International
WORLD OZONE DAY
We can’t even think the existence of life without sunlight. But probably it would not have been possible to live the life we are living without the Ozone layer. This stratospheric layer that shields Earth from most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation facilitates life in this beautiful world with peace and harmony. And today, 16 September we celebrate the World Ozone Day, commemorating the treaty signed before 35 years by 197 countries to protect this precious gift of nature.
The Ozone layer which is also known as the Ozone shield is a delicate layer of gas in the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs most of the Sun’s radiation which can be responsible for numerous skin problems and heart diseases.
Why we celebrate Ozone day:
Since, Industrialization era started a numbers of commonly used chemicals were beagn commencing for the different gadegts and appliances that proved to be extremely damaging to the ozone layer. Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine or Iodine are some generally used chemicals that destroy the ozone layer when their atoms emerge with ozone in the stratosphere. Also, according to study, one chlorine atom is enough to destroy almost 1,00,000 ozone molecules before it vacates from the stratosphere. Ozone is very delicate and rapidly get destroyed while it takes years to be created naturally.
Later, with severe increase in the use of chemicals, scientists working in the late 1970s realized that human activities were slowly formulating a hole in this shield, gurading our environment and warnings were declared openly with an urging need to act open it. The hole – caused by ozone-depleting gases (ODSs) used in perfumes, cooling systems such as refrigerators and air-conditioners, was jeopardizing the life of humans and became responsible for the damage in ecosystems.
To preserve the ozone layer, in 1985, The Vienna Convention under the Montreal Protocal was signed for the protection of the Ozone layer. And it’s practical implications were enforced on 16 September, before 35 years. It is also recognized as the most successful international environmental agreement to date because it had phaseout more than 90% of chemicals harmful for environment. So, 16 September is celebrated as World Ozone Day, to highlight the achievement made by the collective efforts of everyone, Government, Industrialists, and local people.
Problems associated with Carbon Molecules:
Carbon outflux from Earth’s interior to the exosphere through volcanic eruptions, fault zones, and geothermal systems contribute to the global carbon cycle that effects short- and long-term climate of the Earth. Himalaya hosts about 600 geothermal springs having varied temperature and chemical conditions. Their role in regional and global climate, as well as the process of tectonic driven gas emission, needs to be considered while estimating emissions to the carbon cycle and thereby to global warming.
Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, which investigated and characterised the gas emissions from Himalayan geothermal springs, found that these springs which cover about 10,000 square km in the Garhwal region of Himalaya, show a significant discharge of Carbon dioxide (CO2) rich water. The estimated carbon dioxide degassing (removal of dissolved gases from liquids, especially water or aqueous solutions) flux is nearly 7.2 ×106 mol/year to the atmosphere.
An approach towards being carbon neutral would mean excessive job loss and that’s the reason that amongst 196 countries only Bhutan has been the only country that has remained Carbon neutral. Bhutan is arguably the world’s happiest country. It’s also one of the greenest. That’s no coincidence. In fact, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck developed his signature Gross National Happiness index based on four pillars: sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and good governance. Other countries have taken note, since the Himalayan kingdom is not only carbon neutral, but carbon negative.
As a travel destination Bhutan remains unique, sandwiched between its heavily industrialized neighbours China and India. The isolated nation only opened up to foreign visits in 1974 and allowed TVs in 1999.
Tshering Tobgay, Bhutan’s Prime Minister said at a Ted Talk in 2016 had said, “Bhutan has built sustainability into its national identity. “Our enlightened monarchs have worked tirelessly to develop our country, balancing economic growth carefully with social development, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation, all within the framework of good governance”. In fact, the constitution of Bhutan mandates that 60 percent of its landmass be maintained and protected as forest. One of the ways the country maintains this is controlled through low impact tourism.
The Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting substances (ODS). When released to the atmosphere, those chemicals damage the stratospheric ozone layer, Earth’s protective shield that protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Adopted on 15 September 1987, the Protocol is to date the only UN treaty ever that has been ratified every country on Earth – all 197 UN Member States.
The Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the different ODS in a step-wise manner, with different timetables for developed and developing countries (referred to as “Article 5 countries”). Under this treaty, all parties have specific responsibilities related to the phase out of the different groups of ODS, control of ODS trade, annual reporting of data, national licensing systems to control ODS imports and exports, and other matters. Developing and developed countries have equal but differentiated responsibilities, but most importantly, both groups of countries have binding, time-targeted and measurable commitments.
what is Oncor ?
More than 10 million Texas residents receive energy from Oncor through their
chosen retail electric provider. But we don’t just serve Texas; we live here too. Your
neighborhoods are our neighborhoods. That’s why we’re honored to deliver safe,
reliable, clean energy using innovative technologies and programs while also
providing exceptional customer service. Use this site to look out energy-saving tips
to manage your invoice, get help together with your energy service, and access
information about our education and safety programs.
