text:
Syngenta opens new Seed Technology Center and Backcross Factory in Enkhuizen
"Crossing genes into parent lines will soon be accelerated by a factor of 2"
"We are sidelining ourselves as Europe, modern breeding techniques are being applied in other parts of the world anyway," says Arend Schot of Syngenta. "I assume that in the longer term this type of technologies will be allowed in Europe, but then we are already so far behind."
Arend is talking here about technologies such as CRISPR, which can be used to make precise changes to plants in order to make better new varieties. Because these types of techniques are not allowed within the European Union, breeders within Europe must look for other options to, for example, grow fast resistance to certain emerging diseases.
This is the reason that Syngenta is opening their new Seed Technology Center and Backcross Factory in Enkhuizen on September 23. "Our Seed Technology Center is state-of-the art in terms of technology," says Arend. "In fact, it's about applying technology very quickly and making use of technology for breeding, but then in a conventional way. The intention is to speed up the process of traditional breeding."
The backcross factory in the middle of the photo at the Enkhuizen site
Seed technology center
The seed technology center is a super uniform environment that makes it possible to investigate as many genetic differences as possible. "The center makes it possible to disable or influence environmental differences thanks to the uniform adaptable environments," says Arend. "This ensures that you can see within which genetic lines a certain plant has certain resistance or properties."
The facility uses the very latest to enable many different research studies. "The laboratory is basically a huge high-tech indoor farm, within the lab it is also possible to adjust the climate - lighting, temperature, humidity, day length -," says Arend. "We can also release insects and diseases on the plants in uniform and closed environments without the risk of contamination in other environments. All this technology makes it easier for us to find the correlation between a certain resistance and the genetic information. These genes can then be crossed in more quickly into suitable lines, so that, for example, a new cabbage variety with resistance against clubfoot can be brought on the market quickly."
According to Arend, the aim of the center is to place as many useful properties as possible in a variety, to make crosses and to speed up that process.
Corridor with climate cells in the technology center
Backcross Factory
The aim of the backcross factory is to cross the genes that also have been discovered in the seed technology center as quickly as possible in uniform parent lines. " Later on in the backcross factory we can do a few generations a year," says Arend. "When I left the agricultural school, it took 15 years to bring a variety to the market. Now, with this backcross factory, a process of 15 years will be reduced to a year or 2 to10, the crossing of the genes in the parent lines is accelerated by a factor of 2, which normally took 6 years but has now been reduced to 3 years in the backcross factory. That in combination with the seed technology center ensures that you can cross many new properties in a plant in a very short period of time."
Jan Bruin making observations in a disease test in a climate cell
These new facilities, the seed technology center and the backcross factory, are for Syngenta steps towards sustainability. "We do want to take responsibility and offer sustainable solutions that are becoming increasingly complex, this new center fits in perfectly with that," says Arend. "Whatever technologies we use as a company - whether that is crop protection, breeding, or data - the objective is sustainable."
Sustainability for business is a strong focus for Syngenta in these new facilities. "We look which genes can best be introduced for long-term sustainability," says Arend. "We are searching for ways to reduce food wastage by looking at whether it is possible to ensure that less production is lost during cultivation and to ensure a better shelf life of crops. We also intend to look at how certain varieties and crops deal with climate change. Consider, for example, heat-tolerant iceberg lettuce and white cabbage that can withstand dry conditions well. And what about reduced input of fertilizers and nevertheless have a better growing crop."
Lock between 2 zones in the technology center
In addition to breeding crops to reduce wastage in general, Syngenta is of course also busy with diseases that are emerging. "It is also important for us to increase the resistance of plants, because the disease pressure is increasing," says Arend. "For example, look at the rise of ToBRFV, or other diseases in the cucurbits and the bell pepper. The great thing about these new facilities is that once we have that resistance, we can easily introduce them into our portfolio."
According to Arend, Syngenta is also searching to breed products to reduce labor requirements. "If we talk about scarcity of input, labor is perhaps the largest and most expensive for growers," he says. "The solution for this is of course not an unrestrained hiring of people cheaply, but there needs to be partly automation."
Disease test on tables in the greenhouse in the technology center
He goes on to say: "We are very much looking at the possibilities for automation for outside crops. For example, a mechanical harvesting of sprouts or cauliflower that remains white even in the sun and therefore does not have to be covered. This saves a lot of working hours. Besides, these solutions can already be seen on our Fields of Innovations.
