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New power quality and grid stabilization solutions are enabling Europe’s biggest and most populous economy to bring in wind and solar energy ABB’s Power Grids business has completed the installation of the world’s first hybrid static compensator (STATCOM) to TenneT – a leading electricity transmission system operator (TSO) who operates the Dutch and a large part of Germany’s high-voltage power grid The solution is situated in the substation in Borken (in the Federal State Hessen) and was officially inaugurated by TenneT on 24th January 2020 due to its unique ability to combine dynamic and static reactive power compensation on a 30% reduced footprint the ABB STATCOM solution is located in the Borken substation in Central Germany The solution strengthens and stabilizes the German power grid by providing reactive power compensation and dynamic voltage support to keep the grid stable at the required voltage ABB Power Grids designed the solution to meet the specific requirements of TenneT ABB Power Grids is contributing to Germany’s target of 65% renewables by 2030 Germany is increasing its share of renewables which have grown in 2019 by 5.4 percent to 46 percent the country is expected to continue to ramp up its investment in renewables to reach a target of 65 percent of the country’s total power mix by 2030 a huge amount of reactive power is needed to balance and stabilize the national grid This is because as more centralized fossil power generation close to the consumption areas is phased out and replaced by more intermittent sources of energy (wind and solar) there is a greater need to transport electricity and thus to do more to maintain overall balance and stability How are ABB’s hybrid STATCOM solutions contributing to the balancing act Much of Germany’s renewable power is generated in the north and east of the country it is transmitted in bulk to the south – where there is a deficit there is the need to balance reactive power demand This is where ABB’s hybrid STATCOM fits in It can provide 400 MVAr of reactive power from a compact system that is easily integrated into an existing substation and that enhances the capacity and flexibility of power networks Hybrid STATCOM is part of ABB's family of flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) technologies ABB has delivered more than 800 FACTS installations worldwide Web page: Hybrid STATCOM Web page: STATCOM Press release: ABB wins $30 million order to support integration of renewables in Germany ABB's website uses cookies. 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Learn more I agree Rigoletto and Schickeria aced the Bundeschampionate Qualifier held at the regional dressage show in Borken Forty horses gathered in Borken to gain show experience and attempt to qualify for Warendorf Six were able to do so by scoring 8.0 or higher The 5-year old dressage horse group was split into two and Helen Langehanenberg and the chestnut Damon's Divine (by Damon Hill x Rubin Royal) led in group one with a massive 8.8 score The pair outclassed German born American Jennifer Hoffmann on Gestut Letter Berg's Westfalian stallion Instertanz V (by Insterburg x Ehrentanz) Spanish Juan Manual Vidal Testal and the Hanoverian bred Rigoletto (by Royal Diamond x Don Bosch ) won the second group of 5-year old dressage horses with an 8.4 score Anja Schoka and the Oldenburg bred black gelding Willis (by Weltmeyer x Karon/T) were second with 8.0 Helen Langehanenberg and Sissy Max-Theuer's Westfalian mare Schickeria (by Sir Donnerhall I x Weltmeyer) dominated the 6-year old M-level dressage horse test with an 8.6 score Young rider Julia Funke and the Oldenburg bred Diamond Rex (by Dr Doolittle x Rubinstein) were second with 8.0 Back to the 2011 Bundeschampionate Index Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot This report provides a comprehensive overview of vehicle remote sensing an emissions measurement technique which has been used for more than 25 years to evaluate emissions from passing motor vehicles in real-world driving We review technical details of the vehicle remote sensing test method describe the multiple types of emissions analyses that can be conducted with remote sensing data and explore areas where remote sensing can supplement emission test methods currently used in the European Union light-duty vehicle regulatory program Vehicle emission remote sensing differs from chassis dynamometer and PEMS testing in that the testing equipment does not physically interact with the vehicle undergoing testing placed either at the side of or above a roadway are used to measure exhaust emissions remotely via spectroscopy as vehicles pass by the measurement location remote sensing measurements yield snapshots of emission rates from thousands of individual vehicles as they are driven on actual roadways by their owners Speed and acceleration are measured at the same time as the emissions measurement providing information about the engine load a camera captures an image of the vehicle’s number plate allowing for the retrieval of essential vehicle information-make rated power-from vehicle registration databases the ensemble of remote sensing measurements provides air pollutant emission rates for the fleet across a wide range of driving conditions There are many ways remote sensing data can be aggregated and analyzed to provide information on the emissions performance of in-use motor vehicles Remote sensing data can determine emission rates for whole fleets Data can be used to evaluate the effect of parameters such as engine load and ambient temperature remote sensing can be used to evaluate the durability of emissions control systems and to track the emissions performance of vehicle fleets over time remote sensing has primarily been used in Europe for research applications with the clear need for improved real-world control of vehicle emissions there are a number of areas where remote sensing could supplement existing regulatory emission test methods The very large sample sizes obtainable with remote sensing mean the method is well-suited for market surveillance and fleet screening applications These data would provide valuable emissions information to authorities and would help in the identification of vehicle models with poor or suspicious real-world performance measurement methods such as PEMS and chassis dynamometer testing as part of market surveillance programs promised emission improvements can be tracked over time Remote sensing can in addition be used to identify high-emitting vehicles and encourage proper maintenance of vehicle emission control systems Remote-sensing regulation for measuring exhaust pollutants from in-use diesel vehicles in China Road tested: Comparative overview of real-world versus type-approval NOX and CO2 emissions from diesel cars in Europe How to think about vehicle bans: An update after two major European judicial decisions Explanation of the TRUE real-world passenger vehicle emissions rating system Join our mailing list to keep up with ICCT’s latest research and analysis We use cookies to improve 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Find out more This website uses cookies to enable some basic functionality and also to help us understand how visitors use the site Essential cookies provide basic core functionality You can disable these cookies in your browser settings We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous information about how visitors interact with this website and the information we provide here so that we can improve both over the long run For more on how we use this information please see our privacy policy Metrics details A large soil CO2 pulse is associated with rewetting soils after the dry summer period under a Mediterranean-type climate significantly contributing to grasslands’ annual carbon budget Rapid reactivation of soil heterotrophs and a pulse of available carbon are both required to fuel the CO2 pulse Understanding of the effects of altered summer precipitation on the metabolic state of indigenous microorganisms may be important in predicting changes in carbon cycling we investigated the effects of extending winter rainfall into the normally dry summer period on soil microbial response to a controlled rewetting event by following the present (DNA-based) and potentially active (rRNA-based) soil bacterial and fungal communities in intact soil cores (from a California annual grassland) previously subjected to three different precipitation patterns over 4 months (full summer dry season extended wet season and absent dry season) Phylogenetic marker genes for bacteria and fungi were sequenced before and after rewetting and the abundance of these genes and transcripts was measured After having experienced markedly different antecedent water conditions the potentially active bacterial communities showed a consistent wet-up response We found a significant positive relation between the extent of change in the structure of the potentially active bacterial community and the magnitude of the CO2 pulse upon rewetting dry soils We suggest that the duration of severe dry summer conditions characteristic of the Mediterranean climate is important in conditioning the response potential of the soil microbial community to wet-up as well as in framing the magnitude of the associated CO2 pulse resulting from long-term evolutionary adaptation Although Mediterranean systems are quite distinct from continental and arid systems results from these three system types help construct a more general framework of the microbial response to changes in water availability These results help us understand the importance of antecedent water conditions to soil microbes more generally but they do not directly assess the impacts of a changing annual pattern of summer desiccation in Mediterranean climates on indigenous communities highly adapted to a relatively regular annual climate pattern The effects of changes in the duration of the summer dry period on the metabolic capacity of the microbial effectors of the rewetting mineralisation pulse remain unclear A better understanding of the effects of antecedent conditions on the activity of the soil microbial community as it transitions from extreme desiccation to moist conditions may be crucial in predicting the future changes in carbon and nutrient cycling in Mediterranean climate grasslands likely to result from changing patterns of precipitation Although these results do not establish a direct causal link between microbial metabolic state and the ensuing CO2 pulse they allow phylogenetic characterisation of the potentially active bacterial and fungal groups that are present and respond to changing environmental conditions The present study investigated the wet-up response of the present and potentially active soil bacterial and fungal communities using intact soil cores taken from a California annual grassland and subjected to three different precipitation patterns over a 4 month summer dry-down The precipitation patterns were (i) weekly water inputs (ii) weekly water inputs for 2 months followed by no inputs or (iii) no water input for 4 months Ribosomal RNA transcripts and genes from bacteria fungi and archaea were extracted at the end of the summer period (before wet-up) and 2 h after wet-up over which time soil CO2 efflux was monitored Genes and transcripts from bacteria and fungi were analysed by 454 Titanium pyrosequencing and the abundance of selected phylogenetic marker genes and transcripts was measured using quantitative PCR A homogeneous 10 × 10 m plot was selected in a California grassland (University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center This Sutherland series soil is a loam soil over clay (texture 46% sand cation exchange capacity was 20.0 cmol kg−1 dominated by the introduced annual Avena barbata 25 intact soil cores were taken by inserting polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes (7.5 cm internal diameter The vegetation present on the cores was cut flush with the soil and subsequent regrowth was cut The cores were transported to a greenhouse at University of California The soils were subjected to three different spring-summer dry-down precipitation pattern treatments over 4 months: (i) weekly water inputs (ii) weekly water inputs for 2 months followed by no inputs and (iii) no water input (closest approximation of normal) The cores were weighed weekly to monitor soil water content The weekly water inputs were calculated for each core based on its weight to compensate the water loss of the cores during the week preceding watering Soil cores were destructively sampled at the end of the treatment period (31 August 2010 and 2 h after controlled wet-up (1 September 2010 see below for wet-up and soil sampling details) Total soil DNA and RNA were extracted (see below) and the present (DNA-based) and potentially active (RNA-based) soil bacterial and fungal communities were assessed by 454 pyrosequencing and the abundance of selected genes determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis (see below) four cores per treatment were subjected to a controlled wet-up simulating the first rainfall event after summer during which soil CO2 efflux rates were determined In the treatment subjected to weekly water inputs the controlled wet-up event took place instead of a weekly water input and a 1-l PVC chamber was fitted airtight on top of the core distilled water was dispensed onto the soil surface through a septa over 2 min whereas a needle through another septa ensured no pressure build-up in the system The amount of water given to each core was calculated to approximate the amount of water lost over the treatment period and amounted to a ∼25 mm rain event The cores submitted to weekly water inputs were subjected to wet-up after 6 days without water inputs in order to impose the most conservative conditions of comparison with the other treatments Headspace gas samples (3 ml) were taken just before adding water 90 and 115 min after the end of water addition The volume removed was replaced at each sampling time by the same volume of synthetic air (20:80 O2:N2) Headspace samples were injected into vials that had been previously evacuated and filled with N2 Soil CO2 efflux rate and CO2 amount released were calculated after measuring CO2 concentrations in the vials using a model 6890 series gas chromatograph (Agilent Technologies USA) fitted with a pulsed-discharge detector (VICI Valco Instruments Soil in the cores that had been subjected to wet-up was sampled 120 min after the end of water addition (see below) All solutions and glassware were rendered RNase-free by diethyl pyrocarbonate treatment three 0.4 g dry weight subsamples were extracted separately Each aliquot was transferred to a 2-ml Lysing Matrix E tube (MP Biomedicals pH 8.0) and 500 μl 25:24:1 phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol were added before shaking (FastPrep24 residual phenol was removed using pre-spun 2 ml Phase Lock Gel tubes (5 Prime USA) with an equal volume of 24:1 chloroform:isoamyl alcohol The aqueous phases from both extractions were pooled mixed with 1 ml 40% polyethylene glycol 6000 dissolved in 1.6 M NaCl and 3 μl linear acrylamide (5 mg ml−1; Ambion the pellet was rinsed with 1 ml ice-cold 70% ethanol resuspended in 20 μl RNase-free water and stored at −80 °C the three subsample extracts were pooled during purification (AllPrep DNA/RNA Mini Kit USA) according to manufacturer’s instructions The extracted DNA and RNA were quantified using Quant-iT PicoGreen dsDNA and and RiboGreen RNA reagents USA) with a CFX96 thermocycler (Bio-Rad Laboratories cDNA was generated from 50 ng of the extracted RNA from each subsample using the QuantiTect Reverse Transcription Kit (Qiagen) DNA and cDNA quantification was performed with a CFX96 thermocycler (Bio-Rad) in a total volume of 12 μl including 2–4 ng DNA or 2.5 ng cDNA 10 μl SsoFast EvaGreen Supermix (Bio-Rad) and 300 μM of each primer All qPCR assays were run for 30 s at 95 °C with a final melt-curve step from 75 to 95 °C Standard curves were obtained using serial dilutions of plasmids containing the cloned genes and the efficiencies ranged between 91.9 and 108.7% (minimum R2: 0.985) Sequencing depth for rRNA and rRNA genes of both bacterial and fungal datasets was analysed by analysis of variance precipitation pattern and their interaction as explanatory variables In case at least one variable was significant after aligning the representatives sequences against the greengenes core set and the silva database using the Nearest Alignment Space Termination algorithm (75% minimum sequence similarity The explanatory variables were precipitation pattern and wet-up Relative abundances of bacterial and fungal groups were analysed by aggregating all taxa at the phylum and class levels The analysis targeted the most abundant phyla and classes by using the lowest relative abundance threshold that ensured that all taxa in the analysis were present in all the samples this threshold corresponded to the phyla and class accounting for more than 1% of the total number of operational taxonomic units sequenced in at least one sample at one sampling time and site The relative abundance of the most abundant bacterial and fungal taxa was analysed by analysis of variance The explanatory variables were precipitation pattern taxonomic identity (phylum or class) and their interactions The statistical model respected the hierarchical structure of the experiment: the taxa identity level was nested within the soil core level Wet-up-related changes in the structure of the present and the potentially active bacterial and fungal communities were measured by differences in the abundance-weighted UniFrac phylogenetic distance (see above) between the respective pre- and post-wet-up communities Dynamics of soil water content in the precipitation pattern treatments (Dry: no water input triangles; Mid: weekly water inputs for 2 months followed by no input Since wet-up significantly affected the number of bacterial DNA and cDNA pyrosequences these datasets were rarefied to 1800 and 1620 pyrotag sequences per sample representing a total of 4647 clusters (or operational taxonomic unit) for each dataset The fungal DNA and cDNA dataset had 18 921 and 9633 pyrotag sequences remaining after curation Fungal DNA and cDNA samples consisted of an average±s.e wet-up and their interaction had a significant effect on the number of fungal DNA or cDNA pyrosequences Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) of the UniFrac pairwise dissimilarity of the relative abundance of bacterial and fungal pyrotag sequences based on 16S rRNA gene (a) and 16S rRNA (b) for bacteria and on 28S rRNA gene (c) and 28S rRNA (d) for fungi before (open symbols) and 2 h after wet-up (closed symbols) in the three precipitation pattern treatments (Dry: no water input Rewetting and its interaction with precipitation pattern showed no detectable effect on the relative abundance of the present bacterial phyla and classes (Supplementary Figure S3, Supplementary Table S4) Relative abundance of potentially active bacterial phyla (>1%) based on 16S rRNA sequenced before and 2 h after wet-up in the three precipitation pattern treatments (Dry: no water input Mid: weekly water inputs for 2 months followed by no input The relative abundance of the present fungal phyla and classes was overall unaffected by wet-up. The different present fungal classes showed a differential response to wet-up (Supplementary Figure S4, Supplementary Table S7) Relative abundance of potentially active fungal phyla (>1%) based on 28S rRNA sequenced before and 2 h after wet-up in the three precipitation pattern treatments (Dry: no water input Abundance of selected genes (left panels) and RNA transcripts (right panels) over wet-up Soil CO2 efflux rate (a) and cumulative emissions (b) over two hours after rewetting in the three precipitation pattern treatments (Dry: no water input; Mid: weekly water inputs for 2 months followed by no input; Wet: weekly water inputs) The cumulative amount of CO2 released during 2 h after rewetting was significantly positively correlated with the magnitude of wet-up-related change in the rRNA-based soil bacterial community structure (R2=0.83, P<0.001, Figure 7). Relation between changes in community structure (abundance-weighted UniFrac phylogenetic distance) of the potentially active soil bacteria and the amount of CO2 emitted from the soil two hours after rewetting soil from the three precipitation pattern treatments (Dry: no water input the main inorganic sources should include CO2 displaced from soil pores and dissolved in rain water Theoretical calculation shows that given a CO2 concentration of 500 mmol mol−1 in soil pores and assuming that all the rain degasses and displaces all the CO2 out of the soil pores a 25 mm rain event can release 0.52 mmol CO2 per m2 from soil pores and 0.40 mmol CO2 dissolved in rain amounting to 0.13 μmol CO2 per m2 s1 (assuming a