History of oncor
With roots in Dallas Power & Light (DP&L), Texas Electric Service Company
(TESCO), and Texas Power & Light (TP&L), Oncor was created in 2007 when
Energy Future Holdings (EFH) purchased a majority stake in TXU and separated
Oncor from its other holdings by a ‘Ring-Fence’. This structure was meant to
protect Oncor customers from bankruptcy in other EFH holdings. They were privately
held by EFH, which declared bankruptcy in April 2014. last, Sempra Energy
completed its acquisition of EFH in March 2018. This transaction included EFH’s
approximate 80-percent indirect ownership interest in Oncor. The close of the
transaction creates a utility company with the foremost important U.S. customer
base.
On November 9, 2017, Oncor and Sharyland closed a giant asset swap agreement.
For details on the agreement, read The Oncor/Sharyland Deal: How Customers Will
Benefit. for purchasers, this means that each one 54,000 retail Texas Sharyland
customers are transitioning to Oncor in early 2018 and may get to need advantage of more favorable electricity delivery rates. This includes the cities of Midland, Big
Spring, Stanton, Brady, Celeste, McAllen, and Greenville. All customers should be
transitioned by January 9, 2018 and may receive their last account with Sharyland
rates soon thereafter. Going forward, customers will see Oncor delivery rates on
their bills.
why are charges so high?
As many Oncor customers know, TDU charges alone can add 1/3 or more to your
monthly bill because they depend upon what quantity electricity you utilize to power
your home. for example, the Oncor rate is 4.1867 cents per kWh. If you utilize 1000
kWh per month, you’ll be charged $41.87 to possess that 1000 kWh delivered to
your home. Add in Oncor’s customer charge of $3.42 and your total monthly delivery
charge roughly involves $45.29!
And that doesn’t even include the electricity you actually used!
While these charges aren’t welcome expenses, remember that Oncor is required by
the State of Texas to reliably operate and maintain a transmission and delivery
network that’s over 103,000 miles of power lines. This same network delivers power
to some 420 cities and towns. Keeping their an element of the ERCOT electric grid
running smoothly to supply nearly 10 million people with reliable energy altogether kinds of Texas weather is an intensive and expensive job.
Before Oncor can change its rates, it must file letter of invitation with the
final service Commision of Texas. The PUC updates rates (also called “tariffs”) twice
a year. Oncor and other TDUs can file rate change requests whenever they require
but all such changes must be first reviewed and approved by the commission
before they’re going to get in effect
how are Oncor rates set
here are multiple components included within the TDU delivery charges, with
fascinating names like
Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor (EECRF)
Transmission Cost Recovery Factor (Rider TCRF)
Accumulated Deferred Federal tax (ADFIT) Credit
Transition Charges (Schedule TC2, TC3, SRC, and TC5)
Most REPs summarize these TDU delivery charges on your monthly electric bills.
you’ll not see this level of detail on your monthly residential bill.
The PUCT maintains official copies of the tariff documents on their computing
machine.
Why do the fees change so often ?
Each of the regulated utility companies is entitled to assemble 100% of their costs
from their rate payers, and receive a guaranteed rate of return. That’s because they
provide a critical public service: delivering electricity, maintaining the infrastructure,
and responding just just in case of an emergency.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas reviews and approves each utility’s rate
case.
The items in each rate case may include costs from hurricane or storm recovery,
upgraded service equipment, or bond issues and financing costs for system
upgrades.
how to read Oncor meter
The meter face on your Smart Meter shows three separate rotating displays. Each
display flashes for five seconds. The displays include:
Status of your electricity service — is that the ability on or off? What does OPN and
CLS means?
Cumulative electric usage — utilized by your Retail Electric Provider in bill
calculation
Electric demand reading — a view for AEP Texas operational use only
New Digital Smart Meters
The Power Status Display tells you whether your electric service is on. you will see
either:
OPN — this means your power is off.
CLS — this suggests your power is on.
Power Status Display
Cumulative Electric Usage Display
The Cumulative Electric Usage Display shows your cumulative usage in kilowatt-
hour (kWh) up to your current billing period. Your Retail Electric Provider uses this number to calculate your bill. you may also wish to hunt advice from this number if you’re keeping track of your kWh usage.
A kilowatt-hour is also a unit of electrical consumption up to the number of electricity
needed to burn ten, 100-watt light bulbs for one hour.
The Reference no 1 is exclusive to the Cumulative Electric Usage Display. The
meter number could also be a singular identifier for your meter.
