In no particular order:
Nuclear power has saved about 1.84 million lives over the last 40 years due to the prevention of air pollution (via). A large expansion of it over the next four decades could save from 420 thousand to as many as 7.04 million additional lives.
This is one of the reasons there should be a large–scale increase in nuclear power generation. It is far less deadly than coal, once air pollution and mining deaths are accounted for, not to mention its carbon dioxide emissions’ causal factor in climate change. And nuclear power is safe; most scientists and experts believe that the risks from nuclear power are far overblown, especially considering the threat from global warming.
The teams promoted and relegated for all levels of the IIHF Women’s World Championships are:
| Tournament |
Promoted |
Relegated |
| World Championships |
n/a |
Czech Republic |
| Division IA |
Japan? |
Latvia |
| Division IB |
France |
Great Britain |
| Division IIa |
Hungary |
Slovenia |
| Division IIB |
South Korea |
South Africa |
| Division II Qualification |
Turkey |
n/a |
Since the IIHF does not explicitly say, in both the news report and statistics page, whether Japan was promoted or merely the winner or Division I Group A, I still have no idea what was going on. By the looks of it no one was promoted to the main tournament in 2014, which will keep it at eight teams in 2015. That negates any point of winning the tournament this year, which is a shame. I hope I’m wrong, and that a better explanation is forthcoming. Update: Another possibility is that there will be some sort of qualifier series, like a best–of–three between Japan and whoever wins Division I Group A next year.
Quote of the day from Vyckie Garrison, the co–founder of No Longer Qivering:
“Fanaticism will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
Yes! JJ, the Unrepentant Old Hippie, lives. She’ll be returning to blogging soon.
The Words on What... 