I'm going to start this post off with a few disclaimers:

1. A good amount of my information comes from The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein. I tried to find as many direct sources for the relevant topics brought up in the book as I could, but they weren't always readily availible. I highly encourage you to read the book itself if you want more details and his sources.
   
2. While I am going to try to use Atlanta-specific information as much as possible, there are some things that I can only provide evidence for in general, not to mention that I have to discuss this with the wider national historical context as well since Atlanta was but one part of a massive racist horror show.
   
3. I am by no means claiming to be an expert on this material. It's just what I have the most supporting information already at had for. Again, if you want to read more details from someone who spent much more time researching than I have, pick up a copy of The Color of Law.
   
4. I am by no means claiming that fixing zoning will be the end-all-be-all of segregation legacy, nor that it will singularly solve disparities for minority populations compared to white populations within the city. Undoing the sheer scale of bullshit put in place to codify segregation and racial suppression as it manifests today is an undertaking requiring effort on par with something like the Green New Deal (coincidentally, there can be quite a lot of overlap in with a GND, and that's why climate and social justice are so often packaged with various versions of a GND). Fixing the legacy of racist zoning's impacts is just one part to an incredibly complex system, but it's still one worthy of doing. Gotta start somewhere, right?
   

Alright, on to the main content... ^{Buckle up kiddos, we're going for a fuckin ride!}

Why the Fuck are you Talking About Zoning Right Now‽

The country is, to use an incredible amount of understatement, in a bit of a pickle right now. We're in the midst of a global pandemic that's surging, and resurging within our borders. We're reeling at a seemingly never ending parade of tragedy and failure of composure from the very police forces sworn to protect us. We're dealing with an ever escalating push back and response from a federal government that is attempting to label protesters as terrorists. We've had impeachments, assassinations of foreign political operatives, the emboldenment of out-and-loud racists, foreign bounties on our military, historic Supreme Court decisions, and record stock market crashes. We're staring down the barrel of a depression, and there's a looming climate catastrophe that's been burning in the background of all of this.
So why, in the middle of all of this, am I bringing up zoning of all things? How could that possibly be relevant to any of this?
Well... as it turns out... quite a bit. See, zoning is one of those core functions of government, generally on the local level but not always, that just kinda exists. It's a long, boring, complicated mess of legal code that just doesn't come up all that often in our every day discussions (unless you're a nerd like me who keeps trying to shove it into every conversation... ahem...).
No matter how innocuous or intangible or boring zoning may feel, though, it actually has massive ramifications for how our build environment is shaped. That is literally its job, after all: codifying what is and isn't allowed to be built, where, and how. That build environment then has massive ramifications on a whole pile of social, economic, and environmental issues.
A good zoning code balances public desires for safety, health, and environmental protections, while also helping to ensure various amenities are provided, ideally outweighing any downsides of development with benefits to the community at large. Unfortunately, most zoning systems fail at this balance, often focusing on the wrong components as perceived negatives when they're actually benefits, while codifying build requirements that actively make things worse for the communities around them. A bad zoning code can make housing more expensive, make it harder to meet climate and environmental goals, make the general population more sickly, impede the ability of persons to generate generational wealth, and horrendously damage the tax base, making it harder to fund public projects.
As it turns out, most of these issues trace back to a few core ideas of the initial model zoning systems, and were originally put in as features of the codes. The intent at the time was mainly focused on creating a few specific negative outcomes, with many of the others having taken decades to fully manifest and be recognized. Yet, the original structure of the codes remain, bureaucratic momentum and an incomplete understanding of justice keeping them in place, dragging out the problems for years and years and years.
So what were those features, and what specific negative outcomes were they trying to achieve?

Setting the Stage for Segregation

First, we have to step back, and take a bit of a historical run up to provide proper context.
In 1877, Reconstruction ended. Federal troops, who had defeated the Confederacy, packed up and left the south after 12 years of postbellum occupation (14 if you include overlap years of occupation before the war's end). Reconstruction, though certainly not perfect, had been a time of relative empowerment for black Americans. Backed by federal troops, integration and political power was actually in reach. It wasn't 40-acres and a mule, but it was an incredible leap forward as the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were enforced in about as blunt a way as possible: at the muzzle of a rifle. That all came to a painful and tragic end with the election of Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, who had promised southern Democrats the end of occupation in exchange for electoral support.
Almost immediately, black Americans suffered a bloody, violent resurgence of oppression, with segregation becoming standard practice, and enforced both at the hands of local law enforcement and mobs of white Americans. Worse yet, as Jim Crow laws and their efforts anchored themselves across the south, previously diverse and inclusive (relatively speaking) parts of the country began to follow suit. All over, towns and cities undertook the effort of removing, or isolating their black populations, using similar tactics learned from the southern states.
Like a cancer, segregation spread far and wide, becoming more and more recognized and acceptable. By 1913, freshly elected president Woodrow Wilson and his cabinet approved the implementation of segregation in federal offices, marking about as drastic a change in federal priority as you could take over the course of three and a half decades.
It is in this atmosphere of invigorated racist bullshit that zoning rises within the policy consciousness.

The Original Sin of Zoning

As a concept, zoning ordinances within the U.S. were rather new, with the 1908 Los Angeles municipal zoning ordinances being the first of their kind. The LA laws were a formalizing of existing nuisance laws, meant to create separations of land use and buffers between the harmful effects of industries and residences. Though specific business classifications (such as unnecessary prohibition of laundries, which were predominantly owned by Chinese immigrants at the time, in certain areas) did come with racial issues, they were quite tame by the standards of the time, as we're about to see.
Prior to the rise of zoning as a popular government effort, it was fairly rare to see actual legal code dedicated towards segregation, instead focusing efforts on government-endorsed vigilantism and governments not enforcing equality laws already in place. This began to change, however. In 1910, a few years before the federal government would make official its office segregation, and two years after the LA zoning system was established, Baltimore became the first city in the nation, (as stated by the New York Times), to create an explicit law mandating the segregation of city areas. The city ordinance dictated that blacks could not buy homes on blocks where whites were the majority, and vice versa. The law was... horribly broken, and judges had to grapple with the complex, integrated reality of the city, trying to adjudicate who could and couldn't live where, or buy property where, creating an incredible mess of legal issues across the city.
The practical problems with the law did not stop other cities from copying the effort, though. Invigorated by Baltimore's example, Birmingham, Dade County (Miami), Charleston, Dallas, Louisville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Richmond, St. Louis, and others all made their own version of racial segregaition mandates within landuse. Amungst this list was, in fact, the City of Atlanta, whose ordinance virtually copied the Baltimore law, with the added provision that a person of one color occupying a house in a mixed block could object to one of another color moving next door.
Unlike the initial LA zoning laws, the systems put in place following Baltimore's example were specifically racially focused, with more familiar zoning laws taking shape in the years to come. These initial racist laws would persist until the 1917 Supreme Court decision that such laws were unconstitutional in Buchanan v. Warley. However... the decision was based around the freedom of individuals to buy and sell property to whomever they wished, rather than a denunciation of segregation within law itself. Many cities simply ignored the Supreme Court ruling, and moved ahead with their segregationist laws, while others claimed that slight variations in the ordinances, such as the difference between block level and larger zoning styles, meant they didn't have to follow the ruling.
The City of Atlanta was, once again, one of these cities. In The Atlanta Zone Plan: Report Outlining a Tentative Zone Plan for Atlanta (1922), written by Robert H. Whitten as a consultant for the the City Planning Commission, explicit residential districts were outlined by racial makeup, with R1 as "white residence district", R2 as "colored residence district", and R3 as "undetermined race district". It was nice enough to allow servants' quarters remain open to either race. The plan justifies this by saying:

the above race zoning is essential in the interest of the public peace, order and security and will promote the welfare and prosperity of both the white and colored race.

Additionally, Whitten defended his zoning plan in professional publications by saying that "[e]stablishing colored residence districts has removed one of the most potent causes of race conflict." This, he added, was "a sufficient justification for race zoning.... A reasonable segregation is normal, inevitable and desirable."
Here is a map of the proposed zoning system within the then city limits. You can get an idea of just how limited housing areas for blacks were, just how much of the city was to be dedicated to single family housing compared to apartments, and how relegated commercial uses would be. Incidentally enough, this is where the City of Atlanta begins to see a zoning code similar to modern codes. We'll get to that in a moment. For now, note how closely this map matches some of the racial demographics of the city today, oh, and (just coincidentally I'm sure) how the largest 'Colored District' in the city was to be essentially bordered on three sides by industrial areas. Other zoning maps from the same time would go further with encroaching industrial zones, limiting colored areas, and limiting apartment areas.
^{Can I just take a moment to say how much I fucking love the Atlanta History Center and its archives? Okay, moving on.}
At the same time that Atlanta was ignoring its constitutional duty to not segregate its people, the federal government was stepping into the zoning game. In 1921, then Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover organized an Advisory Committee on Zoning to develop a manual explaining why every municipality should develop a zoning ordinance, with an eventual goal of developing model legislation that could be easily adopted. This committee had such members as Frederick Law Olmsted, who argued in 1918 that not only were certain housing types "coincident with racial divisions", and, since it was undesirable to "force the mingling of people who are not yet ready to mingle", great care should be take not to mix housing types, and Irving B. Hiett, who was the president of the National Association of Real Estate Boards, an organization who would produce a code of realtor ethics stating that "A Realtor should never be instrumental in introducing into a neighborhood... members of any race or nationality... detrimental to property values" just a few years later. By 1922, the committee had developed A Zoning Primer, which argued that zoning was required to preserve property values, and which was widely distributed across the country. The policies would push out wide and far across the nation, following the federal government's example.

Pretending as if Racist Plans Aren't

In 1924, the Georgia Supreme Court struck down the City of Atlanta zoning code due to its racial components. Despite this, the underlying plan and map developed with segregation in mind, would act as the basis for future plans. Indeed, there are many overlaps with the 1922 plan, and even zoning designations today.
Keep Whitten's and the Zoning Commission's mentalities concerning the importance of racial segregation when looking back through the rest of the initial Atlanta zoning proposal. It provides leading anecdotes (without apparent supporting evidence beyond some photographs that don't really seem to match the narrative) of the dangers of mixing small stores, and low-rise multi-family housing with lower densities, primarily focusing on the perceived loss of value of adjacent properties, while framing the persons who make such developments as greedy speculators only out for a quick buck (rather than look at the economic benefit to the store owner, the new access to the store that surrounding areas get, and the housing relief the apartment dwellers experience).
Still without apparent evidence, the proposal makes sweeping, generalized statements about the need to preserve neighborhoods' character, and preserve property values. It proposes to do this by dividing the city into use, height, area, and race categories, with each mixing with the others to dictate specific allowances. The racial categories were removed, yet the remainder of the plan's suggestions would persist.
Even in 1917 it was understood that density was a major component of affordability. Special City Plan Adviser for the City Plan Commission of Cleveland Ohio Robert H. Whitten's essay The Zoning of Residence Sections, where Olmsted argued the merits of preventing the mixing of people and their racially pre-dis-positioned housing preferences, outright states:

We want to distribute the population as much as practicable, but at the same time we do not wish to force people who for business or other reasons need to live close to the central business sections either to pay very high rents or to go to much less convenient locations. As a city reaches metropolitan size, the demand for housing space near the central area becomes so great that the only way to make that location available to any but the wealthy is to permit a more intensive utilization of the land. Were it not for the ability to pile one dwelling on top of another, rents would be prohibitive in these central locations for the great mass of the people.

