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Transportation Planning Casebook/Western Sydney Airport

Introduction
Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport is a new airport being developed in Badgerys Creek, approximately 45km west of the Sydney CBD and the existing Kingsford Smith Sydney Airport located at Mascot. Early earthworks for the site commenced in 2020 and it is stated that the airport will be completed and operating by 2026. The airport is to be the second international airport in the Greater Sydney region and is stated to operate 24 hours (i.e. curfew free) for domestic, international, and freight services. The airport is to be government-owned through the Western Sydney Airport Company - whereby the Australian Federal Government has invested $5.3 billion in equity.

In addition to delivering a new international airport in Greater Sydney, the Western Sydney Airport is also slated to be the catalist for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis program. This program seeks to develop the mostly 'greenfield' Badgerys Creek region into a major city in the Sydney Metropolitan area and is a crucial component of the 'Three Cities' Plan by the Greater Sydney Commission.

Timeline of Events
A timeline of key milestones in the selection and development of Western Sydney Airport is shown below. Future activities not yet completed at the time of writing are highlighted yellow.

Location Maps
Map showing the location of Western Sydney Airport with respect to Sydney Airport and the Sydney CBD.

Demand for Aviation Services
Access to aviation services is critical for passenger travel and high-value and time-critical freight. Passenger travel is essential to maintain Sydney as a centre of international commerce and as Australia's leading tourist destination.

There is a significant demand for aviation services in the Sydney basin across passenger travel, freight movement and general aviation which is forecast to grow into the future. The adjacent graph and figure below show the unconstrained demand for aviation services over the period 2010-2060, this assumes there are no capacity constrains in existence. It can be seen that the regular public transport (RPT) passenger demand is forecast to grow at approximately 3% per annum and will be approximately 310% of 2010 demand by 2060. Aircraft RPT movements are predicted to grow at 1.7% per annum and will be approximately 120% of 2010 demand by 2060. The comparatively slower rate of aircraft movement demand growth is due to the increasing average size of passenger aircraft over the period 2010-2060. It can be seen that the capacity of the aviation network must be sufficient to meet the increasing future demand, unless the existing facilities can be expanded this will require additional infrastructure to be developed.

Sydney Airport Capacity Constraints
An airport has existing on the the current Sydney Airport Mascot site since the Australian Commonwealth purchased the land to develop Mascot Aerodrome in 1923, with scheduled commercial flights commenced from 1924. The airport location presents physical constraints to the potential to increase the airports capacity to meet the forecast demand. The existing airport occupies a small site by comparison to international major airports and site expansion is limited by Botany Bay, Port Botany and general urban encroachment as shown in the adjacent figure. There is therefore limited land available to expand the landside facilities at Sydney Airport to provide the additional runway, taxiway and stand capacity required to increase the overall airport capacity.

The present day airport layout in terms of the runway, taxi and airport stand configuration is not considered contemporary best practice for optimum operating efficiency - in particular separation of the terminals on either side of the main runway and limitations on taxiways suitable for large aircraft use. The arrangement is reflective of the progressive development of the airport over time since the 1920's and the different aviation technologies that have been considered over this time frame. The airport has three runways, consisting of a main 3,962m north-south runway (16R/34L), a secondary 2,438m north-south runway (16L/34R) and one 2,530m east-west cross-wind runway (25/07) that bisects runway 34L. The two primary runways are design to facilitate parallel runway operations, meaning an aircraft can simultaneously take-off or land on each runway. The parallel runways have different limiting operational criteria and the shorter runway is typically restricted to servicing aircraft smaller than a Boeing B767. This creates a capacity imbalance between the two runways and reduces the ability to operate the parallel runway system efficiently - the longer runway handles approximately 66% of parallel runway operations. This limits the ability of the airport to increase passenger throughput through the use of larger aircraft, which is a key assumption in the forecast demand. Sydney Airport operates under a legislative movement cap and nightly curfew. The commonwealth imposed a restriction of 80 movements/hour on the maximum number of aircraft movements on opening of the parallel runway and a curfew that severely limits flight operations between the hours of 11pm - 6am. The legislation was designed to protect the local communities from increased airport operations, and primarily aircraft generated noise. The hourly aircraft movement cap is already reached during peak hours of operation. Airservices Australia determined that the maximum number of movements that could be sustainably maintained without the legislative cap would be approximately 85 movements per hour, and this may not be achievable in suboptimal weather conditions. When the cross-wind runway is in use the airport capacity is limited to approximately 70% of its normal capacity as it reduces the total number of runways in operation. 85 movements per hour is equivalent to 446,546 movements per year, and it can be seen from the demand table above that this capacity will be exceeded in the 2020's.

Sydney Airport is already operating at close to its peak capacity over certain times of the day. Capacity analysis identified that:

 * By 2020 all peak period weekday slots at Sydney Airport will be fully allocated (6am-12am, 4pm-7pm).
 * By approximately 2027 all slots at Sydney Airport will be fully allocated. New routes and airline entrants can only come at the expense of loss of an existing service.
 * By approximately 2035 there is limited scope for further growth of regular scheduled passenger services at Sydney Airport.

The demand and capacity analysis shows that unless there is an increase in airport capacity within the Sydney region the demand for airport related services will exceed the available supply. The adjacent graph shows the unsatisfied passenger RPT demand that would result should additional capacity not be provided once the capacity at Sydney Airport is exhausted. The cumulative unmet demand to the year 2060 is approximately equal to 665 million passengers and 3 million aircraft movements.

Community Considerations
Sydney Airport currently operates under a noise sharing policy which alternates approach and departure flight paths to provide noise respite to local residents. This mode of operation is only possible up to an hourly movement of approximately 55 aircraft per hour and after this threshold is reached full parallel runway operations are required to provide sufficient throughput capacity. As the number of flights increases at Sydney Airport the duration of time the threshold is breached will increase over time, limiting the periods of community respite. There is therefore likely to be increased community opposition and political pressure to limit future growth at Sydney Airport to mitigate the increasing noise impacts to the local community as the airport reaches capacity. The map below shows the number of suburbs within the typical departure (blue) and arrival (green) flight paths at Sydney Airport.

Economic Impacts
The identified shortfall in airport capacity will result in reduced economic growth, productivity & employment for both the Australian and local NSW economies. The forgone economic activity that would result from not meeting airport capacity demand would be $34bn forgone gross domestic product (GDP) by 2060 and 17,300 FTE jobs. The majority of this forgone potential would be borne by NSW with $17.3bn forgone gross state product (GSP) and 12,700 FTE positions.

Whilst delay in developing additional capacity in Sydney may benefit other Australian states, the majority of the lost investment opportunities would be lost to international markets, and the demand for passenger travel would be suppressed.

Improved Airport Access and Services
A lack of available slots with limit the growth of new services and additional frequencies at Sydney Airport. This will preclude Sydney from benefiting from the  growth of low cost international carriers and the increasing move towards point to point direct services to secondary markets. Developing additional airport capacity will allow passenger and freight airlines to introduce services without making cuts to existing schedules, and facilitate the entry of new carriers to the Sydney market that may not have been able to secure slots at the optimum time, during the currently highly subscribed peak hours.