We are not yet that far for fruit crops. That will still take a while. We may come to a solution with genetics in combination with robotics, for example, by growing a pepper that is less fragile so that a robot may possibly be able to harvest it more easily without breaking the plant. So it is still difficult to define what is needed based on plant type, and what kind of technology is going to appear. This is a question that must be worked out in the coming ten years."
Arend also indicates that if the labor demand is resolved better, the issue of location will also be less of a problem. "Then even the Netherlands would become a great place to grow a number of crops," he says. "After all, the Netherlands is a good place for trading in fresh produce, but labor is very expensive. That is why we also realize the new facilities here, short contacts throughout the entire chain. Take Fruit Logistica as an example: there clearly was a lot of Dutch influence. In addition, there is support from the government for this sector, and also from science with Wageningen."
Less crop protection
Crop protection has always been an important focus for Syngenta, but more and more growers are abandoning the use of plant protection products in response to consumer demands. "Many consumers and growers would like to do away with plant protection products, so that requires a different approach," says Arend. "Instead of tackling the vector - the insects that are spreading the disease - with crop protection, the intention is now to introduce the resistance into the plants."
Syngenta is also looking for a different way to help their customers make products that fit in well with the market. "We are also engaged in building digital and farm management," says Arend. However, plant protection products still remain important at Syngenta.
According to Arend, the growing market for indoor cultivation is an important opportunity, but not one that specifically requires a lot of attention from breeders. "Worldwide, more and more is being grown indoors because growers want to be able to control the climate and want more control over the health of the crop," he says. "These huge investments ensure that large segments of the market become increasingly uniform. So we see that varieties that we develop for a certain area are also used in other areas. So we do not specifically breed varieties for indoor, we are more reactive in that."
Disease test on tables in a climate cell in the technology center
Dutch pride
The Netherlands is a leading factor in horticulture worldwide, and Arend believes that we should be proud of that. "I am very proud, not only of Syngenta, but I am also proud of Enza, Rijk Zwaan and Bejo," he says. "They are all beautiful companies that people enjoy working for. The world still looks to Enkhuizen for developments within the sector. Of course we compete, but in the end, we are together engaged in the race in technology to help customers. The Netherlands can be proud of this."
The seed technology center has been built as a greenhouse, but is divided into different cultivation departments where the glass of the roof is not even glass. "These departments have labor-technically been kept as easy as possible," says Arend. "It must be impossible for cross-contamination to take place in the different zones, and it must be possible to properly disinfect, so that you can grow donor plants as cleanly as possible."
"Each of these zones has its own specific purpose," Arend continues. "There is a pathology zone where disease and contamination tests can be performed in different climate conditions. There is also an entomology zone where insect breeding and contamination tests can be carried out. There is also a cell biology zone where clean donor plants are propagated."
This stable and uniform environment naturally brings along with it possibilities. "We can work all year round, because we can always provide the same climate," says Arend. "This also means that the results are completely uniform and that consistency is important for this type of research."
Automation is also an important step in speeding up the process. "Everything within the research centers is automated, including irrigation and fertilization with all conceivable substances," says Arend. "Everything is also done with mobile tables, making it easier to move things around, but also the work in general and disinfection becomes easier."
www.syngenta.nl
Arend Schot
arend.schot@syngenta.com
Publication date: Mon 23 Sep 2019
2022-01-18 India: chilli farmers face threats from invasive pests and demand appropriate tech
2022-01-18 US (CA): Devastating virus challenges lettuce growers
2022-01-17 Report: German rules on crop protection have major shortcomings
2022-01-17 "Paving the way for breeding ToLCV-resistant hybrids"
2022-01-12 Controlling greenhouse pests with biological agents in winter
2022-01-12 Device sniffs out the "smell-fingerprints" of pestered plants
2022-01-11 Spanish Orius-System performance improved with new biodegradable packaging
2022-01-07 "Greenhouse sector always on the lookout for alternatives to chemical crop protection"
2022-01-05 Restructuring and new managing director at the Andermatt Group
2022-01-05 Belgian start-up helps tomato growers protect crops
2022-01-05 Improved strategy for thrips control in peppers
2022-01-05 Research shows a more environmentally friendly way to control strawberry pests
2022-01-03 UV-C study now includes strawberry propagation and other pests
2022-01-03 "Heating completely kills virus in water"
2021-12-23 Australia: New robot traps pests for 80kms
2021-12-23 "Beware the thrips double trouble in bell peppers"
2021-12-21 Maximizing the effective life of plant protection products
2021-12-21 Recommendations to prevent the New Delhi virus in zucchini with biological control
2021-12-20 "Implementing control against greenhouse whitefly in strawberry crops still certainly effective"
2021-12-20 Grow-NY competition offers glimpse of future ag tech