Even while expounding on the virtues of low-density housing, Whitten takes effort to acknowledge the economic need for multi-family housing to maintain affordability. Yeah, it's done in a condescending way where he can only imagine a case where being adjacent to the central business district is a legitimate reason for housing density, but he at least still accepts it as reality.
Yet, dwelling house districts, from which apartment houses would be excluded, were to include the larger portion of the area of Atlanta, and were to primarily be made up of the largest area class, requiring at least 5000 sqft per family of lot area. The code outright targets 2-3 story buildings with families living over a store (generally which they would operate) as being undesirable, and thus is explicitly designed to prevent such outcomes. All of these things drove up the per-house price, requiring a family to pay for a significant amount of land, as well as an individual house, in the majority of the city's residential area. In the maps I linked above, you can see just how few areas were allowed to have apartments compared to the wider single-family zones.
The federal zoning primer includes similar sentiments, telling an anecdote of how an apartment house built next to a home would destroy values by becoming 'a giant airless hive, housing human beings like crowded bees', as well as lumping 'sporadic stores' in with 'factories or junk yards' as a contributing factor of blight within a residential neighborhood.
It's important to note that none of these codes tried to make improvements to living conditions through legislation like building codes, which could have helped prevent the squalor conditions that were so readily associated with apartments, and which had been present in the U.S. since at least 1859, in Baltimore, choosing instead to essentially quarantine apartments to prevent their spread into single family areas.
As I laid out above, these are all value judgements made by people who viewed the mixing of races as something to avoid, as something that itself would contribute to a loss of property values (rather than recognize that self-fulfilling white panic, was the actual source of value drop, and that the constrained black populations were willing to pay higher prices because there were so few homes they could even get into, actually raising prices), and even made racial connections to types of housing to keep separated. But, because of the insistence of the courts, their policies were forced to take on an air of race neutrality. Thus, explicit race-based zoning was stripped from the codes, and the far more familiar forms of space and use based zoning were established. Those forms just so happen to harshly restrict the kinds of housing openly accepted as being affordable to the masses, and, in particular, the demographics of people who were least economically able to choose elsewhere.
As the federal zoning primer said: Zoning Is Legal
This is not to say that exclusionary zoning was not without its legal challenges, of course. In the 1926 Supreme Court case of Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co., 272 U.S. 365, the court upheld the constitutionality of exclusionary zoning, using as part of its opinion the argument that "very often the apartment house is a mere parasite", and that, if allowed to mix with single-family houses, "come very near to being nuisances". The case was brought to the Supreme Court as an appeal to a U.S. District Court of Ohio ruling against the constitutionality of exclusionary zoning, stating that "the blighting of property values and the congesting of the population, whenever the colored or certain foreign races invade a residential section, are so well known as to be within the judicial cognizance." Essentially, while the Supreme Court decided that exclusionary zoning was based on inherit issues with mixing building types (even though 1) the issues aren't inherit, and 2) the exclusion argument is based on a slippery slope fallacy), the District Court had (correctly) identified an underlying racial motivation for preventing mixing.

When the Pretending Becomes More Overt

Were all else equal, we might be able to ignore the initial racial components of exclusionary zoning, and merely call the resulting codes classist (the reality is that racism and classism were/are tightly intertwined, with each giving perceived justification to the other), but things weren't equal. The median household income for a black family in 1947 (the earliest year I could actually find data) was just 51% of a white household (it was only up to ~63% in 2018). Even though modern discussion around apartments tends to bemoan the 'luxury' branding, and how accurate it may or may not be, the hard reality is that living in an apartment is cheaper than buying a house, at least in the immediate. For lower income people, it's pretty much the only option. For poor, and thus disproportionately black, people, the primary need for housing affordability was in the form of apartment buildings and residential density, even if that was only desired as a stepping stone. But that's not what the zoning system provided.
Overwhelmingly, the city's land was designated for single family homes. Large lots, and individual homes drive up the per-unit costs of housing, locking poorer people out of being able to buy into neighborhoods. Worse yet would be the zoning systems of suburban and smaller towns, which would eliminate the ability to build apartments all together, essentially locking lower income, and thus disproportionately black, persons from being able to relocate there at all. This lead to crowding in the limited apartments, and, since the building codes hadn't been adequately updated to actually prevent it, the very slum conditions used as a justification for preventing apartments in the first place became self-fulfilling.
Of course, not all black people were so poor that they couldn't afford to buy a single-family home, and quite a few did look to leave the limited availability of apartments. They were not met well, and indeed, in the years following the installation of exclusionary zoning systems, the federal government would essentially codify black exclusion from single-family neighborhoods, with cities clinging to the federal policies as justification for blocking black and integrated housing.
Property (particularly home) mortgages used to be very, very different than how we think of them today, which locked many people out of the ability to get them. High-interest rates, huge down-payments, interest-only payments, and short (5-7 year) payback periods. These terms kept middle and low class persons (of all races) from being able to afford to buy property. As part of the New Deal, the Home Owners' Loan Corporation was established. The loan system was restructured to be closer to the lower rates, lower down-payments, overall payment, and long-term periods we're more familiar with today. Additionally, many existing mortgages were bought and restructured to save property owners from foreclosure.
In the process of this, though, HOLC wanted an inventory of risk across the nation, so it could manage these new loan terms without crippling itself financially. This is where the kinda okay policy stopped. The risk inventory was carried out by local real estate agencies, who had national ethics codes and local policies for their agents to explicitly consider race when evaluating risk. So much so that they were actually under direction to maintain community segregation when otherwise selling properties. The inventory took the form of color-coded maps, where red sections on the map represented high-risk (don't loan people money / bail them out here). Many, many of these red areas were based on racial prejudice, with even wealthy / middle class integrated or black communities being rated far worse than equivalent income white areas.
Here is a database of maps across the U.S., overlaid against modern areas. Here's a fun game: compare the Redlining Map for Atlanta to the initial racial zoning map! No it's not a 1-1 match, but it gets awfully close, particularly if you start to include initially designated areas for apartment buildings.
This entire mess was made even worse with the establishment of the Federal Housing Authority, which was intended to insure private bank loans to first-time home buyers. Even though the FHA had its own auditing system separate from the HOLC, it still had direct segregation and whites-only policies. Additionally the FHA very specifically did not insure mortgages within urban centers. This meant that both HOLC and FHA services were denied to nearly the same areas: black or integrated neighborhoods, most often in urban centers.
The FHA justified its racial rules by claiming that black people ruined property values. This was actually backwards, as the limited options available to black people meant that black and integrated properties were in high demand, and thus could be sold at a much higher price. What did happen, though, was 'block-busting'. So, because the FHA (and other organizations) continuously sold the idea that black people ruined property values, as well as the base-level racism, this left white neighborhoods vulnerable to manipulation. Speculators would buy up properties in blocks on the border of black / integrated and white areas, and then rent / sell them to black people. These speculators would also hire black people to walk around white neighborhoods asking about home sales, and looking like they lived there. Then the speculators would go around warning white property owners that their housing values would tank with all the black people moving in, and make stupidly low offers, buying out white properties well below the actual value (this is where the FHA was getting its data). Then the speculators would turn around and, because there were so few other options, sell the same properties above their actual value to black people at bad rates. This drove up costs for black people who otherwise just wanted a home, and the high prices contributed to perpetuating poverty and again creating self-fulfilling slum conditions.
Many cities, private lenders, and other government agencies (like Veterans Affairs) anchored their lending and development approval processes on the FHA backing of home loans, which meant that blacks were barred from even the opportunity to really leave parts of the city within which they lived.
It's worth reiterating that the HOLC and FHA policies were targeted directly at owning private homes, working off of a national policy that private homes were less communist than apartments. No, I'm not kidding. The U.S. Department of Labor distributed pamphlets entitled We Own Our Own Home to schoolchildren stating that it was a "patriotic duty" to cease renting, and to buy a house. Millions of posters were printed, and hung in factories and other businesses, while newspaper ads were run throughout the country. This national housing direction propped up single-family residences, and the infrastructure to support them, while leaving pretty much everything else to languish.
Then there were the racial covenants, where individual properties were made unavailable to black people by deed restrictions, and which were often implimented on neighborhood scales.
Then there was the New-Deal, where the Civilian Conservation Corps abided by local segregation policies for its camps and worker housing, further entrenching local segregation.
Then there was the issue of cities targeting black and low-income areas overwhelmingly with zoning variances for industry and toxic waste disposal sites, exposing those persons to much higher quantities of toxins and pollutants.
Then there was public housing which eliminated mixed-income tenants, was often explicitly segregated, often resisted adding housing for black people, and, when they did add housing open to blacks, located overwhelmingly in already black and poor neighborhoods, effectively concentrating poverty and increasing segregation.
Then there were Interstate Highways, which were explicitly used for 'slum clearing' in many cities (including defining slum based on racial makeup rather than socioeconomic status of the persons living there), which were massive transportation subsidies to the very same segregated low-density suburbs already built with federal loan backing while public transportation languished, and which were actually used as physical barriers between parts of the city.
Frankly, the list kinda just keeps going, and so I'm not going to try and fit it all. Seriously, go read the Color of Law for more explicit details. My main point with all of these is that, when you combine the initial versions of the zoning codes, the opinions of the people who made them, and the wider reactions and policies that came after the codes proved not to 100% segregate black people from white people, it becomes clear that a major component of the zoning system was established not actually to prevent health or value issues, but rather to maintain the separation of races.

That was a lot of words...