Western Sydney currently has a population of over two million people, and is forecast to grow to three million by the mid 2030's; become home to approximately half of Sydney's population. Providing an airport in the western Sydney region will improve access to aviation services to the local population, who currently undertake less air travel than the Sydney average. A local airport in the region will save them the time and cost of travel to Sydney Airport which is subject to traffic congestion, high parking rates and an additional station access charge when using the airport train. This should remove barriers to air travel and reduce any inequality of access across the Sydney basin.

Location of a Second Sydney Airport
Proposals for a second airport in Sydney had been considered since the 1940s and between then and the present day, several sites have been considered as suitable locations. 80 sites within the Greater Sydney region have been evaluated for the location of the second airport, such as Badgerys Creek, Wilton, Galston, Richmond, Londonderry, Bringelly, Holsworthy, and Warnervale. Alternative proposals have even suggested locating a second airport out of the Sydney basin in locations such as the Southern Highlands, Newcastle, and Canberra. The Canberra proposal suggested that the airport could be connected to the Sydney CBD by high-speed rail which would allow travel times of 50 minutes between the cities.

However, in 2015 it was declared by the Federal Government that the commonwealth-owned land of Badgerys Creek was to be the site of the second airport. 1,700 hectares of land at Badgerys Creek had long been purchased by the Federal Government between 1986 and 1991 - and this land has remained Commonwealth land since. Badgerys Creek was selected as the most suitable location due to the little residential development at the area and its connection to Sydney's road network and rail links. Long-term planning restrictions have been placed on the site and surrounding area which protects the area from "incompatible urban development". The advantage of this site is that due to its low residential development, the airport will be curfew-free - a major competitive advantage over the main Kingsford Smith Airport; which currently has a curfew between 23:00 to 05:00. Flight paths are to fly over sparsely populated farmland - and so noise considerations are not a significant issue. Furthermore, the land to the north-west of the airport site has been zoned for industrial development (instead of residential), which further reduces the impact of noise from the airport.

The 2015 decision to locate Sydney's second airport in Badgerys Creek was not the first time that site had been considered. In 1964, the State Planning Authority (SPA) had placed a "No Development Zone" around Badgerys Creek for a period of 20 years to allow the state and federal governments adequate time to plan both the airport and the infrastructure serving it. In 1986, the Labor Federal Government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke had shortlisted Badgerys Creek and Wilton as the site for the second airport - where Badgerys Creek was later selected. The federal government began quickly acquiring land at Badgerys Creek in anticipation of this, however, in 1989, it was instead decided to increase the capacity of Sydney Kingsford Smith airport by constructing a third runway. It was not until the Liberal Federal Government led by Prime Minister John Howard that the idea of a second Sydney airport was revived - where sites in Holsworthy and Badgerys Creek were considered. In 1999, Badgerys Creek was reaffirmed as the proposed site of the second airport - but in 2000 the decision to not proceed with the second airport was made.

In 2012, the Labor Federal Government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard had conducted a joint study with the New South Wales State Government (then led by Premier Barry O'Farrell) another study for the construction of a second Sydney airport, and similar to the 1986 study by the Hawke led Government, Badgerys Creek and Wilton were the shortlisted options. Costs at either site were found to be similar, with estimations of $7 billion to $11 billion being required to construct an airport capable of accommodating international flights with all connecting infrastructure (i.e. train links, road access, etc.) being considered. Although costs were similar, Badgerys Creek was found to be the preferred option due to its closer proximity to Sydney. Despite this, the Gillard Federal Government still preferred the Wilton site for the second airport. However, the Liberal State Government were not in support of the Federal Government's plans for the construction of a second Sydney airport and were more in favour of a high-speed rail alternative.

Originally, local Western Sydney councils were in opposition of a second airport located in Western Sydney due to noise concerns. However, after a 2013 report from Cox Richardson Architects, it was found that only 2,913 homes would be impacted (moderately) by aircraft noise at Badgerys Creek due to the low urban density of the region. The same report also found the Western Sydney region would experience greater economic activity and benefits from a second airport in the region. Following this report, many of the local councils originally in opposition of the airport changed their position to be in favour.

The site will be 1,780 hectares (more than double the size of Kingsford Smith Airport). The proposal by the Federal Government for the new Western Sydney Airport project also include various infrastructure projects that aim to link the airport into the Sydney road and transport networks. This includes proposals to upgrade and build new sections of the M4 and M7 motorways as well as a proposal for a new Sydney Metro project (Sydney Metro Greater West).

However, the the selected site for the Western Sydney Airport is not without criticism. One criticism is that the infrastructure proposals to link Greater Sydney with the airport may cause additional congestion to the already congested M4, M5, and M7 motorways. Another criticism is that the orientation of the proposed runway is pointed directly towards a Warragamba Dam water storage site - meaning that this facility is located directly under the flight path. There is concern that aircraft fuel waste may pollute this water storage site.

Flight Paths
As of 2020, the flight paths for the new airport are currently under development. However, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications of the Australian Federal Government have released indicative flight paths for aircraft operations in both the 23 Direction (i.e. landing from north-east and departing to the south-west) and the 05 Direction (i.e. landing from the south-west and departing to the north-east). Flight paths first entered development in 2017 and will be finalised in 2024. It was estimated that only 2,913 homes would be moderately impacted by noise from aircraft activity at the airport due to its location in "greenfields" in Sydney's greater west. Maps of indicative flight paths for the Western Sydney Airport by the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications are presented in the figures below.

The 'Western Sydney Aerotropolis' Concept

The New South Wales Government is also planning the development of new suburbs, employment opportunities, and a new business district to be built in the Badgerys Creek and surrounding areas following the construction of the new airport. This program is known as the "Western Sydney Aerotropolis". The Western Sydney Aerotropolis fits into the greater plan by the Greater Sydney Commission for the "Three Cities" plan. The goal of the "Three Cities" plan is for the "30-minute city" where people live, work, and have access to schools, health, and other services all within a 30 minute journey. The "Three Cities" was first unveiled to the public in 2019 and plan seeks to plan, develop, and grow the greater Sydney area centred around three different cities or CBDs. These are:

 * 1) The Eastern Harbour City - The original city of Sydney centred at Sydney Harbour. This city will serve the Eastern Suburbs, Inner-West, the Northern Beaches, and southern suburbs of Greater Sydney. This city will focus on financial services, financial technology (FinTech) services, health, and education.
 * 2) The Central River City - The new business district centred on the Greater Parramatta and Olympic Park district. This city will serve the central portion of Greater Sydney, including Parramatta, Canterbury, Blacktown, Rhodes, and the Northwest. This city will focus on health, education, administration, finance, and business services.
 * 3) Western Parkland City - The new city to be developed around the new Western Sydney Airport. This city will serve the far-western portions of Greater Sydney, including Macarthur, Badgerys Creek, and the Greater Penrith region. This city will focus on trade, logistics, advanced manufacturing, health, education, and science.

