Motivations for local climate adaptation in Dutch municipalities: climate change impacts and the role of local-level government

The local government level is considered to be crucial in preparing society for climate change impact. Yet little is known about why local authorities do or do not take action to adapt their community for climate change impacts. In order to implement effective adaptation policy, the motivations for local climate adaptation need to be examined. This paper explores these motivations in Dutch communities by comparing nine urban and rural cases. To be able to draw general conclusions, cases are selected on „projected risk‟ and „extreme weather event experience‟. Motivations for local climate adaptation appear much more determined by local institutional factors such as a green party aldermen or innovative network membership then projected risk or extreme weather event experience. This could be explained by the empiric data showing diffuse channels of climate change knowledge into the local government level and limited capacity to translate this knowledge into genuine adaptation strategie

The Blackhole-Dark Matter Halo Connection

We explore the connection between the central supermassive blackholes (SMBH) in galaxies and the dark matter halo through the relation between the masses of the SMBHs and the maximum circular velocities of the host galaxies, as well as the relationship between stellar velocity dispersion of the spheroidal component and the circular velocity. Our assumption here is that the circular velocity is a proxy for the mass of the dark matter halo. We rely on a heterogeneous sample containing galaxies of all types. The only requirement is that the galaxy has a direct measurement of the mass of its SMBH and a direct measurement of its circular velocity and its velocity dispersion. Previous studies have analyzed the connection between the SMBH and dark matter halo through the relationship between the circular velocity and the bulge velocity dispersion, with the assumption that the bulge velocity dispersion stands in for the mass of the SMBH, via the well{}-established SMBH mass{}-bulge velocity dispersion relation. Using intermediate relations may be misleading when one is studying them to decipher the active ingredients of galaxy formation and evolution. We believe that our approach will provide a more direct probe of the SMBH and the dark matter halo connection. We find that the correlation between the mass of supermassive blackholes and the circular velocities of the host galaxies is extremely weak, leading us to state the dark matter halo may not play a major role in regulating the blackhole growth in the present Universe.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Ap

Li Yang Crazy English Method; Between Chinese and Javanese Culture

Nowadays English is spoken everywhere. English has become the world's Lingua Franca. Many jobs demand English as their first priority to select applicants. Schools push their students to learn English since it becomes the most favorite qualification for getting job. Many English courses are built in order to facilitate people's needs to understand English. Nevertheless, along with the world's request on English, many people in non-spoken English country still feel unfamiliar to it. It creates some anxiety and terror to them.In China, there is a unique language-learning method to deal with English fear. It is called Crazy English. Li Yang, a man who initiated this method, believed that many Chinese were facing a very difficult time on learning English. He then coined an extra-ordinary way to make people proficient in English by especially emphasizing the speaking and pronunciation skills. Based on his method, he taught his students to read English words loudly and quickly, and also told them to imitate the sound of English words. He had already proved himself that by conducting this methods he was able to get the second-highest score on his National English Exams after failing it thirteen times; For Li Yang, the only main obstacle on learning English was the Chinese's traditional culture that made people afraid to talk. He suggested people to overcome English by shouting and speaking it loudly, so that all the embarrassment could fade away.Comparing with Chinese, Javanese people have also the same problem related to the afraid-to-talk culture. Based on writer's experience in class, many students feel shy and unconfident to speak English. It makes a very tough problem when learning English is not followed by the courage to speak.This paper is aimed to investigate the Li Yang Crazy English method and evaluate its potential aspect to be applied in many English classes in Indonesia, particularly in Java region. The analysis of this paper is taken from literature research and it is also supported by performing in-class observation. As the result of the research, this paper will give a clear understanding about Li Yang Crazy English and also its potential aspect to be applied in Indonesia by giving three main considerations, such as: 1)The general evaluation of positive and negative aspects from Li Yang English method, 2) The similar cultural background (East culture) of Chinese and Javanese, 3) The readiness of Indonesian teacher to apply this method