Right, so here's the summary:

1. After a decade of relative progress, the federal government abandons Reconstruction
   
2. Almost immediately, communities, including previously inclusive ones, begin to force their black populations out in a renewed effort of segregation
   
3. At first this is done outside of the law, but eventually cities get the idea to literally codify segregation through ordinances
   
4. That codified segregation was struck down in the Supreme Court, so cities are forced to find a proxy method of enforcing segregation
   
5. Cities used the separating of mixed-use developments and multi-family apartment buildings to create racial segregation through the proxy of economic segregation
   
6. When this doesn't work 100%, the federal government established home mortgage support systems that directly excluded black people, preventing them from buying into single-family neighborhoods even if they could afford it
   
7. There was a lot of other shit that happened to basically show that zoning was not the unbiased system it was pretending to be
   

Persistence of bad policy

Even though many of the explicitly racist policies have been removed or overturned, and what progress there has been in raising the wealth of black persons has helped with some racial mixing, it's clear that the proxy methods for discrimination persist to this day, with visible segregaition outcomes. Even when we do see integration, it is often in the form of wealthy white people moving into the limited new developments allowed in previously majority black areas (AKA 'Gentrification').
Today, Atlanta is still overwhelmingly zoned for low-density, single-family residential, even if some of those zones allow up to Accessory Dwelling Units (such density, much urban). Lot sizes in much of the city are still mandated to be quite large, and height planes still overly limit the number of stories buildings can be. What apartment buildings are allowed are constrained by cumbersome parking requirements (both codified and required by private lenders), and property setbacks. Mixed uses are often restrained on individual properties, requiring a specific zoning designation to be allowed. Even the city's plan for handling future growth still relegates nearly 75% of the area to relatively low-density housing as 'conservation' areas.
Metro-wide, not nearly as many homes are being built as were pre-recession. While home prices are increasing back to pre-recessionary levels, housing inventory in metro Atlanta is constrained – partially due to a lag in residential construction. Prior to the recession, it was not uncommon for residential building permits to exceed 5,000 per month (in some cases, reaching over 7,000). After May 2007, the region experienced a steep decline in residential building permits, which persisted into early 2012, when the region began seeing modest increases. Though residential permits have trended upward since 2012, they have yet to reach pre-recessional levels, hovering instead between 2,000 and 3,000 permits per month. Because of this, all counties in metro Atlanta are experiencing the a decline in housing inventory. One of the main summary points of that report was: "Home prices rising significantly – faster than wages – due in large part to dwindling supply" ARC Regional Snapshot: Affordable Housing While the metro itself has been pretty easy to build new housing within (atleast from 2000 to 2015) compared to other metros, the parts of the city and close-in suburbs tend to be the hardest within which to add new supplly (of the 10 hardest zipcodes to build, the top 3 were partially in the city, and another three were in or partly in the city).
Indeed, inflation-adjusted housing prices are rising quite quickly in the Atlanta Metro, even including months during this pandemic. Prices are looking to pass pre-2008 peak in 2023ish. Only, this time, vacancy rates for both renters and homeowners have been nearly at all-time lows for the metro (Source: Census Bureau). Many of the most intense price increases happening within the core city.
At the same time, affordable housing initiatives are proving to be far too few to handle the rising costs, with recent 'Inclusionary Zoning' rules, as well as the wider public housing program failing to close the need. We're talking programs considering themselves successful at a few thousand units, when the demand for affordable housing (let alone total housing) is in the hundreds of thousands.
The simple reality is that the racism of our past is leading to an over-all affordability crisis today. While, as usual, the hardest hit are African Americans, this affordability crisis has far reaching impacts across the demographic spectrum, including poor whites, and, particularly, poor Latino populations as well, locking out a wide variety of people who would otherwise want to live in the kinds of dense, walkable, urban areas the City of Atlanta uniquely offers within the metro.
Not only that, but the very types of low-density developments so widely codified across the city and nation do not generate enough economic activity to actually pay for the infrastructure needed to support them, propped up by piles of hidden subsidies, all resulting in cities being effectively bankrupt. (Here's another real-world example) Even some of the most 'wealthy' of towns are having to seriously reconsider their historic development patterns to close out financial gaps. In Atlanta, this leads to things like a massive backlog of maintenance issues that even recent bonds and tax increases can't fully handle. Again, policies of a racist past are hurting everyone today. Undoing those policies, and transitioning back to tried-and-true development styles would greatly help fix financial issues.
Additionally, as we work to overcome challenges with climate as a whole, we need to be seriously looking at our build environments, and just how much low-density development contributes to emissions compared to higher-density parts of the metro, and even the city itself. At the same time, moving away from cars would help reduce respiratory issues for poor and minority persons who are disproportionately affected by road-pollution, and generally moving to cleaner industries while cleaning up legacy pollution sites can help undo the years of inequality through industrial exposure..

Okay, so what do we do?

We need to have a hard discussion about zoning policies: their origins, their purposes, and their effects. We need to be prepared to recognize when policies were built on hate, and where they have lead to harm, just as much as we need to be ready to recognize that not every aspect of the zoning system is bad. We need to be willing to change, and be proactive about fixing the failings of previous generations. Ideally for the net benefit of all of us.
As part of this discussion, though, we are going to have to really, truly consider what 'character' of this city are valuable. What are tangible goals, what are the potential negative outcomes, and what can be done to mitigate those outcomes, ideally while actually adding to the 'character' of the city. Again, we needs to be willing to change here. Not everything wrapped under the broad umbrella of 'character' is actually worth keeping, particularly given how I could probably copy and paste some of the 'neighborhood character' arguments from the initial racial zoning codes into places like NextDoor or Facebook or even here on Reddit without anyone suspecting they are nearly 100 years old.

The End!

Holy shit! You made it to the end! Thanks for putting up with so, so many words... Here's a video of a little girl way too excited to get on a train as a reward.

Presented here is a link hop - what i hope to suggest is that
the Viral outbreak has gained traction due to local populations Immune systems being compromised after exposure to FOREVER CHEMICALS.
Yes i know we can't really trust the numbers of Co_vid deaths etc
but i thought it would be interesting to try and find out if their was a correlation between PFAs etc with the initial/central outbreak areas
Can the testing kits be trusted?
---
CR-based tests are being rolled out in hospitals nationwide, and the Food and Drug Administration is fast-tracking novel approaches as well
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-how-coronavirus-tests-work-and-who-offers-them/
SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Multiplex RT-qPCR Kit
Regulatory status: For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures. non-specific interference of Influenza A Virus (H1N1), Influenza B Virus (Yamagata), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (type B),
Respiratory Adenovirus (type 3, type 7), Parainfluenza Virus (type 2), Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Chlamydia Pneumoniae, etc.
but the test has limitations
Limitations

1. The detection result of this product is only for clinical reference, and it should not be used as the only evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The clinical management of patients should be considered in combination with their symptoms/signs, history, other laboratory tests and treatment responses. The detection results should not be directly used as the evidence for clinical diagnosis, and are only for the reference of clinicians.
   
2. The detection result can be affected by operations, including specimen collection, storage and transportation. False negative result may occur if there is any mistakes in the operation. Cross contamination during specimen treatment may lead to false positive result.
   
3. The detected target sequences of this products are the conservative region of 2019-nCoV's ORF1ab gene and N gene. However, target sequence variations may lead to false negative result.
   

