to produce in both Germany and the U.K., even without government subsidies, according to a new analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). It's the first time that threshold has been crossed by a G7 economy. But that's less interesting than what just happened in the U.S.

To appreciate what's going on there, you need to understand the capacity factor. That's the percentage of a power plant's maximum potential that's actually achieved over time. Consider a solar project. The sun doesn't shine at night and, even during the day, varies in brightness with the weather and the seasons.

One of the major strengths of fossil fuel power plants is that they can command very high and predictable capacity factors. For the first time, widespread adoption of renewables is effectively lowering the capacity factor for fossil fuels. It’s a self-reinforcing cycle. The virtuous cycle has begun. There are two reasons this shift in capacity factors is important. 14 10 17 Fast Track To Growth. From ( Later Life UK factsheet. International Longevity Centre - UK. Public transport fails the oldest and most vulnerable | Latest news. Elderly design. Some lessons learned include: Students evaluated a broad range of products and environments, including Laundromats, grocery stores, subways, malls, movie theaters, bus terminals and other environments.

Many students became enthusiastic over the projects. Repeatedly they told me that it permanently changed their understanding of design implications for this particularly vulnerable group of users. Invariably there were surprising and insightful discoveries. It was of course necessary to remind the class that they were not truly walking in the shoes of elders. Rani Lueder, MSIE, CPE is President of Humanics Ergonomics Inc. an ergonomics consulting firm in Austin, Texas she established in 1982.

My thanks to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and my talented students for providing me with the opportunity to learn from them. Center for Universal Design (1997). V. A.L. Beverley Norris, Neil Hopkinson, Richard Cobb, and John R. Beverley Norris, Neil Hopkinson, Richard Cobb, and John R. 2015 Curitiba, Brasil | World Capital Institute. Curitiba, Brasil. Nominated as a Knowledge City-Region. Curitiba is located in the wealthier southern part of Brazil.

It is the capital of the predominantly agricultural state of Paraná and has a population of 1,760 500 (2010) Curitiba is situated near the coastal mountain ridge at 900 metres above sea-level and developed rapidly as a city in the latter half of the nineteenth century with the arrival of many immigrants from Europe.

It continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil with its population increasing from 500,000 to 1,600,000 in the last thirty years. The city has been transformed into an important industrial and commercial centre with a large and healthy industrial sector. Future cities active travel. 2010 to 2015 government policy: local transport. Issue 55% of car journeys are under 5 miles - many of these trips could be walked, or made by bike or public transport. Making these ways of travel more attractive encourages people to leave the car at home.

This reduces their carbon footprint and helps the UK reach its climate change goals. Actions Funding The government gives funding to local transport authorities in England to help them develop their local transport services. Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme To help local authorities plan and manage the road networks, the government has set up the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme. Buses To make bus services more punctual, inter-connected, green and accessible we are: encouraging more people to use buses in busy urban areas through the Better Bus Areas fund improving the system of local bus subsidy and regulation in England helping local authorities invest in low carbon buses through the Green Bus fund providing free travel for older and disabled people Cycling Background. How Vehicle Emissions Affect Us. Vehicle emissions contribute to the formation of smog. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in vehicle emissions can react to form ground level ozone and other secondary pollutants during the spring and summer months.

During the winter months, vehicle emissions can be trapped near the ground by temperature inversions. This can lead to high levels of primary pollutants including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM2.5). Extensive studies link smog to a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms and illnesses. A number of studies have shown that pollutant exposures near major roadways are greater than for other areas in cities. The following list outlines some of the health effects associated with common pollutants that vehicle emit: Nitrogen oxides (NOx) Nitrogen oxides can irritate airways, especially your lungs. Carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide decreases the ability of your blood to carry oxygen. Fine particulate matter. Car parking. Revealed: Britain's most overcrowded train lines.

Martin Abrams, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "These figures show that overcrowding is becoming unbearable for rail users across the UK. "Many of the country's main stations are struggling to keep pace with growing demand for rail travel at peak times and almost a quarter of passengers are now forced to stand on the busiest commuter routes. "People will be asking why the quality of their service and passenger experience is declining when fares have increased so steeply over the last 5 years.

" • Find cheapest rail fares yourself, passengers told • Station staff in London suburbs 'fail to offer cheapest fares' Claire Perry, the rail minister, said more was being done to ease the strain on the rail network. She pledged more than 3,700 extra carriages across the UK by the end of 2019. How the data was collected To ascertain the crowding levels in trains, the Department for Transport took statistics from counts carried out in autumn 2014 by train operators. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Census reveals details of how we travel to work in England and Wales. Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center. Daily Travel Information Less than 2 milesAccording to a national travel survey, about 40 percent of trips are shorter than two miles—about a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bike ride.