text:
Q: value attribute does not appear in Angular ngForm I have a simple Angular ngForm I'm using for a put request. Because I need the id attribute to make the put request, I have attempted to add it in a hidden value. However, whenever the form is submitted the hidden id field is blank.
How can I pass in a pre-defined value to an input that will appear when the form is submitted?
I have tried multiple approaches, but nothing I have found online has worked. The hidden id field value is the one that won't appear.
The form I have is:
    <form #editForm="ngForm" (ngSubmit)="editTodoTest(editForm.value)">
      Todo<input type="text" name="description" ngModel /> UserId<input
        type="text"
        name="userId"
        ngModel
      />
      Completed<input type="text" name="completed" ngModel />
      <input type="hidden" name="id" value="10" ngModel />
      <input type="submit" />
    </form>

A: try this:
   <form #editForm="ngForm" (ngSubmit)="editTodoTest(editForm.value)">
  Todo<input type="text" name="description" ngModel /> UserId<input
    type="text"
    name="userId"
    ngModel
  />
  Completed<input type="text" name="completed" ngModel />
  <input type="hidden" name="id" value="10" ngModel=10 />
  <input type="submit" />
</form>

for STACKBLIZ example

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A new study of college students found excessive Internet use was not associated with problem gambling.
Although a relationship was not discovered, both addictive behaviors have similar psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness.
The research is reported in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
Both Internet dependence and problem gambling are typically viewed as behavioral addictions, and as such might be expected to affect the same individuals.
But as N.A. Dowling, PhD, from the University of Melbourne, and M. Brown from Monash University, both in Australia, conclude in the article entitled, "Commonalities in the Psychological Factors Associated with Problem Gambling and Internet Dependence," these seem to be separate disorders that share common underlying psychological profiles, which has implications for their management.
Based on their assessment of a small group of university students in Australia, the authors report that similar vulnerabilities, attributable to feelings of anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, and social isolation, appear to contribute to excesses in Internet use and gambling behavior.
Effective treatments would likely integrate multiple types of interventions that target the specific problem behavior and the general tendency to addiction.
"It is clear that effectively evaluating and treating these disorders requires a clear understanding of the individual symptomatology and internal conflicts particular to each patient," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, editor-in-chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.


text:
package leap.web.api.orm;

public interface ModelExecutorFactory {

    /**
     * Returns the {@link ModelExecutorHelper}.
     */
    ModelExecutorHelper getHelper();

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelCreateExecutor}.
     */
    default ModelCreateExecutor newCreateExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context) {
        return newCreateExecutor(context, (ModelCreateInterceptor[])null);
    }

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelCreateExecutor}.
     */
    ModelCreateExecutor newCreateExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context, ModelCreateInterceptor... interceptors);

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelUpdateExecutor}.
     */
    default ModelUpdateExecutor newUpdateExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context) {
        return newUpdateExecutor(context, (ModelUpdateInterceptor[])null);
    }

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelUpdateExecutor}.
     */
    ModelUpdateExecutor newUpdateExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context, ModelUpdateInterceptor... interceptors);