​
https://www.creative-diagnostics.com/sars-cov-2-coronavirus-multiplex-rt-qpcr-kit-277854-457.htm
see also Jon Rappaports blog
https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2020/03/30/corona-creating-the-illusion-of-a-pandemic-through-diagnostic-tests/
Quote: on joining CD diagnostics
​
"When I joined this company it was because their initial work was interesting enough for me to say,
Hey this is a big market with an unmet need,'" he said. "So I decided I should join them and see what I can do."
https://eu.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2015/02/22/delaware-biotech-company-poised-growth/23853883/
interestingly Creative Diagnostics is a partner of this company
​
CD Genomics,
https://www.cd-genomics.com/
a genomics services company, innovates sequencing services as well as genotyping and library construction to develop integrated systems of genomic products and services.
With professional work team and advanced biotechnology, the company has already been selling products in the United States, Europe, Asia. Scientists from CD Genomics have participated in many genome projects, such as Illumina,[1] the genome sequence,[2] DNA analyzer,[3] Bacillus thuringiensis, Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis, Streptococcus suis, and quite a few virus genomes.[4]
via wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_Genomics
CD Genomics provides viral genome sequencing service within Illumina and PacBio Platforms. We can create high-quality de novo assembly of large viral genomes and highest possible data quality at low cost.
https://www.cd-genomics.com/Viral-Genome-Sequencing.html
https://www.melbournebioinformatics.org.au/tutorials/tutorials/assembly/assembly-protocol/
is CD Genomics a secret Dupont start up company?
​
______________________________________
interestingly the CEO of creative diagnostics is Rick Berkmeyer
who used to work at Dupont
“One of the things that I did while I was at DuPont was a two-year stint in each department,” Birkmeyer said. “The roles change. Therefore, there are times the personality of a CEO might fit at one stage and then another stage.”
https://technical.ly/delaware/2015/04/03/ceo-profile-rick-birkmeyer-cd-diagnostics/
Dupont Gave CD dignostics CEO a start up grant to form Strategic Diagnostics
"When I was working with DuPont, one of the groups that was part of DuPont at the time was Conoco Oil. They had spent $17 million developing a little rapid test that looks
much like a home pregnancy test kit. It was for bacteria that was found in oil wells that very quickly could eat through a stainless shaft and cause that well to go down for days.
They wanted a test that could very quickly say: “Is this bacteria present so that we can treat this well with biocide?” Within DuPont, they spent the $17 million developing this test. They brought it to my group to manufacture it, and lo and behold, they found out that the product couldn’t be frozen and had to be refrigerated. Well, that’s a real problem when your market is Abu Dhabi and the north slopes of Alaska. So, I convinced them to support me, give me a grant, move outside of DuPont, and start up my first company, Strategic Diagnostics. So, that’s how I got started."
​
https://citybizlist.com/article/375718/a-video-conversation-with-rick-birkmeyer-ceo-of-cd-diagnostics-part-i
_____________________________________
THE DOW AND DUPONT MERGER
https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/2016/02/what_to_know_about_the_3_new_c.html
"...if Monsanto and Bayer, the 1st and 3rd largest biotech and seed firms, together with Dow and DuPont being the 4th and 5th largest biotechnology and seed companies in the world respectively, both went through with the mergers, the so-called "Big Six" in the industry would control 63 percent of the global seed market and 76 percent of the global agriculture chemical market. They would also control 95 percent of corn, soybeans, and cotton traits in the US. Both duopolies would become the "big two" industry dominators.
The merger formed the world's largest chemical company in terms of sales. DuPont is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont
DOW CHEMICALS!
https://www.dupont.com/subsidiaries.html
_____________________________________________
​
POISONING THE ENVIRONMENT
_____________________________________________
in DUPONTS own words
Litigation: The Company is party to a number of claims and lawsuits arising out of the normal course of business with respect to product liability,patent infringement,
employment matters, governmental tax and regulation disputes, contract and commercial litigation, and other actions.Certain of the claims and lawsuits facing the Company purport to be class actions and seek damages in very large amounts. All such claims are contested.
With the exception of the possible effect of the asbestos-related liability of Union Carbide Corporation (“Union Carbide”) and Chapter 11 related matters of Dow Corning Corporation ("Dow Corning") as described below, it is the opinion of the Company's management that the possibility is remote that theaggregate of all such claims and lawsuits will have a material adverse impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.Union Carbide is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past four decades.
At December 31, 2017, Union Carbide's total asbestos-related liability, including defense and processing costs, was $1,369 million ($1,490 million at December31, 2016).In 1995, Dow Corning, a former 50:50 joint venture, voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in order to resolve breastimplant liabilities and related matters ("Chapter 11 Proceeding").
Dow Corning emerged from the Chapter 11 Proceeding on June 1, 2004, and is implementing the Joint Plan of Reorganization (the "Plan"). The Plan provides funding for the resolution of breast implant and other product liability litigation covered by the Chapter 11 Proceeding and provides a process for the satisfaction of commercial creditor claims in the Chapter 11 Proceeding.
At December 31, 2017, Dow Corning's liability for breast implant and other product liability claims was $263 million ($263 million at December 31, 2016) andthe liability related to commercial creditor claims was $78 million ($108 million at December 31, 2016).See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on these matters.
Environmental Compliance:
The costs of complying with evolving regulatory requirements could negatively impact the Company's financial results.Actual or alleged violations of environmental laws or permit requirements could result in restrictions or prohibitions on plant operations, substantial civil or criminal sanctions, as well as the assessment of strict liability and/or joint and several liability.
The Company is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, rules and ordinances relating to pollution, protection of the environment, greenhouse gas emissions, and the generation, storage, handling, transportation, treatment, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances and waste materials. At December 31, 2017, the Company had accrued obligations of $878 million ($909 million at December 31, 2016) for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $152 million ($151 million at December 31, 2016) for the remediation of Superfund sites.
This is management's best estimate of the costs for remediation and restoration with respect to environmental matters for which the Company has accrued liabilities,although it is reasonably possible that the ultimate cost with respect to these particular matters could range up to approximately two times that amount. Costsand capital expenditures relating to environmental, health or safety matters are subject to evolving regulatory requirements and depend on the timing of thepromulgation and enforcement of specific standards which impose the requirements. Moreover, changes in environmental regulations could inhibit orinterrupt the Company's operations, or require modifications to its facilities.
Accordingly, environmental, health or safety regulatory matters could result insignificant unanticipated costs or liabilities.
Health and Safety: Increased concerns regarding the safe use of chemicals in commerce and their potential impact on the environment as well as perceived impacts of plant biotechnology on health and the environment have resulted in more restrictive regulations and could lead to new regulations.
Concerns regarding the safe use of chemicals in commerce and their potential impact on health and the environment and the perceived impacts of plant biotechnology on health and the environment reflect a growing trend in societal demands for increasing levels of product safety and environmental protection.
These concerns could manifest themselves in stockholder proposals, preferred purchasing, delays or failures in obtaining or retaining regulatory approvals, delayed product launches, lack of market acceptance and continued pressure for more stringent regulatory intervention and litigation.
These concerns could also influence public perceptions, the viability or continued sales of certain of the Company's products, the Company's reputation and the cost to comply with regulations. In addition, terrorist attacks and natural disasters have increased concerns about the security and safety of chemical production and distribution. These concerns could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations.
​
https://thedowchemicalcompany.gcs-web.com/static-files/ae06e81d-62eb-4673-89aa-48450d6bb0ab
THIS ARTICLE TALKS ABOUT FORMER DUPONT WORKERS MAKING THEIR OWN COMPANYS AFTER DUPONT 'LAYOFFS'
https://eu.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/01/29/delaware-workers-crossroads-layoffs/79003660/
​
IS DUPONT LAYING OFF KEY INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND
AQUIRING HIDDEN COMPANIES IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL AREA?
TO HIDE ITS PRACTICES AFTER BAD PRESS?
"When it spun off its former performance chemicals unit in 2015, DuPont was facing multidistrict litigation involving 3,500 personal injury claims related to PFOA. DuPont pegged the maximum liability for those cases at $128 million. Dupont settled 19 months later for $671 million, agreeing to pay half the settlement amount, and up to $125 million more toward costs of other PFOA-related litigation. Chemours paid the other half.
Chemours claims that DuPont had “a keen incentive” to downplay environmental liabilities while extracting a multibillion-dollar dividend from Chemours that would help fund a stock buyback. Chemours sought a declaratory judgment from the court limiting DuPont’s indemnification rights to the maximum liabilities it certified, or for an order directing the return of the $3.9 billion dividend."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/ma30/judge-dismisses-chemours-lawsuit-against-dupont/
​
______________________________________
​
just a little reminder of what DuPont do
​
PFAS chemicals have caused contamination problems in drinking water supplies in cities and towns across the nation and are now the subject of numerous lawsuits.
DuPont Made Billions Polluting Tap Water With PFAS; Will Now Make More Cleaning It Up
Since the 1940s, DuPont made and used PFAS chemicals to make highly profitable consumer products, including Teflon, which at one point earned $1 billion a year for the chemical giant. Communities whose water is contaminated with the Teflon chemical, or other PFAS compounds from other companies, face huge costs for installing filters to remove the chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, reproductive and immune system problems and many other serious health harms.
​
https://www.ewg.org/release/dupont-made-billions-polluting-tap-water-pfas-will-now-make-more-cleaning-it
​
​
USA: New York state sues Chemours, Dupont, 3M for alleged contamination of drinking water by toxic substances
"claims toxic substances in the manufacturers’ products, specifically foam used for firefighting, threatened public health and damaged the state’s natural resources...
The aqueous film-forming foam, known as AFFF, contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, including PFOS, a type of PFAS commonly found in contamination from the use of firefighting foam...
New York’s legal actions follows on the heels of similar lawsuits against chemical makers from other states, including New Jersey, New Hampshire, and North Carolina..."
[snip]
The complaint alleges that DuPont, Chemours, and the manufacturers should have known that AFFF products and PFAS would “very likely injure and/or threaten public health and the environment.”
The companies also should have known that the products dissolve easily in water, have long shelf lives, and tend to bioaccumulate in the blood, meaning they can build up and stay in the blood of the general population, according to the complaint.
“On information and belief, Manufacturers’ and DuPont/Chemours’ conduct involved actual malice or wanton, willful, and reckless disregard for the health, safety, and rights of others. The Court should award the State punitive damages in an amount sufficient to deter and punish such conduct,” the complaint says.
​
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/usa-new-york-state-sues-chemours-dupont-3m-for-alleged-contamination-of-drinking-water-by-toxic-substances
​
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/n-y-sues-chemours-dupont-3m-over-pfas-contamination
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Northern Italy is showing the highest in numbers for "Co-Vid 19"
______________________________________
"The number of cases has increased rapidly because there are two hotbeds, among other things, linked to two hospitals, and we have learned from SARS that these viruses spread mainly in nosocomial [originating in hospital] environments,» explains Giorgio Palù, professor of microbiology and virology at the University of Padua, and an internationally-renowned expert.
"Besides, northern Italy has communications with China every day because there are fairs, industries, relocated industries, and people travel a lot."
"The city of Vicenza is about 30km from Vo', a small settlement of 3,000 inhabitants that ended up on the news globally when one of its fellow citizens, 78-year-old pensioner Adriano Trevisan, became the first victim of coronavirus. "
https://euobserver.com/coronavirus/147552
Via WHO special report
"The discovery of PFAS water contamination in the Veneto Region, which was both complex and severe, was undoubtedly a testing moment for both the institutions and the population of the Veneto Region. "