homogeneous efflux over 2 h) These numbers represent only a small fraction of the CO2 efflux amounts and rates measured in our experiment The contrasting bacterial strategies that emerge from the main potentially active bacterial groups indicate that abrupt rewetting benefits the activity of quick responders that likely rapidly metabolise readily available carbon substrates that accumulated during the dry period Both the resulting rapid change in the structure of the RNA-based bacterial community and the associated CO2 pulse would be expected to be smaller in soils in which C substrates are likely to have accumulated over less time soil water content dropped to similar extremely low levels (below 5%) in the dry and mid treatments but remained at this level for twice as long in the former Shortening the duration of the extreme dry conditions resulted in dampening the effect of rewetting on both the magnitude of the soil CO2 pulse and the changes in the structure of the potentially active soil bacterial community which could be independent phenomena or could both result from a lesser release of C resources due to a shorter dry period it appears that the duration of severe dry conditions may be very important in conditioning the response of the potentially active bacterial community to wet-up Our results suggest that the predicted extension of the wet season into summer will dampen the magnitude of the response of potentially active soil bacteria in response to rewetting after the dry season A new method for non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance Elucidating the microbial resuscitation cascade in biological soil crusts following a simulated rain event Drying–rewetting cycles affect fungal and bacterial growth differently in an arable soil Responses of soil bacterial and fungal communities to extreme desiccation and rewetting A culture-independent study of free-living fungi in biological soil crusts of the Colorado Plateau: their diversity and relative contribution to microbial biomass The effect of soil drying on humus decomposition and nitrogen availability Evaluating rRNA as an indicator of microbial activity in environmental communities: limitations and uses Growth and death of bacteria and fungi underlie rainfall-induced carbon dioxide pulses from seasonally dried soil Microbial response to drying and rewetting: osmotic and matric effects Reappraisal of drying and wetting effects on C and N mineralization and fluxes in soils Pre-exposure to drought increases the resistance of tropical forest soil bacterial communities to extended drought Bacterial community dynamics across a floristic gradient in a temperate upland grassland ecosystem Soil texture drives responses of soil respiration to precipitation pulses in the Sonoran desert: implications for climate change soil microbial consortia are more resilient to long-term changes in rainfall than overlying grassland Land use alters the resistance and resilience of soil food webs to drought Legacy effects of drought on plant growth and the soil food web Search and clustering orders of magnitude faster than BLAST Is bacterial moisture niche a good predictor of shifts in community composition under long-term drought Soil microbial community response to drying and rewetting stress: does historical precipitation regime matter Climate change alters ecological strategies of soil bacteria (1999) Confronting climate change in California: ecological impacts on the golden state MA and Ecological Society of America: Washington Assessment of soil microbial community structure by use of taxon-specific quantitative PCR assays Influence of drying-rewetting frequency on soil bacterial community structure Effects of drying-rewetting frequency on soil carbon and nitrogen transformations A proposed mechanism for the pulse in carbon dioxide production commonly observed following the rapid rewetting of a dry soil Rapid method for coextraction of DNA and RNA from natural environments for analysis of ribosomal DNA- and rRNA-based microbial community composition Bacterial growth and respiration responses upon rewetting dry forest soils: Impact of drought-legacy Fast UniFrac: facilitating high-throughput phylogenetic analyses of microbial communities including analysis of pyrosequencing and PhyloChip data Precipitation pulses enhance respiration of Mediterranean ecosystems: the balance between organic and inorganic components of increased soil CO2 efflux Drying and wetting of Mediterranean soils stimulates decomposition and carbon dioxide emission: the ‘Birch effect’ Dormancy contributes to the maintenance of microbial diversity Microbial community response to varying magnitudes of desiccation in soil: a test of the osmolyte accumulation hypothesis Phenotypic characterization of Rice Cluster III archaea without prior isolation by applying quantitative polymerase chain reaction to an enrichment culture Kunin V, Hugenholtz P . (2010). PyroTagger: A fast, accurate pipeline for analysis of rRNA amplicon pyrosequence data. Open J Available at: http://www.theopenjournal.org/toj_articles/1 Episodic rewetting enhances carbon and nitrogen release from chaparral soils Soil nitrogen availability and transformations differ between the summer and the growing season in a California grassland Rainfall-induced carbon dioxide pulses result from sequential resuscitation of phylogenetically clustered microbial groups FastTree: Computing large minimum-evolution trees with profiles instead of a distance matrix R Development Core Team. (2012). R: A language and environment for statistical computing: Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL http://www.R-project.org/ Prokaryotic cells of the deep sub-seafloor biosphere identified as living bacteria Concentrations of host-specific and generic fecal markers measured by quantitative PCR in raw sewage and fresh animal feces Species interactions reverse grassland responses to changing climate Moisture characteristics of Hanford gravels: bulk Seasonal dynamics of microbial community composition and function in oak canopy and open grassland soils Response of microbial community composition and function to soil climate change Drying and rewetting effects on C and N mineralization and microbial activity in surface and subsurface California grassland soils and growth alter the response of ecosystem respiration to temperature Download references We thank Maria Patanwala for nucleic acid extractions Chris Jones for help with processing sequencing data and Laurent Philippot for constructive comments on the manuscript This work was funded by the Kearney Soil Science Foundation RB was funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement PIOF-GA-2008-219357 Romain L Barnard and Catherine A Osborne: These authors contributed equally to this work Catherine A Osborne & Mary K Firestone The authors declare no conflict of interest Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on The ISME Journal website Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2014.192 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Volume 2 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00040 The response of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) leaching to rising temperature and precipitation is hardly known for forest soils on carbonate bedrock filled with soil from a humus-rich A horizon of a Rendzic Leptosol and detrital dolomite (C horizon) and conducted a two-factorial climate manipulation [control (C) soil warming and irrigation (H+I)] to examine the effects of increased temperature and precipitation on DIC and DOC leaching We followed an isotopic approach to assess the biotic and abiotic DIC fractions Soil warming (H) had no effect on DIC leaching and seepage DIC concentrations Irrigation (I and H+I) increased annual DIC leaching by almost 100% as a matter of significantly increased seepage DIC concentrations and higher annual drainage Isotopic partitioning of DIC fluxes suggested biotic contributions between 60 and 100% and no significant variation with warming or irrigation Soil warming consistently increased the soil CO2 efflux by >50% independently of irrigation treatment Soil air CO2 concentrations were not affected by soil warming alone (H) Irrigation (I and I+H) tended to increase subsoil (18 and 32 cm depth) soil air CO2 concentrations while topsoil (6 cm) remained unaffected by irrigation DIC leaching losses were about 4–5 times higher than DOC leaching losses which showed a similar treatment response (I and H+I > C and H) Annual DIC leaching amounted to between 20 ± 2 (C) and 39 ± 2 (H+I) g m−2 representing ~ 2–5% of the total annual gaseous soil CO2 loss could significantly affect the DIC export from carbonate forest soils thereby affecting their carbon sequestration potential Schematical drawing of the lysimeter soil column indicating the treatment responses (+ =) of soil air CO2 concenations along the column profile (circle size indicates the concentration) as well as the responses of soil CO2 efflux and DOC fluxes (arrow size indicates the flux intensity) The potential role of DIC leaching under changing climatic conditions is DIC consists of four components: dissolved CO2 the distribution as well as the concentration of these components in soil water is strongly pH-dependent Carbonate weathering stabilizes the soil pH around neutral and serves as a temporal sink of CO2 from the soil atmosphere and the formation and dissociation of H2CO3: Aside DIC leaching, leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) represents another loss of biotic carbon from soils. DOC losses from soils can strongly vary among forest sites as many factors control the production and fate of DOC (Camino-Serrano et al., 2014). Thin forest floors as main DOC source mostly lead to small DOC leaching from calcareous forest soils, however, DOC fluxes also rely on the local precipitation and temperature regime (Borken et al., 2011) How rising temperature and changing precipitation will affect DOC leaching from these calcareous forest soils is yet not clear either Climatic change could thus not only alter soil CO2 concentrations but also DIC concentration of seepage and DIC leaching from calcareous soils We therefore artificially increased natural precipitation by ~50% We hypothesized that (H1) soil warming alone would increase SOM decomposition thereby increasing soil air CO2 concentrations and soil surface efflux Higher soil air CO2 concentrations would increase DIC concentrations resulting in increased DIC leaching; (H2) increased rainfall alone would not affect SOM decomposition but would increase DIC leaching as a matter of increased drainage we hypothesized that (H3) a combination of warming and increased rainfall would lead to highest DIC leaching losses due to increased DIC concentrations (warming) combined with higher drainage (increased rainfall) Leaching losses of DOC were expected to be of minor importance since most of the DOC was assumed to be consumed and respired by decomposer microorganisms Detrital dolomite of glacial dolomite with a carbonate content of >99% was sampled close to the forest site Detrital dolomite gravel with diameters of 1–8 cm was washed with tap water to remove soil particles and organic debris A lysimeter consisted of a cylindrical high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bucket (Paul Craemer GmbH, Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany) with a height of 51 cm and an inner diameter of 45.5 cm (Figure S1) At the bottom a polycarbonate drainage panel with a height of 5 cm was placed for seepage sampling Detrital dolomite was filled between 46 and 21 cm depth with a bulk density of 1.5 g cm−3 (60.7 kg d.w.) followed by mineral soil from 21 to 1 cm depth with a bulk density of 0.5 g cm−3 (15.1 kg d.w.) A gauze with a mesh size of 290 μm was inserted on the drainage panel and between dolomite and mineral soil to prevent particle movement A litter layer was simulated by adding 400 g d.w m−2 beech litter on top of the mineral soil In half of the lysimeters, heating cables (length 2.5 m, 230 V, 37.5 W, A. Rak Wärmetechnik GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany) were buried in a spiral pattern at 8 and at 20 cm depth from the mineral soil surface in order to allow for homogenous soil warming (Figure S1) All lysimeters were equipped with temperature sensors (Dallas One Wire A soil moisture probe (EC10, Decagon, Pullman, USA) was placed to record hourly volumetric water contents at 7.5 cm soil depth (Figure S1) A soil-specific calibration of the moisture probes (MP) was conducted to convert the readings into volumetric water contents (VWC): VWC = 1.07MP−0.50 (R2 = 0.98) where VWC is in cm3 cm−3 and MP in mV 20 cm height) was filled with air-dried soil and then compacted to a bulk density of 0.5 g cm−3 Amounts of 100–200 ml water were stepwise added to the soil up to water saturation within 8 weeks Readings of the moisture probe and the soil weight were recorded before and after each water addition the water-saturated soil was drained and then dried at 105°C for determination of field capacity and total pore volume Perforated polycarbonate tubes (length 10 cm pore diameter 3 mm) attached to stainless steel capillary tubes (3 mm outer diameter) were installed centrally at 6 and 32 cm soil depth for soil gas sampling outer diameter 4 mm) was laid which reached from the bottom of the water reservoir outwards diameter 15 cm) was inserted 3 cm into the soil to measure soil CO2 efflux based on the dynamic closed chamber method The temperature sensors were connected directly to the GPIO4 pin of the pi To control the heating cables a power switch (solid state relay module The irrigated lysimeters (H+I, I) received ~50% more annual precipitation. Rainwater was collected for irrigation at the field site using a 3 m2 large PVC roof with PVC gutter and a rain barrel. This rainwater was applied to irrigated lysimeters at intervals from days to weeks, depending on the amount and pattern of rainfall (Figure 1) Maximum amounts of 1 L rainwater (equal to 6.15 mm) were irrigated per day and lysimeter using a watering can equipped with a sprinkler No irrigation was performed 3 days before gas and water sampling The amount of rainwater was measured with rain gauges (RS200 Germany) that were installed in 1 m height close to the lysimeters (A) Seasonal patterns of rainfall (black bars) and irrigation (blue bars) amounts as well as of soil moisture at 7.5 cm soil depth during the first treatment year (red (B) Dissolved inorganic C (DIC) concentrations of seepage water (C) Seepage collection volume of different treatment lysimeters (D) Cumulative DIC leaching loss throughout the first treatment year All presented as treatment means ± SE (n = 5) The dashed line shows the start of treatments Soil air CO2 concentrations and DIC concentrations were measured every 2–3 weeks between March and November 2016 During winter 2016/17 and during 2017 sampling intervals were extended to 3–5 weeks DIC measurements were completed in April 2017 and soil air CO2 measurements were completed in September 2017 Three measurements took place prior to the climate manipulations Glass vials (22 ml, IVA-Analysentechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Meerbusch, Germany) were sealed with butyl rubber septa and aluminum caps and flushed with pure nitrogen (N2). For seepage sampling, 50 μl of phosphoric acid (85%) was added to each vial before sealing to convert DIC into gaseous CO2 in the vial headspace. Gas samples were taken at 6, 18, and 32 cm lysimeter depth (Figure S1) A 20 ml syringe was connected to a three-way stopcock with Luer lock The first 11 ml gas sample was discarded to rinse the capillary tube and syringe another 11 ml gas sample was taken and injected into the vial The mixing ratio of a gas sample in a vial (Xsample) was calculated after measuring the vial pressure (hPa) with a tensiometer pressure device and the atmospheric pressure (hPa) with a barometer as follows: except that the first 20 ml seepage were discarded because of the greater tube volume About 5 ml seepage sample was injected into the acid prepared vial without contact to the atmosphere The exact sample volume was determined by weighing the vials after analysis The gaseous CO2 concentrations in the vials were analyzed using a gas chromatograph (GC USA) equipped with a silica gel column (length 1 m column temperature 130°C) and a flame ionization detector coupled to a methanizer (detector temperature 380°C) A sample volume of 100 μl was injected directly onto the column The measured CO2 concentration in a vial (vialCO2) was back calculated to soil CO2 concentration (soilCO2) according to its mixing ratio (Xsample) in that vial (Equation 2) as follows: The CO2 concentration in the headspace of the vials containing seepage was determined by GC (see above) after shaking solutions at 150 rpm for 2 h and temperature adjustment to 20°C The amount of headspace CO2 (gasCO2) was used to calculate the amount of CO2 in the aqueous phase (aqCO2) after Henry's law: where KH is the dimensionless Henry solubility constant of 0.90 for CO2 in water at 293.15 K (Sander, 2015) Vaq and Vgas are the volumes (L) of the aqueous and gas phase in a vial The DIC concentration in seepage results from the sum of aqCO2 and gasCO2 related to the seepage volume (L) in a vial Isotope ratios of soil air CO2 and seepage DIC were determined monthly from April 2016 until November 2016 Gas and seepage samples for stable isotope analysis were taken with 12 ml glass vials (Exetainer UK) immediately after sampling for determination of CO2 or DIC concentrations Vial preparation and sampling were done in a similar way as described above The δ13C values of CO2 were determined using a coupled GC-Isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-IRMS The CO2 working standard (3,000 ppmv) was calibrated against four IAEA standards (CO-1 Isotopic signatures were expressed in the common δ-notation as deviation in ‰ from the VPDB-standard according to Equation (5) where R is the ratio of heavy to light isotopes in the sample and the standard The precision of the δ13C values was 0.2‰. The δ13C value of DIC was calculated from the headspace δ13CO2 value and corrected for isotopic fractionation between aqueous and gaseous phase in the vial by using Henry's law and a fractionation factor of 1.1‰ between CO2(g) and CO2(aq) (Vogel et al., 1970) The isotopic composition of CO2 from microbial decay of SOM (−28.5 ± 0.4‰ n = 8) was determined following incubation of mineral soil at 20°C in a vial flushed with synthetic air The isotopic signatures of dolomite and bulk soil (A horizon) were +3.1 ± 0.1‰ and −23.6 ± 0.3‰ determined with an elemental-analyzer coupled to an IRMS (NA 1108 Seepage in the drainage panel reservoir of each lysimeter was manually collected using a water pump and 10 L bottles Total seepage amounts were measured by weighing filled bottles Sampling of seepage took place after gas sampling and if necessary after heavy rainfall events between gas sampling dates The cumulative seepage flux (mm) between gas sampling dates was calculated by multiplying the amount of collected seepage with the soil surface area An isotope mass balance approach was applied to assess the contribution of carbonate weathering (abiotic) and of soil air CO2 (respired biotic) to the total DIC flux using the following Equations: where ε13C is the fractionation value and T is the temperature in °C at 20 cm depth Considering the isotopic fractionation (Equation 8) the proportion of biotic and abiotic DIC was calculated by rearranging and inserting Equation (7) into Equation (6) A second approach was used to assess the biotic fraction of DIC according to Kindler et al. (2011). The δ13C of CO2 from microbial respiration (−28.5 ± 0.4 ‰) underlies fractionation processes by diffusive and advective transport along the CO2 gradient from the lysimeter bottom to the atmosphere. This isotopic fractionation of CO2 can vary with season and among soils (Jin et al., 2009) To account for the uncertainty caused by the enrichment of 13C in soil air CO2 we substituted δ13CSoilCO2 in Equation 6 by a constant value for microbial respiration (−28.5‰) after correction for temperature-dependent fractionation (Equation 8) The applied isotope mass balance approach assumes that the abiotic DIC fraction results only from dolomite weathering by carbonic acid The Keeling plot approach (Keeling, 1961) was applied to determine the isotopic signature of the source of CO2 in the lysimeters by plotting the inverse of CO2 concentration in soil against the corresponding 13C signature of CO2. The intercept of the linear regression, corrected by 4.4‰ to account for isotopic fractionation due to diffusion of CO2 in the soil atmosphere (Amundson et al., 1998) DOC concentrations of seepage were analyzed of pooled samples from each lysimeter and rainfall collector at seven occasions between March 2016 and April 2017 Samples for DOC and DIC analysis were taken at the same time (see section Soil air CO2 concentrations and seepage DIC concentrations) but samples for DOC analysis were immediately frozen at −24°C after sampling all samples of a 2-month interval as well as samples of the pretreatment period were pooled to one sample per lysimeter Pooled samples were then filtered with 0.45 μm cellulose-acetate filter and analyzed using elemental analysis (multi N/C 2100 Analyzer DOC fluxes were calculated by multiplying DOC concentration with the sum of rainwater or seepage of the respective sampling interval Soil CO2 efflux was measured with the closed dynamic chamber technique as described in detail by Savage and Davidson (2003) the PVC ring was manually sealed with a PVC lid for a measurement Air circulated between the chamber (1.75 L volume) and an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA A logger connected to the IRGA recorded the CO2 concentration increase in the chamber headspace every 10 s for a period of 4 min The soil CO2 efflux was calculated from the linear increase of CO2 concentration over time and corrected for atmospheric pressure and air temperature in the headspace Soil CO2 efflux measurements took place between 10:00 a.m using two IRGA systems to reduce the total measuring time Individual lysimeters were measured in full random order to avoid any bias due to diurnal variations of the soil CO2 efflux Soil CO2 efflux was measured approximately every 2–3 weeks between Mar 2016 and Jan 2018 Three measurements took place prior the start of the climate manipulations The cumulative soil CO2 efflux was estimated by linear interpolation between individual efflux measurement dates Cumulative fluxes therefore represent rough estimates which do not account for dial efflux variations and temporal flux variations between the consecutive measurement dates were considered sufficiently robust for a comparison between lysimeter and field (Achenkirch Depending on the availability of personal resources soil CO2 efflux) were accomplished throughout different timeframes During the first treatment year (Apr 2016–Apr 2017) all parameters were measured at the same 2–3 weekly resolution Soil CO2 efflux was measured for another full season (2017) whereas soil air CO2 concentration measurements were completed in Sept 2017 and DIC as well as DOC measurements were completed in April 2017 already Treatment effects on individual target parameters were statistically tested over their full measurement duration Cumulative carbon fluxes of the corresponding individual parameters were calculated for the first treatment year for further comparison Treatment effects on repeatedly measured soil air CO2 concentrations and DOC concentrations and 13C signatures of soil air CO2 and seepage DIC were analyzed using linear mixed effect models (lme) as implemented in the R package nlme Individual lysimeters of each treatment were added as a random factor into the model to account for the repeated measurement design General linear hypotheses based on Tukey all–pair comparisons were conducted at a significance level of P < 0.05 for pair–wise post-hoc comparisons Significant differences of cumulative soil CO2 effluxes as well as of cumulative DIC and DOC leaching among the treatments (C Analyses were performed using the R software (version 3.4.2) (A) Seasonal patterns of mean (± SE n = %) soil CO2 efflux from different treatment lysimeters (H heated (B) Cumulative C loss via soil CO2 efflux (red: heated green: control) from April 2016 until January 2018 Different letters indicate statistically significant differences between treatments (C) Soil temperatures at 8 cm depth in treatment lysimeters and (D) respective mean soil temperatures during soil warming Rainfall amounted 537 mm from March to Dec 2016 and 787 mm from Jan 2017 to Jan 2018 Irrigation was performed from April 2016 to the end of December 2017 and resulted in a total additional precipitation input of 272 mm (+ 51%) during the first treatment year and 307 mm (+39%) during the second treatment year soil freezing caused a further moisture-drop in un-warmed (I and HI) lysimeters while warmed lysimeters remained unaffected from freezing A more pronounced dry period from June to August 2017 let soil moisture in C and H decline into the range of 20 vol% while I and HI showed ~10% higher moisture contents (data not shown) The average pH of seepage from all lysimeters was 7.5 at six sampling occasions in 2017 Treatment and sampling date had no effect on pH in seepage Annual soil carbon fluxes of four treatments (C control H+I heated + irrigated) from April 2016 until April 2017 Isotope signatures of soil air CO2 at 6 cm (A) as well as δ13C signatures of seepage DIC (D) Percent contribution of biotic DIC to total DIC in seepage water The biotic contribution was estimated using a mass balance approach based on measured 13C signatures of soil air CO2 at 18 cm soil depth (full dots) by using a fixed δ13C value of −28.5‰ for microbial respiration (open circles) DOC leaching was four to five times lower than DIC leaching and differences between treatments were corresponding subtle in absolute amounts of carbon loss (Table 1). Similarly to DIC leaching, total annual DOC leaching losses were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in irrigated lysimeters (I and H+I). Furthermore, DOC leaching in H+I was significantly (p = 0.01) higher than in I (Table 1) Seasonal course soil air CO2 concentrations (means ± SE (B,D,F) show the mean values over the whole treatment duration (dashed vertical line indicates the start of treatments) Different letters indicate statistically significant differences between treatment means (repeated measures ANOVA) Figure 6. (A) Seepage DIC concentrations vs. soil air CO2 concentrations at 18 (open circles) and 32 cm (full dots) soil depth. (B) Delta 13C signatures of seepage DIC vs. δ13C values of soil HCO3- at 18 and 32 cm. Bicarbonate δ13C values were calculated based on the fractionation of soil CO2 by formation of HCO3- in water (Equation 8, Zhang et al., 1995) the corrected intercept was −28.4‰ the Keeling plot approach resulted into an almost identical 13C signature for soil CO2 as the soil incubation (−28.5‰) Increased diffusion would allow for higher surface efflux at more or less unchanged soil air CO2 concentrations The other explanation is that most of the additional soil surface CO2 efflux originated from the topsoil and litter layer This explanation is less plausible since soil was warmed at two soil depths and organic carbon concentrations did not show a depth gradient in the homogenized A-horizons cannot be excluded that a larger share of the total soil CO2 efflux originated from the litter layer and that this efflux was particularly affected by warming the irrigation treatments had pronounced effects on soil air CO2 concentrations Irrigation not only increased drainage (H2 but also increased soil air CO2 concentrations and thereby simultaneously increased the DIC concentrations in the soil solution and seepage This shows that soil moisture strongly controls the gas diffusivity within the soil profile The similar subsoil CO2 concentrations in the I and H+I treatment or C and H treatment suggest elevated diffusion of CO2 in the warmed lysimeters with partly drier top soils Our hypotheses (H3) stating that the combination of warming and irrigation would result in highest DIC export The isotopic composition of DIC changed seasonally had no influence on the share of biotic and abiotic carbon in DIC but since only the top 15 cm of the 30 cm soil profile were accounted for the total leaching rates may lay close to our observations The irrigation treatments suggest that precipitation strongly controls DIC leaching from calcareous soils and that DIC leaching is a particularly important component of the soil C budget in regions with high precipitation precipitation manipulation had no significant effects on soil CO2 efflux because SOM decomposition was not water limited during most of the 2 years As hypothesized, DOC leaching was low and contributed <1% to the annual total soil carbon loss. Similar DOC loss rates were reported for a Rendzina and a Cambisol where DOC leaching dropped with increasing thickness of the mineral soil (Kammer et al., 2012) A large part of DOC originated from the thin litter layer that mainly consisted of beech leaves from the preceding litterfall DOC leaching from root litter can be largely excluded in our lysimeter experiment DOC leaching could make a slightly greater contribution to the soil C budget in undisturbed soils with an intact root system We could show that particularly rising precipitation could increase DIC leaching from calcareous soils, whereas soil warming has likely little effect. A future increase in annual precipitation is a possible scenario for the Alps (Torma et al., 2015) and would lead to increased drainage losses of soil carbon. Considering that a part of DIC is degassing from streams into the atmosphere (Oquist et al., 2009; Shin et al., 2011) increasing precipitation and DIC leaching triggered by climate change would have a positive feedback to the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere small when compared to the potential warming induced carbon losses through increased SOM decomposition and increased soil CO2 efflux Our results also suggest that partitioning of DIC fluxes into biotic and abiotic (carbonate weathering) compounds requires the consideration of other acids than carbonic acids that contribute to the weathering of carbonate and production of bicarbonate The raw data supporting the conclusions of this manuscript will be made available by the authors and CO2 sampling and measurements and contributed to data analysis AS analyzed the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript KB and WB contributed to the manuscript writing We acknowledge the financial support by the German Research Foundation (DFG Project 397643203) The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest and Oliver Archner for setup of the lysimeter experiment and data monitoring and Karin Söllner for laboratory help 13C analyses were performed by the Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry of the BayCEER University of Bayreuth and the Centre for Stable Isotope Research and Analysis at the University of Göttingen The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00040/full#supplementary-material δ13C pattern of dissolved inorganic carbon in a small granitic catchment: the Strengbach case study (Vosges mountains The isotopic composition of soil and soil-respired CO2 Google Scholar Central European hardwood trees in a high-CO2 future: synthesis of an 8-year forest canopy CO2 enrichment project Site-to-site variability and temporal trends of DOC concentrations and fluxes in temperate forest soils CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Linking variability in soil solution dissolved organic carbon to climate Long-term development of soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks after shelterwood- and clear-cutting in a mountain forest in the Bavarian Limestone Alps Google Scholar Vertical partitioning of CO2 production within a temperate forest soil CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Díaz-Pinés Root trenching - 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Andreas Schindlbacher, YW5kcmVhcy5zY2hpbmRsYmFjaGVyQGJmdy5ndi5hdA==; Werner Borken, d2VybmVyLmJvcmtlbkB1bmktYmF5cmV1dGguZGU= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A lot has happened in soon-to-be 20 year old Reed Kessler's life since we last spoke with her in Paris back in 2012 a fresh breath of air on the international showjumping scene – stepping into the spotlight as the youngest rider ever to compete at the Olympic Games one and a half years later she is a familiar face – and has established herself among the best in the world currently inhabiting rank 29 on the Longines Ranking Reed's results and riding have hardly gone by unnoticed; in November last year she was honoured with the Longines Rising Star Award at the FEI Award Gala – another amazing achievements by the young American rider Reed surprisingly decided to change what many might have considered a winning recipe In the autumn of 2013 she ended her collaboration with her long term trainer Katie Prudent – who is also Reed's godmother – and left the States to train with Marcus Ehning Germany to learn from the man many consider the best in the sport The question 'Why Marcus' is obviously a stupid one because who wouldn't want to train with him we want to hear more about Reed's choice to change the path she was on "When I was deciding what to do next I tried to think what kind of things I did well and then which things that I didn't do well – and what I really wanted to learn I thought about the weaknesses I have as a rider And I have been learning from Katie Prudent and George Morris for most of my life so I know the American system pretty well and I wanted something new In the end I thought that Marcus would be the one that I could possibly learn the most from so I spoke with him myself and was very lucky that he took me on," Reed explains as we sit in the kitchen at Ehning's yard in Borken Coming from America to Germany there must obviously be some big differences to adjust to and Reed confirms that indeed it is something else "For me the shows here in Germany are of a higher quality but in comparison when you go to a show here almost the entire class has a chance to win I think that in general it is a bit more difficult in every way the tracks are a bit more difficult and the field of riders is very strong," she says before adding quickly "That is also why I enjoy being here Even the best have to strive to become better Analysing what she has changed in her riding and with her horses fine-tuning it all under Marcus' guidance – she comments; "I was always very American in my riding and was very forward But I think that there is a bit more balance now between being forward and still in position at the jump For sure all my horses have changed a lot too I think Marcus's program is really strength-intensive and my horses are in the best shape of their life I think if you took a before and after picture It is a very different program and it is interesting to go somewhere new." Reed has the chance to get to know the secrets of one of the most – if not the most – admired riders in the world "In my opinion the single most important thing when it comes to Marcus' philosophy is that he always tries to make things easy for the horses Of course there is plenty of intensive flatwork but overall in the jumping he tries to give the horses the chance to do their best – and he never builds something to trap them or to discourage them from giving their best effort I think Marcus is really a top horseman," Reed says "It was not at all what I expected it to be," she smiles you know that he is fantastic with the horses For sure when you haven't been in his program you think maybe it is a bit stricter – and then it is not I have to say that when you train with him you can definitely understand why his horses love him so much and why they jump so well for him!" It sounds like there is no place Reed would rather be right now despite her admiration for Marcus – she cannot stay in Borken for ever as Marcus usually keeps his students only for a couple of years so in the future I would like to be based here," she says "It's a much easier lifestyle here when it comes to the sport but it is almost impossible to stay at the top level basing in America You end up living a little bit like a gipsy you come over here for six weeks before you go back It is really lovely to have a place of my own – and a place for the horses to call home to spend half the week – and then to go to shows so whether I am at Marcus' or not I would love to have a place here for myself eventually." but she has still not reached 20 – and with her dad Murray and her mother Teri in the States there are moments that are difficult "I have always been very close with my mom and dad so of course I miss them and sometimes it is very hard – but we stay in close contact and speak every day They also come to see me as much as they can They are very supportive of what I do though "I have been really lucky with where I am though there are some great people here – and I have been so well received Reed has also been very lucky with her most recent addition to her string of horses as the nine year old Stakki is turning out to be something of a potential super star "I think Stakki is something really special and had a lot of success with her at youngster level We are all crazy about Stakki; in Antwerp I jumped my first 1.55 on her and it felt no different than jumping a small meter so much scope – and she is naturally careful Stakki is also really clever and has a good brain," Reed says praising the lovely dark bay mare "I cannot say enough good things about her it is incredible how brave and forward she also is I just feel really lucky to have her and I am excited to see what she does in the future," Kessler adds Stakki was also the first horse found by Marcus for Reed and she finds the mare to fit very well in Marcus' system and program "Compared to my other horses I would say that Stakki is a little bit more Marcus' type of horse in the way that she takes you to the fence and across it So I have had to change my riding a bit on Stakki On my horses that I had before I came here I rode in a very American way so to speak – very forward to the jump It is a different feeling compared to the way I have learned it here where I ride quieter and the horse takes you to the jump and across it So at times where I want to take Stakki to the jump to 'help' her out I have to remind myself that she is already taking me and that if I help her even more she will be flying," Reed laughs "And now that I have a horse that is a little bit more of Marcus' type I can also understand a bit more when it comes to the way he rides and what he wants me to do – that's actually been one of the really cool things to see I think this is also the whole reason that I came here and to learn all these things I did not know!" Reed's group of horses is undoubtedly a great one and she loves each and every one of them for their characters and quirkiness "I could not pick a favourite out of them," she says quickly when asked and she is my best friend – that is for sure If you know Cylana's personality the two of us are very alike She is the type of girl that can be a bit stubborn; she can get something in her head and she will not let it go Cylana loves to jump and loves to show – and I think without her I would never have made it to where I am today I love her!" The super versatile Ligist – aka Goose – who does everything from speed classes Grand Prix classes to Six Bar competitions playful and happy – but quite stupid sometimes in a cute way" Cos I Can – who came to Reed at the end of last summer after showing successfully under Shane Breen – is according to his rider "so sweet in the barn you can tell that he has been somewhere where he has been loved his whole life" Then there is Reed's long term partner Mika who she is very close with "he alternates between being very scared and very cheeky," she laughs – while Soraya is described as "really lovely cuddly and sweet" and very different from Cylana who she is related to Reed has a variety of choice as to who to bring to Normandy – but most likely it will be her Olympic partner Cylana who will do the job should she make it from the US shortlist to the Championship team "Most realistically it would be Cylana that I could do the World Equestrian Games on I also have my championship experience with her Now we will compete on the team in Aachen and at Hickstead do our best there – and then we will see how far that brings us," Reeds says Despite having accomplished so much already "To have a career like Marcus," she laughs when asked "I think everybody really admires Marcus' career he is a great horseman and I think besides all of the success he has had in all aspects of the sport he is somebody who leads a balanced life he is located somewhere central so he can spend half of the week with them and half of the week at the shows I think all around he is someone who has really mastered the sport." "You have to always really push yourself – also to where you are out of your own comfort zone There are times where everything comes easily to you and then there are times where you feel like you cannot do anything right and then there are times where everyone is supporting you and stick behind you and then there are times where no one is You have to be able to handle all these circumstances "In my opinion you have to be willing to take chances to reach the top of the sport And you have to be willing to fail in order to succeed!" Photos by Jenny Abrahamsson/Text by Jannicke Naustdal - copyright © worldofshowjumping.com 2014 © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net Heinz Nelissen will retire after 31 years of successful service to the Foseco and Vesuvius group of companies.  