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelDeleteExecutor}.
     */
    default ModelDeleteExecutor newDeleteExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context) {
        return newDeleteExecutor(context, (ModelDeleteInterceptor[])null);
    }

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelDeleteExecutor}.
     */
    ModelDeleteExecutor newDeleteExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context, ModelDeleteInterceptor... interceptors);

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelQueryExecutor}.
     */
    default ModelQueryExecutor newQueryExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context) {
        return newQueryExecutor(context, (ModelQueryInterceptor[])null);
    }

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelQueryExecutor} for executing query or find operation.
     */
    ModelQueryExecutor newQueryExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context, ModelQueryInterceptor... interceptors);

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link ModelQueryExecutor} for executing find operation.
     */
    ModelQueryExecutor newQueryExecutor(ModelExecutorContext context, ModelFindInterceptor... interceptors);

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link RelationQueryExecutor}.
     */
    default RelationQueryExecutor newRelationQueryExecutor(RelationExecutorContext context) {
        return newRelationQueryExecutor(context, (RelationQueryInterceptor[])null);
    }

    /**
     * Returns a new {@link RelationQueryExecutor}.
     */
    RelationQueryExecutor newRelationQueryExecutor(RelationExecutorContext context, RelationQueryInterceptor... interceptors);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Tiziana Moneta, Gabriele Rota
Brani più ascoltati Vedi tutto
Songs Without Words, Op. 62: No. 5 in A Minor, Andante con moto, MWV U151 "Venetianisches Gondellied" (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, MWV M13: No. 9, Finale (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, MWV M13: No. 7, Funeral March (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
Songs Without Words, Op. 62: No. 1 in G Major, Andante espressivo, MWV U185 (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
Songs Without Words, Op. 62: No. 3 in E Minor, Andante maestoso, MWV U177 (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, MWV M13: No. 8, Dance of Acrobats (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, MWV M13: No. 2, March of the Elves (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, MWV M13: No. 5, Nocturne (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, MWV M13: No. 1, Scherzo (Arr. for Piano Four Hands)
Album più ascoltati Vedi tutto
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's…
Debussy: Music for Piano 4 Hands and…
Johannes Brahms: Danze Ungheresi /…
Johannes Brahms : Sonata per due…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Shovel Time: El Original
Ouch. El Original had better watch its back after Javelina's evisceration. Honestly, the primary reason I visited the former and not the latter is because you can reserve a table between 6pm and 9pm on Open Table. Less importantly to the world at large, I can also walk to it from work.
A couple years ago I was trying to sell a story about how kind of once gross and embarrassing regional cuisines were emerging in NYC with pride, using examples like Tex-Mex night at Goat Town, non-kitschy Hawaiian at Lani Kai, Burnside, the Midwestern bar serving fried cheese curds, and kolaches showing up in Bed Stuy, of all places. No one was interested. I still think there was potential in this but couldn't get anyone to care about it as is often the case with my ideas. I'm probably sitting on ten equally genius pitches right now–anyone want one?
Goat Town and Lani Kai may be dead yet we live in a city newly flush with queso and Spam.
And so, 2015 Tex-Mex in NYC. I don't know. Seriously, I don't. All I know is that I love processed cheese–melted, semi-congealed, even with a skin forming on top–all of it. I got my queso, here the classic called chile con queso, as opposed to the other available style with guacamole, black beans and picadillo dubbed queso El Original. The salsa was mild and nothing special, though the chips were warm and I'd like to believe were freshly made.
My non-drinking dining companion a.k.a. "baby palate" who's my go-to for BBQ, Italian-American, Tex-Mex, pizza and burgers even though she would insist she's more versatile, made of point of saying the food wasn't spicy. That's saying something. You can ask for hot sauce. It's Valentina. I don't think of Tex-Mex as fiery so this wasn't a disappointment, just a caveat.
I've been to Texas exactly once, just last year, briefly, under emotionally strained circumstances. But I know enough that they just call it Mexican (Mex Mexican is called interior Mexican), combos are where it's at, ground beef and yellow cheese never tasted so good, and it can all be had with a strong margarita for $20. That's not going to happen in Manhattan. Here, the combo plates, which sound like properly gut-busting, alone will put you two dollars north of that figure.
The shredded beef, which could be called brisket, was demurely portioned in the soft tacos. The flour tortillas are made with lard from Dickson's Farmstand, a detail I didn't notice until after the fact online and speaks to a sort of identity crisis. The refried beans and rice just seemed like beans and rice. Are we meant to care about the source of lard making the beans silky? Is the food pricey because it's elevated Tex-Mex or because it's Manhattan Tex-Mex? Can you even take Tex-Mex out of context without asking for trouble? Transplants complain about pizza or bagels outside of NYC but those are translatable. I will give the restaurant points for being big and cheerful–if you didn't peer outside to see it was attached to the Skyline Hotel, you could be tricked into thinking you were in nice, modern strip mall.