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/341074/pfas-report-20170606-h1330-print-isbn.pdf
​
_____________________________________
11 September 2018
Italy pneumonia due to Legionella?
"Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease and other illnesses, has been confirmed in at least 12 of around 200 cases of pneumonia in Brescia, northern Italy, authorities said on Tuesday."
"There is no reason to close schools or not to drink tap water," he assured, adding that most of the patients affected were either elderly or had weakened immune systems. Separately, a suspected legionella infection was reported on Tuesday in Turin, where a woman in her 60s and suffering from other health problems died in hospital with symptoms of pneumonia. Health authorities are investigating, according to Ansa, which reports that she may have picked up the bacteria while on holiday at the coast.
https://www.thelocal.it/20180911/legionella-bacteria-confirmed-in-northern-italy-pneumonia
Italy
Dow was established in Italy in 1960. A key player of the local chemical industry, Dow can count on a solid structure with its headquarters in Milan, a global R&D center in Correggio for Polyurethanes and four industrial production sites: Correggio (Polyurethanes systems), Mozzanica (Water-based acrylic emulsions), Mozzate (Polyurethanes and specialty resins for the production of adhesives), Parona (Polyester resin adhesives).
https://campusemeai.dow.com/en-us/locations/italy
Subsideries in Italy
Danisco Italy S.p.A.
Just Outside Milan, Northern Italy
Hops, malt and raw material suppliers
https://www.beverage-world.com/firmeninfo.php?sprache=uk&keyfirma=2380595
Raw materials (1025 Companies)
Raw materials for non-alcoholic beverages production (680 Companies)
Fruit extracts (43 Companies)
Fruit juice concentrates, beverage concentrates (263 Companies)
Flavours (161 Companies)
clicking on this link
www.danisco.com
redirects to here
[CAUTION SICKENING PR]
https://www.dupontnutritionandbiosciences.com/
​
At DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, we deliver essential food and beverage innovation, enabling healthy, safe and sustainable options so customers can deliver products consumers love, around the world every day. Through deep consumer insights and market knowledge, strong technical expertise and problem-solving capabilities and our broad DuPont™ Danisco® range, we know It’s What’s Inside that can create the best solutions for you.
For decades, our DuPont™ Danisco® range of ingredients has provided improved nutritional profiles, better taste and texture, and greater cost efficiency to meet the needs of global food and beverage, dietary supplement and pet food manufacturers. Through the work of a global network of food scientists and technologists at DuPont, the Danisco® range is supported by a uniquely broad spectrum of know-how across applications and market segments.
https://www.food.dupont.com/
________________________________________
Performance Specialty Products Italy S.r.l.
Milan Area, Italy
Advanced Printing at Performance Specialty Products Italy S.r.l.
but here it describes
Probiotics, personal protection devices, systems for the supply of clean water, smarter and faster electronics and much more: we use science to innovate, to create many important products and solutions for daily use. At DuPont, we are working to make the world a safer, healthier and better place.
https://www.dupont.it/
______________________________________
For decades prior to 2013, the people living in 21 municipalities in the south-west of the Veneto Region, Italy, were unaware that the tap water they were drinking contained perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS). The contamination was affecting the groundwater, the surface water and the drinking-water. PFAS are highly resistant persistent compounds used for repelling oil, grease and water and protecting the surfaces of carpeting and clothing; they are also contained in fire-fighting foam. They have been found to have negative consequences for human health, such as pregnancy complications, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, and cancer, though these are not fully established. This case story describes the experiences of the Veneto Region in managing PFAS contamination in its waters. It provides a snapshot of the situation prior to the discovery of the contamination in 2013 and describes the short-, medium- and long-term steps taken to deal with it up to spring 2017
[SNIP]
From the 1950s until the early 2000s, the chemical plant, DuPont Washington Works, in southwest Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA, released C8 into the air and the Ohio River. C8 is a surfactant for polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) used to produce polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or Teflon. PFOA in these emissions reached drinking-water supplies by entering the groundwater where it was detected in six districts near the DuPont plant in 2002. Air emissions from the plant have been largely eliminated, as have any significant releases into the Ohio River. Carbon filters are used to remove C8 from nearby water systems.A class-action lawsuit against Dupont ended in a settlement, which involved: • carrying out a supplies’ clean-up;• conducting a biomonitoring survey; • establishing a C8 science panel, including international experts.
A biomonitoring survey, called the C8 health project, was conducted between August 2005 and July 2006. Information was gathered through interviews and questionnaires, and blood samples were collected from about 69 000 people living near the plant. The C8 health panel found six probable cause–effect links, namely between C8 and pregnancy-induced hypertension/preeclampsia, autoimmune ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, cancers of the testes and kidney, and increased cholesterol (1
[SNIP]
identification of PFAS contamination;
During the spring of 2013, following the results of a IRSA–CNR study (20), the Regional authorities were alerted about the presence of PFAS in the groundwater, surface water and drinking-water in some parts of the Veneto Region. The area involved spanned more than 200 kms2. Studies carried out by the Regional Environmental Protection Agency showed two main pathways for the spread of the contamination: (i) wastewater from the factory responsible for the pollution, which was emitted into a creek and percolated into the ground-water system; and (ii) water from a wastewater-treatment plant connected to the factory; this wastewater was deposited into a canal that drained into a river, the high flow rates of which enabled PFAS to be transported over long distances.
[SNIP}
The Regional Environmental Protection Agency took the lead in carrying out a series of environmental monitoring actions in 2014–2016. In August 2014, a preliminary evaluation of local food products revealed contamination in some categories, such as eggs from locally bred hens and fish from contaminated rivers, that could affect the health of the consumers. The Region’s drinking-water monitoring system was reorganized and procedures to manage PFAS concentrations above the threshold value were established. The monitoring system included not only drinking-water but also other environmental matrices, such as surface water, groundwater, soil and air; thus, a comprehensive PFAS data warehouse was created for all water sources. Moreover, an environmental early-warning system was set up to identify key water-sampling points that should be regularly monitored.
The selection of water-sampling points was systemized and the drinking-water network re-evaluated according to the water-safety plan approach promoted by WHO (26). A hydrogeological study was carried out to investigate the distribution of groundwater and the extension and flow velocity of the contamination plume. These data eventually allowed for estimations of the duration of contamination, which dated back more than 20 years. Soil monitoring showed a widespread presence of PFAS, not only in areas where human activity or erosion could have produced contamination, but also in those assumed to be free of it. Of 14 soil samples taken in the summer of 2016, half were found to have PFOA values higher than the threshold. Levels of PFAS in water from other industrial sources than the chemical plant were also measured but found to be considerably lower than those in water from the plant
[SNIP]
Occupational retrospective cohort study of employees at the chemical plant Currently, out of a total of approximately 600 employees at the chemical plant, 130 work in the production department, the pilot plant, the laboratory and the waste-processing area. The probable long-term effects of PFOA exposure on the health of 415 male employees, including former employees, were examined through a retrospective cohort mortality study (1975–2016). The study looked at all-cause mortality and mortality from diseases of the circulatory system, malignant neoplasms, cirrhosis and diabetes. The sera of a group of employees have been measured for PFOA contamination since 2000; in 2004–2012, the levels of those working in the PFAS production departments were steady. Mortality rates were higher for those exposed to PFOA and excess rates of liver, bladder and kidney cancer and cirrhosis were also observed for this group. Excess rates of cirrhosis, diabetes and hypertension were observed among all employees though they were higher among those exposed to PFOA (30
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/341074/pfas-report-20170606-h1330-print-isbn.pdf
__________________________________________
POISONING THE ENVIRONMENT WUHAN
_____________________________________________
​
.. Some previous studies have also reported the occurrence of PFASs, especially PFOA and PFOS in river water globally
(Hansen et al., 2002;Mclachlan et al., 2007;Murakami et al., 2008;Yeung et al., 2009;Nakayama et al., 2010;Hong et al., 2013;Wang et al., 2013;Zhang et al., 2013).
In general, the PFAS concentrations in the Yangtze River were lower than those in other rivers in the world. ...
... This suggests widespread use of PFASs in industrial applications in these two cities. There are dozens of major industries, including fluorochemical, food pro- cessing, textiles, insecticides, pharmaceutical, and electroplating located in Wuhan ( Zhou et al., 2013;Wang et al., 2013), which could be the potential pollution sources. Wang et al. (2013) reported PFASs contami- nation in the effluents of a manufacturing plant in Wuhan, being respon- sible for the high PFAS concentration in the surrounding river water. ...
... There are dozens of major industries, including fluorochemical, food pro- cessing, textiles, insecticides, pharmaceutical, and electroplating located in Wuhan ( Zhou et al., 2013;Wang et al., 2013), which could be the potential pollution sources. Wang et al. (2013) reported PFASs contami- nation in the effluents of a manufacturing plant in Wuhan, being respon- sible for the high PFAS concentration in the surrounding river water. High concentrations of PFASs, especially thousands ng/L of PFBA (max concentration 47800 ng/L) and PFBS (max concentration 15 300 ng/L), were observed in surface water near a fluorochemical plant in Wuhan ( Zhou et al., 2013).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247154912_Distribution_of_perfluorinated_compounds_in_surface_water_from_Hanjiang_River_in_Wuhan_China
Animal-related poison experiments and human epidemiological studies have revealed PFC adverse effects, such as hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, developmental and
reproductive toxicity, hormonal effects and carcinogenic potency9,10,11,12. In recent years, PFCs have been frequently detected in various environmental waters and strongly
proved to accumulate in aquatic biotas, which makes the aquatic ecosystem as an important medium for PFC transport.
[SNIP]
Occurrence investigation of PFCs in surface water from East Lake
The East Lake, located in Wuhan city, is the second largest urban lake in China, with a total water area of 33 km2 and an average depth of 2.5 m. A number of enterprises,
hospitals and communities are built around the lake, which makes it very important for industrial production, life of local residents and tourist entertainment. However, during the past decades, with the rapid industrialization and urbanization, chemical pollutants were continuously discharged into the lake that has no dilution ability due to its closed shape
Presently, the existence of PFOS and PFOA in East Lake has been proved by researchers.
[SNIP]
the PFCs in surface water from East Lake were accurately and sensitively determined by the proposed MSPE-UPLC-MS/MS method. The surface water had a widespread contamination of PFCs with PFOS and PFOA as the most prevalent pollutants, and the Niuchao lakelet was loaded with the greatest PFC pollutions attributed to more human activities.
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep38633
https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=MPZICAAAQBAJ&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=Perfluoroalkyl+wuhan&source=bl&ots=g2T_rh2qs1&sig=ACfU3U2hztkNDHlK7St6Jp4c5A3ifMiDAg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjugf3t5sXoAhW1A2MBHWzKCcEQ6AEwCXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=Perfluoroalkyl%20wuhan&f=false
_____________________________________
OH THE IRONY...suit up!
_____________________________________
dupont in wuhan
https://www.dupont.com/content/dam/dupont/ameus/en/transportation-industrial/public/documents/en/DuPont%20-%20Wuhan%20-%20ISO90012015.pdf
​
THEY MAKE THE PROTECTIVE SUITS
"Thousands of DuPont employees are working around the clock to increase production of protective garments that are in high demand by first responders and medical workers in high-impact regions like Wuhan, China.
The protective suits are used by health professionals during the outbreaks to reduce the risk of infection. Reports from China show workers running low on safety supplies including garments and masks."
[SNIP}
"Of the protective suits DuPont makes, the most popular is the white Tyvek suit, which costs anywhere between $5 to $15. The suit is thin and protects the body from many fluids, but does not cover the hands, feet or face. But it also makes heavy duty Hazmat suits that act as a shell around the entire body, and are often worn with an oxygen tank.
Those suits can cost in many cases more than $1,000."
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/21/coronavirus-dupont-ramps-up-safety-suit-production-amid-china-shortage.html
____________________________________

