Turkey refuses to host U.S. anti-ISIS forces

The decision echoes the country’s refusal to allow the U.S. to station 60,000 troops in Turkey in 2003 to invade Iraq from the north. (Shutterstock)

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http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/11/Turkey-refuses-U-S-permission-for-combat-missions-against-ISIS-.html

AFP, Ankara
Thursday, 11 September 2014

Turkey will refuse to allow a U.S.-led coalition to attack jihadists in neighboring Iraq and Syria from its air bases, nor will it take part in combat operations against militants, a government official told AFP Thursday.

“Turkey will not be involved in any armed operation but will entirely concentrate on humanitarian operations,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The decision echoes the country’s refusal to allow the U.S. to station 60,000 troops in Turkey in 2003 to invade Iraq from the north, which triggered a crisis between the two allies.

Read also: U.S. allies in muddy campaign against ISIS

Ankara then also refused Washington permission to use its air bases to attack Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Turkey has come under fire by some critics for indirectly encouraging the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) because of its support of Islamist opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its loose control of its borders.

But Ankara vehemently denies its strategy has backfired.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was to hold talks in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to drum up support from 10 key Arab nations and Turkey, after President Barack Obama announced Washington’s new strategy against Islamic State jihadists, which will include air strikes in Syria.

Lightning advance

After a lightning advance, ISIS militants now control swathes of Iraq and much of northern Syria along the Turkish border.

Turkey now sees itself a victim of ISIS with Islamist militants holding 49 Turks hostage, including diplomats and children, abducted from the Turkish consulate in Mosul in Iraq on June 11.

Ankara is therefore reluctant to take a stronger role in the coalition against ISIS militants in apparent fear of aggravating the hostage situation.

“Our hands and arms are tied because of the hostages,” the official told AFP.

Turkey can open Incirlik Air Base in the south for logistical and humanitarian operations in any U.S.-led operation, according to the official who stressed that the base would not be used for lethal air strikes.

“Turkey will not take part in any combat mission, nor supply weapons,” he said.

Turkey is the only Muslim country in a coalition of 10 countries who agreed to fight ISIS at the NATO summit in Newport.

Kerry is due to stop over in Turkey on Friday according to the official, although the U.S. embassy in Ankara declined to confirm the visit that comes as part of a regional tour.

Last Update: Thursday, 11 September 2014 KSA 20:56 - GMT 17:56

T.O. council hears complaints of noise Ventura County Star mcDonald's Ave Los Arboles

T.O. council hears complaints of noise

Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 11, 2014

Readability: >12 grade level (Lexile: 1370L)
Author: Rachel McGrath Special to The Star

For more than three hours this week, Thousand Oaks City Council members heard testimony about noise and disturbance issues reportedly plaguing residents living near the Oakbrook Plaza shopping center.

Specifically, residents spoke about a McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru in the neighborhood.

Frank Millar, who lives on Shady Brook Drive, had appealed a Thousand Oaks Planning Commission decision to allow Simi Valley resident Debbie Voss, the franchisee operating the McDonald’s at 1908 E. Avenida de Los Arboles, to continue to operate extended drive-thru hours.

At Tuesday night’s public hearing at City Hall, city staff members recommended that the council deny the appeal and uphold the commission’s approval.

As the clock ticked toward 11 p.m. at the hearing, Mayor Andy Fox suggested that the item be continued so all parties could work on a compromise that would address neighbors’ concerns and give Voss a chance to make changes that might mitigate noise from the drive-thru.

Fox said the discussions showed that there was a problem with code compliance at the shopping center. He requested that the city manager, city staff members and police address the issues.

The motion was approved unanimously, 5-0.

Voss bought the restaurant, previously a Burger King, two years ago. Although the permit allowed operations only from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., she has been operating the drive-thru from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. six days a week.

When city officials told her in February about the violation of the existing special-use permit, Voss filed an application to allow the extended hours. The commission approved the application 4-0 in June.

“It was an honest mistake,” Voss told the

See COUNCIL, 2B

council. “There are three businesses that open as early as 5 a.m. and as late as 1 a.m. when I opened my restaurant.

“I was not aware I was in violation of the hours. About 80 percent of McDonald’s restaurants operate the hours that I do.”

Voss said mature trees, four lanes of a busy street, a median and a concrete wall separate her restaurant from the homes on Shady Brook Drive.

Seventy percent of her business comes from the drive-thru Friday and Saturday nights, she said.

Millar told the council Tuesday that some of his neighbors and he have documented the noise from the drive-thru at night, saying some homeowners could hear the drive-thru speaker, while others have been disturbed by idling truck engines, noisy mufflers and late-night revelers.