Heinz Nelissen was instrumental in the development and expansion of Foseco and Vesuvius first as product manager for non-ferrous products then for Foseco as sales manager of the foundry non-ferrous business unit After two years of business development in Eastern Europe and the founding of Foseco Poland where he took over the Ferrous Division as Business Unit Manager from 2002 In 2003 he was appointed Managing Director of Foseco GmbH As Director Europe North for the Foundry Division Heinz Nelissen was then mainly responsible for the management of the Foundry Division from 2005 He was instrumental in the successful development and production of the riser and filter range and was responsible for the integration of the coating business.  Heinz Nelissen resigned from his position as Managing Director of Vesuvius GmbH at the beginning of this year He will continue to work for the company as Area Director Northern Europe until 30 June 2021 after which he looks forward to retiring.  Quote Heinz Nelissen: "In my 31 years in the foundry industry faced many challenges and implemented many ideas together with colleagues and customers such as the development of the European non-ferrous organisation and the high investments in the further automation of the Borken site it was a highlight for me to be appointed President of GIFA 2019 This was a recognition of the many years of efforts by Foseco and the Foseco employees to innovate, and at the same time an honour for me personally." His successor as managing director of Vesuvius GmbH for the foundry division is Rafael Carbonell Rafael Carbonell holds a master’s degree in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University and an MBA from London Business School he spent 10 years in various management positions in the aluminum industry he has been responsible for the strategic growth of the European foundry business at the Vesuvius Group as European Vice President EMEA Foundry He will continue to perform this task in addition to his duties as Managing Director Close contact and partnership with customers remain Foseco's most important concern Business Unit Manager for the iron and steel foundry business has been appointed to the management team in Borken Hannes Erger will remain the contact person for all matters concerning customers and sales and will support the management in sales decisions He will also represent the iron and steel foundries business unit in public relations and association work.  Foseco has found a committed and competent successor for the management Hannes Erger has been with Foseco for over 21 years and can look back on many years of experience in various areas of activity in the foundry industry He is therefore very familiar with the special requirements that customers place on foundry solutions Hannes Erger has been with the company since 1999 and was appointed Sales Manager for iron and steel foundries in 2003 he has had overall responsibility for the iron and steel foundries business unit as Business Unit Manager Customer concerns and satisfaction are particularly important to Hannes Erger "I would like to continue the partnership-based and successful cooperation with our customers that we have experienced so far I am convinced that the German foundry industry and thus also Foseco will still have to deal with the consequences of the Corona pandemic in the medium term We assume that the cast tonnage in Germany will level off again at a higher level in about two years.  we will continue to apply our proven Foseco Business Model In cooperation between the management staff in the foundries and our experts innovative Foseco product application and the associated increase in productivity as well as quality improvements are of high importance These need to be further identified and implemented Our contribution beyond the next few months is to make foundry products "Made in Germany" even more efficient and attractive In this way we can help to secure Germany as a foundry location in the long term which will certainly bring exciting discussions and innovations," says Hannes Erger on his move to the management Vesuvius has invested heavily in the development of new product ideas for its foundry customers Hannes Erger sees the successful marketing of these products as a focal point and opportunities to further expand the business There will be no changes in the non-ferrous division: Jens Ohm will remain responsible for this sector in his role as Sales Manager Northern Europe President of GIFA 2019 and until now Managing Director at FOSECO/Vesuvius one of the best-known movers and shakers in the foundry industry is retiring the group is filling the succession in the management from its own ranks the two experts explain what challenges Foseco will face in the future and where Germany's foundry industry currently stands.  a classic question to start with: What will you do in the future?  Nelissen: I have arranged with my wife that we will go on certain trips together I have been a frequent traveller in the past years - on business Family holidays have long taken a back seat to that where we actually already wanted to go in 2020 South Africa is also one of our goals.  In addition I will do more endurance sports and would like to hike regularly around Unterbacher See in Düsseldorf I won't leave the industry completely in my mind I will certainly continue to follow its magazine And I also plan to attend the next Foundry Day.  You have been working in the Foseco Group since the end of the 1980s German unification brought with it the large newly accessible foundry market in the five East German states making contacts and presenting the products this was a very big change that continues to this day because a large part of the German foundry industry is in the East Then in the 1990s there was too much foundry capacity in Germany casting tonnage in Germany remained stable other large European markets such as the UK and France lost large amounts of casting capacity to Eastern Europe and Turkey Then there has been heavy investment in automation - a trend that continues today they have become much faster compared to the past significantly more castings are produced per employee hour than in the past we see a growth in non-ferrous foundries and a shift towards processes that can be automated The challenges of globalisation created new market access for foundries as well as foundry suppliers in terms of emissions and overall appearance and some can be considered high-tech operations Where does the German foundry industry stand today Germany has been and remains the number one country for cast tonnage albeit now with completely different segments But Germany is still in a very good position also because of its philosophy of investing and modernising processes That is not necessarily the case in other countries the use of energy is being optimised in this country Because the non-ferrous sector is growing very strongly we also see large investments in the die-casting sector The willingness to spend money on modernisation is a strength that Germany has and that also ensures that we remain a leader.  in 2019 you were appointed President of GIFA What do you think will become of the GIFA trade fair format under the impression of 2020 and increasing digitalisation?  Trade fairs are currently struggling to show how important they are for the trade as it was very successful and took place at just the right moment We already saw a downturn in car manufacturing at the end of 2019 then the Corona crisis came just a few months later digitalisation has been advancing in leaps and bounds even our interview would probably have been conducted in person rather than via Microsoft Teams if it hadn't been for Corona we at Foseco also conduct a lot of customer meetings online This digitalisation push will continue and lead to further process automation in the foundries and to more advanced robot technology This will certainly be a focus at the next GIFA in 2023 The next GIFA will probably also be able to take place as a face-to-face event again This is necessary to stimulate the dialogue of the international foundry world By 2023 the foundry market will have stabilised again and 2023 could therefore be exactly the right date for the next successful GIFA you resigned from the management of Foseco’ s parent company Vesuvius at the beginning of the year You will relinquish your post as Area Director Northern Europe in the summer Hannes Erger will become a member of the management of Vesuvius in Borken Hannes Erger is already very experienced in his previous job he knows the customer structure and the core contact persons Otherwise: Focus on customers and employees This is the only way we can learn about challenges in the market at an early stage develop targeted solutions and then establish them with the customers through our employees This is the only way to create value for the customer and to make the business sustainable but if you ever must weigh up between an internal meeting and a customer meeting you have been working at Foseco for 21 years currently as Business Unit Manager Iron and Steel Foundries With what feelings are you taking over from Mr Nelissen for more than 20 years and I am full of enthusiasm to take over from him but at the same time I know that this will be a great challenge for me as Heinz Nelissen has made a name for himself in the foundry world as a very competent and respected partner for customers employees and foundry experts over decades I am happy to take on this challenge and am confident that I will be able to continue the cooperative relationship with the foundrymen that Mr What would you like to achieve for your company as Mr Nelissen’ s successor at Foseco?  Foseco stands for Foundry Service Company The basic idea is to be at the service of the customer and together with the customer we will continue to apply our proven Foseco business model In the cooperation between the management personnel in the foundries and our sales engineers topics such as changes in processes or minimising the use of resources are important aspects With innovative Foseco product applications we want to continue to achieve productivity increases and quality improvements We also have many new product ideas "in the pipeline" developed in our development centre in Enschede according to the requirements of our global foundry customers We will present these to our customers in a timely manner Foseco wants to contribute to making foundry products "Made in Germany" even more efficient and attractive In this way we can help to secure Germany as an important foundry location in the long term The foundry industry is affected by the pandemic The trend towards electromobility continues In which direction is the industry developing?  Nelissen: Casting tonnage in Germany fell by around 35% in 2020 due to the pandemic-related reduction in the market the magnitude is reminiscent of the effects of the 2009 financial crisis The global trends remain essentially unaffected by the pandemic we assume that cast tonnage will stabilise again over the course of two years and return to the level of 2019 a trend that is strongly influencing the market The corresponding foundries must look for replacements in time Erger: This is a difficult question to answer because the world continues to be during a global health crisis and a world economic crisis whose effects are still uncertain that the German foundry industry and thus also Foseco will have to deal with the consequences of the Corona pandemic in the medium term I am convinced that we will emerge stronger from the pandemic It is important to make the right business decisions now to position ourselves for the future this also includes the orientation of the companies to face the changing demands of the electromobility market and to break new ground Brake discs and various chassis parts will probably remain but engine blocks will certainly disappear it will certainly be several years before electromobility can establish itself fundamental changes in the infrastructure are still necessary And what challenges do you both see for Foseco?  Nelissen: Foseco is part of the Vesuvius Group which has come through the crisis in a stable manner so far  We can therefore compensate for geographical shifts in demand Now we see a lot of demand in Eastern Europe and Mexico That's why we always must have local forces on site because we can't necessarily serve the Chinese market with product managers from Germany or England We must support the growth of the non-ferrous foundries by building up appropriate resources We are continuing to strengthen this business but we already have a very strong presence there.  Erger: Foseco’ s strength is its market presence and proximity to our foundry customers It is important that we face the changing market requirements and globalisation together with our customers and develop a unique selling proposition with innovative and individual casting applications in the different segments of the foundry industry.  In which direction are you developing your products for Germany in particular Erger: We are facing all the challenges that foundries must master With our products we are therefore trying to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions The environment and efficiency are key issues for the future that we must continue to address.  The German foundry industry will emerge stronger from the crisis Is the reason for your optimism that German foundries are more solidly positioned than other countries by investing in modernisation and sustainability most foundries have earned money in the past which they are now investing in modernisation to become more efficient This keeps German foundries at the cutting edge of technology Sustainability will certainly also be a crucial issue We have many enquiries from foundries about how our products can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions we have been focusing on sustainability for a long time it was our main topic.  Nelissen: Sustainability is becoming more and more important Customers from the Scandinavian region also already attach importance to a commitment to sustainability The interview with Heinz Nelissen and Hannes Erger was conducted by Robert Piterek and Martin Vogt – editorial team of the GIESSEREI magazine GIESSEREI is the magazine of the German foundry association BDG.  I would like to receive the bi-weekly Foundry-Planet newsletter with all latest news Plus the special newsletters – all can be cancelled anytime and at no cost Metrics details Biological N2 fixation (BNF) in the rhizosphere of Podocarpaceae is currently attributed to unspecific diazotrophs with negligible impact on N acquisition we report specific and high associative BNF in dead cells of root nodules of Lepidothamnus fonkii distributed in ombrotrophic peatlands of Patagonia fonkii and rhizospheric peat was assessed by 15N2 and acetylene reduction Diazotrophs were identified by electron microscopy analysis of nitrogenase encoding genes (nifH) and transcripts Nitrogenase encoding nifH transcripts from root nodules point to Beijerinckiaceae (Rhizobiales) Electron microscopy and 16S rRNA analysis likewise identified active Beijerinckiaceae in outer dead cells of root nodules NifH transcripts from the rhizopshere peat revealed diverse active diazotrophs including Beijerinckiaceae Both methods revealed high activity of nitrogenase rates in cut roots of L d−1 based on 15N2 assay; 2.4 μmol C2H4 g−1 d.w The data suggest that (i) nodules recruit diazotrophic Beijerinckiaceae from peat (ii) dead nodule cells provide an exclusive habitat for Beijerinckiaceae fonkii is one potent pathway to overcome N deficiency in ombrotrophic peatlands of Patagonia Mutualistic BNF in peatlands of the southern hemisphere is not known but other strategies of BNF can also occur in peatlands scanning electron (SEM; C) and transmission electron microscope (TEM; D–G) images of Lepidothamnus fonkii fonkii at the SKY field site at Seno Skyring (Southern Patagonia Chile; A) and roots densely covered by nodules (B) Root nodules (arrows) were smaller than 500 μm in diameter (SEM; C) Ultrastructure of root with nodule (TEM; D) revealed capsules with multiple bacteria located primarily at the vicinity of the nodules (arrows indicate some of the bacterial cells; E) Enlarged capsules indicate ultrastructure of bacteria containing lipoid bodies (F) Intact outer and inner membranes (black and white arrowheads respectively; G) of bacteria were indicative of living gram negatives which is in agreement with active diazotrophic Beijerinckiaceae-related bacteria detected at the roots Squares and dashed lines indicate areas that were enlarged in the following panel BNF thus likely represents the predominant N source (0.4–1.2 g N m−2 yr−1) in Patagonian bogs given the low N deposition fonkii in such habitats and the limited knowledge on BNF in Podocarpaceae nodules necessitates studies on the potential of L our objectives were to (i) assess associative N2 fixation in root nodules of L (ii) to identify the genetic potential for diazotrophy in root nodules as well as active diazotrophs fonkii for N acquisition in two pristine Patagonian bogs fonkii grew in communities with Astelia pumila (Asteliaceae) For estimates of plant biomass (n = 6) additional intact peat blocks were extruded (March 2013 and 2014) All samples were packed in plastic bags and transported to the lab 1 mmol 15N mol−1 15N2) would overestimate the N2 fixation rates by about 13% assuming an uptake of 50% of the total contamination We assume that moist paper tissues in the jars (see below) trapped a large fraction of potential impurities during the incubation Ethylene concentration was analyzed by gas chromatography (Model 8610C Peat and plant analysis for 15N was done using a Eurovector/HEKAtech Elemental CNS analyzer (HEKAtech Germany) coupled to a Nu Horizon isotope ratio mass spectrometer (Nu Instruments fonkii roots were fixed in glutaraldehyde (2%) and OsO4 (2%) prior to positive staining with uranylaceate (2%) for ultrastructural analyses For taking images with scanning electron microscopy (SEM followed by critical point drying and sputtering with a gold layer For transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (Zeiss CEM 902 or a JEOL JEM-2110) sections were dehydrated in ethanol/propylenoxid and thin sections (50–70 μM thickness) were produced in a Leica Ultracut UCT microtome Coverages for all gene libraries were always >85% OTUs were called at 97% sequence similarity and OTU representatives were aligned using PyNast Chimeras were excluded uding ChimeraSlayer and taxonomy was assigned to OTU representatives using RDP classifier Ethylene production rates in cut roots of L fonkii were about 8 times lower than ethylene production [i.e acetylene reduction assay (ARA) as a proxy for nitrogenase activity] of T fonkii plants were similar to rates of cut roots Both N2 fixation and ethylene production rates were lowest for root-free peat from 20 cm depth Relative abundances of nifH genes and transcripts in gene libraries retrieved from live Lepidothamnus fonkii roots and peat material A significant contamination of the applied 15N2 gas and absorption of 15NH3 or 15NOx could have led to lower C2H4/15N2 ratios and to an overestimation of N2 fixation rates of about 13% they could be key organisms for BNF in N limited ecosystems (see discussion below) it is tempting to speculate that initial colonization of roots by Bradyrhizobiaceae might enable subsequent colonization of other microbes plant associated diazotrophy was until recently underrated in bogs and in particular the role of diazotrophic Beijerinckiaceae may merit further attention the proposed mechanism of plant-microbe interaction via necrosis of root cells and N-transfer from living bacteria to the host might represent an early variant of symbiotic diazotrophy and deserves more attention in future studies a translocation of N from nodules to leaves seems more likely due to higher 15N enrichment in the stem compared to leaf biomass A dense root biomass further indicates that L fonkii can play a prominent role in the N cycle of south Patagonian bogs Keeping in mind the limitation of our laboratory approach and inherent uncertainties in an extrapolation to field conditions the potential N2 fixation is 13 mg N m−2 d−1 for the two study sites based on live root biomass We cannot exclude overall smaller and seasonal different N2 fixation rates under in-situ conditions Greater photosynthetically active radiation may improve the growth of root nodules and thus provides more niches for diazotrophs during the growing season Lower in-situ temperatures would particularly limit the activity of diazotrophs in the early growing season fonkii altered the efficiency of N2 fixation during the incubation it seems that N2 fixation in root nodules of L fonkii is one potent strategy of N acquisition in Patagonian