California, some Sacramento-area, and some U.S.

• calpers(CA state public employees retirement fund, investment committee meetings, has fossil fuel cos. in investment portfolio. Not webcast that I know of.)

Calif. State Legislature & government
Some news:

• Aug. 2019, CA's $1 Billion for Efficiency Now Open to Electrification (from CPUC)

Everything else:

• CA state Bill search tool
  
• CA Senate Committee on Environmental Quality). Meets 1st,3rd,5th Wednesday mornings. (livestream?), Info&Oversight Hearings list, Senate archives
  
• CA Senate Committee on Housing. Meets 1st,3rd,5th Tue, 1:30pm. (Info&Oversight hearings can be climate-related.) (Scott Wiener, chair) Senate archives
  
• CA Bd of Education mtg agendas
  
• CA Senate Office of Research. ( (Jurisdiction: Bills relating to environmental quality, air quality, water quality, climate change, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), waste management, pesticides, and hazardous materials."). Policy areas:list: environmental quality )
  
• CA Gov. (site)'s Office of Planning & Research (site ) (Editorial opinion: who would make a good California climate czar?)
  
• California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), delivering a variety of science services to the state
  
• CA Legislative Analysts' Office, particularly the Dec 2018 report Assessing CA's climate policies - overview(pdf), and separately transportation
  

Department Org	Meetings / online?,archived?	Mission	Funds from	Actions&Programs	Under
CARB	Calendar . . . . . (2/20 talks y y , 2/21 board y y )	"effective approaches (to air quality & fighting climate change) that have set the standard for effective air and climate programs" (detail)	funds from	Cap&Trade, Rulemaking and more	CalEPA
DRAFT
SGC	bimonthly / y y	"makes it easier for Californians to walk, bike and use transit" thru progs&initiatives	Cap&Trade(20%)	It dispenses funds from these programs: TCC, AHSC, SALC, HiAP, techhelp, CCResearch
DRAFT
CTC	Mar,May,June... (some joint mtgs w/CARB)	"oversee all calif transportation - single, unified California transportation policy." (detail)	fundssource	[Action]("fund the construction of highway, passenger rail, transit and active transpo improvements; help&advise the Ca State Transpo Agency Sec. & the Legislature in making&evalling state policies & plans for Ca's transpo programs. Help make State & Fed laws to fund our transpo needs.")
DRAFT
CalTrans	[meetings?]()	"provide a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability" (detail)	fundssource	[Depts]("Aeronautics, Highway Transportation, Mass Transportation, Transportation Planning, Administration and the Equipment Service Center.")
DRAFT
CalEPA (parent agency of CARB; has a ClimateActions program, also enviro justice)

| DRAFT | | | | |
CPUC | meetings | "mission" (regulates privately owned utility&transpo cos.) | fundssource? | Action?|
| DRAFT | | | | |
Energy | calendar | "clean energy leadership w/ advancements in clean energy policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy development & investment in energy & transpo innovation." (detail) | fundssource? | 8Goals (page3 of pdf) |
| use this for a template: | | | | | TLA | meetings | "mission" (detail) | fundssource | Action|
stub for Sacramento region and city:

• SACOG (MPO) - calendar
  
• Sac. City
  
• West Sac.
  
• Sac & WestSac Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change
  
  • 1st mtg remarks (7min ea.) by Sac mayor and by West Sac mayor (fixed link!)
  • Now meetings are recorded, but not livecasted

stub for Federal:

• OSTP
• DOE
• House of Representatives:
  
  • Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (de Fazio, chair) (Feb 26 hearing, “Examining How Federal Infrastructure Policy Could Help Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change” - includes video. Testimony by @ITS_Sperling and others)
  • Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee (of Energy&Commerce) (e.g. Apr 2 hearing on "Lessons from across the nation: state& local action to combat climate change" (video))

Aug 2019 in Wired, The Senate's transportation plan reckons with [allocates $$ related to] climate change
Old spring 2019 stuff, still here just for reference:

• March 18 (Sac mayors, calpers(investment committee meeting, has fossil fuel cos. in investment portfolio.))
  
• March 21, ARB board meeting
  
  • 3/7 and 3/11 (sacog)
  • (1:30 pm Mar 5): Ethan Elkind and others, on climate impacts of housing, CA Senate housing committee hearing (was joint hearing with governance and finance) (not yet in senate Archives )
  • ThuFeb21 CARB board meeting, see in the table below. (View it from here; ClimatePlan is tweeting it)
  • WedFeb20 2pmPST, Hal Harvey (see last year's vox interview) and others will be speaking - CARB's Haagen-Smit Clean air leadership talks
  • WedFeb20 am, Senate Environmental Quality Committee Oversight Hearing: California's Climate Change Policies: Will the State Achieve the SB 32 Target? (source )

Best Golf GPS Reviews: Top Rated Watches & HandHelds Devices 2018 – UBERGOLF
Source: https://www.ubergolf.net/golf-gps-reviews/
The best golf GPS reviews watches and handhelds 2018 to give you instant distances?. This is a comprehensive buying guide that explains how golf GPS reduces your handicap and brings a new lease of life to your game.
Manufacturers are harnessing satellite-based precision to put convenience in your palms. Why not let these snazzy devices do the caddying for you?
These reviews will help you pick best golf GPS watches & handhelds in 2018 for golfing!

Best Golf GPS Watch 2018

Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch

Editor’s Rating (5/5)
Garmin Approach S6 golf GPS watch wins, this is the best Garmin golf watches because of its brilliant approach towards packing all sorts of features onto your wrist.
The S6 has a high-resolution touchscreen display. The battery lasts for 10 hours on a single charge. Apart from distances to the center, front and back of the greens, you also get a layup, hazard and dogleg distances.
The features I benefited the most from in Garmin Approach S6 golf GPS are swing training aids in form of SwingStrength, SwingTempo, and TempoTraining. This makes Garmin s6 become best golf GPS watch to buy of our lists.
​The view of the map has a zoom-in feature. The overhead map view can be accessed and used very easily. The S6 golf GPS has a scoring function, it can get pretty intuitive by figuring in handicap scoring.
This golf GPS has shot tracking capability. You can connect the S6 golf GPS with your smartphone wirelessly via Bluetooth. This allows you to receive notifications about texts, emails, calls, etc… on your watch.
PROS

• Swing Tempo training
• Swing strength indicator
• Automatically zoomed overhead map per hole
• Pinpointer for direction during blind shots
• Distance to any point
• Scorecard and tracking
• Smart notifications
• Can save custom points on course maps
• Shot distance tracking

CONS

• The operation has a sizeable learning curve

Read full reviews: Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch

Golf GPS Watch vs. Handheld?

Golf GPS watches and GPS handhelds have their distinct advantages:

– Golf GPS Watch:

These are small and lightweight wearables. You don’t have to worry about making separate arrangements to carry them. They present data to you at the twist of a wrist. They can also function as a regular watch as you go about your normal day although they don’t look as fancy as your business watches.
On the downside, the golf GPS watches are limited in size by the amount of features they can pack. Although devices like Garmin S6 and S60 have taken giant strides with advanced features like Swing training in their area. Still, too many features clutter the user interface and force more button-pushing and jabbing at a small touchscreen.

– Golf GPS Handhelds:

These GPS units are roughly the size of a cell phone with a sizeable screen that displays the yardages and more in an easily readable font. Given the larger real-estate, packing advanced stat tracking and features like slope-adjusted distances is relatively easy. The larger touchscreen is more tactile to use. Some handhelds also peddle entry-level features with button operation for users who like basic devices.
On the other hand, golf GPS handhelds are not as portable as the golf watches. That’s a major reason why golfers favor the watches. But still, if you want better functionality and save a few bucks, handhelds are better.

Best Golf GPS Watch 2017

Bushnell NEO Ion Golf GPS Watch

Editor’s Rating (5/5)
Bushnell Neo Ion GPS watch sporty look really suits my golfer’s hands. It is complemented by a perforated strap that makes sure your wrist stays ventilated through the rounds. It packs some basic fitness tracking to its golf capabilities. With over 35,000 preloaded golf courses, it provides wide coverage.
It has the Tee Time function. Once the next Tee-off is set for the current week, the watch will automatically enter the Play Golf mode 7 minutes before tee time and recognize the course.​
If you specify the Auto Shut off time, it will Exit the Play Golf mode to conserve power after those many hours. This substantiates its already strong battery life of 4 rounds.​
The Auto Hole Advance kept my Neo Ion abreast of the game. Shot distance measurement helps you find average club distances. The operation of Neo Ion golf GPS watch is quite simple and customer-oriented. Moving through the menu feels intuitive. It has an odometer and a pedometer to calculate steps and distance walked. It is better than Bushnell Neo XS that has topped the GPS golf comparison chart for years.
At its price, it is the best GPS golf watch for the money.
PROS

• Tee Time feature prepares the watch automatically before tee-off anytime during the next 7 days
• Auto Shut off exits Play Golf mode after specified amount of time
• Auto Course Recognition and Hole advance
• Distances to layups and 4 hazards
• Shot distance measurement
• Long battery life

CONS

• The display could have used more area on the round screen

Read full reviews: Bushnell NEO Ion Golf GPS Watch reviews

Best Golf GPS Watch 2016

#1: Garmin Approach S2 Golf GPS Watch

Editor’s Rating (4.5/5)
The S2 is one of Garmin golf watches. And it is still in the market because of its flawless operation. Veteran golfers like Richard who are just switching to the golf GPS domain will like the minimalistic features. The display is readable in sunlight and has a backlight as well. This is a regular screen instead of a touchscreen. We golfers prefer this over having to poke at a watch with our sausage fingers.
Even though it has been designed to give simple yardages, the operation and features have been executed with typical Garmin finesse. It’s a wonder to see that a puny watch comes with more than 30,000 worldwide courses preloaded.​
Garmin S2 golf GPS provides shot distance measurement feature. I enabled the measurement and navigated to other screens without hindering the measurement process. I was able to pull up a scorecard as soon as I connected it to a computer.
It also has an automatic course and hole recognition features. When I only needed yardages, this turned into a hands-free device. It has an inbuilt odometer for measuring the steps you walked.​
PROS

• Accurate within 3-4 yards
• Layup, dogleg distances.
• Shot distance measurement
• Digital Scorecard
• Easy to operate
• Waterproof and visible in all climates
• No touchscreen means battery drains relatively slowly

CONS

• Score tracking requires more button presses.

Read full reviews: Garmin Approach S2 Golf GPS Watch

#2: SkyCaddie Golf GPS Watch

Editor’s Rating (4.5/5)
SkyCaddie golf GPS watch is one of the most user-friendly watches I have seen on a small budget. If you want the basic distances and smooth functionality, this is your go-to watch. The strap allows excellent airflow with ventilation gaps and keeps my wrist irritation-free. The display is easily readable in bright light.
There are 30,000 worldwide courses pre-loaded on to this GPS watch. The number of details and the number of courses is more than what I expected at this price.
Course updates were only available at yearly subscription fees but now it’s advertised to be free of charge.​
You can select whether you want to allow auto hole advance or not. I have rarely seen this facility in the other watches. This watch has scoring feature for single player. Shot distance measurement feature allows you to gauge the distance of each shot.
The battery of the watch lasts for 8-10 hours per charge cycle. The SkyCaddie golf GPS watch is water-resistant up to 30m of water.
PROS

• Course coverage of 30,000 courses
• Very user-friendly
• Multiple fitness-related features
• Shot distance measurement and scoring function

CONS

• Other distances are not available in spite of good course coverage

#3: Callaway GPSy Golf GPS Watch

Editor’s Rating (4/5)
Callaway has always been on top of all things golf. The GPSy is their affordable jab at golf watches. It gives you all the distances and performs simple functions with relative ease. Golfers of medium and high handicaps should invest in Callaway GPSy Sport watch.
This GPS watch comes preloaded with a whopping 30,000 courses. The yardages to the front, center, and back of the greens are displayed on the screen together.
It is lightweight and comfortable. The display is one of the easiest to read amongst golf GPS watches I have used. The learning curve for GPSy is small but I had to get acquainted with the button sequence.​
This golf GPS watch has scorekeeping function. It will save data for the round including hole number, total score, GIR, putts per round etc.
GPSy has both auto course recognition and auto hole recognition. It gives you a list of nearby courses once on. It has a smart notification feature which relays notifications from your smartphone to the watch.
Apart from golf data, GPSy golf GPS watch can also show time in digital or analog mode. An odometer is also part of the package.​
PROS

• Affordable good-looking watch
• Yardages to greens and layup distances
• Shot distance measurement
• Accurate and comfortable
• 30,000 courses with auto course and hole recognition
• Waterproof

