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Sean McClure
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A seasoned professional with proven capability as a trusted advisor with cross-cultural capability, deep experience as a convener and negotiator, with global experience on high risk programming, maximizing cost benefits through the use of cutting edge tools and technologies to develop next generation approaches to productivity and right size failing programs. Proven leadership experience includes: development of public-private partnerships, cost benefit analysis, compliance and oversight, federal contracts and grants, innovation and technology, infrastructure (water/sanitation), energy (wind/solar/nuclear), economic development, transportation and manufacturing; social science and economic research and analysis, corporate social responsibility and business sustainability with excellent communication and problem solving skills and the ability to lead multi-cultural teams.

NSF awards $12 million to establish urban water sustainability research network

Author:

This is from a press release from the University of Miami.

A consortium of 14 U.S. academic institutions received a $12-million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to address challenges that threaten urban water systems in the United States and around the world  to help establish the Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN).

UWIN aims to create a research network for integrated water systems and to cultivate champions of innovation for water-sensitive urban design and resilient cities, CSU said.

The network will establish six connected regional urban water sustainability hubs in densely populated regions to serve as innovation centers, helping communities transition to sustainable management of their water resources.

For more information, contact UWIN coordinator Meagan Smith at[email protected].

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/uomr-na082615.php

http://www.innovationews.com/CSU-receives-12M-NSF-award-to-establish-Urban-Water-Innovation-Network/

 

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

New law permits North Dakota cop drones to use less than lethal force

Author:

On 8-26-15, in Daily Beast, Justin Glawe explains how ND police can now use drones equipped with tasers, mace, beanbag rounds etc.  It also goes into depth on how the lobbying industry re-wrote the bill .

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/26/first-state-legalizes-armed-drones-for-cops-thanks-to-a-lobbyist.html

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

CALIFORNIA’S FRACKING FLUIDS

Author:

EWG has released an interesting report on the combination of chemicals involved in fracking.    The report can be found below.

http://www.ewg.org/research/california-s-toxic-fracking-fluid-chemical-recipe

EWG  used a 2013 California law (SB 4) requiring disclosure of all chemicals used to boost production from oil wells by fracking or similar methods to review what the companies were putting into the ground.  The drilling companies reported using 197 unique chemicals in 691 oil wells from December 2013 through February 2015. The fracking fluids typically contained two dozen or more different chemicals. EWG’s analysis1 found that they included:

  • 15 listed under California’s Proposition 65 as known causes of cancer or reproductive harm
  • 25 likely to contain impurities of Proposition 65-listed chemicals
  • 5 that the European Union has associated with an increased risk of cancer
  • 6 associated with reproductive harm
  • 3 linked to clear evidence of hormone disruption
  • 12 listed under the federal Clean Air Act as Hazardous Air Pollutants known to cause cancer or other harm
  • 93 associated with harm to aquatic life.

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Is Your Drinking Water Contaminated With Toxic Non-Stick Chemicals?

Author:

On 8-27, EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) Senior Scientist David Andrews published test findings in an interactive map, which shows the results of EWGs testing.  The results show that:

“nationwide testing has found that 6.5 million Americans in 27 states are drinking water tainted by an industrial compound that was used for decades to make Teflon. (PFOA)

The chemical, known as PFOA, has been detected in 94 public water systems. The amounts are small, but new research indicates that it can be hazardous even at the tiniest doses. PFOA and closely related fluorinated chemicals – including PFOS, once used to make Scotchgard – can cause cancer, birth defects and heart disease and weaken the immune system.

Even the lowest level of PFOA detected by the water testing, which was mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, was about five times higher than what’s safe to drink, according to the new research. This means that even if the EPA has not reported finding PFOA in your drinking water supply, it could still be contaminated.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2015/08/your-drinking-water-contaminated-toxic-non-stick-chemicals

Here is the link to the interactive map:

http://static.ewg.org/reports/2015/pfoa_drinking_water/interactive_map/index.html?_ga=1.53535915.2027693422.1440722845

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Rare Nautilus Makes First Appearance in 30 Years:

Author:

 

discovery News from 8/27 has an interesting story and some great pictures from University of Washington biologist Peter Ward which were  in July/August 2015, while exploring the waters off Papua New Guinea.   Allonautilus scrobiculatus was first sighted by ward in 1984.  The UW article provides some interesting information about the Nautilus and explains how fragile and vulnerable this species is.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/rare-nautilus-makes-first-appearance-in-30-years-photos-150827.htm

http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/08/25/rare-nautilus-sighted-for-the-first-time-in-three-decades/

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

The Fallen of WWII

Author:

Neil Halloran has done some very interesting statistical work.  I particularly like how he tells the story of WWII using data in images and charts.

 

http://fallen.io/

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

 

Archaeologists Find Aztec Sacrificial Temple’s Main Skull Rack

Author:

According to NBC News and the AP, on 8/20/15, archaeologists discovered  racks known as “tzompantli” were where Aztecs displayed the severed heads of sacrificial victims on wooden poles pushed through the sides of the skull.  This was different since the skulls were arranged in a circular pattern and were mortared together.

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/archaeologists-find-aztec-sacrificial-temples-main-skull-rack-n413411

The image is of a Mayan, not an Aztec tzompantli

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

 

Archaeological Dig Near Van Uncovers Fortress Buried for 2,700 years

Author:

An interesting article in the Hurriyet Daily from July 28th 2015 highlights an ongoing excavation near Van.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/urartu-castles-walls-unearthed-after-2700-years.aspx?PageID=238&NID=86053&NewsCatID=375

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

$100,000 Competition for Clean Tech

Author:

An interesting article on 8/15/15 by Robert Sanders in the Berkeley News  on a $100,000 investment “infusion” in clean tech for student teams.

“Berkeley Cleantech University Prize (CUP), which will fund the teams during the fall semester as they take advantage of the campus’s incubators and accelerators, which are now primarily helping UC Berkeley students launch start-ups.”

http://news.berkeley.edu/2015/08/17/100000-competition-to-stimulate-innovative-clean-technology/

This is part of a DOE $2.5M grant to fund clean tech.

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

 

About Me

A seasoned professional with proven capability as a trusted advisor with cross-cultural capability, deep experience as a convener and negotiator, with global experience .... Read More

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