Several Western Sydney councils saw the new airport in the region as an opportunity to improve the economic capabilities of the area. PwC was commissioned by Liverpool City Council to develop a report to investigate and outline the key economic benefits that they could benefit from the new airport. This report was published in November 2017. The report found that due to the 24-hour operations of the new Western Sydney Airport, it has the potential to become a "nationally significant airfreight hub". It was estimated that in addition to the 11,000 jobs that could be created during the construction of the new airport, a further 28,000 "direct and indirect" jobs could be created by the early 2030s. Furthermore, the long-term estimate for new jobs in the area surrounding Western Sydney Airport is 120,000. PwC reccommended that the initial 5 kilometre radius surrounding the airport be dedicated to industry and manufacture due to the loud noises that would be produced by the aircraft - and develop the land greater than 5 kilometres from the airport for business and residential. The report identified four key opportunity industry areas that Western Sydney Airport could and should aim to achieve to maximise the economic benefit it provides to Western Sydney :

 * 1) Logistics and Distribution - Due to Western Sydney Airport's 24-hour operation, it is believed that logistic and distribution businesses may locate around it. Furthermore, due to the lack of appropriate and affordable land surrounding Kingsford Smith Airport, many logistics and distribution businesses are scattered across Sydney. The greenfield land surrounding the new airport may be attractive for these businesses to relocate to and new businesses to start up. Therefore, PwC reccommended that a "logistics hub" be created around the airport to facilitate the growing demand of airfreight distribution.
 * 2) Advanced Food Manufacturing and Exportation - Perishable foods require fast, direct transportation due to their short product lifespan. The new Western Sydney airport could serve as a hub for food manufacturing and exportation businesses to quickly and efficiently distribute goods to consumers both domestically and internationally. The report also suggested the possibility for the clustering and aggregation of food manufacturing through a dedicated food precinct near the airport so that value-adding processing of food products can also be efficiently performed. This would not only allow the reduction of transportation costs, but also allow collaboration between different food manufacturers to add value to their products due to their close proximity.
 * 3) Defence and Aerospace - The New South Wales government has already envisaged the creation of a defence and aerospace hub at Western Sydney Airport that aims to attract businesses of all sizes specialising in the manufacturing and maintenance of aircraft and equipment. The clustering of these businesses within close proximity of the new airport opens up opportunities for the industry through increased export partners and markets, better connections between prime contractors and equipment manufacturers, new training and skills development, and better research and development opportunities with Western Sydney universities.
 * 4) Tourism - Due to the greater numbers of passengers travelling through Western Sydney from the new airport, there is great opportunity for these passengers to boost the tourism economy of the region. Accommodation businesses (e.g. hotels, motels, etc.) could benefit from overnight passengers arriving and departing from Western Sydney Airport - which could create new job opportunities for the area. Furthermore, there may be increased demand for tourist spots in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains area from the increased number of overnight passengers travelling through the area.Sydney_Metro_Greater_West.png

In December 2019, the New South Wales government unveiled the first phase of the development of the Aerotropolis by zoning and dividing it into 10 precincts. The first three precincts were identified as "Aerotropolis Core", "Northern Gateway", and "South Creek". It is expected the Aerotropolis Core will deliver 60,000 jobs and 8,000 homes. Similarly, the Northern Gateway is expected to deliver 22,500 jobs and 3,400 homes. South Creek will be zoned to deliver public space, hospitality, community facilities rather than residential housing due to aircraft noise and flooding concerns.

In addition to the creation of a new city, Western Sydney Airport is also expected to benefit the 'edge cities' located within the sphere of influence of the new airport. These edge cities include Liverpool, Penrith, Fairfield, Campbelltown, and Camden. As the development of the new aerotropolis requires extensive investment and construction and will continue far into the 2030s, there is potential for the edge cities to capture some of the benefits in the early years of operation of the airport. During the development of the aerotropolis, the commercial sectors of the edge cities, such as retail, hospitality, and accommodation, are expected to benefit as new residents and workers require those services. Furthermore, due to the edge cities' location midway between the new aerotropolis and the existing Sydney and Parramatta CBDs, they may benefit from some businesses opting to position their headquarters there so that they can better serve the greater Sydney area. Liverpool for example, is located roughly halfway between Western Sydney Airport and Kingsford Smith Airport, and may thus be an attractive location for businesses who wish to maintain freight operations between both airports.

The success of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis depends significantly on the transport structure of the region. The 'Western Sydney City Deal' serves as the catalyst for the transport infrastructure of the aerotropolis and in achieving the goal of making this new region into a "30 minute city". As part of the Western Sydney City Deal, there is a plan to deliver the Sydney Metro Greater West into the region. Stage 1 of Sydney Metro Greater West aims to deliver a connection between the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Saint Marys - which then connects onto the Sydney Trains network. Further stages of expansion of Sydney Metro Greater West are currently under investigation with options including a connection to Sydney Metro North West (at Schofields), a connection to Sydney Metro West (at Westmead) or a connection to the Sydney Trains network at Macarthur.

However, the concept of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis is not without criticism. One such criticism is that a high-activity city centred around an airport will lead to further greenhouse emissions and noise pollution. The aviation industry is one of the leading industries in carbon-dioxide emissions, and boosting the economic demand for such airlines will further increase carbon emissions. Furthermore, critics raise the question as to whether there will be a demand for people to live near an airport due to noise concerns. Further criticism is laid to the proposed layout layout of Sydney Metro Greater West, which runs in a north-south direction connecting the Aerotropolis with Saint Marys. The decision to develop the metro in this fashion was in part to achieve the "30 minute city" goal of the Western Parklands region. However, this layout connects poorly with the Greater Sydney region and offers poor transfer connection between Western Sydney Airport and Kingsford Smith Airport. If such a passenger wished to transfer between both airports on the rail network, it would require them to use three different train lines. In addition, for a passenger to travel between Western Sydney Airport and the Sydney CBD, it may take them over an hour on the train. This can impact the tourism benefit of the new airport, as many tourists may opt to use Kingsford Smith Airport instead.

Airport Developer & Operator
Sydney Airport was privatised by the Commonwealth government in 2002, the sale to the Sydney Airport Group included a 30-year right of first refusal to develop and operate any new airport development within 100km of Mascot. The government issued a Notice of Intent (NoI) to the Sydney Airport Group in December 2016 to develop Western Sydney Airport Plan Stage 1, featuring a terminal capable of handling up to 10 million domestic and international passengers a year with a single 3,700m long by 60m wide runway. Sydney Airport Group rejected the NoI on the basis that the development did not meet its investment criteria. The government had already indicated that it was willing to fund and operate the airport and established Western Sydney Airport to deliver and operate the development. State investment can be made on different assumptions and priorities than by the private sector. As a significant piece of state infrastructure the new airport will be a catalysts for new jobs both at the airport, and in aviation related industries and organisations establishing in the vicinity of the development. Whilst a private operator can only make a return on the airport revenues the state can benefit from the additional payroll and corporate tax revenue. There is also the potential sale revenue if the airport is privatised in the future, similar to other mature infrastructure asset sales including Sydney Airport and Port Botany.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) identified that consumers and airlines would benefit if the new Western Sydney Airport was separately owned from Sydney Airport as an independent owner would be incentivised to compete with the existing airport, rather than limit investment to maximise returns at Sydney Airport. Introducing competition to the Sydney aviation market should improve the quality of service and provide price control across the different aviation products available, which include passenger travel, freight logistics, and general aviation.