bogs Comparing the BNF rates in other microhabitats fonkii root nodules specifically colonized by diazotrophic Beijerinckiaceae represent ‘hot spots’ of BNF and thus of N acquisition Existence of such specific associations and other reported strategies of N fixation challenge the current view on BNF in peatlands and in Podocarpaceae Accession codes: Sequences of nifH were deposited at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL; www.ebi.ac.uk) under accession numbers LT221262-LT221526 Illumina 16S rRNA amplicon sequences were deposited at GenBank’s short reads archive under the following accession numbers: SRA accession Associative nitrogen fixation in nodules of the conifer Lepidothamnus fonkii (Podocarpaceae) inhabiting ombrotrophic bogs in southern Patagonia Publisher's note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Global patterns of terrestrial biological nitrogen (N2) fixation in natural ecosystems Nitrogen fixation in bacteria and higher plants Vol Nitrogen-fixation by Myrica gale root nodules Massachusetts wetland Podocarpus Root Nodules in Sterile Culture The root nodules of the Podocarpaceae harbour arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi doi: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2002.00504.x (2002) Nitrogen fixation and mycorrhiza in podocarpus root nodules Root Nodules on Podocarpus Lawrencei and Their Ecological Significance The Formation and Physiological Significance of Root Nodules in the Podocarpineae Non-leguminous seed plants in southern Africa which fix nitrogen symbiotically A rhizobia strain isolated from root nodule of gymnosperm Podocarpus macrophyllus Acetylene reduction by roots and associated soil of New Zealand conifers Mycorrhizal Nodules and Growth of Podocarpus in Nitrogen-poor Soil Ecology of the Podocarpaceae in tropical forests Methanotrophy induces nitrogen fixation during peatland development N2-fixation by methanotrophs sustains carbon and nitrogen accumulation in pristine peatlands Nitrogen fixation and the nitrogen balance in peatland ecosystems Significant nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation in Patagonian ombrotrophic bogs Atmospheric N deposition in central and southern Chile Nitrogen fixation in wet minerotrophic moss communities of a subarctic mire Global peatland dynamics since the Last Glacial Maximum Peat decomposition records in three pristine ombrotrophic bogs in southern Patagonia Methods of Soil Analysis Part 2 (eds Weaver The contamination of commercial 15N2 gas stocks with 15N-labeled nitrate and ammonium and consequences for nitrogen fixation measurements Use and abuse of the acetylene reduction assay for measurement of “associative” nitrogen fixation A major error in the acetylene reduction assay: decreases in nodular nitrogenase activity under assay conditions Nitrogen fixation in Sphagnum mosses is affected by moss species and water table level Methodological underestimation of oceanic nitrogen fixation rates Continuous flow equilibration for mass spectrometric analysis of dinitrogen emissions Agricultural soil and drilosphere as reservoirs of new and unusual assimilators of 2,4‐dichlorophenol carbon A comprehensive evaluation of PCR primers to amplify the nifH gene of nitrogenase JAguc - a software package for environmental diversity analyses Contrasting denitrifier communities relate to contrasting N2O emission patterns from acidic peat soils in arctic tundra Evaluation of general 16S ribosomal RNA gene PCR primers for classical and next-generation sequencing-based diversity studies QIIME allows analysis of high-throughput community sequencing data Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology (Springer Efficiency of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Legumes doi: 10.1146/annurev.pp.31.060180.000333 (1980) Possible contribution of alternative nitrogenases to nitrogen fixation by asymbiotic N2-fixing bacteria in soils Economy of symbiotically fixed nitrogen in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) Microbial community structure and functional diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with Colophospermum mopane Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in Eucalyptus globulus plantations Photosynthetic bradyrhizobia are natural endophytes of the African wild rice Oryza breviligulata doi: 10.1128/aem.66.12.5437-5447.2000 (2000) Identification of indole-3-acetic acid producing freshwater wetland rhizosphere bacteria associated with Juncus effusus L Nonlegumes respond to rhizobial nod factors by suppressing the innate immune response obligately methanotrophic bacterium that possesses only a soluble methane monooxygenase Insights into functional bacterial diversity and its effects on Alpine bog ecosystem functioning Declining foliar and litter δ15N diverge from soil epiphyte and input δ15N along a 120 000 yr temperate rainforest chronosequence doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03640.x (2011) Nitrogen stable isotopes indicate differences in nitrogen cycling between two contrasting Jamaican montane forests a facultative methanotroph possessing a particulate methane monooxygenase and emended description of the genus Methylocapsa Diversity of nitrogenase systems in diazotrophs The Prokaryotes: Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria (eds Eugene Bioinformatic Approaches Reveal Metagenomic Characterization of Soil Microbial Community Association with an ammonium-excreting bacterium allows diazotrophic culture of oil-rich eukaryotic microalgae Evidence for foliar endophytic nitrogen fixation in a widely distributed subalpine conifer Transfer of fixed-N from N2-fixing cyanobacteria associated with the moss Sphagnum riparium results in enhanced growth of the moss The contribution of insect prey to the total nitrogen content of sundews (Drosera spp.) determined in situ by stable isotope analysis doi: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00763.x (2003) Download references We thank Andrés Fernández for providing access to the SKY site and we thank INIA Kampenaike in Punta Arenas and Carlos Rios and Osvaldo Vidal from the Instituto de la Patagonia for infrastructural support This study was co-funded by the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) contributed the electron microscopy images and M.A.H wrote the manuscript with equal contributions of all other authors The authors declare no competing financial interests Download citation a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Receive our weekly Newsletterand set tailored daily news alerts German home textiles leader boosts production with a complete finishing line upgrade Interiors For leading European textile manufacturers adapting quickly to changing and highly uncertain market conditions has long been a necessity The need for flexibility has only been intensified since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic Monforts has been able to assist its customers all along the way through this difficult period not least with its MORE – Monforts Original Replacement Equipment – programme The Monforts commitment to customer service is based on four principles – helpful The company has established a reputation for quickly and efficiently dispatching spares and components where they’re needed worldwide Monforts machines are known for their robustness and long service life but major advances in digital technology mean that there are now significant gains to be made in the retrofitting of the latest automatic drives and control systems to machines going far beyond the basic replacement of spare parts is one of the oldest but also the most modern home textiles companies in Germany with its main weaving and finishing operations located in Borken and a further jacquard weaving mill in Steinfurt as well as with a making up and packaging plant in the Czech Republic The family-owned company’s extensive home textiles portfolio – spearheaded by the well-known Dormisette brand of bed linen – is supplied both to a wide range of retailers retirement homes and other public institutions Wülfing is also a specialist in African damask fabric weaving at the production site in Steinfurt the company has over 500 employees and with 160 weaving machines in continuous operation has an annual capacity of 60 million square metres of cotton fabrics – roughly the area of 8,400 football pitches In addition 200,000kg of high quality 95% cotton yarns are always in stock with 15,000kg processed into fabrics on a daily basis “Our particular strength is in wide-width weaving and the development of customer-specific ranges,” says Gerd Schulte-Mesum “We have fully-integrated production in Germany on the most modern machines and flexibility is fundamental to our continued success The fast-moving market demands ever-increasing innovation service and the rapid implementation of new ideas Wülfing has employed a Monforts sanforizing line since 2009 to guarantee the required dimensional stability and shrink-fastness of its high quality bed linen the sanforizing process is a central pillar in the production of typical wide-width cotton fabrics for home textiles the company was able to acquire a second Monforts sanforizing line from another company which It was overhauled and installed behind a Monforts equalizing frame of a similar age the two machines had to be operated separately via individual controls and did not represent an integrated unit,” says Schulte-Mesum “This resulted in deficits in the desired productivity and in the control technology.” Wülfing consulted with Monforts on a number of upgrade options and opted for a completely new joint control system to merge the two machines a tensioning and damping field and a steaming unit “Monforts provided a fast and precise erection and commissioning of the machine in spite of the difficult pandemic circumstances,” says Schulte-Mesum “The result has been an increase in production speeds by 20% and enhanced uniformity in fabric width through a much improved guidance system “We are also achieving energy savings as a result of the new control and drive technology and operation has been simplified and improved as a result of the unified control We benefit from simplified access for maintenance work such as the grinding of the rubber blanket but most of all we have greatly improved our flexibility and now have two almost identical Monforts sanforizing lines.” “It’s been a pleasure to work with the team at Wülfing on this project which demonstrates what is possible in the modification and upgrading of Monforts machines already in operation,” adds Thomas Päffgen www.monforts.com Monforts Senior Consultant Kurt van Wersch honoured by VDTF association New addition to Monforts technological team Max Klaber crouches on the sidewalk and places two red roses on the pavement as the videographer and a half-dozen cameras record the moment has come alone from Buffalo Grove to the small German town of Borken he can be the guest of honor at this ceremony on Ahauser Strasse The object of his gift of roses are two bronze plaques affixed to small concrete blocks and cemented side-by-side into the brick sidewalk Tot 1942 in Theresienstadt." ("Here lived Max Klaber .. The elder Max Klaber's wife's plaque is more blunt: "Regina Klaber <I>Ermordet </I>(murdered) 1942 in Auschwitz." The young Max Klaber is here as the family emissary honoring the ancestors sacrificed to the terrible Nazi zeal for purity But he is also a generational ambassador - the great-grandson of Holocaust victims meeting the great-grandchildren of the German citizens who did not stop the city's Jews from being rounded up and killed Borken was predominately Catholic with a large minority of Jews shopped in each other's businesses and attended the same public schools The few who survived the Holocaust did not return; their descendants did not come I was a little worried," the Stevenson High School student told an interviewer in Borken who has made 28,000 "stumbling stones" to memorialize victims of the Third Reich agreed to make <I>stolpersteine</I> for Max and Regina Klaber The city readily agreed to have them placed in the public sidewalk where the Klabers' home once stood They were the city's first stumbling stones and the city turned the installation into a major community event They asked a member of the American Klaber family to come and Borken officials were both moved and delighted by his arrival spending time with relatives but also living with a local family with teens about his age and saw the places he had heard about in family stories Max discovered the locals hate the Nazis as much as anybody "You couldn't say the word 'Nazi' without everyone getting angry," he said At a reception after the <I>stolpersteine </I>were laid and an aunt and uncle made to Borken and Gemen in 2008 on the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht - the Night of Broken Glass - and the warm reception the family got both then and now "a chance to reconnect with an important place in the Klaber family history We are all thankful for everything you have done over the years so that the Klaber family and the old Jewish community of Borken and Gemen is never forgotten." Max was surprised to learn that 10th-graders are taught not only about the Holocaust but also about Borken's complicity what current Borken Mayor Rolf Luhrmann calls "the dark years in our history." Students even research the histories of Borken's former Jewish families Max found himself listening to a familiar story - how Max and Regina Klaber built their oil business at the turn of the last century How Max Klaber volunteered in World War I as a medic and about the medals he won for designing a better system to transport wounded troops How he started the local Red Cross chapter Erna and Willi soldiered on in the oil business while Max was at war and Erna and Betti started their own businesses Young Herbert went to Hebrew School in Borken Hitler was elected chancellor in January 1933 Brown Shirts marched outside the synagogue where Herbert was being bar mitzvah'd His party was canceled when the guests were too afraid to come In 1934 a new law banned Jews from public schools and universities The Jews at Herbert's gymnasium<I> </I>were kicked out In 1937 he left home for trade school in Winterswyk On Fridays he would bicycle the 20 miles back to Borken and return to Winterswyk on Sunday Sometimes the soldiers at the border would let the air out of his tires the Kristallnacht riots against Jews spread to Borken Willi and Albert were arrested - just for being Jewish they were forced to sell the oil business to a gentile at a fraction of its value Erna crossed into Holland and didn't return the only work he could get was as a farmhand Jews were increasingly being pulled from their homes and put into the rapidly built camps Borken's remaining Jews were living in a single building was desperately trying to prevent his parents from being deported by proving his father was a World War I hero <I>"Dear Herbert: I am writing on a borrowed typewriter so that I may not write to you anything illegible Albert wrote and asked me to send photocopies of my medals Unfortunately I cannot and am not allowed to do this .. "Most of those from here have been sent away The older people and those who had received war medals should be resettled in Theresin When our time comes and we will have to leave we will be brave and keep ourselves as healthy as possible for you </I>Regina added a handwritten postscript We have to submit to the fate that God has bestowed upon us Be devout and God fearing and think of your beloved parents be affectionately greeted and kissed by your loving Mother." </I>It was the last letter anyone would receive from Max and Regina Klaber the government of occupied Holland set an April 10 deadline for all Jews to surrender She was interned at Westerbork and sent to Theresienstadt hadn't heard from his parents in nine months Nor did he know where Albert and Betti were but he didn't feel in his gut this was God's will <h3 class="breakHead">Coming full circle</h3> Inside a nicely appointed apartment in Morton Grove 91-year-old Herbert Klaber settles into a chair he was plowing a Dutch field behind a single horse His parents had been allowed to make a brief visit Herbert met farmer Drickes Lievestro and his wife a tough Dutch woman who loathed the Germans Together they sheltered 12 people for part of two years - Jews Dutch and a British pilot who had been shot down But with the help of the Dutch Underground The refugees hid in the house and in a converted chicken coop before a more permanent hiding place was devised in the barn For a terrifying two weeks near the end of the war making it impossible for Herbert and the others to stir from their cramped quarters But Herbert Klaber always believed he would survive the Canadian army routed the last of the Germans and liberated the farm Herbert hitched a ride into Varsseveld with soldiers bummed a cigarette and immediately got sick Herbert scanned the Red Cross lists of survivors and with gladness saw the name of his sister he found Erna lying on a mattress in the refugee camp "This is my little brother Herbert," she told the nurses happily where the genteel ghetto they hoped for proved to be only a veneer to fool the Red Cross inspectors presumably from a lack of medicine and proper food Herbert Klaber came to Chicago in December 1946 without having set foot in Germany Their son Larry named his firstborn after Max Klaber Herbert has returned to Europe several times to see Erna he has opened up more about his war years than he did initially with his own children even speaking to Max's classes about the Holocaust "But I learned a lot more while I was there Herbert is glad his children and grandchildren are moving the story forward even though he cannot "You cannot forgive the people who killed your parents," he says "The German people today are different," Herbert Klaber said Demnig's stumbling stones are not universally appreciated; for some the idea they are constantly walked over is unsettling "They're not so much for the families as they are for the people who live in the city where the stones are placed," he said "They are a constant reminder of what went on there and who lived there." who says a Jewish person is not forgotten until his or her name is forgotten who once said the stones are not meant to trip people so that they fall down "you stumble with your mind and your heart," he said Young Max called their installation "a great moment." the "full circle" he spoke about at the installation ceremony is realized Marcus Ehning's 18-year-old stallion Funky Fred (For Pleasure x Pilot breeder Hilde Ehning) retired from the sport with a ceremony at home in Borken during the local ZRFV Borken e.V Ehning and Funky Fred did their last international appearance at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in May this year, and won their final class at their home event on Sunday. "He was born here with us 18 years ago and from now on he will enjoy his retirement at home to the fullest, and hopefully make many mares happy," Ehning wrote in social media.  from the CSIYH1* classes in Geneva in 2011 to placing second in the CSI5* 1.50m Prix des Communes Genevoises last year, Ehning and Funky Fred had a long and successful career together Home-bred out of Ehning's former success mare Panama Funky Fred picked up numerous wins and top placings at venues such as Aachen and Oslo – to only name a few. In 2018 the two were a part of the winning German team in the CSIO5* Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows and won the CSIO5* 1.55m Rabobank Championship of Rotterdam in 2017.  we wish Funky Fred a very happy retirement!  "I never refer to any of my horses as my number one horse," Marcus Ehning replies as we sit around the kitchen table at his family's yard in Borken We have just asked him about his amazing grey stallion Cornado NRW and what has made him the leading horse in Ehning's stable "The whole package is quite important," Marcus states firmly – unwilling to let any horse in his stable play a more important role than another "You need to have a string of horses that give you options and that you can swap around for the different classes at the shows you can use another one – managing them in the best way possible and making them support each other." And we guess that Ehning knows what he is talking about As one of the most admired riders in the world by showjumping enthusiast amateurs and professionals alike – he is frequently referred to as all groups' favourite jockey to watch in the ring – Marcus Ehning has done it all World Equestrian Games and the Europeans – and his list of Grand Prix wins goes on and on The proof of his success – and also that of his brother Johannes – is spread out in the kitchen in Borken The medals are hanging en mass over the entrance and on the walls surrounding the table we look up at countless trophies collected by the Ehning-brothers over the years Marcus is not into talking about his successes though and when we want the answer to the highlight of his career – it almost needs to be dragged out of him "The Olympic Games in Sydney," he finally replies And then to get a gold medal; it doesn't get better than that!" Ehning will never be the man of big words and he will never talk your head full either When we last spoke with Ehning – for interview-purposes that is – he was out of the Top 10 after starting up as rank two at the beginning of the same year Asking him how he would make it back to the top Marcus shrugged his shoulders and said "I'm going to produce the same results as in 2010" pointing out to us that "when things are not just right it's important to not change them too much." His words always stayed with us and although a lot has changed since that day in December 2011 – with new horses coming horses retiring – Marcus' did what he said he would do four in the world and he heads for the World Cup Final in Lyon with two big wins up his sleeves from the last months as he won the World Cup in Bordeaux and the Grand Prix in Paris And Marcus' winning partner was no other than the extremely gifted Cornado NRW The pair's performance in Bordeaux left us speechless it was almost unworldly to watch the two around the jump-off – it was not like they were racing against the clock it was more like floating around and we were left with a sensation that we just witnessed something very special scope and his way of jumping is incredible He really is an amazing jumper," Marcus replies on what makes this horse stand out in the ring It's all about finding the right balance with Cornado though – as Marcus puts it; "He is a stallion and he is a fresh stallion." And he always was Ehning explains; "I got him when he was nine but back then he was a bit too fresh and over-motivated and I really had to work on getting him more under control and more relaxed." At home Marcus focuses on Cornado's well-being and explains that this is not a horse to train a lot at home; "When he is at home it is more about getting him out several times a day turn him out in the field – so that he gets relaxed." There are more talents in the stable as well so it all looks pretty good for Ehning at the moment There are two eight year old ones that both look like super stars in the making The stallion Singular LS La Silla by Chapultec La Silla – owned by Sweden's Maria Gretzer – is described by his rider as "a beautiful type scopey – with a very strong character." "You need to get him on your side he knows what he wants," Marcus adds of his future hope Then there is Again du Toultia owned by Fabien Schreiber who also owned Marcus' former top ride Copin van de Broy Blue – the same stallion who sired Plot Blue – recently joined Marcus and is an exciting new ride for the 2014-season In addition there is the home bred nine year old Funky Fred by For Pleasure and out of Marcus' mare Panama – already a regular sight on the international scene – and Comme il faut another horses with famous blood lines out of Ratina Z and by Cornet Obolensky Then there are the older and more well-known horses like Sabrina and Plot Blue which still play a very important part of the team Marcus says that Plot is in the form of his life So far this year he has been placed in all his Grand Prix classes and was second in the World Cup in Gothenburg Plot is a very complete horse; with him it doesn't matter how big it is or how difficult it is – as long as he is in a good form he will do anything!" With horses like this it feels a little like showjumping's hall of fame in Ehning's stable at the moment There might be a lot of fame attached to Marcus and his horses but in the kitchen in Borken this is quickly forgotten It's a real family feeling as we sit around the table in the house where Marcus grew up – and which now houses the entire staff for warm and home-made lunch every day It's the comforting sound of food being prepared chatter around the table where the grooms have sat down to eat and then of course Marcus and his wife Nadia's kids want their papa's attention as well chatting away while they sit on their father's lap "I try to keep them relaxed and happy," Ehning says when asked about how he trains his horses at home And I try to keep it as natural as possible for the horses here also for the stallions – it is important for their minds." Looking at Marcus ride – and at all his different horses over the years one thing that strikes us is that it all looks quite familiar Marcus Ehning rides like Marcus Ehning – and sometimes we even think that his horses remind us of each other Does he have one system for all his horses we ask "I have one system but I ride them differently The system is: They all get their food at 7.00 and they are all ridden or longed once per day," Marcus replies wittingly making us laugh but I train them individually and according to what each horse needs not only with his riding – but also coaching some of the biggest showjumping talents in the world Training with him is Reed Kessler – also based at his yard through much of the year – Bertram Allen who lives a short drive away "It's interesting – and it's something different," Marcus says about coaching these young riders Ehning's next stop will be the World Cup Final in Lyon There he could be the first rider in history to claim the title for the fourth time Marcus is more concerned about the fact that the three days of competing in Lyon will be a good test for Cornado So our follow-up question is of course whether the thoughts on his mind are linking Cornado and the World Equestrian Games in Normandy together sighs heavily – "It's in September..." clearly pointing out that we think too far ahead at this point My goal is like every year: To do my best – and get on the team." For Marcus Ehning action definitely speaks louder than words Recent weeks have witnessed a surge in analyst and social media commentary expressing growing fears of an imminent Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea Fueled by actual war propaganda from state media of the Ethiopian government under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali disseminated through his military chiefs and government ministers the theme being “his military needs a naval base with sea access,” commentators from Eritrea are voicing concerns over Abiy’s potential aggression targeting Eritrea’s crucial port of Assab.  arguing that Abiy’s internal struggles render him incapable of sustaining a regional conflict a deeper analysis suggests a more perilous reality TPLF leaders consider war between the fractured TPLF factions (led by Debretsion and Getachew) as increasingly likely given Abiy’s determination to integrate thousands of Tigrayan forces into his military This is evidenced by his support for Getachew’s camp through the former TPLF military chief who now advises the current military chief facing a seemingly insurmountable cascade of crises appears to be teetering on the brink of collapse likened by some to a crumbling “house of cards,” makes war with Eritrea less a calculated strategic move and more a desperate act of survival Abiy‘s motivations are likely far from a genuine desire for military victory the looming conflict appears to be a cynical attempt to create chaos extending his political lifespan and deflecting attention from the deepening domestic turmoil and the depletion of a $5 billion IMF loan (July 2024 to Jan 2025) have crippled the economy the recent suspension of US aid by the Trump administration has exacerbated existing food and health crises Political Fragmentation and Widespread Insurgency: The ongoing conflict in Tigray with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) remains unresolved and continues to escalate the growing power of the Fano militia in the Amhara region coupled with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) seizing control of large swathes of the Oromo region has rendered vast areas ungovernable for Abiy’s government This widespread insurgency severely restricts Abiy’s movement confining him largely to Addis Ababa due to security concerns Escalating Ethnic Tensions: Underlying ethnic tensions continue to simmer threatening to further destabilize the already fragile nation Conservative figures suggest hundreds of thousands have been killed and close to 10 million people have been displaced since 2018 with 21.4 million people in need of assistance throughout Oromo Rampant Use of Drone Warfare: Abiy’s increasing reliance on drone warfare including his western supporters & the IMF The African Union continues to grapple with the escalating violence in Ethiopia and widespread reports of ethnically motivated attacks and abuses Abiy’s government is nearing the grim distinction of being labeled the world’s leading perpetrator of drone attacks – both overt and covert – against its own citizens Abiy may perceive a war with Eritrea as a necessary distraction He likely believes that Eritrea will primarily focus on defensive actions allowing him to operate with impunity from the relative safety of Addis Ababa Abiy could attempt to shift international blame for Ethiopia’s internal problems onto Eritrea It is not a strategic maneuver for national gain but a desperate gamble for personal survival The potential consequences for regional stability are immense and deeply concerning The international community must remain vigilant exposing this dangerous ploy for what it is: a calculated effort to manipulate circumstances for personal gain at the cost of peace and the well-being of millions in the region The possibility of a war ignited by a leader clinging to power should not be underestimated and proactive measures to prevent further escalation are urgently needed *This article contains analysis and assumption based on current events and available information and future developments may alter the analysis presented here.   Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com__Subscribe: https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/ Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkenaLike borkena on Facebook Add your business to Ethiopian Business Listing / Ethiopian Business Directory   Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter)  @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly.  Subscribe to YouTube channel To share information or for submission France and the United States interventions have done more to worsen instability in the Sahel and other regions of the continent There has been yet another military coup in West Africa following the events of Mali and Guinea during 2020-2021 This time lower-ranking army officers staged a mutiny in Burkina Faso over the weekend of January 22-23 leaving millions domestically and throughout the region wondering who was actually in control of the landlocked agricultural country formerly colonized by France several soldiers appeared on national television saying they had taken control of the government removing President Roche Marc Christian Kabore who was elected during a transitional process in 2015 The deposed president was reportedly being held at a military camp where one of the mutinies occurred Other officials including the president of the National Assembly was also taken into custody by the coup makers The military officers declared in their television statement announcing the takeover that the parliament and the Constitution had been suspended while announcing the formation of a Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration which would govern the country indefinitely Sakande was the leader of the ruling People’s Movement for Progress (MPP) and had been considered as a possible successor to Kabore The headquarters of the MPP was vandalized and partially burned by supporters of the coup Due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso discontent with President Kabore and the military leadership has mounted over the last several years The attacks by insurgents have spread throughout several West African countries including Nigeria 53 members of the security forces were killed in an ambush carried out by rebels claiming to be allied with al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State Residents of the capital of Ouagadougou were appalled that the military was incapable of defending itself from such armed attacks in rural areas Since the seizure of power by the military junta there have been demonstrations in the capital celebrating the putsch Similar to developments in Guinea and Mali widespread unease over the economic and security situations in the Sahel and other geo-political regions have created disillusionment with politicians a graduate of the Military College in Paris Damiba has participated in numerous training exercises with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) which have grown in size and influence in West Africa in recent years Damiba was involved in the Pentagon-coordinated Flintlock Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises State Department sponsored African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance course Damiba attended the Military Intelligence Basic Officer Course for Africa Defense Department Civil Military Support Element The ostensible purpose of these numerous Pentagon training operations is to provide assistance to governments in Africa related to the enhancement of their internal security structures with the advent of AFRICOM beginning in 2008 and the escalation of military officers being trained by the Defense Department both on the continent and in the U.S. the actual security situation in Africa has declined precipitously the officers involved in military coups had close ties with the various Pentagon and State Department projects Even though the rationale for taking power in Mali and now Burkina Faso was that the civilian governments had failed to protect people from the jihadists the successive military and civilian administrations have not been able to defeat the insurgencies Regional and World Leaders Respond to the Coup A delegation from the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) visited Burkina Faso on January 29 Quite similar to the ECOWAS response to events in Mali and Guinea the regional body has suspended the membership of Burkina Faso and is imposing economic sanctions France has also condemned the coup amid rising anti-Paris sentiments throughout the Sahel where the presence of the former colonial power’s military forces has drawn the ire of a broad spectrum of Africans In the aftermath of the January 24 coup in Burkina Faso people demonstrating in support of the coup waved Russian flags and called for Moscow to intervene to assist in defending the country against the jihadist rebels A report published on the coup by Al Jazeera noted that: “Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo called the recent spate of coups in West Africa ‘a direct violation of our democratic tenets’ The rest of the world is looking up to us to be firm on this matter,’ he said… Nicolas Haque reporting from Ouagadougou said ‘The heads of the military in the region will be meeting with the new strongman of this country Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Tamiba on Saturday (Jan 30) to try to apply pressure on him.’… ‘There were words from Niger’s foreign minister He said: ‘We do not understand that military leaders – after having failed in the field of war – take political power and call on mercenaries to defend the integrity of their territory,’ Haque said ‘He’s referring to Russian fighters from the Wagner group that are active in neighboring Mali and the Central African Republic.” (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/28/ecowas-suspends-burkina-faso-after-coup) Revolutionary Leader of Burkina Faso Was Overthrown in 1987 Much of the turmoil which has gripped this West African country can be traced back decades to the violent removal of the government of Capt Thomas Sankara who ruled the country from 1983 to 1987 Sankara was overthrown in a coup led by his former close comrade Blaise Compraore assassinating Sankara obviously at the behest of neighboring Ivory Coast and France Sankara emerged from the ranks of the military in 1983 in the years leading up to his seizure of power he had studied Marxism and world revolution providing the lower-ranking officer with a perspective aimed at building self-reliance and Pan-African solidarity During his tenure in office which lasted only four years substantial reforms were undertaken to develop national industries women and youth as well as efforts aimed at building an alliance of African states to refuse payment on the usurious debt owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the World Bank and other western-based financial institutions Sankara’s influence was spreading at the time of the coup against his leadership France was bitterly opposed to his ideological orientation and political work and therefore undoubtedly played a pivotal role in his removal from office and liquidation The circumstances surrounding his assassination were concealed by the succeeding regime of Blaise Compaore which remained in office for 27 long years Compaore brought Burkina Faso solidly back into the fold of French neo-colonialism and world imperialism a scheme to extend his tenure in office during 2014 sparked a nationwide rebellion leading to Compaore fleeing the country to Ivory Coast A subsequent trial involving 14 defendants accused of involvement in the coup against Sankara in 1987 The recent coup against Kabore could very well place a damper if not halt the proceedings Ousted President Kabore was elected in multi-party elections during 2015 An attempted coup by loyalists to Compaore failed to halt the transitional process the Kabore administration has been increasingly viewed as weak and inefficient Yet the spread of several jihadist groups since 2015 illustrates the security vacuum inside the country These groups are heavily fractured and have conflicting loyalties to foreign-based organizations operating throughout North and West Africa and French forces in the Sahel and other areas of West Africa under the guise of fighting terrorism the al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked formations such as Ansar Dine Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen among others continue to operate terrorizing local populations These insurgency groups often exploit the internal ethnic and sectoral divisions among the people of Burkina Faso along with the poverty and underdevelopment resulting from the legacies of colonialism and neo-colonialism Many of these jihadist tendencies in Africa and West Asia have been supported by the imperialist countries and their allies in efforts aimed at undermining and removing governments which have resisted many of the policies mandated by the western capitalist states a counter-revolution against the government of Col Muammar Gaddafi was coordinated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Numerous NATO countries and their allies armed the jihadist ground forces while an eight-month aerial bombing campaign killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions the instability which was initiated during the war against Libya has spread throughout the Sahel region impacting Mali and other countries Both Republican and Democratic administrations have pursued a similar policy of imperialist hegemony through economic exploitation and militarism nor France has the willingness to provide genuine assistance to the African people in their contemporary struggles for economic development and territorial sovereignty The mass sentiment against Paris and Washington is well-founded What is needed is revolutionary organization which can bring together the people of the region in a program aimed at continental unity and socialist reconstruction To publish article on borkena, please send submission to info@borkena.com Join the conversation. Follow us on twitter @zborkena to get latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Like borkena on Facebook as well Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks The carrot fields in this country have been harvested industriously for a few weeks now: T one of the major suppliers of German food retailing the carrots company based in Borken has been focusing on snack carrots: despite the rapid development of this product segment in the German market managing director Tobias Brun sees further sales potential in Germany FreshPlaza was in Borken for a conversation about the upcoming harvest growth opportunities and - last but not least - the passion for snack carrots Click here for the full picture gallery.CEO Tobias Brun shows fresh snack carrots from regional production The current heat is also noticeable on the producer in Borken Currently you get the situation on the field still with sprinkling under control there have already been failures: "We started the new harvest in week 26: we can still supply early carrots as needed." How