El Original * 735 Tenth Ave. New York, NY
Eaten, Barely Blogged: Oldies, a Goodie
Great NY Noodletown I know this old-timer has detractors, but I'm still a fan and it's not all driven by nostalgia (or even poor late-night decision-making–I'm quite capable of that at 8:30pm on weeknight). Get a group and over-order hacked-up duck, glazed roast pork, a heaping pile of pea shoots, crispy pan-fried noodles topped with squid and scallops, and a few lightly battered soft-shell crabs sprinkled with what I swear are jalapeños (my personal nostalgia since this was the first place I ever had crabs, shells and all, which is hard to believe in the Northeast in 2015). Manhattan's Chinatown can be touristy and a little down at its heels and maybe each dish isn't exemplary of its form, but the whole spread taken together with the right company–plus a few drinks–can be a can be a reminder that this part of the city still has charm. Here is every time I've mentioned Noodletown over the years, though definitely not every time I've eaten there.
Tangra Masala Remember when everyone was excited about Indian Chinese food even though a lot of it is fried and sometimes involves ketchup? The smaller, original, alcohol-free location across Queens Boulevard from Target is still a decent pit stop for paneer-stuffed wontons with a minty vinegar dip, lollipop chicken with a thousand island-esque chile sauce, and bright orange chow mein that tastes like Doritos (seriously).
Lui's Thai Food is not the worst idea if you're looking for a BYOB spot in the East Village on a Saturday night (and possibly trying to escape a group dinner after a memorial at HiFi because group dinners are stressful 90% of the time even though I was just singing the praises of commandeering a round table at Noodletown). I didn't have the highest hopes and was pleasantly surprised. No, it's not Queens Thai. It's not Zabb Elee either. But the crispy basil duck and shrimp panang curry were right on–and intentional–dishes are dishes, none of this pick a protein nonsense. There was a tight selection of entrees to choose from like the above medium-spiced panang curry thickened with ground shrimp and featuring plump fried shrimp and garnished with a hard-boiled egg. You can be an NYU kid with a bottle of Woodbridge Chardonnay and it's fine or pop around the corner to Urban Wines for something a little nicer. (If it's Friday or Saturday night, my friend Lindsay is likely working–ask for a recommendation like the off-dry Mosel Riesling we had from a producer whose name I've already forgotten.)
The Week That Pique Macho Got Two Shoutouts in Two Days
World's most macho pique via Cocha Bomba
Munchies tackled the South American poutine on the ground in La Paz.
Eater touched on the pile of beef, cheese, wieners, and fries, among other dishes, at Bolivian restaurant Cumbre in Woodside.
I noticed that Cumbre appeared on Seamless last month, got a little excited, then promptly forgot about its existence, as I often do. (It's not new, though.) I wouldn't say Bolivian food has the best reputation–if it has one at all considering its scarcity in NYC. Traditional Mi Bolivia still exists in Sunnyside, and at the other end of the spectrum–though with the Smorgasburg Queens announcement, lines are blurring like it or not–Bolivian Llama Party does stuff like salteñas and sandwiches at Brooklyn Night Bazaar, the Rockaways, and obviously Smorgasburg.
Would You Rather? Indie-ish Darlings Edition
Photo: Attilio Maranzano/Fondazione Prada
Snack at Bar Luce, the Wes Anderson-designed cafe that's opening in Milan.
Little People Project
Dine at Agrikol, Arcade Fire's Haitian restaurant that will be "more of an art project." (Not actual footage of Agrikol.)
International Intrigue: Where's the Beef?
Facebook: Wendy's India
So, Wendy's is testing a veggie burger in the US. Big deal. Wendy's opened its first location in India today and there are six meatless versions involving spinach, corn, falafel, and mushrooms. It has already been blogged. The WSJ was not above making a "Where's the beef?" joke and I'm not too good to not repeat it.
Uncle Sam's, the Beijing-based burger restaurant that's coming to NYC for no good reason, will open May 18. I am more than ok with char-siu, shumai, and Canadian bacon commingling between buns.
I've never understood Steak Escape. Doesn't it serve cheesesteaks, which defeats the point of escaping steak? Soon enough, this will be Russia's problem (or should I say beef?).
Paramus now has the United States' first Yo! Sushi. The British conveyor belt chain will soon be invading malls throughout the nation.
KFC will open in Myanmar. There is a strange Facebook page where you can see "grooming training."
Two's a Trend: Guacamole
Avocado toast's trickle down effect appears to guacamole appearing at non-Mexican-ish chain restaurants (Taco Bell has long served avocados blended with water, tomato, onion, jalapeño, salt, cilantro, lemon juice, ascorbic or erythorbic acid, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate) as if this exotic import just arrived in America circa 2015.
Ok, I've only seen two commercials in two days. That's evidence enough by today's standards. No, really, it is–USA Today wrote about guacamole going "mainstream" based on these two new product introductions.
Subway:
Dunkin' Donuts:
Bonus USA Today content because it's Cinco de Mayo: get Chipotle's (pronounced Chipoltay according to the millennial platform producer/journalist voicing the video) never-revealed-before guacamole recipe.