Case Narrative
The timeline shows that the investigations into the need for additional airport capacity and potential airport locations first commenced in 1976. Over the subsequent 63 years both Federal and State government initiated studies to re-investigate both the need for, and potential location of, a second airport for Sydney. Badgerys Creek was generally the preferred location proposed by a majority of the studies, and this was the conclusion for the most recent Joint Study on Aviation Capacity for the Sydney Region study in 2012 which has formed the basis for the current Western Sydney Airport development.

Demand forecasting shows a sustained increase in required aviation services over the period 2010-2060 across all passenger travel, freight logistics, general aviation and military aviation. Capacity modelling demonstrated that Sydney Airport will be at operational capacity by 2037 and cannot expand to meet the increased demand due to a combination of physical and legislative constraints relating to the existing airports urban location.

If additional aviation capacity is not provided to meet demand the national and state economies will forgo significant economic growth opportunities of up to $34bn GDP and 17,300 FTE jobs. The majority of this forgone economic activity will be displaced to international markets rather than competing interstate regions.

Within the sale of the existing Sydney Airport the Commonwealth government included provisions for the private operator to maintain first right of refusal to develop and operate any new airports within 100km. The private operator rejected this right and the Commonwealth government established a state entity to develop and operate the airport. An additional provider of aviation services in the Sydney region should promote competition between the two airports, improving quality for consumers and encourage market controls on pricing power.

Discussion Questions
The following questions will be discussed as a class activity:

 * Does Sydney need a second airport?
 * Should the government remove the movement cap and curfew on the existing Sydney Airport to increase capacity?
 * What are the benefits and risks of developing to meet unconstrained demand?

 * Is Badgerys Creek the best location for a second airport?
 * What other locations could be considered?
 * Is additional infrastructure required to make the location work?
 * Will the Aerotropolis concept be successful?
 * What are the success and/or failure factors?
 * Where else has this concept been used?
 * Should the airport be publicly or privately owned and operated?
 * How might development and operation of Western Sydney Airport differ if Sydney Airport Group had exercised their right of first refusal?
 * What are the benefits of competition?


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Cookbook:Algerian Mint Tea

 * Beverages | Cuisine of Algeria

Algerian Mint Tea (أتاي جزائري, Atay Djazairi) is an Algerian drink. Mint tea is a popular drink all over North Africa and its preparation varies from one country to another. Algerian Mint Tea is prepared by boiling dried green tea and fresh mint leaves in water and sugar. It is poured in small glass cups from very high to allow the hot water to oxygenate, the tea to develop its aromas and to obtain a fine foam on top of the drink.

Ingredients

 * 2 tsp of dried green tea (optional)
 * 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
 * 10 sugar cubes (optional)
 * Water

Procedure

 * 1) Boil water in a saucepan.
 * 2) Put 2 tsp of dried green tea in the teapot.
 * 3) Pour half a glass of boiling water into the teapot, stir and then empty the water to rinse the tea and get rid of its sour aftertaste.
 * 4) Fill the teapot with boiling water and then add the fresh mint leaves, which should have been rinsed carefully beforehand.
 * 5) Add the sugar cubes to the teapot then leave it on low to medium heat for a few minutes.
 * 6) The tea is ready when the water comes to a boil.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cookbook:Algerian Mint Tea


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Cookbook:Kesra (Algerian Semolina Flatbread)

| Bread | Algerian Cuisine

Kesra (كسرة) is an Algerian bread made of fine grains of semolina. It is also called aghroum and ftir.

Ingredients

 * 450 g fine semolina
 * 1 tbsp salt
 * 240 g warm water
 * 30 g sunflower oil

Procedure

 * 1) Combine the semolina and salt in a mixing bowl.
 * 2) Add the oil and mix everything to obtain a sand-like texture.
 * 3) Gradually add water by kneading the dough to incorporate it well for about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it is well collected and no longer sticks to the edges of the bowl or to your hands.
 * 4) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
 * 5) Divide the dough into small parts of around 190 g (normally 4 for this recipe).
 * 6) Using a rolling pin, roll out the pieces while keeping a round shape.
 * 7) Delicately prick the kesra all over with a fork.
 * 8) Cook each kesra using a griddle or frying pan for about 4–5 minutes on both sides.


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Cookbook:Mazagran (Algerian Iced Coffee)

 * Beverages | Cuisine of Algeria

Mazagran (مزغران), also called Café Mazagran, is an iced coffee from Algeria. Often deemed the original iced coffee, mazagran originated from a city in Algeria with the same name. It is said that the drink was created by French colonial troops while in captivity in Mazagran Fortress. After they were freed, the French soldiers introduced the drink to Parisian cafés, where the beverage became trendy for some time. However, these days, the consumption of Mazagran in both Algeria and France is considerably rare.

Ingredients

 * Ice cubes
 * 1 cup brewed black coffee
 * Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
 * Sugar or other sweetener
 * 1 lemon slice or wedge (optional)

Procedure

 * 1) Fill a tall, narrow glass with the ice cubes.
 * 2) Pour the coffee over the ice.
 * 3) Add the lemon juice and sugar to taste.
 * 4) Add the lemon slice or wedge as a final touch if desired.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * In some recipes, a sugar syrup is poured into the glass first, then a mixture of water and lemon juice is gently and carefully added afterwards so that the two ingredients don't mix. Ice cubes and black coffee are added later with a sprinkle of lemon zest.
 * Some European variations suggest adding rum.


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Ceramicware Defects Handbook/Colour variation

Defects Description
The tonal of the underglaze decorations shown has shown significant differences where the colour reproductions are differs from batch to batch

Causes & Solutions

 * Glazes
 * Solutions: Original colour batch are fired alongside with new colour batch to see if there are differences between these two batches. Repeat the test in glazed ware, if there are differences noted, the problem are highly possible resides with glazes used. For examples, low solubility glazes may give brighter colour response but take note that low solubility glazes differ from each other. Potclays 2204 glaze may give superior colour response compared to Potclays 2205 glaze.

 * Underglazes coating are too thinly applied
 * Solutions: If too thinly applied the colour may changed for example from brown to gray

 * Differences in firing temperatures
 * Solutions: Pigment colours that contain selenium, cadmium, copper will burn away at elevated temperatures.

 * Sulphur trioxide chemicals may affect colours (browning of chroma green)


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User:Efta Noor

All successful is here.

title: User:Efta Noor


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History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/Alexander Kyle Lawton

Alexander Kyle Lawton was a well known early wireless experimenter in the period before WW1. He was a member of the brief lived Wireless Institute of Queensland, and continued his interest through the Queensland Wireless Institute post WW1, holding several official positions, ultimately appointed president in the mid 1920s. He was a contemporary of Edward Gustavus Campbell Barton and was a member of the Queensland Electrical Association with Barton in the 1890s. He was tutored through his engineering diploma by no less than John Hesketh. He was originally a mechanic with the Qld Posts and Telegraphs, transitioning into the Commonwealth Postmaster-General's Department upon federation. He left the public service in the early 1920s and was employed by, and eventually a major shareholder in Amico. Queensland's Wireless Broadcasting Committee, which funded the re-establishment of 4CM pending the establishment of 4QG, was first promoted by Lawton, then funded significantly by Amico. When that firm was liquidated in the late 1920s, he took a number of sales and managerial roles. The amateur radio community tends to overlook the role played by the several prominent persons associated with the Queensland Wireless Institute. However Lawnton and his contemporaries played a major factor in the transition from wireless experimenting to the hobby of amateur radio. A summary biography has not yet been prepared however the following resources have been assembled in preparation:
 * Transcriptions and Notes - Alexander Kyle Lawton - More than 50 transcriptions and notes
 * Photos, QSL cards and other graphics - Alexander Kyle Lawton - Nothing uploaded as yet

Draft Article Framework
1887 06 11 - Albert Lawton living in Albion, Brisbane per Funeral notice for his sister Alice Lawton

1902 09 29 - Lawton commences with PMGD as Messenger

1909 12 04 - Lawton relocates to Toowoomba from Brisbane, PMGD position still Junior Instrument Fitter

1911 01 31 - Lawton resigns from the public service (Toowoomba position)

1912 07 08 - Lawton marries Nellie Brook in Brisbane, returns to live in Toowoomba.