He also cited deliveries and landscape maintenance that took place outside permitted hours.

At the shopping center, built in 1979, operating hours of several businesses gradually have extended into early morning and late night over the years.

The McDonald’s sits between a state Department of Motor Vehicles office and a Taco Bell restaurant and drive-thru.

City staff members acknowledged that the Taco Bell and a Starbucks in the shopping center operate longer hours than their permits allow. Starbucks has an application set to come before the commission to allow it to continue to open at 5 a.m. 

Camarillo halts large housing plan Ventura County Star Conejo Creek dead!! Whoopee

Camarillo halts large housing plan

Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 11, 2014

Author: Mike Harris mharris@vcstar.com 805-437-0323

The Camarillo City Council on Wednesday night killed the proposed massive Conejo Creek development.

At the end of a 2½-hour hearing, the council voted unanimously to rescind a general plan amendment that would have rezoned the proposed site from agricultural to commercial/industrial/residential.

“If the general plan amendment referral is stopped, there cannot be a project approval,” city attorney Brian Pierik advised the council before its vote.

The vote came after numerous residents who packed City Hall urged the council not to let the project go forward.

Echoing residents’ concerns, council members said the development would have unavoidable significant environmental impacts that would degrade the quality of life in the city, including increased traffic congestion and the loss of 648 acres of farmland.

“I’ve seen enough to convince me that this project should not go forward,” Councilman Mike Morgan said.

Said Councilwoman Jan McDonald: “Time to pull the plug.”

Development Planning Services had proposed the project on an 895-acre site near the bottom of the Conejo Grade at U.S. Highway 101 and Pleasant Valley Road. It would have allowed 2,500 housing units, 218 acres of recreational and open space, 17 acres of institutional uses, 100 acres of industrial space and 54 acres of business space.

“Just say no,” longtime Camarillo resident Mel Johnson said. “The cons to this proposed development are overwhelming and even staggering. The pros are minimal to nonexistent.”

Camille Crawford implored officials to kill the plan, “not just temporarily, not just to be put on the back burner, not ‘just for now,’ and definitely not a scaled-down version of the project, but voted down permanently, now and forever more. The people have spoken.”

Dennis Hardgrave of Development Planning Services had argued that the project would benefit Camarillo, bringing the area needed housing.

Ed ison predicts critical changes Ventura County Star Ted Craver CEO

Ed ison predicts critical changes

Ventura County Star (CA) - Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Author: Rachel McGrath Special to The Star

The chairman and CEO of Edison International, Ted Craver, says the electricity industry is set to undergo major changes in the next decade as utilities seek to increase efficiency, environmental friendliness and reliability.

“It’s going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 100 years,” Craver told a packed breakfast event Tuesday at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley.

“The ability to develop innovative approaches will be one of the characteristics of successful companies,” he said.

Craver was the first speaker in the 2014-15 Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series hosted by California Lutheran University, with business and community leaders from across Ventura County gathering Tuesday to hear his speech, “Our Energy Future.”

Edison International, based in Rosemead, is the parent company of Southern California Edison.

“Electricity is a commodity that cannot be stored, and that’s fundamental,” Craver told the audience.

“Every time a light switch goes on, the supply of electricity has to instantaneously arrive for that switch to turn on that light, so instantaneously we have to balance the amount of electricity that is demanded with the amount of electricity supplied, and that’s challenging.”

The biggest task facing Southern California Edison is the pressure to act in a more environmentally responsible way

See Leaders, 11A

while maintaining a safe, reliable and cost-effective electricity supply.

“Politics of today have, I think, dramatized the choice around affordability and environmental responsibility. This is a difficult area, and it’s going to continue to be hotly debated,” Craver said.

“Environmental activists, at least the ones on the extreme, want to characterize the choices as: We must use half as much electricity as we used to use, otherwise we will destroy the planet. On the other side of the equation, the pro-growth activists view it as: If we do these things that are environmentally responsible, we are going to double the cost of electricity in the United States.”

Craver said he thinks both sides are basically engaged in fear mongering.

He said companies like Southern California Edison must figure out how to provide electricity responsibly without choking off growth and job creation.

“Electricity is the foundation of all economic growth, so we need to be able to provide it affordably, and that is the fundamental thing that we at Southern California Edison and the other utilities across the country are involved in,” he said.

He described four key focus areas for his utility:

Improving efficiency.

Increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

Improving the emissions profile of its plants.

Bringing the generation of electricity closer to those who use it.