CONS

• User interaction could be made easier

Read full reviews: Callaway GPSy golf GPS watch reviews

Best Handheld Golf GPS 2018

Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS Course

Editor’s Rating (5/5)
Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS lives up to the expectations of the Garmin users who used the Approach G6 or G7 previously. It is the most advanced golf GPS I have tried till now.
Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS has a 3.9×6.5cm screen. The device is 1.3cm thick. The touchscreen is easy to navigate even with my beefy fingers. I found that I could even enlarge the font to suit my vision requirements.
The highlight feature of the Garmin G8 is the slope-adjusted distance. This is called PlaysLike Distance. The feature can be switched off.
It has over 39,000 worldwide courses preloaded. Garmin G8 can receive course updates over Wi-Fi. That and the PinPointer feature are the upgrades from the Garmin G7.
The Pinpointer feature is another handy tool. It also has an inbuilt ClubAdvice functionality which suggests a club for the target distance. This feature is not in USGA’s good books either.​
G8 has the scorecard functionality for multiple players. Score, fairway hits, putts etc. are available…​
PROS

• Slope-adjusted distances
• Pinpointer feature for blind shots
• Club recommendation
• Touchscreen for beefy fingers
• Scorecard for up to 4 players
• Smart notifications over Bluetooth

CONS

• Scorecard feature is complicated to operate
• Not tournament–legal

Read full reviews: Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS Course

Best Handheld Golf GPS 2017

#1: Garmin Approach G6 Golf GPS Course

Editor’s Rating (4.5/5)
The Garmin G6 handheld golf GPS brings you the best of Garmin golf arsenal without the debatable slope-distances. All golf tournaments are likely to let you use it, subject to the Local Rule. Garmin G6 is the top model in Garmin’s handheld line which does not have slope-adjusted distances. So it will be tournament-legal in any area where golf GPS is allowed.
Garmin G6 successfully leaves the old Nokia phone-look. Two buttons at the bottom with Green View and digital scorecard functionality.​
Apart from the yardages, you can get the distance to any point by simply selecting that point on the screen. Scorecard and statistics tracking capability of the Garmin Approach G6 is simplistic.​
Garmin Approach G6 comes preloaded with more than 25,000 courses. Garmin website offers a big repository of updated courses. You can download them without any subscription fee. Another tool for staying ahead of the game is the layup arc. Arcs at 100, 150, 200 and 250 yards keep the ball ahead of the hazards.​
The Garmin Approach G6 manual in multiple languages is loaded on the device in PDF format.​
PROS

• Lightweight and compact
• Sensitive screen
• Waterproof
• Easy to use and setup
• High course coverage
• Entire green view with exhaustive mapping
• Distance to any point and greens yardage to it
• Layup arcs
• Scorecard and statistics tracking
• Battery life up to 15 hours

CONS

• Some software glitches
• Moving flagstick around the screen is difficult
• Distance display is sketchy

Read full reviews: Garmin Approach G6 Golf GPS Course

#2: Izzo Swami 5000 Golf GPS

Editor’s Rating (4/5)
Izzo Swami Golf GPS is one of the most affordable devices. The Swami 5000 adds some key features over the 4000+ golf GPS.
This golf GPS device is very small. It will easily fit in the palm of your hands, your pant pockets and it does not lose connection with the satellite. The usual option of displaying distances in meters or yards is available. This golf GPS comes loaded with 30,000+ global courses.
It has auto hole advance. This transfers the readings as per the next hole once you have taken your shot. Auto course recognition finds the course you are going to play at right as the device is switched on. Shot distance measurement feature of this golf GPS allows you to measure the distance you hit each shot.​
The battery usually lasts through 2 rounds on one charge. The Lithium-ion battery is not replaceable though. A USB charger is used to connect it to the AC power supply.
Izzo Swami 5000 Golf GPS is a water-resistant device. It survived a light rain while I ran and took cover.​
PROS

• 30,000 courses preloaded
• Distances to hazards, doglegs
• No subscription fee
• Very budget-oriented
• Lightweight and easy to use

CONS

• Battery is not replaceable

Read full reviews: Izzo Swami 5000 Golf GPS Rangefinder reviews

Best Handhelds Golf GPS 2016

Golfbuddy Voice Golf GPS

Editor’s Rating (4/5)
GolfBuddy Voice GPS is a small but ingenious device. This is a clip-on accessory that gives you the distances vocally. It is very reasonably priced as well.
It looks like an iPod with its adorable square architecture. The Voice can be clipped on to your hat or hung from a belt loop. You can also purchase its wristband separately and wear it like a watch. It is very lightweight.
GolfBuddy Voice GPS will give you the distance to the center, back, and front of the greens. I found the distance to be accurate within 3 yards. Apart from the yardages, you get the par score and a pictorial representation of the greens.​
It speaks out the distances in any one of the 8 languages you can use it in. The voice from this golf GPS is not distracting. It has a quiet tone which only I could hear. You can read distances from the screen directly as well.
Voice GPS has shot distance measurement function. This is equipped with the auto hole and course recognition.
It comes preloaded with more than 35,000 courses. Its maximum capacity of storage is 40,000-course maps. You can access free course updates through their course manager.
GolfBuddy Voice GPS can hold its power for 9 hours between charges. It also tells time vocally.
PROS

• Gives you greens yardages and shot distance
• Voice-enabled in 8 languages
• Auto hole and course recognition
• Wide course coverage

CONS

• Not highly accurate
• It is available in a single color.

Read full reviews: GolfBuddy Voice GPS Rangefinder Black/White reviews

Which Best Golf GPS Watch and Handheld To Buy?

What to think about when buying a golf GPS ? Here are things to consider when you choosing a golf GPS. We also point out the winner of each item.
– Distance measuring capabilities:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS Course
The primary reason of having a golf GPS is to find accurate distances to center, back and front of the green. Laser rangefinders take the privileged spot when it comes to accuracy of distance measurement. But the golf GPS watches are also catching up with better GPS receivers. The web is replete with reviews of various golf GPS, and you can refer to them to get an idea of how to fare relatively in terms of accurate distance measurement
– Cost:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Bushnell NEO Ion Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: GolfBuddy Voice GPS
Once the most important feature is spotted, the question appears: What to think about when buying a golf gps watch? how much are you willing to pay for it? The golf GPS run north of low price with many products under $250, $200, $150… Depending on the features you need and the models that are allowed in competitions, you might want to strike a balance between the cost and features. If you are just starting to practice and you are looking to hone your instincts in the game, then you should look for a fancier golf GPS watch priced accordingly.
– Course Availability:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS Course
A significant concern that is usually overlooked. The distance measurement capability of the Golf GPS watches is dependent on the device having access to the course maps of the golf course where you’ll play. Most of the golf watches come with at least 20,000+ golf course maps preloaded onto them.
However, if yours is not a well-known course, it may not be on the list. Check the manufacturer’s extended list of available course maps. They can be downloaded to the GPS enabled golf watch for a subscription fee. If it is not on either of these lists, it will be difficult to get the maker to add the course. It is best to opt for models that do not require a subscription fee to download more courses.
– Size:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Callaway GPSy Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS Course
The size is another factor that can be disregarded, and it does impact the decision and your game. If worn on a wrist, a large and bulky device might really get in the way of your powerful swing. A slight interference with your swing can affect the ball’s trajectory and distance, and you might lose the game. The size can affect your game negatively or positively – you have to be careful.
– User-friendliness:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: SkyCaddie GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: GolfBuddy Voice GPS
With so many competitors in the field, the manufacturers of Golf GPS watches try to make their devices as easy to use as possible. It definitely skews the balance in favor of their product, especially amongst non-tech-savvy golfers. Constantly having to sync to PC, a complex navigation for basic information and poor customer service from the software vendor can doom the product sales
– Battery Life:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: Garmin Approach G6 Golf GPS Course
If you have ever owned a smartphone, you know the pain of running out of battery life when you really need it. And believe you me, you don’t want to be stranded at the same altar at a golf course.
So check the reviews and product information for a correct idea of how long the battery lasts, and whether the battery life decreases with age.
– Features:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: Garmin Approach G8 Golf GPS Course
This is a no brainer. Once you start golf GPS watch hunting, you start looking out for the best that a watch can do. You should try not to hit the extremes regarding a number of features. Too many can bewilder you and too less can annoy you. Find the balance between the price and a number of features.
– Display:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Garmin Approach S6 Golf GPS Watch
– Best Handhelds GPS: Izzo Swami 5000 Golf GPS Unit
While shopping indoors, it won’t strike you that the screen of the golf GPS may not work as well in the sun. Outside, in the glare of sunlight, you might have to peer into the screen to be able to read the information. Instead, check for negative display watches or ask the sales personnel for an opinion.
– Style and Design:
THE WINNER:
– Best GPS Watches: Callaway GPSy Golf GPS Watch
-Best Handhelds GPS: Izzo Swami 5000 Golf GPS Unit
Inner beauty is not everything after all. The golf GPS is going to be your fashion faux pas if it looks as shiny as a fake Rolex. Look for classy, stylish designs and you will not be disappointed. Wear and check if it sits comfortably on your wrist.
– Long-term performance:
For this, you will have to rely solely on buyer reviews. A few products enter with a bang in the market but then decline into mediocrity with easily broken bands, reduced battery life or permanent ‘hanging.’ If you don’t trust your gut, you can find out what other people’s experience with the mentioned golf GPS was like.
Golf GPS Watches & Handhelds Comparison Charts

Type of Best Golf GPS?

– Golf GPS Watch:

Easily the most conspicuous of Golf GPS systems, the GPS watch is a caddie on your wrist. Distance to front, center, and back are the most common parameters measured in golf. A watch that does it while automatically updating your advancement through the golf course is indeed technology you need. You can find a lot of best golf GPS watches under $200, $300…
Once you have made up your mind to jump on the Golf GPS bandwagon, take a look at the above devices that I handpicked and broke down for best golf GPS watch reviews.
The GPS watches are very popular in the UK, Australia, and Canada. It is also popular in the US, but the majority of US golfers prefer to use golf rangefinder and GPS handhelds.

– Golf GPS Handhelds:

A golf GPS handheld unit gives you more elaborate information and features than a golf GPS watch. It obviously easy to see the green view on a smartphone-sized screen rather than a puny watch screen. If you are game to carrying a handheld in your waist pouch, this could redefine the way you look at golf data. You can find a lot of the best GPS golf app for android or ios, but it is not comparable with the professionalism of the GPS Handhelds, the golf GPS apps are not allowed in the tournaments.
The user interface in these golf GPS systems will be similar to your smartphones so the familiarity makes it easy to navigate. You also can find a lot of best golf GPS handhelds under $300, $500…

– Clip-on/Voice clip-on Golf GPS device:

Golf GPS clip-on devices are pint-sized GPS units that go on your belt or visors. Most of these provide voice alerts of distances. They do this discreetly, without disturbing other golfers. These are lightweight accessories and save your vision for the shots rather than staring into screens. You also can find a lot of best golf GPS voice under $100, $150…

What is golf GPS system & How does it work?