1913 12 29 - Lawton returns to public service, appointed as Mechanic following exam and probation.

1918 11 30 - Lawton resigns from the PMGD and the public service.

1922 03 22 - Lawton transfers as salesman with Paramount Film Service from Brisbane to Sydney

1933 10 26 - Lawton's father living in Brisbane, per Funeral Notice for Lawton's uncle Herbert


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History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/Alexander Kyle Lawton/Notes

1925 May
Biography of Lawton as President of WIAQ, barely a mention of amateur radio "President of the Wireless Enthusiasts. Queenslander Who Moved With the Times. Alexander Kyle Lawton, who fought his way through a course of electrical engineering at the Brisbane Technical College, in the days when that institution was housed in Ann-street, found the paths of electrical progress anything but smooth in those days. Notwithstanding, he obtained the college's diploma. 'When a lad wanted a dynamo then, he had to make one. Now, if he wants one, he can go out and buy one,' says Mr. Lawton, in retrospective mood. But the laurels that are hardly won are always the sweetest, and the newiy-elected president of the Wireless Institute of Australia can look back upon, as well as forward to, a most successful career. And Mr. Lawton does not forget that he owes a great part of his success to the late John Hesketh, Chief Commonwealth Electrical Engineer, who coached him privately. To his credit, must it be stated, that many large installations have been carried out under Mr. Lawton's supervision in the Toowoomba and Warwick districts. He also held a position in the electrical engineering branch of the P.M.G.'s Department for 14 years. During this time he received a complete training in telephony and telegraphy, which gave him a grounding for the position which he later accepted as manager of the electrical department attached to Paramount Pictures. When this company ceased operations in the electrical field in Queensland, Mr. Lawton was transferred to Sydney as their assistant sales manager for Australia, and at a later date accepted a position with Amico Ltd. (Sydney), and was with this company until the new Queensland company was formed, when he treked back to his native city, as a director. For four years past he has been connected with the Wireless institute of Australia, and has held office during the whole time, and is now the president."

1887 06
Funeral notice for Lawton's aunt Alice Lawton "FUNERAL NOTICE.— The Friends of Mr. ALBERT LAWTON are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of his deceased Sister, Alice; to move from his residence, Albion, TOMORROW (Sunday) AFTERNOON, at 3 o'clock, for the Lutwyche Ceme-tery. W. H. HANCOCK & CO., Undertakers, Petrie Bight; and Stanley street, South Brisbane."

1907 01
Lawton sits for examination for appointment Junior Assistant Engineer, PMGD "Commonwealth of Australia. PUBLIC SERVICE EXAMINATION, No. 58. For Appointment as Junior Assistant Engineer, Professional Division, Class F, Electrical Branch, Postmaster-General's Department, Brisbane. THE following candidates have signified their intention of being examined herein:— Burnham, Jas. Win.; Burke, Wm. Jas. Treacy; Foott, Arthur Patrick; Fox, Francis Andrew; Hanify, Gerald Page; Lawton, Alexander Kyle; Palmer, John Wm.; Synnott, Herbert Thos. D. C. McLACHLAN, Commissioner. FRANCIS REDDIN, Secretary. Melbourne, 2nd January, 1907."

1909 12
Lawton transfer at level (Junior Instrument Fitter) from Brisbane to Toowoomba "Postmaster-General's Department, 1st December, 1909. THE following staff changes in the Postmaster-General's Department have been approved, in accordance with the provisions of the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902 and Regulations thereunder, namely:— . . . QUEENSLAND. . . W. Smith, Telephone Attendant, Townsville, to be Junior Instrument Fitter, Grade I., Electrical Engineer's Branch, Brisbane, with present salary, vice Lawton, transferred. . . . A. K. Lawton, Junior Instrument Fitter, Grade II., Electrical Engineer's Branch, Brisbane, to be Junior Instrument Fitter, Grade II., Toowoomba, with present salary."

1911 02
Lawton resigns from the public service "COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE. Melbourne, 22nd February, 1911. THE following notifications respecting staff changes are made in accordance with the Commonwealth Public Service Act and Regulations thereunder:— . . . POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT 15th February, 1911. Ex. Mins. 35, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, T.49. . . Services Terminated. . . . Alexander Kyle Lawton, Junior Mechanic, Toowoomba, from 31st January, 1911 (resigned)."

1912 07
Marriage Notice for Lawton "MARRIAGES. . . . LAWTON — BROOK.— On July 8th, at St. Mark's Church Albion, by the Rev. Canon Osborn, Alexander Kyle Lawton, of Toowoomba, to Sarah Ellen (Nellie), eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Brook, 'Thebberton,' Laidlaw-parade, East Brisbane."

Detailed report of the marriage of Lawton and "Nellie" Brook "WOMAN'S WORLD. (Continued.) WEDDINGS. . . . Lawton — Brook. St. Mark's, Albion, was the scene of a pretty wedding on Monday, July 8, the bridegroom being Mr. Alexander Kyle Lawton (Toowoomba) and the bride Miss Ellen (Nellie) Brook, (Shebbarton, Laidlaw Parade, East Brisbane). The Rev. Canon Osborn officiated. The church was prettily decorated by the bride's friends with silver wattle blossoms and asparagus plumosus. The bride, who was given away by her brother (Mr. W. E. Brook), wore a gown of paillette, with handsome beaded yoke and trimming. The beautiful veil and wreath of orange blossoms were lent by a friend. The bride also wore a dainty gold bracelet, and carried a shower bouquet (gifts from the bridegroom). Misses May Brook (sister) and Minnie Dulley acted as bridesmaids. They wore beautiful lace frocks over silk with underdresses of champagne colour, and large satin hats to harmonise. Their bouquets were composed of cream roses, wattle, and asparagus plumosus, with champagne-coloured streamers, and were gifts from the bridegroom. To the chief bridesmaid the bridegroom also gave a pretty gold brooch set with amethysts, and to the second bridesmaid, a fine gold chain. Mr. E. Lawton acted as best man. Motor cars conveyed the bridal party from the church to the Cafe Majestic, where a dainty breakfast was served, and the usual toasts honoured. Only relatives and immediate friends were present. On leaving for their future home at Toowoomba the bride wore a coal and skirt of navy blue serge and a hat to harmonise. Many handsome and useful presents were received, including several cheques. The Rev. Canon Osborn officiated at the marriage of the bride's parents, 28 years ago."