Cumulative Electric Usage Display
Electric Demand Reading Display (For AEP Texas operational use only)
The Electric Demand Reading Display can be a kilowatt (kW) reading utilized by
AEP Texas. (It isn’t utilized in billing calculations.)
A kilowatt might be a unit of electrical consumption adequate 1,000 watts.
The Reference Number 21 is exclusive to the electrical Demand Reading Display.
The meter number may well be a novel identifier for your meter.
6th sense of Human beings the Neuralink- Neuralink is a medical device developed in order to track and enhance brain activity. Moreover, it is like a Fitbit that tracks brain activities like neuron spike. Elon Musk said that the device will also be able to help regain someone’s eyesight even if they’ve lost their optic nerve. He said that this technology will be able to fix everything that’s wrong with the brain. With complete symbiosis of the tech, humans will be able to interact with each other without the need to talk.
It will be surgically implanted into the brain and with it, one will be able to communicate with machines and control them. For now, human trials are not yet begun but would start at the end of 2020. Furthermore, it will also help study the electrical signals in the brain and help cure various medical problems. Before testing on humans, Neuralink prototypes have been tested on rodents, monkeys, pigs, etc.
Before peeping deeper into Neuralink let’s understand the human brain first.
There are 86 billion Neurons in our Brain. These neurons consist of 3 parts: a dendrite that receives the signal, a cell body that computes the received signal, and an axon that sends the signal out.
Neurons are connected through Synapses. The neurons of your brain connect each other to send and receive signals through axon-dendrite connections called synapses. Neurons communicate through Electric Signals. These signals can be recorded in the brain. Recordings from many neurons allow us to decode the information and it represents intended movements.
To understand how Neuralink works, we must understand how our brain sends information to different parts of our body using neurons. These neurons in our brain connect to form a large network and communicate using chemical signals called neurotransmitters.
This reaction generates an electric field to record the reactions. These electrodes translate electrical signals into an algorithm that a machine can read. This is how Neuralink will be able to read what one is thinking and find a way to talk to machines without uttering a single word. It’s all your thoughts and link’s action.
The neural implant will let you control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go. Micron-scale threads are inserted into areas of the brain that control movement. Each thread contains many electrodes and connects them to an implant, the Link.
The link:
It’s a sealed, implanted device that processes and stimulates, and transmits neural signals.
Neural threads:
Each small and flexible thread contains many electrodes for detecting neural signals.
Charger:
A compact inductive charger that connects to the implant wirelessly to charge the battery; same as a smart-watch or fit bit.
Precision Automated Neurosurgery.
The threads on the Link are extremely fragile and flexible that they can’t be inserted by a human hand. Hence neurosurgeons would be provided with a robotic system that can reliably and efficiently insert these threads. The robot would be able to insert the link within an hour without general anesthesia and the patient would be able to leave the hospital on the same day.
Robots will do everything from the incision, removing the skull, inserting electrodes, placing the device, and then closing it up. These robotic systems were tested on numerous pigs used to test the device. This system has no room for errors. The Head of the machine holds and guides the needle that performs the operation and contains a large number of cameras to capture the whole brain.
How Neuralink will help to overcome mental disorders?
The Neuralink aims to fight neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and epilepsy, spinal cord injuries, and other medical problems. The link is expected to even fight with common anxiety and depression yet that’s not proven. By taking primitive measures of implementing the Neuralink slowly and gradually we can hope best for it. There are high abilities and possibilities that Link could help fight a large number of medical illnesses and aims to create an affordable solution for people who lack the essential needs of medical treatment. At its level best, it will help to control the number of suicides that end lives before help can be received.
For now, those goals are very much out of reach. Scientists need to learn far more about the brain and how it works for any of those ideas to become reality. The brain is still mysterious and the neurological causes of addiction and anxiety are still unclear.
Why is Elon Musk testing his implant on Pigs?
In August 2020, Elon Musk’s 3 pig trial got rearing spotlight. The Neuralink implant was tested on 3 pigs; on 1st with no implant, on 2nd with an implant for some days and later it was removed and the 3rd pig still has the implant in her brain. The experiment of 2nd pig was done to show that if someone wanted to remove the link, they should be able to live a happy and healthy life after that. 3rd pig’s implant is active to track down all neural movements and to list down moments of snout and sniffs.
Hiring engineers for neurotechnology firm Neuralink
Neuralink is almost done dealing with a neuroscience background. The chip is an electrical device that requires mechanical/software engineers to deal with. It would be easier for these engineers to sort out problems like processing, indictive charging, power mgmt, etc. Most importantly, great problem-solving skills, solving high-volume, high-reliability, low-cost production problems are especially valued.
In the end, let’s hope best for the future of brain interfaces and inventing new technologies that will expand our abilities, our community, and our world.
-Anushka Sharad