text:
Features News
Science for both managing energy and addressing climate change
"Companies can no longer sit on the sidelines... we must embrace the opportunity to make a positive difference in society."
September 28, 2021 – Back in July, Richard Chartrand—sustainability lead for 3M Canada—published the article "State of Science: Canadians are counting on science to deliver a sustainable future".*
In that article, he says 3M has committed to operating globally on 100% renewable energy by 2050. Here in Canada, 3M became one of the first Canadian organizations to be certified to the global standard ISO 50001 "Energy management" (as well as Superior Energy Performance – Platinum),** with six manufacturing locations across the country now certified, along with its laboratory in Montreal and headquarters based in London, Ont.
3M must be doing something right, as they've been recognized by Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (a.k.a. CIPEC) and the global entity Clean Energy Ministerial.
I recently spoke with Richard—a 3Mer of 32 years—to dig deeper into his "State of Science" article, and find out what lessons we can learn from 3M with regard to its energy management initiatives.
ENERGY MANAGER CANADA: Each year, 3M conducts a research study called the "3M State of Science Index", which gauges public attitudes towards science. According to your article, 90% of Canadians believe people should follow the science to help make the world more sustainable. Tell me a little more about this study.
RICHARD CHARTRAND: We started doing this study annually in 2018—not just in Canada, but in multiple countries. In Canada, when we look at the trend from 2018, skepticism of science was at about 25%, peaking to about 32% in 2019. However, because we were able to conduct the study pre-Covid and during Covid, we saw a significant decrease in skepticism, dropping to around 22% this year.
So Covid-19 made people reflect on the value of science, and overall skepticism decreased. In that regard, Canadians want science to help address climate change issues, which brings us to the issue of managing energy scientifically in our industries.
In fact, from the 3M State of Science Index, 63% of Canadians feel the pandemic has made them more environmentally conscious. The rise in support for the environment is being driven by younger generations, with Generation Z adults significantly more likely to exhibit this sentiment (81%).
We believe strongly that corporations like 3M, among others, can play a greater role in helping people understand the science behind climate solutions. Companies can no longer sit on the sidelines… we must embrace the opportunity to make a positive difference in society.
ENERGY MANAGER CANADA: As part of 3M's energy management strategy, its London, Ont., headquarters now supports a 10-kW solar array, generating about 15,000 kWh annually. When it comes to proactive energy management, why should onsite generation—in this case, renewable—be a part of that conversation?
RICHARD CHARTRAND: Yes, that's a great question, because there's certainly been debate about onsite generation versus the electric utility providing generation and distribution.
At 3M Canada, we see our rooftop solar farm as not the end all and be all, but as another step in our energy management journey, and it makes us that much more aware of how we use and manage energy.
If I take a step back, the market has been decentralizing and trying to decarbonize for many years. It's a journey… a long journey. We saw energy management as an opportunity to not only improve the cost of the energy we consume, but also to build a different culture in our enterprise.
So, generating some or all of your own energy may or may not be the right solution for everyone. Possibly, what works best in your situation is to push your electric utility for more renewable energy so you can decarbonize as much as possible.
Our rooftop solar also serves for product testing, as some of our products are used in solar PV applications, so we can test them under real-world conditions. Our solar installation also demonstrates the value of our energy journey to our employees, as well as our community.
ENERGY MANAGER CANADA: I appreciate you mentioning that what you have done at your London HQ may not be for everyone, because it opens the door to broader conversations about solutions that work in this person's situation, but maybe not that person's.