1914 03
Lawton excels in examination for Junior Mechanics to qualify as Mechanics '''COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE. Examination No. 483.''' To enable Junior Mechanics to Qualify tor Promotion as Mechanic. Held 20th December, 1913, to 17th February, 1914. The following are the names, in alphabetical order, of the candidates in the several States who were successful at the above Examination. Candidates were required to undergo the Practical Tests, but were allowed the choice of the remaining sections of the examination, viz., Oral Examination or Written Examination; but a candidate who at a previous examination passed in any section was allowed exemption from further Examination in that section. To pass the Examination a candidate was required to secure at least 180 of the 300 marks allotted to the Practical Tests, and at least 300 of the 500 marks available for the whole Examination; or, where exempted from any section, 60 per cent. of the marks allotted to the section in which he was examined. . . . QUEENSLAND.
 * Name: Lawton, Alexander Kyle
 * Practical Tests: 244 (Max. 300, first in Qld, fourth in Australia)
 * Oral Examination: N/A (Max. 200)
 * Written Examination: 93 (Max. 200)

1914 07
Lawton's period of probation extended by 6 months from 29 June 1914 "COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE. Melbourne, 10th July, 1914. THE following notifications respecting staff changes, &c., are made in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Act and Regulations:— . . . POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT. Ex. Mins. Nos. 360, 362, 364, 365, 368, 369, 370. . . . Queensland. . . . Extension of Probation. . . . Alexander Kyle Lawton, Mechanic, Electrical Engineer's Branch (Mechanical, Telephone Workshop), six months from 29th June, 1914."

1915 01
Lawton passes his extended probation and again appointed a permanent member of the public service, now as Mechanic, effective 29 Dec 1913 "COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE. Melbourne, 29th January, 1915. THE following notifications respecting staff changes, &c., are made in accordance with the Commonwealth Public Service Act and Regulations thereunder:— . . . POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT. Ex. Mins. Nos. 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36. . . . Queensland. Appointments Confirmed. . . . Alexander Kyle Lawton, Mechanic, Electrical Engineer's Branch, from 29th December, 1913."

1918 12
Lawton resigns from the public service, effective 30 November 1918 "COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE. Melbourne, 18th December, 1918. THE undermentioned notifications of staff changes, &c., are made in accordance with the Commonwealth Public Service Act and Regulations:— . . . POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.- Ex. Mins. Nos. 425, 426, 427, 429. Queensland. . . . Services Terminated.— Resignations — James Warren, Telegraph Messenger, Telegraph Branch, Brisbane, from 14th November, 1918; Alexander Kyle Lawton, Mechanic, Electrical Engineer's Branch (Telephone Workshop), from 30th November, 1918; Frederick James Duve, Messenger (in training), Telegraph Branch, from 18th November, 1918; Nathaniel Benjamin Weber, Assistant, Electrical Engineer's Branch, Brisbane, from 18th November, 1918."

1922 03
Lawton transfers as salesman with Paramount Film Service from Brisbane to Sydney Personalities.. . . Mr. A. K. Lawton, the very popular salesman of Paramount Film Service in Brisbane, will be missed by a large circle of exhibitors who do business with that firm in the northern capital. What is their loss is the other fellow’s gain, for Mr. Lawton has just been transferred to headquarters, where he should still further enhance his business reputation.

1925 05
Biography of Lawton as President of WIAQ, barely a mention of amateur radio "President of the Wireless Enthusiasts. Queenslander Who Moved With the Times. Alexander Kyle Lawton, who fought his way through a course of electrical engineering at the Brisbane Technical College, in the days when that institution was housed in Ann-street, found the paths of electrical progress anything but smooth in those days. Notwithstanding, he obtained the college's diploma. 'When a lad wanted a dynamo then, he had to make one. Now, if he wants one, he can go out and buy one,' says Mr. Lawton, in retrospective mood. But the laurels that are hardly won are always the sweetest, and the newiy-elected president of the Wireless Institute of Australia can look back upon, as well as forward to, a most successful career. And Mr. Lawton does not forget that he owes a great part of his success to the late John Hesketh, Chief Commonwealth Electrical Engineer, who coached him privately. To his credit, must it be stated, that many large installations have been carried out under Mr. Lawton's supervision in the Toowoomba and Warwick districts. He also held a position in the electrical engineering branch of the P.M.G.'s Department for 14 years. During this time he received a complete training in telephony and telegraphy, which gave him a grounding for the position which he later accepted as manager of the electrical department attached to Paramount Pictures. When this company ceased operations in the electrical field in Queensland, Mr. Lawton was transferred to Sydney as their assistant sales manager for Australia, and at a later date accepted a position with Amico Ltd. (Sydney), and was with this company until the new Queensland company was formed, when he treked back to his native city, as a director. For four years past he has been connected with the Wireless institute of Australia, and has held office during the whole time, and is now the president."

1933 10
Funeral Notice for Lawton's uncle Herbert "Mr. H. Lawton. After a protracted illness Mr. Herbert Lawton, of Jane Street, West End, died yesterday at the age of 62 years. Mr. Lawton was born at Hulme, England, coming to Australia when he was about 19 years of age. He settled in Brisbane, first in Leichhardt Street, where he conducted a mixed business, and later at West End. For about 30 years he was well known in the theatrical world, being the treasurer, until recently, of the Australian Theatrical and Amusement Association. He was also treasurer of the Ionic Lodge and a member of the Loyal United Brothers Lodge of the M.U.I.O.O.F. He is survived by his widow, one son, Mr. John Lawton, of Wilston, and one daughter, Mrs. F. Smith, of Windsor. A brother, Mr. Albert Lawton, and a sister, Mrs. H. Jones, also reside in Brisbane. The funeral will move from the funeral parlour at 4 o'clock this afternoon for the Toowong Cemetery."


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Scribbling On Regardless/Making a BoomBuddy

In this tutorial we'll show you how to make and decorate your very own BOOM buddy. If you've got a printer, you can print out the template below. If you don't have a printer, then you can also trace the template by placing a piece of paper up against the screen - but be very careful not to damage the screen! (You might need an adult to help with that. If you are an adult, don't get pen on the screen...)

Materials you'll need for your BOOM buddy

 * Boom buddy template (see below)
 * Glue
 * Scissors
 * Coloured pens or pencils

Instructions
Watch our video for a step-by-step guide

 * 1) Print out your BOOM buddy - we've got 2 sizes to choose from...
 * 2) Colour in your BOOM buddy - decorate them however you'd like!  They could have rainbows & smiley faces, or maybe they're a robot or a friendly monster?
 * 3) Cut out along the solid lines. (Not the dotted ones!)
 * 4) Fold along the dotted lines.
 * 5) Glue the tabs to the inside of the BOOM buddy.
 * 6) Glue the arm pieces to the sides
 * 7) Decorate!  Does your BOOM buddy need a hat?  Are they carrying anything?  What are they called?

BOOM buddy templates - click to expand

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text:
Cookbook:Algerian Lemonade

 * Beverages | Cuisine of Algeria

Algerian lemonade (شربات, Lemon Cherbet) is a refreshing Algerian drink. The drink's name differs depending on the various names for lemon throughout Algeria (Cherbet Elkarass, Cherbet Lim, Cherbet Laymoun). It is generally called Cherbet or Citronnade Algérienne and it usually served during in Algeria.