One in 12 U.S. households does not own an automobile (2009 National Household Travel Survey). Approximately 13 percent of persons 15 or older do not drive (2009 NHTS). There are 127 million walking trips and nine million bike trips in the U.S. every day (2009 NHTS). Bicycling Click here to jump to walking statistics How many people walk or ride bikes? According to the 2012 National Survey of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Attitudes and Behaviors, 18 percent of the population age 16 or older, rode a bicycle at least once during the summer of 2012. The 2009 National Household Travel Survey estimates that 11.9 percent of all trips in this country are done by walking or bicycling, up from 9.5 percent in 2001. Why are the people bicycling? Who is bicycling? London residents cycling to work doubles in 10 years.

CTC Cycling Statistics. How many people cycle? How often? Who? Why? Where? ... Do you need facts and figures about cycling? Note: we use government sources for most of our figures, and quote them in brackets (the number refers to the table in the relevant publication). Unless otherwise stated, the figures below relate to Great Britain (for useful sources specific to Scotland or Wales, see note on the National Travel Survey). 1. The National Travel Survey 2014 (NTS 0313) suggests that: About 8% of the population aged five+ cycles three or more times a week (equating to around 5.1 million people in Great Britain). Otherwise, of over-fives, about: 7% cycle once or twice a week;5% cycle less than once a week, but more than once or twice a month;6% cycle once or twice a month (although the Active People Survey, based on a much larger sample of the population, found that around 15% of people in England cycled at least once a month (APS CW 0101));6% cycle less than once a month, but more than once or twice a year. 2. 3.

No increase in commuters cycling: data breakdown | News. The proportion of people cycling to work across England and Wales has remained unchanged over a decade, according to official Census analysis. 741,000 working people aged 16 to 74 cycled to work in 2011, an increase of 90,000 on 2001 - however, as a proportion of working residents, the share cycling to work was unchanged at 2.8%, analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows. Peter Walker writes today: There have been numerous predictions that a significant proportion of Britons would soon cycle to work, notably after the success of GB cyclists at the 2008 Olympics.

However, the ONS analysis appears to bear out the complaint of cycling campaigners that while more people cycle for sport or leisure, cycling remains a niche means of everyday transport, largely because of poor infrastructure on the roads. The release also highlights some cities which saw significant increases in the number of people cycling to work since 2001. Download the data More open data. Skateboarding Safety-OrthoInfo. Copyright 2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Skateboarding Safety Skateboarding is a popular recreational activity among children and teenagers — especially boys. In recent years, skateboarding spin-offs, such as longboarding and mountain boarding, have become increasingly common. Although it is a fun activity, skateboarding carries with it a serious risk for injury. In 2011, skateboard-related injuries accounted for more than 78,000 emergency room visits among children and adolescents (19 years old or younger).

There are many things that parents and children can do to help prevent skateboarding injuries, such as carefully selecting safe places to ride, and wearing protective gear, especially helmets. On average, about 52% of skateboard injuries involve children under age 15. Many injuries happen when a child loses balance, falls off the skateboard and lands on an outstretched arm. Skateboarding is a special risk for young children because they have: Helmet Safety. Skateboarding Safety - RoSPA. Also available to download: Skateboarding Safety Introduction It should be appreciated that skateboarding is an exciting sport and that accidents will occasionally occur. RoSPA will normally Risk Assess all skate parks as being high risk.

That does not mean that we do not approve of them, just that we recognise that accidents are going to occur. Accidents Whilst acknowledging that in putting in a skateboard facility you are going to have accidents occurring, it should also be recognised that the number and severity of accidents that will occur to participants in wheeled sports in the area will be much higher if such a facility is not provided. To put things into perspective, there were 35,788 skateboard injuries in 1996 and 156,681 football (soccer) related injuries (again in the USA). Sprains, fractures, contusions and abrasions are the most common form of injury. 74% of injuries were to the extremities. Most statistics courtesy of US Consumer Products Safety Commission Reducing Accidents. • Participants in skateboarding U.S. 2006-2014. This statistic shows the number of participants in skateboarding in the United States from 2006 to 2014. In 2012, there were approximately 6.63 million participants in skateboarding in the U.S., up from 5.83 million the previous year.

Skateboarding - additional information The number of participants in skateboarding in the United States decreased by around 3.5 million participants between 2006 and 2014. In 2006, more than 10 million Americans participated in the sport, but, by 2014, this figure had fallen to just 6.58 million, dropping as low as 5.83 million in 2011. Skateboarding is an action sport that people may participate in as a hobby, a job or even as a means of transport. In 2014, Chula Vista in California had the largest number of skateboard parks in relation to its population with 3.1 per hundred thousand residents. Show more. • X Games attendance 1995-2015. • Childrens' roller skating participation in England 2010-2014 | Survey.