3M Canada was among the first Canadian organizations certified to the global standard ISO 50001 "Energy management". Today, the company boasts eight ISO 50001-certified locations, which include manufacturing sites, the London HQ, and a Montreal laboratory.
Be they national, North American or global, when you consider all the various guidelines and standards out there, how does ISO 50001 certification differ?
RICHARD CHARTRAND: If we think about something like LEED [Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design], it does ask for resource efficiency to be built into buildings, but a big focus is also, you know, constructing buildings that are pleasant to be in.
ISO 50001, meantime, is a framework for a total energy management concept that encompasses the building and its people. How do you help people think about energy management, and drive that culture in your industry?
Everybody wants their facilities, their sites to be energy efficient, and we're no different. What's important for us is to continually drive and support that mindset and make it part of the culture.
Ultimately, we want our people to be successful, as well as our organization. We actively seek out suggestions from employees as to where we can make improvements. Plus, engagement from management is firmly rooted in ISO 50001; you set the policy, then work on metering and monitoring so you can identify your energy consumption and set targets for reduction.
We want to embed this mindset into everything we do as a business. And, to push that mindset even further, 3M has a Sustainability Value Commitment in our products, which aims to help our customers by providing them with products in which energy efficiency is embedded in their application.
Our energy management approach goes beyond our own buildings to encompass our culture, our supply chain, and our customers.
ENERGY MANAGER CANADA: Where strictly energy management is concerned, it sounds like ISO 50001 sounds much more detailed as compared to LEED.
RICHARD CHARTRAND: Correct. And it's also built upon the mindset of continuous improvement. How have we performed this year? How does that compare to last year? Whatever our performance today, we aim to make it slightly better tomorrow, slightly better the day after that, and so on.
ENERGY MANAGER CANADA: In thinking about 3M Canada's ISO 50001 certification journey—or should I say journeys, because of your multiple locations?—what were some of the most interesting lessons learned?
RICHARD CHARTRAND: Yes, there were lessons learned and many challenges. I don't want to portray the journey as a walk in the park!
The first priority was to talk about how energy is an important aspect of our business processes; to start making it a priority in conversations and slowly build toward understanding and a cultural shift with people.
Once you're able to demonstrate some cost savings and the value for the business, you start gaining the attention and passion of your employees, and it becomes embedded into your business processes.
Fortunately, a lot of our employees were very interested in participating in these efforts, coming to the table with their own passion.
We also came to see our journey as an employment brand value, and realized customers want to buy from companies that are seen to be doing something about energy and the climate.
It's by no means simple to maintain the early gains—the low-hanging fruit. That's where you rely on your culture of continuous improvement. We continue to put in place key tracking and metering mechanisms that allow us to monitor; we continue to make people aware, and our leadership has been very positive.
I'm really proud of the Canadian team's work. We have a dedicated energy management team, which helped our people and sites along their ISO 50001 journeys. They are now applying that knowledge, not only in Canada, but in the United States and around the world.
ENERGY MANAGER CANADA: I was going to ask about that last point. While preparing for this discussion, I learned 3M uses science to help customers battle climate change in their own operations by sharing its energy management insights.
Through energy audits and recommendations, 3M claims to have uncovered millions of dollars in savings for other manufacturers and companies across Canada. How did that come about?