Ingredients

 * 5–6 lemons
 * 3 tbsp milk
 * 4 tbsp orange blossom water
 * 150 g white granulated sugar
 * 1.5 L water
 * Ice cubes (optional)
 * Mint (optional)
 * Slices of lemon (optional)

Procedure

 * 1) Zest one lemon, stop before reaching the white part of the lemon and reserve for later.
 * 2) Slice one lemon and reserve for later.
 * 3) Press the rest of the lemons to obtain lemon juice and reserve for later.
 * 4) Pour half a litre of water into a saucepan, add the lemon slices and sugar, and let it boil on medium heat. Turn off the heat and let it cool down completely.
 * 5) In a jug, add water, lemon zest, orange blossom water, milk, and lemon juice. Mix well.
 * 6) Add your mixture into a clean bottle, add the remaining water and cooled down lemon juice from the saucepan. Close the bottle and shake well.
 * 7) Transfer the drink to a pitcher, and let it cool in the fridge.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Vanilla extract is added to Boufarik's version of Cherbet.

title: Cookbook:Algerian Lemonade


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Swahili/Verbs/General

General Structure
Verbs in general consist of a stem which is flexed mostly by adding affixes. Different types of affixes serve different functions. The following shows the most basic and important categories of affixes. Regular/native verbs end in "-a". Those that do not usually have their origin in another language.

Subject Prefixes (personal)
Subject prefixes are (when used) in the first position. They indicate the acting subject (in this case the person) of the sentence.

For subjects other than persons the respective prefix of the corresponding Noun Class is used, which will be introduced in Nouns.

Negating Prefixes (personal)
For each subject prefix there exists another corresponding prefix which use negates the whole sentence. The regular negated form adds "H(a)-" in front of the respective positive subject prefix. (Note that if the prefix begins with a vowel, only an "H-" is added, omitting the "-a-".)

Personal Pronouns
These prefixes render personal pronouns obsolete except for cases in which one wants to emphasize on the subject.

Example: Mimi sipendi (I do not like)

Tense/TENS
After a subject prefix follows a infix, called the TENS-marker, that marks the tense or other mode (for example the conditional) of the verb.

Infinitive
The infinitive is built by simply adding the prefix "ku-" to the stem of the verb.

Example: Ku-fanya (To do)

(Technically this is its own Noun Class.)

Present
Example: Ni-na-fanya (I do/I am doing)

Other Tenses

 * Present (+Habitual)
 * Past (Simple Past and Past Perfect)
 * Future
 * Imperative
 * Subjunctive
 * Participle

Others
Other infixes and modifier contain

 * "Already"
 * Passive
 * Object
 * Conditional
 * Relative
 * Locative
 * Single Syllable

title: Swahili/Verbs/General


text:
Talk:Swahili/Verbs/General

Examples
I especially want to have a tabular structure for examples to the prefixes. I am just not very sure whether they should go in the same table, or in an additional table right below. No ch333 (discuss • contribs) 15:54, 4 April 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Swahili/Verbs/General


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Cookbook:Habet Hlawa (Algerian Anise Beverage)

 * Beverages | Cuisine of AlgeriaAnise syrup (حبة حلاوة, habet hlawa) is an Algerian drink.

Ingredients

 * 1 cup anise seeds
 * 12 dl water
 * Sugar

Procedure

 * 1) Pour water into a saucepan, add anise seeds, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
 * 2) Turn off the heat, cover, and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
 * 3) Filter out the seeds.
 * 4) Add the sugar as desired, and bring to boil again over medium heat. Simmer until the syrup drips into a thin stream.
 * 5) Filter a second time.
 * 6) Let it cool and bottle. Serve with very cold sparkling or still water according to preference.


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Template:TemplateStyles/Oberon/styles.css

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/* Set defaults for pre element */ pre {	font-family: monospace, monospace; font-size: 75%; line-height:1.25; background-color: white; border: none; padding: 0; overflow: hidden; }


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Cookbook:Cherbet Meliana (Algerian Cherry Beverage)

 * Beverages | Cuisine of Algeria

Cherbet Meliana (شربات مليانة) is a refreshing Algerian drink. As the name indicates, the drink originates from Meliana, a town located in Aïn Defla Province, northwestern Algeria, where it is considered a traditional drink. The consumption of the drink has considerably ceased due to the decrease of production of cherries in the region.

Ingredients

 * 1 kg of sugar cubes
 * 1 glass of warm water
 * 1 glass of pressed cherry juice
 * 1 tsp of broken cherry pits

Procedure

 * 1) Mix sugar cubes with warm water. Add cherry juice and broken pits.
 * 2) Bring to a boil over high heat while skimming until the syrup drips into a thin stream.
 * 3) Remove from heat and strain. Bottle. Serve with sparkling or still water.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * This beverage can also be prepared with lemon, grape, or pomegranate juice.


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Cookbook:Lekhchef (Algerian Raisin Drink)

 * Beverages | Cuisine of Algeria

Lekhchef (الخشاف) is a refreshing Algerian drink from Constantine.

Ingredients

 * 1 L water
 * 2 cinnamon sticks
 * 150 g raisins, rinsed well
 * Sugar to taste
 * Orange blossom water
 * Rose water

Procedure

 * 1) Combine the water and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
 * 2) Add the raisins to the boiling water, and simmer over low heat.
 * 3) Sweeten drink to taste with sugar, and stir over very low heat to dissolve sugar.
 * 4) Remove from the heat, remove the cinnamon sticks, and let the drink completely cool down.
 * 5) Flavour with orange blossom water and rose water.
 * 6) Put the beverage in the refrigerator and serve very cold with or without raisins.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * If you decide to blend the final mixture, do not add sugar, as your drink might end up too sweet.


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Professionalism/The Rise and Fall of the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council

= Factors Leading to the Creation of the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council =

Bias in AI
Bias in AI is the tendency of AI models to perpetuate human biases that lead to unfair decisions. There are multiple ways in which this manifests, including Interaction bias, Latent bias, and Selection bias. Interaction bias refers to bias that is picked up from users interacting with the algorithm. Latent bias refers to bias stemming unintended correlations made by AI algorithms, an example being AI correlating the term "doctor" with men because of metadata in stock images used in training. Selection bias refers to bias resulting from over-representation of a population in training data. There have been many implementations of AI displaying bias, however, more well known examples include COMPAS, PredPol, Amazon's biased recruiting tool, and various facial recognition software.

Google's Focus on AI Bias
Google is very familiar with concerns surrounding AI bias, having faced criticism of their Google Photos image-recognition algorithm that tagged images of black people as "gorillas" in 2015. Since this incident Google has openly declared bias to be their greatest concern with AI. In 2017, Google's head of machine learning, John Giannandrea, said: "The real safety question, if you want to call it that, is that if we give these systems biased data, they will be biased,” and would emphasize the importance of being "transparent about the training data that we are using, and looking for hidden biases in it. " These comments provide background to Google's concerns about AI bias that were a focal point of the ATEAC's creation.