the stock will develop is currently difficult to assess - because the plants are still in the market The prices for the first domestic carrots were quite good but supply and demand are still manageable so we are currently still expecting a normal season," says Brun longer harvest periods In contrast to the conventional carrots you could harvest snack carrots one month earlier the first snack products of this year's season were cleared the snack carrots have been in full production for 3 years now domestic food retailing was ready to receive high-quality and tasty snack carrots from local soil it is quite difficult to deliver quality for this sensitive produce the snack carrots are covered with straw in the field so that they can be offered fresh until April Imported products from our Mediterranean producers which is why we can offer snack carrots 12 months a year." Fresh raw material from the field is processed as on the same day as much as possible Packaging: Exciting topic in the carrot industryThe finger-sized home-grown vegetables are finally offered in 200g bags the snack carrots can not be offered loose on the shelf The goods would dry out too quickly or the durability would suffer "All the well-known chains are working hard to put the issue of packaging reduction into action and it's currently difficult for us suppliers to invest in packaging technology because we do not know where the market will be in the short term." The carrots are washed The future: Further sales potential for snack carrotsBrun sees the future for his company - despite the challenges in today's fresh trade - in any case positive "We continue to see ourselves as an innovative company and reliable partner of German food retailing We continue to see interesting sales opportunities on the German market FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com The Federal government of Ethiopia has declared an all-out war on the Amhara region after a relative peace and  silencing of the guns from the devastating war in Tigray Amhara and Afar regions of northern Ethiopia The  international community has not given any attention to the plights and ongoing genocide displacements,  extrajudicial arrests destruction of lives and livelihoods of the Amhara people There is no other region of Ethiopia  where mass killings and political assassinations have been systematically committed none of these  crimes were investigated and no perpetrator has been held accountable It is also a public knowledge that Abiy  Ahmed has just assassinated his Amhara loyalist to use the event as a pretext to invade the  Amhara region by implicating the Amhara Civil Defense Force Fannos and the Amhara Region Special Forces in  Northern Shewa Zone Abiy Ahmed and his generals have framed this widespread military operation against  civilians in all territories of the Amhara region There is a communication blackout to stifle ground conditions and  realities The outbreak of this conflict was triggered by the unwarranted and unjustified order of disarming and  demobilizing of exclusively the Amhara special forces and the Amhara Civil Defense Forces who Abiy considers as threats to his totalitarian misrule and Oromo expansion throughout the country.  While demands are made to disarm Amhara forces the Oromo forces are still under intensive training in addition  to the half a million paramilitary forces already armed to the teeth Tensions are mounting high in all territories of  the Amhara region as the Federal army Oromia special forces and other paramilitary forces are deployed in all  territories of Amhara region There are credible indications that the Ethiopian Air Force is expected to join the  operation from the skies soon .The Amhara region is surrounded by hostile forces from all sides The basis of this  conflagration is to annex neighboring territories deconstruct the ancient  northern regions and “Oromize” all nationalities of this ancient nation in order to create a homogeneous  population with the emergence of the “Republic of Oromia” they will eventually invade neighboring countries as well This is the result  of ethnic-apartheid system of government using a constitution that legalized  ethnic federalism that divided the country into ethnic homelands a prelude for future disintegration and war.  Unless these hostilities cease immediately with devastating humanitarian  conditions famine and disastrous health situations that can spillover into the wider community of nations The  Middle East and Europe will be flooded with unprecedented refugee crisis The combatants in the Amhara region  are also determined for a long fight despite high fatalities and famine conditions The war will certainly worsen  since it is a question of identity and existential threat for the ancient Amhara people This brutal onslaught will  only galvanize stiff resistance and further destabilize the country triggering a collapse of the tyrannical Federal  government.  We call upon the international community and their partners to give the utmost attention to the war declared on  the Amhara people by Abiy Ahmed and his generals This unlawful operation must be deescalated at the flashpoint  areas of Amhara region Addis Ababa has also restricted people’s movements and interactions launching house to  house kidnappings and arbitrary arrests of prominent individuals The bank  accounts of Amhara businessmen have been frozen The international community should intervene to deescalate  the situation as soon as possible Before we reach to the point of Rwanda,  Bosnia mass murders and political killings are carried out to strengthen Abiy’s stay on the throne and rule  forever delusional and political demagogue who is descending the country into  unprecedented chaos and instability His Oromo dominated government devastated the northern regions in the  recent Tigray war He has now began a widespread civil war and wanton crackdown on the Amhara people Ethnic  relations have worsened and deteriorated since Abiy Ahmed assumed power in 2018 His regime intentionally perpetuated these tensions and conflicts to divide and rule the country He has multiple personality and other  disorders that do not warrant him to rule such a multiethnic nation like Ethiopia USA and other members of the International Community should never undermine this new declaration of an all-out war on the Amhara people.  resulting in a dire humanitarian catastrophe The  International Community must demand the Ethiopian government to:  Immediately stop the aggressive war against the Amhara people and pull out all federal forces that recently  have been deployed in the Amhara region  Stop the Amhara Genocide in Wolega zones of Oromia region and Northern Shewa zones of the Amhara region  Stop ethnic cleansing of the Amharas from Addis Ababa and surrounding cities  Stop the systematic demolition of Amhara’s and other non-Oromo Ethiopians homes in Addis Ababa and its  environs  Free over 10,000 Amhara political prisoners in Addis Ababa and over 20,000 political prisoners in the  Amhara region including well known journalists We urge this conflict to be handled through dialogue and not through civil war.   All Shewa Ethiopian People Multipurpose International Association  Adwa Great African Victory Association (AGAVA)  Amhara Wellbeing and Development Association  Communities of Ethiopians in Finland  Ethio-Canadian Human Rights Association  Freedom and Justice for Telemt Amhara  Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause  Global Ethiopian Scholars Initiativ (GESI)  Major Lemma Woldetsadik Memorial Foundation  Worldwide Ethiopian Civic Associations Network (WE-CAN) Editor’s note : The views in the article do not necessarily refelct the views of borkena.com __ To Publish Article On borkena please send submission to info@borkena.com for consideration Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena Business Listing  Join the conversation. Follow us on twitter @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian news updates regularly. Like borkena on facebook as well Subject: Quote:”Stop the War on Amhara” Unquote May 8 the title should be “STOP THE MADNESS” The Ancient Country of WISDOM What may be worrying is the possibility of affecting the rest of Dear Black African Countries there will be silent festivities among the old COLONIAL MARAUDERS — for sure Dear Black Africans: What will be your reaction Or are you still hypnotized by colonial forces of the past THE EVER HUNGRY MARAUDERS [ who adore the ‘flesh and blood’ of BLACK AFRICA (!!!!) ] will be anxious to express their NATURAL NEGATIVE ATTITUDE AGAINST BLACK RACE that we all know would you pass your polite and brotherly advice to Ethiopia to come to its senses Molten metal testing facilities in Borken completed Foseco has completed a major expansion of its European molten metal testing facilities in Borken moulding and casting capabilities already established to allow industrial scale testing of products and processes to drive the new product development process.Construction and planning of the 240 m2 facility was carried out by Foseco GmbH engineering department in conjunction with local engineering companies.The new tandem induction furnace of 0.5 and 1 tonne melt capacity complements the existing smaller induction furnaces and facilitate the testing of applications for aluminium iron and steel in under realistic casting conditions.Mould and core making capabilities were also enhanced.Hugh Kind,  Marketing & Technology Director for Foundry Europe commented,  “Foseco is committed to innovation and new product development so that we can deliver added value solutions to our customers.  This investment reflects that commitment by substantially improving our capabilities in research and development.” Foseco’s melting facilities at its R&D facilities in Borken Suppliers Catalogue: <link _top>FOSECO GmbH Ethiopia’s primary challenge currently centers around the very individual who was expected to steer it to safety Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has become the most significant threat to the nation’s security Initially elected on a platform of reform and unity Abiy Ahmed now epitomizes division and turmoil his leadership has not delivered the peace he promised; instead his tenure has been characterized by increasingly divisive rhetoric and actions that have exacerbated ethnic conflicts resulting in an economic downturn and a seemingly endless crisis marked by aggressive and dehumanizing language followed by conflict starkly contrasts with the expected demeanor of a statesman.  early warning signs of these developments were overlooked exhausted by the TPLF’s harsh 27-year rule were eager for change and willing to support anyone but the TPLF missing the ominous indications of a leader who was not as he appeared The first striking example occurred following the incident on June 23 At a rally that was organized to show support for him an explosive was hurled toward him and his entourage Many speculated that Abiy himself might have staged the attack—a conjecture that invites a critical analysis of how such an event could bolster his political base and garner profound sympathy among his supporters The truth of what happened remains shrouded in mystery further complicating the narrative in a regime that thrives on maintaining public confusion and conviction Abiy appeared on public television wearing a green T-shirt and his hat quickly condemning the attackers as “የቀን ጅብ” loosely translated as”desperate hyenas.” This characterization not only struck a chord with his then-undisputed supporters but also effectively demonized all of Abiy’s critics opposing Abiy was synonymous with hindering so-called reform and being labeled an enemy of the state or a representative of the TPLF This incident was an early indication of Abiy’s readiness to dehumanize his opponents a tactic that eschews peace and reconciliation in favor of consolidating power through division and inflammatory rhetoric Labeling opponents as “desperate hyenas” served multiple purposes framing them not just as political opponents but as dangerous and morally bankrupt entities thus justifying harsh measures against them often associated with scavenging and desperation painted a picture of irrational and aggressive opposition This approach has been counterproductive to peace and reconciliation as it closed the door to constructive dialogue Such rhetoric highlights a strategy focused not on fostering an inclusive national identity or healing divisions but on securing and reinforcing power by sowing discord a troubling aspect of Abiy Ahmed’s leadership was highlighted during a national broadcast Abiy openly threatened to wage war against anyone who supported Eskinder Nega and his Balderas Political Party Eskinder had been actively organizing the residents of Addis Ababa to oppose displacement and overreach by the Oromia region which threatened their homes and communities Abiy dismissed Eskinder as a “madman,” suggesting that his efforts were merely attempts to gain fame and political power by stirring controversy and provoking his own arrest This incident marked a pivotal moment for some observers who began to seriously question Abiy’s character many of Abiy’s supporters seemed to overlook these warning signs failing to recognize the potential emergence of a future dictator Ahmed’s portrayal of Eskinder was not merely an offhand comment but a calculated attempt to undermine Eskinder’s valid concerns regarding civil rights and urban governance The prime minister’s willingness to engage in conflict with political adversaries particularly evident during his television appearance sharply contrasted with his reputation as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate celebrated for his peace initiatives This contradiction exposed a disconcerting aspect of Abiy’s leadership indicating a tendency toward authoritarian governance characterized by suppression and confrontation The escalation did not stop with mere words It manifested in active ostracization and suppression of Eskinder and his party including restrictions on holding meetings and rallying support within the capital these pressures pushed Eskinder to align with the Amhara Fano Freedom Fighters marking a significant shift from his previous stance of peaceful activism This trajectory shows a disturbing trend where peaceful opposition is not only discouraged but actively combated indicating an ever-shrinking space for democratic engagement and civil discourse in Ethiopia The consequences of Abiy Ahmed’s approach—framing political dissent as madness or treachery—have not only led to bloody wars but also compromised any opportunity for peace Another pivotal example is the actions and words of Abiy Ahmed during the Tigray conflict In the tense moments at the beginning of the Tigray conflict Abiy went on national television to not only address the situation but to distinctly frame the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) as a hostile entity labeling them as a “junta.” This terminology while reflecting the TPLF’s lengthy and authoritarian governance introduced a narrative steeped more in personal vendetta than political disagreement moving beyond mere political opposition to personal and collective demonization set a troubling tone for the unfolding conflict The escalation in vitriolic rhetoric from top government officials continued unabated a prominent social affairs advisor in Abiy Ahmed’s government and a member of parliament intensified the tone by labeling the TPLF as a “cancer” that required surgical removal and should be “erased from the map.” Such statements deviate markedly from the expected norms of governmental communication These remarks go beyond mere breaches of decorum; they pose a real risk of sparking further conflict in a country characterized by significant ethnic and political diversity The inflammatory language used by the Prime Minister and his advisors alarmed the Tigrayan community providing the TPLF with ample opportunity to recruit and mobilize extensively which became the bloodiest conflict in Ethiopia’s recent history.  This type of rhetoric was indicative of anti-peace leadership notably during a period when unity and measured dialogue were desperately needed particularly from a Nobel Peace Prize laureate like Abiy Ahmed should strive toward reconciliation and foster a peaceful dialogue the aggressive stances taken appeared to reflect a significant lapse in ethical governance substituting potential constructive engagement with a strategy marked by expediency and personal grievances The consequences of such an approach were profound By characterizing the TPLF in overtly personal and derogatory terms the government not only alienated a considerable portion of the Tigrayan populace but also laid the groundwork for a conflict fraught with severe humanitarian ramifications The language employed contributed to escalating the conflict arguably deepening and prolonging the national crisis Leadership during such critical times demands a responsibility to transcend personal vendettas and prioritize the broader welfare of the nation’s diverse communities This involves avoiding inflammatory rhetoric that could exacerbate divisions and seeking avenues for unity and reconciliation instead the approach taken by Abiy Ahmed and his administration seemed to neglect these principles instead perpetuating a divisive and destructive narrative After six tumultuous years under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s leadership it is disheartening to observe that little appears to have been learned from past errors in governance and public communication a well-known advisor to the Prime Minister who used allegorical language in a social media post that described Ethiopian opposition groups as “The dragon and the ancient serpent.” These terms were not chosen at random; they are loaded with negative connotations and historical and biblical references to evil Kibret linked these epithets to major Ethiopian ethnic and political groups: the Amhara Fano and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front The use of such language by a high-ranking official is more than irresponsible—it is an ethical breach that aggravates the already severe ethnic divisions and political strife within Ethiopia the rhetoric employed by Daniel Kibret significantly influences public sentiment and incites more violence and aggression towards civilians where those groups belong This incident exemplifies a pattern within the current administration which seems to repeatedly fail to learn from its confrontations and controversies The continual use of divisive language risks embedding deeper societal rifts making the task of national reconciliation increasingly challenging The responsibility of leaders to use language that fosters unity and peace cannot be overstated Words are potent tools that can heal or divide When government officials categorize whole groups as adversaries based purely on their ethnic or political identities they not only fail in their moral and ethical duties but also threaten the stability of the nation they were supposed to lead Such behavior raises serious questions about their suitability for office and their comprehension of their roles as leaders in a diverse and fractured society Similar instances in other countries underscore this point the use of dehumanizing language during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi population had catastrophic consequences Radio broadcasts and public statements often referred to Tutsi individuals as “cockroaches,” significantly contributing to the violence that resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 people This historical example serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of hate speech and the imperative for leaders everywhere to promote discourse that unites rather than divides it is crucial for leaders like Abiy Ahmed and his advisors to reflect on their use of language and its potential impacts on society The path to healing and stability in a nation as ethnically and politically diverse as Ethiopia must involve a conscientious effort to promote inclusivity and respect in all forms of communication The rhetoric used by officials should build bridges ensuring a more stable and united Ethiopian state Similar patterns of inflammatory leadership can be observed in other historical and contemporary contexts The use of dehumanizing language by political leaders as seen in Rwanda prior to and during the genocide similarly contributed to catastrophic outcomes leaders used language as a weapon to vilify and dehumanize other groups escalating pre-existing tensions into violent conflicts the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has significantly shaped the discourse and dynamics of political engagement in Ethiopia The repeated use of dehumanizing language to describe political adversaries underscores a leadership style that is more divisive than unifying This approach has not only perpetuated ethnic and political rifts but also diminished the prospects for peace and reconciliation within the country any effort to bring about peace in Ethiopia under the current administration appears futile With a track record that contradicts the ideals of a Nobel Peace Laureate Abiy Ahmed’s tenure has shown that without a profound shift in leadership approach the hope for a peaceful and united Ethiopia remains dim The continuation of this aggressive and exclusionary rhetoric threatens the very fabric of Ethiopian society making it imperative to consider alternative pathways to peace that do not include him at the helm Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com To Publish an Article On borkena Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkenaLike borkena on FacebookAdd your business to Borkena Business Listing/Business Directory  Join the conversation. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter ) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian news updates regularly. Ethiopia  To share information or for  submission send e-mail to info@borkena.com   Your writing seems like Amora wedeje amora hoghalehu X 3 type of scenario yet you blame him for 100 years old problems because of your stereo type attitude…. Just watch Dr Abiy’s work across Ethiopia with clear eye and review all the good things he did in such short period of time… NOTE you have to be free of backwardness and tribalism to see the work otherwise the work will hide from your eye… Some adults with infantile minds like this one have the audacity to call themselves after brilliant patriots who bitterly fought the fascist invaders in the 1930’s This one decided to call himself after one of the bravest freedom fighters Ras Wubneh Tessema known to his followers as Amoraw because he was like an uncatchable eagle to his enemies So this writer assumed the name after sipping the last drop of his bourbon Ras Wubneh fought those fascists on site but this one wants to do it thousands of miles away from the place of the action Such naming oneself after legends of the past is not confined in one ethnic group members only there were and still are many who named themselves after the king of the animal kingdom there were more lions in the front that was having fits to liberate me and my noble Oromos than the lion population in the entire Chercher Highlands There were Lencho this brand and Lencho of another accent Their scheme of the game was the army of their enemy would run for its life just at the sound of their roar there has not been a single battle victory to their credit What they did was murdering innocent and unarmed poor peasants I agree that our leaders ought to be under public scrutiny “the repeated use of dehumanizing language” by PM Abiy and his Admin It is revealing that you did not mention Amhara groups (the camp you are defending) engaging in but disturbingly fascistic and racist language and tactic It could be you’re so part of it that you have become dead to the stench and noise that is polluting public space 24/7 Dejen Yemane Messele@MesseleDejenLecturer of Law ,Wollo University & PhD student The ABC of international law tells us that states are the principal actors at the international level.  International law knows states All states are equal under the eyes of international law irrespective of their size The ABC of international law has many things to tell us in this regard.  states are at liberty to design their system of governance States may design a system of government which promises them efficiency in all aspects Since the establishment of nation-states and the inception of sovereignty and territorial integrity three systems of governance came into place Only unitary and federalism are alive to this very day  86% of states are adopting and functioning through a unitary form of governance while 14% are adopting federalism as their system of government EPRDF has introduced an ethnic-based federalism to Ethiopia The 1995 FDRE constitution legitimizes this ethnic-based federalism and regional states or members of the federation are structured on the basis of ethnic lines The constitution does not know citizens nor Ethiopian people It rather bestows ethnic groups both the sovereignty and the veto to decide on the states fate and its continuity The constitution remains the only document in history that allows external self-determination through secession External-self-determination was the concept introduced in the realm of international law to expedite Africa’s decolonization from the European colonial rule The paradox and the amusing thing is the never colonized Ethiopia has adopted this concept of external-self-determination through secession where no African country incorporates this concept after independence Why EPRDF introduced this alien concept to Ethiopia remains a conundrum.   The reading of the constitution opines that Ethiopia’s federalism is introduced in a way ignoring the history of the country A country which has some 3000 years existence with a formal state administration along with a strong central government cannot fit a coming-together form of federalism If federalism is a must it could have been a holding together form.  it’s obvious that a vehement opposition has been echoed against the federalism which is in place by the constitution The first and foremost opposition is the fact that this constitution was not the result of public discussion and dialogue it was rather the party manifesto which directly crowned itself as a nation’s constitution Rewriting of the constitution has long been asked by the public.  this call brought two categories of nametags the federalist and unionist/unitarist camp TPLF and opposition political parties established on the Oromo ethnic line are grouped into the federalist line while the nationalist (Ethiopic-center) political parties are labeled as unitarists But I argue that the ethno-nationalists groups who perceived themselves as a vanguard of the federalism system are misleading the public as their rhetoric towards the unitary system of government is false and they are not federalist forces in real terms.  A false narrative about federalism and unitarism has indeed been established for more than two decades in Ethiopia The propagandists and advocates of this ethnic-based federalism have mainstreamed that federalism is the blissful system unlike the unitary system to be applicable in Ethiopia They intentionally preached the public that it’s only the federalism system which appropriates power to the federal/central government and the regional/sub-national administrations They intentionally taught the public that unitray system is a rule of centralization which could not allow decentralization of power and self-rule.  They wrongly accuse unitrism as a system of dictatorship and authoritarianism and federalism as the only way for decentralisation All of these narrations are wrong and are made just to maintain the status quo of political entrepreneurship in the name of ethnic groups For those who call themselves as federalist forces ethnic groups are their best commodities to trade on The public should know that the federalism which forgets citizens puts national integrity and sovereignty at risk due to an unconditional secession of groups; which outweighs diversity over unity; does not base on the history of the state should come to an end The only beneficiaries of this system are corrupt officials who assumed power on the name of ethnic groups And yet this system brought us at the brink of a failed state as a nation.     it was in its long unitary history that Ethiopia reached the peak of civilization not in the 28 or more years of the ethnic based federalism a unitary system of governance can still be an option for Ethiopia division of power among the central and sub-national administrative units can be done; self-rule or internal self-determination can be exercised; the force of unity will outweigh differences The system can abandon the alien concept of external-self-determination through secession.  Unitary system can create a stronger Ethiopia where its peoples become the owner of their territory without distinction.  We should also know that it’s democracy which defines good governance There should be people’s constitution and constitutional democracy to live in a country where rule of law is realized; human rights are protected and fulfilled; free and fair elections are conducted We should say no for political entrepreneurs who preached ethnic federalism as a matter of life and death.  __ Editor’s note : To publish your articles or commentary please send submissions to info@borkena.com Join the conversation. Like borkena on Facebook and get Ethiopian News updates regularly. As well, you may get Ethiopia News by following us on twitter @zborkena After 239 innocent civilians are massacred in the Oromo region of Ethiopia in connection with Hachalu Hundessa’s killing Attorney General disclosed that two killers are arrested Ethiopia announced on Friday that it has arrested killers of the popular Ethiopian singer who is known for his Oromo songs – Hachalu Hundessa In a press conference in the capital Addis Ababa Attorney General Adanech Abiebie said that two suspects are arrested but one suspect is still at large The first suspect is identified as Tilahun Wami and the second suspect is Abdi Alemayehu – as disclosed by the AG Kebede Gemechu is the third suspect who is yet to be captured the first suspect (Tilahun Wami) admitted that he shot dead the singer The killer also admitted that the Oromo Liberation Front (Shane) gave him the mission to kill the singer He added that he received the mission to kill the singer whom he said were communicating with him in the Oromo language while they spoke Tigrigna among each other Based on the profile from the Attorney General the killer is ethnic Oromo the Ethiopian government has made several arrests in connection with the killing including the owner of Oromia Media Network (OMN) a senior leader in Oromo Federalist Congress opposition party the government implicated the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).  Hachalu was killed in the capital Addis Ababa in Gelan Condominiums locality on Monday Following the preliminary investigation into the killing,  security authorities claimed that the killing was planned and coordinated with an objective to bring about large-scale ethnic and religious-based violence in the country in a way to disintegrate Ethiopia who claim to struggle for the rights of ethnic Oromo launched a savage attack in at least 40 districts in the Oromo region of Ethiopia against ethnic Amharas and ethnic Guraghe (among others) within hours after the news of Hachalu’s killing was heard As many as 239 innocent non-ethnic Oromos were massacred and nearly 300 wounded (according to an official report from security authorities in the Oromo region) Hundreds of businesses and residential homes belonging to non-ethnic Oromo were destroyed in the region Thousands of people are reduced to homelessness How many Ethiopians you know speak both Afan Oromo and Tigrigna??? I bet the total number of those people in Ethiopia amount to a few thousand Most of them tend to be from the farthest north of Ethiopia (near Raya) OLF-Shane folks are found deep within Oromia and come from radical families who could care less to learn Amharic I can understand why TPLF could pay someone to assassinate Haachaalu But I find the story of those assassins to be not plausible There are hundreds of thousands of citizens of that country who speak multiple languages I had relatives who spoke and still speak fluent Oromifaa There are those too many counts in the northern part of the country who speak both Tigrayan and Oromifaa or Amhara and Tigrayan I had seen it myself during one of my vacations in the 1960’s My Middle East classmate and I were coming back to Addis/Finfine when our bus had a mechanical problem at a small town just before the Nile River I noticed people who were speaking to each other in Oromifaa I approached them and had lengthy conversation while having lunch They came to that small town from another village on the other side of the Nile River They gave me an education that jolted me to my core I said to myself ‘Somebody had been telling me lies’ They told me how men from their village travel to this side of the river and marry girls who were Gojjam(Amhara) and the men on this side of the river go to the other side and marry girls who are mainly Oromos I was not a stranger to such intermarriage which was somewhat common in those railway stations in Western Hararghe where I was born and spent my formative years But what they were doing for centuries in that part of the country was on a grand scale the Prime Minister is also fluent in Amharic So I am not taken back if these murderers speak more than one medium They are hereby in the clutches of that fire spitting patriotic daughter/sister of ours Now the murderers and some of their accomplices are identified and apprehended to be in police custody the trial should start after a thorough investigation is conducted That may and understandably take months to make sure there will be air tight indictments with indisputable evidences and guilty verdict in the court of law We have seen how such high profile crimes are handled here the West AG’s and their chief prosecutors do not rush the case We all remember formal indictment of the surviving Boston Marathon Bomber was brought against him two years after the day the crime was committed He was found guilty two years to the date of the commission of the crime These demons should not let go off the hook for this or that legal issues The severity of punishment depends on their behavior while in custody Cooperation with the prosecutors by spilling every bean in their pockets may fetch them leniency from the judges Personally I am not a big fan of the death penalty Let them rot in jail without the possibility of parole I am not sure if that country still has the death penalty in its penal code Our men/women of letters can clarify that A new Republic of Oromia has just been declared by the leaders of ‘liberation’ front living in Minnesota The have said that everything has been tried to live with the ‘colonizer’ but it all failed The ‘empire’ led by PM Abiy has just murdered hundreds of Oromos and jailed tens of thousands All those killed following the assassination of our freedom fighter Hachalu Hundesa were all Oromos We hereby ‘Declare The Republic of Oromia Here On Location In The Great State of Minnesota!! That was the declaration adored with a new state flag of the republic can somebody tell me where I can apply for a passport of the new republic So little is talked about the woman who was sitting with Hachalu in his car when he got assassinated I would expect if these were professional assassins commiting a pre meditated murder they would also kill her too just to not leave any witness behind but she was left unharmed the suspicion is she was an accomplice who led the killers to the whereabouts of Hachalu If I was the prosecutor I would investigate the woman Lamrot Kemal who was friend of Hachalu named Lamrot Kemal sitting in a married man’s car at that hour of the night The mass arrest of over 4700 people in the killing of Hachalu is absurd to say the least How could this number of people involve to kill one person Abiy administration is using Hachalu death to arrest his opponents Abiy abd PP will not have a chance to get re-elected and his medemer dogma is finished – ashes to ashes his comrade Isaias Afeworki will come to rescue him stay in power Ethiopian Airlines this past weekend received the Delivery of the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.  It flew from Everett (PAE) It is reported that the new aircraft made its first flight to Dubai Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding global destinations it reported over $6 billion in revenue.  There has been a rumor that it is passing a portion of ownership of the cargo service to the Chinese government Ethiopian News Video Join the conversation. Follow us on twitter @zborkenato get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Like borkena on Facebook as well. Subscribe to YouTube channel Subject: “Ethiopian Airlines gets delivery of new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Ethiopian Airlines is not only the pride of Ethiopia but also the pride of Black African Continent in Totality That is what we call the PRIDE of Black Africa Humble message from a proud favourite of Ethiopian Airlines —– PRIDE of Black Africa and admired by world airlines CHERISH WITH THEIR NATURAL DIGNITY —- FREE FROM UNUSUAL TENDENCY OF ANIMOSITY WITH EACH OTHER —————————THE END ———————————- BORKENA.COM: THANK YOU ENDLESSLY for YOUR ENDLESS SERVICE TO YOUR READERS “”Amhara synond aand amhara republic will vanish in the air and cease to exit except being conceived in the minds of fanatic amhara elites.”” Subject: “Ethiopian Airlines gets delivery of new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Ethiopian Airlines is not only the pride of Ethiopia but also the pride of Black African Continent in Totality That is what we call the PRIDE of Black Africa Humble message from a proud favourite of Ethiopian Airlines —– PRIDE of Black Africa and admired by world airlines CHERISH WITH THEIR NATURAL DIGNITY —- FREE FROM UNUSUAL TENDENCY OF ANIMOSITY WITH EACH OTHER BORKENA.COM: THANK YOU ENDLESSLY for YOUR ENDLESS SERVICE TO YOUR READERS AMHAhara synond aand amhara republic will vanish in the air and cease to exit except being conceived in the minds of fanatic amhara elites This is the airline is doomed by Oromos this and Oromos that this news of delivery of one of the most expensive and technologically advanced aircraft would make me eat my crows I would take everything back what I have said about its day dreamed death That is what happens to anyone who is well read when going too ethnic Such emersion would rob anyone’s faculty no matter how well educated of his/her the capacity to reason and think objectively Ethnic politics is evil when it is played making others enemies For such ethno-fighters the rational and logical functions of their Allah gifted mind are either warped or have made themselves available to evil elements/groups In our case it was the aging emperor in the 1970’s Amharas from the 1980’s until now and lately Oromos have joined the targeted groups The aging emperor used to be called ‘senile’ Tigres ‘Woyanes’ and now Oromos ‘Oromummaa’ These pathogen carrying intellectuals will coin up new pejoratives to demonize Somalis There were intellectuals with sick minds in the 1960’s and early 70’s borrowing terms and phrases from commie books from Beijing and Moscow to demonize those who worked very hard to find success as ‘Bourgeoisie I remember one of such braggadocios how he was puffing up his chest in reminiscence of Mussolini on that balcony in Rome in 1936 and Castro in Havana coming on the stage to rally up the gullible young crowd in the hall The crowd went into frenzy with a noise that could register a 6.9 on the Richter scale He then went into his habit of flopping his mouth with profanity piling up on the aging emperor It was so disgusting to me and I am sure it was the same to few others in that hall He was not alone in such abhorrent and harmful behavior They were others doing the same on Saturdays vowing to replace the aging emperor with a ‘people’s government’ and on Mondays but you would find them leading demonstration condemning Ethiopia for bombing civilians in their country of Eritrea This was how the gullible youth was ‘had’ and taken for a long ride then JET2 Airlines – On Sunday 23rd July I flew from Belfast to Ibiza on Jet2 airline for a much needed four night break On landing at Ibiza airport, I discovered that my wheelchair had been completely wrecked in transit. The whole frame of the chair had been completely bent with the front wheels touching the back wheels I managed with difficulty to get to my hotel where I have had to spend most of my holiday and many of the activities I had planned were abandoned due to the damage done to my wheelchair It took two days for me to receive a call from Jet2 when in Ibiza. Jet2 airlines left me stranded with no assistance or acknowledgement of the challenges that I was facing Jet2 has offered an apology and only £1,207 in compensation towards the £4,000 cost of a replacement wheelchair, which must be custom built for my needs I cannot afford to make up the difference myself Jet2 has offered absolutely nothing towards the holiday that was ruined due to their airline’s negligence Please sign my petition to demand that the cost of my new wheelchair is covered by Jet2 airlines and Jet2 provide a refund for the holiday which was ruined Other airlines including British Airways have promptly paid for wheelchairs in exactly the same circumstances with no issue – why can Jet2 not do the same Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.