RICHARD CHARTRAND: Part of our sustainability objectives is to help our customers be more energy efficient, as well, so we've taken our knowledge and expertise and shared it with some of our customers who share similar values and goals. We're continuously improving to create solutions that can drive sustainability through operational improvements.
For example, one of them is a food bank in one of the communities in which we operate, which shows that the philosophy of energy management can be applied to both large manufacturing facilities and small non-profits… really, anyone who wants to save every dollar they can on energy while helping with climate change.
In 2018, we announced the most direct link between sustainability and 3M innovation: our Sustainability Value Commitment. Several hundreds of new products go through 3M's commercialization process every year, and all of them have to demonstrate impact for the greater good.
* LINK FOR the article "State of Science: Canadians are counting on science to deliver a sustainable future".
** Superior Energy Performance is a certification from the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy.
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Unconventional Path to Medical School
October 5, 2016 | By Tim Pratt
Richard Babicz (SF09)
Richard Babicz has done a little bit of everything since he graduated from the St. John's College Santa Fe campus in 2009.
The Woodbridge, Virginia, native spent time farming in France; he worked odd jobs in Portland, Maine; he even explored becoming a musician.
These days, Babicz, 29, is in his fourth year of medical school at the University of Virginia. He's applying for residencies all over the country and hopes to one day become a doctor.
The journey from childhood to St. John's, and then on to medical school, was an interesting one.
Growing up, Babicz's grandfather was an intellectual. Babicz also enjoyed reading, especially "the classics," he says.
One day, Babicz received a postcard from St. John's in the mail.
"I saw it and got really excited about it," he says.
Babicz applied to the college and was accepted into the St. John's Santa Fe campus. He packed up his things and headed west.
During his time in New Mexico, Babicz and his classmates immersed themselves in the great books. Even when not in class, he and his classmates talked about the readings.
"It was great; it was magical; it was very hard," he says. "There was a lot of work, and the friendships you form are extremely intense."
After graduating, Babicz and some of his former classmates went to France to work on organic farms. They saw it as a cheap way to travel and learn French.
After 2 ½ months, during which they worked in exchange for room and board, Babicz returned to the United States.
Babicz and his friends moved to Portland, Maine, where he worked odd jobs, from brief stints at a restaurant and convenience store to about six months with the U.S. Census Bureau. He started out answering phones, then became a crew leader, managing workers as they went door-to-door for the 2010 Census.
Babicz describes himself as "very idealistic" at the time, and decided that he wanted to turn his love for the guitar into a career. However, after a month, those plans changed. He decided to re-examine an idea he had been toying with since he was 17: medical school.
At St. John's, Babicz was a lab assistant. He also completed an Ariel internship, funded by St. John's alumnus Steve Forman (A70), to conduct cancer research at City of Hope Hospital in California.
So the idea of a career in the medical field had been with him for years.
In late 2010, Babicz applied for a pre-med program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He was accepted and started at VCU in January 2011, eventually landing a job in a research lab there.
After completing the program, Babicz traveled for a bit before starting medical school at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2013. He has been there ever since.
Babicz plans to finish medical school in May 2017. In the meantime, he is applying for residencies in internal medicine. He is interested in specializing in pulmonary or critical care.
It has been more than seven years since Babicz graduated from St. John's, and he still keeps in touch with many of his former classmates. He still finds time to pick up the guitar and looks back fondly on his time at the college.
"It's a great school to go to if you're really passionate about reading the classics and thinking about them," he says.