Project Maven
Project Maven was a Pentagon project intended to use computer vision, an application of machine learning, to classify objects in drone footage. The project was controversial among many Google employees, who feared their work would contribute to the increased lethality of military weaponry. While Google defended its work as "non-offensive", their involvement with the project led to a dozen resignations and an employee protest. In a letter signed by 3,100 Google employees, the employees state: “We believe that Google should not be in the business of war. Therefore we ask that Project Maven be cancelled, and that Google draft, publicize and enforce a clear policy stating that neither Google nor its contractors will ever build warfare technology. ”. The demands made by employees had a clear impact on the company's release of its AI principles, which specifically stated that its AI would not be used in weaponry.

Project Dragonfly
On August 1, 2018, the Intercept reported that Google was working on a secret project that would provide the Chinese government with a censored version of the company's search engine. The project, code-named Dragonfly, would align with Chinese government censors; filtering blocked websites and blacklisting sensitive queries so no results were shown. Many within the company were surprised by the news, with only a few hundred of Google's 88,000 employees having any knowledge of the project. The whistle blower who provided information to the Intercept expressed his ethical concerns: "I’m against large companies and governments collaborating in the oppression of their people, and feel like transparency around what’s being done is in the public interest" adding that they feared "what is done in China will become a template for many other nations." Responding to the report, Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the project, saying it was in an "exploratory" stage. The defense from Pichai did little to manage criticism, as a group of 1,400 employees sent a letter to company executives seeking more transparency. In the letter, the employees stated: "currently we do not have the information required to make ethically-informed decisions about our work, our projects, and our employment. " They would also point out the ineffectiveness of the company's recently implemented AI principles and demand "an ethics review that includes rank and file employee representatives. "

Google's AI Principles
On June 7, 2018, CEO Sundar Pichai announced seven principles to help guide the company in its future AI related endeavors . He promised that rather than "theoretical concepts," these principles would be "concrete standards that will actively govern our research and product development and will impact our business decisions." Likely a response to their previous AI related blunders, the seven principles stated that AI should: Furthermore, the announcement specifically denounced certain usages of AI, and promised that they would not "design or deploy AI" in these ways:
 * 1) Be socially beneficial.
 * 2) Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias.
 * 3) Be built and tested for safety.
 * 4) Be accountable to people.
 * 5) Incorporate privacy design principles.
 * 6) Uphold high standards of scientific excellence.
 * 7) Be made available for uses that accord with these principles.
 * 1) Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm.  Where there is a material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints.
 * 2) Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people.
 * 3) Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms.
 * 4) Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.

= The Formation and Downfall of the Council =

Google Announces the Creation of an External Advisory Council
On March 26, 2019, Global Affairs SVP Kent Walker announced Google's new initiative to help guide the company in its AI decisions and policies: the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council, or ATEAC. He stated that the goal of the council was to complement the AI Principles announced the previous June, and to "consider some of Google's most complex challenges that arise under our AI Principles, like facial recognition and fairness in machine learning, providing diverse perspectives to inform our work." The council was to hold four meetings over the course of 2019, and featured many experts in relevant fields, including Alessandro Acquisti, a Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, De Ka, a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Luciano Floridi, a Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information at the University of Oxford.

Kay Cole James
There was an immediate outcry from the public over one member appointed to the council in particular: Kay Cole James, President of conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. James purportedly held anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-environmental views in both a professional and personal capacity. The public began calling for Google to defend its decision to place her on the council, which they made without any transparency or explanation. They were accused of pandering to politicians by including her, rather than seeking the most qualified possible members.

Alessandro Acquisti's Resignation
On March 30, four days after the council was announced, Alessandro Acquisti announced on Twitter that he would be declining his invitation to the council. Vaguely noting that he didn't "believe this is the right forum for me to engage in this important work," it can be reasonably assumed that this change of heart since the council was announced was in response to the public controversy over the council's members.

Googlers Against Transphobia and Hate
The general public was not alone in its outrage. From within Google, many employees spoke out against the choice, denouncing their employer's actions. By April 1, thousands of Google employees and dozens of academic, civil society, and industry supporters had signed a petition calling on Google to remove Kay Coles James from the ATEAC. According to the petition, by appointing James, rather than introducing diversity as Google claimed, her inclusion “endorses and elevates her views.” They point out that those most marginalized are already most at risk from AI technologies and that James's appointment further exacerbates this injustice.

The Dissolving of the Council
On April 4, 2019, just 9 days after its formation, Google announced the dissolution of the council, stating that "It’s become clear that in the current environment, ATEAC can’t function as we wanted. " Despite this sudden setback, the company assured that it would still stay responsible in its work.

Remarks from James
After the dissolution, James publicly condemned the petitioners in an op-ed with the Washington Post. She accuses the employees of making false allegations against her. In particular, she finds the claims of her being anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant, and "a bigot" to be character assassination: unjustified claims serving only to remove her conservative views from the public discourse. This is an interesting claim for her to make, considering the petition itself cites these accusations with primary statements from her own twitter account.

James and the petitioners' conflict is rooted in opposing stances on the Paradox of Tolerance. James argues that intolerance of any party is always wrong, while the petitioners act on the idea that being intolerant of intolerance can aid the creation of a tolerant society. James's stance, however, is somewhat hypocritical, as many of her publicly held policy beliefs are intolerant of LGBTQ people and immigrants.

Future of AI Ethics at Google
The alternative methods used to hold the company to its ethics were partially outlined in a June 2019 blog post, and consist of internal education about responsible application of AI, internal tools for analyzing AI models, a review process, and communication with external stakeholders. This last function was ostensibly the domain of the ATEAC, but with its dissolution, the consulted stakeholders are now left entirely unnamed, leading to even less transparency.

The Advanced Technology Review Council
Also unspoken is the nature of another internal council at Google: the similarly named Advanced Technology Review Council. This council, unlike the ATEAC, is not public, but the known members are high-level executives. Among these are the Vice President of Google, Jacquelline Fuller, and the chief legal officer and author of the announcement of the ATEAC, Kent Walker. This council represents the highest layer of the review process Google has set out to maintain ethical behavior.

However, multiple employees report that the agenda of this board is still unclear. These same employees asked to remain anonymous in the report for fear of retaliation. This highlights an apparent conflict of interest: should AI ethics and corporate profits conflict, should the same group of executives who greenlit projects like Maven and Dragonfly now be trusted to make the right decision?

=Conclusions=

Integrity
The backlash to James's appointment is easily understood through the lens of integrity. At the onset of this ethics crisis, the AI principles represented a new normative stance for Google. Above all else, they represented the company's values. James clearly contradicted those values, for instance through reinforcing unjust bias against immigrants. Appointing her doesn't just add a "diversity of opinions"; it legitimizes and empowers her beliefs. Regardless of the correctness of her beliefs, her appointment betrayed Google's integrity, and in doing so undermined its employees' trust.

Transparency
Further undermining trust was the lack of transparency throughout this crisis. There was no description of how the council was chosen, nor the powers it would have, nor the mechanisms for assessing its effectiveness. Without these, there was no accountability of the council, and thus the company, to its employees–one of the key goals laid out by Google. Since then, Google's other approaches seem to have been more transparent and more favored, incorporating employees into the internal education programs and also having them run many levels of the review system. However, the top-level council, with its secretive nature and lack of accountability to employees may cause a similar crisis in the future, should they overturn the employees' decision on a contentious issue of the scale of Maven or Dragonfly.

= References =


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Programming Fundamentals/Flag Concept/Flag of Oceania

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