These goals will be achieved by digital technology and innovation, he said, and create a “plug and play” network that connects homes and businesses with a two-way flow of electricity, sharing electricity back and forth in a dynamic dispatch grid.

“What we believe is that the state of California has put reducing carbon and environmental responsibility at the top. They want an electric system that is modern and one that will be environmentally responsible and allow California to stand at the front in terms of carbon reduction and greenhouse gas reduction,” Craver said.

“So our role is to help our customers and policymakers understand the trade-offs that are involved, and once they understand those trade-offs, our job is to go out and build the system that will meet those objectives. That’s really our mission today.”

Leaders from 10A

Caption: DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Ted Craver, chairman and CEO of Edison International, describes the balancing act between mitigating environmental impacts and creating efficient and cost-effective energy during Tuesday’s launch of the 2014-15 California Lutheran University Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Edison International chief Ted Craver meets with Dennis Washburn (right), president of the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, next to Rudy Gonzales from Southern California Edison at Tuesday’s breakfast. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Edison International chief Ted Craver describes the balancing act between mitigating environmental impact and creating efficient and cost-effective energy during Tuesday’s launch of this year’s Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Jerry Beckerman from Segue Career Mentors asks Edison International chief Ted Craver Jr. about the possibility of Edison researching energy technology using such natural resources as the tidal power of the oceans. 

Understanding Light Bulbs - CFLs vs LEDs

Understanding Light Bulbs - CFLs vs LEDs: "or nearly 23 years.

LEDs do not “burn out” like traditional bulbs and can reduce cooling costs since they emit very little heat, and heat is what wastes energy when you’re talking about lighting. This style of bulb is very durable, as it does not have a fragile shell or filament that may shatter, as happened frequently with conventional incandescent bulbs.


CFL BULBS

CFLs, or compact fluorescent light bulbs, are the tubular- and helical-shaped bulbs that use about 75 percent less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb. They are relatively inexpensive, though not as efficient in comparison to LEDs. Their lifespan is about nine years with normal usage and they can save you up to 75 percent on energy bills.

CFLs do contain a very tiny amount of mercury, about 4 milligrams per bulb, which is never released while the bulb is in use or intact. Your local waste collection agency can advise you on proper recycling of these bulbs.

HALOGEN BULBS

Halogen bulbs are another option to consider. They look and perform much like the conventional incandescent bulbs that are being phased out. Their energy savings and longevity does not compare to CFLs or LEDs, though they are still more efficient than the traditional option."



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Is LED The Most Efficient Lighting Technology?

Is LED The Most Efficient Lighting Technology?: "Another area where LED lighting technology really shines is in cold temperatures, for example, illuminating freezer storage areas. In sub-zero temperatures, fluorescent fixtures take a few minutes to warm up to full brightness. This means that you have to more or less turn the light on at the beginning of the work day, and leave it on until everyone goes home.

However, since LEDs come up to full brightness instantly in sub-zero temperatures, they can be fitted with occupancy sensors that only turn the light on when people are in the room. They can therefore cut their energy consumption significantly by automatically turning off when no one's around.

But of course, these are just a couple examples of factors that can affect the efficiency of any given lighting technology. The truth is, there are a whole host of other factors that could tip the scales in favor of one technology or another.

In some situations, the features of the LED-based fixtures might add enough efficiency to a system to overcome the disadvantage created by their initial cost. In other situations, fluorescent fixtures will still be the more affordable, more efficient choice.

Which brings us to our rather unsatisfying conclusion:

Efficiency Winner: It Depends
Price Winner: It Depends
ROI Winner: It Depends"



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LED vs CFL -- Which Light Bulb is More Efficient? | CleanTechnica

LED vs CFL -- Which Light Bulb is More Efficient? | CleanTechnica: "When comparing the two on paper, the efficiency of the bulbs is nearly identical, within 0.5 lumens per watt. However, with the “real world” being taken into consideration, there are certain environmental and consumer factors that make a case for both.

One factor is cost. If your primary concern is price, the CFL would be a better choice. Although the CFL has a shorter lifespan, even if you replaced the CFL three times to achieve an equivalent lifespan to the LED, you’d still have only spent $2.58 in comparison to the LED’s $45 initial purchase price.

Another factor is location. If the fixture you’re mounting the bulb in is in a place where it’s a hassle to change, that $40 difference might be worth not having to deal with it for the expected 20+ years of normal usage you’ll get out of the single LED.

The bottom line is that in a household setting, where optimal components and ideal conditions cannot be controlled,  the LED and CFL light bulb are very close competitors. The decision for one over the other should be made based on the goals of the project and you may even require a mix of technologies to meet those goals."



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