📷
GPS or Global Navigation System is the same commercial system that is used in car navigation and your phone navigation apps. With this feature, you are utilizing the power of satellites in space to pinpoint your location. Started as a military enterprise, this concept and it benefit vent commercial now. The location determination depends on GPS receivers in your device that constantly receive location information from three satellites that are hovering above your location. The signal from each satellite indicates that you must be located in a circular range on the surface of the Earth.
Wherever the signals of three GPS satellites intersect, that’s where device pinpoints your location. The fact that the enormous power of space technology is being used for distance measurement on a golf course is humbling.
Beginners trying to learn the ropes can find electronic caddies in the form of these wondrous GPS-enabled golf devices. Too much competition in this niche market means you are going to be bombarded by a variety of Bushnell this and Callaway that. Garmin Connect and Truswing can sound like alien technology.

How does golf GPS help?

It improve your games:
Contrary to what non-conformists believe, golf GPS watches and handhelds do not make you a slave to technology. Instead they help you point out and confirm to your best instincts. This conditioning comes with a little help from a passive mentor that these golf watches can be. It goes a long way in reducing your golf handicap.
Provides Distances:
The whole idea behind golf GPS is providing distance. It does the work of laser rangefinders at half the price and size. Granted Laser rangefinders are more accurate, usually within a yard. But golf GPS watches are accurate within a few yards and eliminate the shaky hand conundrum and the time-consuming process of determining distances to center, back and front.
Distances to ‘invisible’ targets:
Well, not literally. Laser rangefinders require the targets to be in line of sight for distance measurement. This is because they are dependent on a forward and backward traveling laser wave to measure the distance. Any obstacle should not obstruct this wave on the course. Since golf GPS watches and handhelds depend on navigation satellites, they do not need to generate line-of-sight waves. Golf watches will calculate the distance measurements to out of sight targets as well.
Customization:
The interface of golf GPS units is usually quite user-friendly. Once you get acquainted with your play and operation of the golf watch, you can customize the settings for future games.
Lowers golf handicap and increases confidence:
Golf is a game of instincts. Rangefinders are but minor contributors to the match outcome. New players may find the premise of golf staggering, given the need to beat the golf course and nature.
A good golf GPS device lets you test your gut feeling and get on with the game faster. It keeps you from second-guessing the distance as you would with laser rangefinder which is prone to human error. The ability to track statistics using the golf GPS device gives you additional information on the key points to improve your game.

Future Trends in best golf GPS 2019?

– GPS handhelds

The technology brought about by Garmin G7 and G8 is here to stay. Slope-adjusted distance is new to golf GPS.

– GPS watches

Golf GPS watches have been stable in their trend. Garmin Approach S6 and Approach S2have remained favorites since they first debuted. Here again, the customers chose the most featured and the least featured devices.

– Voice Clip-on GPS

The clip-on voice GPS devices can see a lot of improvement. We are hoping that 2019 will bring a more seamless performance and a larger feature set in these devices.

Best Golf GPS Brands

1. Garmin GPS golf watch and handheld reviews

Garmin is creating bleeding-edge technology in the GPS domain for sports, outdoors, marine, aviation, and automotive domains. Their biggest win is in the golf GPS domain where you can’t take steps without a Garmin guiding you. Garmin golf watch and handhelds are available in every price range and the best golf GPS is from Garmin in both categories. They are popular for including brand new features like slop-adjusted distances, zoom-in overhead maps, WiFi update, heart rate monitors .etc. features in their devices. They also have the smallest, most well-executed devices.
​Garmin’s greatest giveaway is the huge course map database with usually 40,000+ courses. They also do not demand subscription fee for future updates. With their newfound competition with Apple and Fitbit, they have created a number of smartwatches with golf features integrated into them.

2. Bushnell golf GPS/Rangefinder reviews

Bushnell has a huge presence in the laser rangefinder market. But it has made slow yet steady progress in the Golf GPS domain too. Their Neo Ion watch offers a well-designed set of relevant features. It is priced just right for the features. They also have another lesser-known line of golf watches called Excel. Bushnell also makes some clip-on/handheld golf GPS devices from the Phantom line. They offer a fulsome worldwide course database and hazard distances in a rather tiny package. These are an inexpensive alternative to the golf watches and full-sized handhelds.
While the Bushnell arsenal is not as loaded as the Garmin golf GPS, they have some reliable products to offer.​

3. Golf Buddy GPS reviews

Golf Buddy GPS is most popular for their Voice Golf GPS line. This is a line-up of compact clip-on devices with voice alerts for distances. Their Voice X also comes with a wristband so it’s wearable. Their handheld GPS units are not quite as well-known. The VTX handheld ranges with both GPS and GLONASS. The PT4 is a slim and lightweight touchscreen.
Apart from WT6, their most popular GPS watch, they have the BB5 which looks like a Fitbit. And quite serendipitously, they have the LD2 which is slim and adorned with Swarovski crystals, a pretty best golf buddy GPS watch for women. The quality is not consistent amongst the pieces though.
The price of Golf Buddy GPS is lower more than Garmin, it’s usually under $200, under $150..

4. Izzo Swami GPS reviews

The Izzo Swami golf GPS line is another fixture in our best golf GPS devices list. They have four separate kind of units on offer: handheld, handheld integrated with trackers, GPS wristband and clip-on.
The wristband looks like a Fitbit and is quite affordable. The clip-on devices come in some upbeat colors and give instant distances. Most of Izzo Swami golf GPS devices are known for their simple feature set offered at nominal price. But their Swami GT brings the full gamut of functions with statistical analysis using trackers that fit on clubs.
They also have a midrange handheld: The Izzo Swami 5000. It’s good for golfers who want only relevant features on a large screen.

5. Callaway GPS reviews

Callaway has been around golf a long time to not be involved in all golf-related verticals. It has finally broken into the golf GPS market with a winner: Callaway GPSy GPS watch. A midrange watch at a well-thought out price, it has been on many best Golf GPS list lately. They also have a clip-on called Eclipse with the basic and accurate distances. They also offer a couple of laser rangefinders. Their work on golf GPS is far from done, but we expect that their familiarity with the golf industry will help in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

1. What kind of golf GPS devices are legal in tournaments?

If the Local Rule is in effect, then you can use Golf GPS watches, handheld golf GPS systems, clip-ons or even phone apps. The device must only provide approved distance related information. It is best to check out with the club for the rules. Devices offering wind and slope measurement are strictly not allowed – you don’t want to get in trouble with the club authorities.

1. Most smartphones come with inbuilt spirit levels. Are they allowed in golf?

Under the purview of the local rule, a smartphone will be allowed if and only if you do not access the spirit level application during the round of golf. The app must not provide any aid in your game of golf.

1. What about a compass feature? Does it count as an unapproved application in a device?

As per changes made in 2014, compass feature is now allowed in golf under Local Rule. Compass only points the direction and is not considered as a restricted parameter in the golf GPS devices.

1. Does the application of the Local Rule at a club override the tournament committee’s take on distance measuring devices if the tournament is being held at that club?

No. The tournament committee has the final say on restriction (or lack of it) on distance measuring devices during the competition irrespective of the club rule. The competition committee rule trumps local club rule during the tournament.

1. The display some golf GPS watches is difficult to read in sunlight. What should I do?

Try to buy a negative display version as in Bushnell Neo Ion Golf GPS watch. Or try buying a Garmin Approach S6 which has a high-resolution sunlight readable display

1. Can I find a list of course freely available on the golf GPS device?

If there are preloaded courses on the device, there would be a course library available on their website.

1. Where can the clip-on golf GPS devices be clipped on to?

They can be clipped on to your hat, visor or belt.

1. Are voice golf GPS devices annoying for other players?

Most of these devices come with volume control. You can adjust the volume to a level that only you can hear it. GolfBuddy Voice GPS has been reported to be clear and quiet at the same time.

1. Can I add more courses to my golf GPS device?

Sure, if provided your vendor has it in their library. They might or might not charge you for it. That depends on the vendor.

1. What’s golf GPS without the subscription?

Golf GPS devices often demand a small subscription fee annually (or based on specific plans) to get updated coursemap databases or access to certain other features. This adds to the buying price periodically as maintenance fee. In an age where the value of electronic devices depreciates quickly, this is a wasteful investment.
Most of the Garmin devices don’t require a subscription fee and the other brands like Callaway and SkyCaddie are now doing away with it as well.
Conclusion
Golf GPS devices are getting increasingly popular. The technology involved with these is pulsing way ahead of the game so much so that any piece of information, be it about your swing, your shot or the course can be recorded and checked out to improve your game. golf GPS reviews could be an essential learning aid in the cutthroat game that golf is.
Hope this golf gps reviews about best golf GPS watch and handhelds is helpful.
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@http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86807
If the increasingly impotent politicians wanted any guidance as to how to deal with the nightmare of a post-Brexit Irish border, all they have to do is look at the EEA Agreement. Right from day one, this has been staring them in the face. (http://www.efta.int/media/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Main%20Text%20of%20the%20Agreement/EEAagreement.pdf)
In particular, they should be looking at Chapter 3 (Article 21) and then Protocol 10 on the simplification of border controls and formalities, and Protocol 11 on mutual assistance in customs matters. (http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Protocols%20to%20the%20Agreement/protocol10.pdf) and (http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Protocols%20to%20the%20Agreement/protocol11.pdf)
As one might imagine, though, these are the provisions which form the regulatory basis for trade between Norway and Sweden, a border which is relatively free-flowing but not entirely frictionless. Truckers can find that clearance during busy periods can take as long as an hour and a half to get their loads cleared. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41412561)
As a result, numerous voices have argued that, for all its advantages, the so-called "Norway option" would not provide an entirely adequate solution for a border-free Ireland.
But what the pundits fail almost completely to understand are two things. Firstly, the nature of the EEA agreement is that it is infinitely flexible. Neither the Agreement nor the Protocols set out the finite details of the arrangements and such as are agreed can be changed through established mechanisms via the EEA Joint Committee.
These changes can be introduced either as specific amendments to the EEA Agreement of via EEA relevant legislation promulgated by the EU and adopted into the EEA acquis. There is no technical limit to the number of changes, nor the frequency, permitting a process on ongoing development.
Secondly, and having regard to the first point, the Norwegian land border with Sweden – which has been continually under scrutiny as the possible model – is considered to be unfinished business. With technological and procedural enhancements planned over the next ten years, the movement of goods is expected to be even smoother than it is at present.
Many of the limitations on freedom arise from policy differences between Norway and the EU, and especially in relation to VAT, duties on alcohol, tobacco and vehicles, and from minor differences in the rules relating to the import of medicines, waste , explosives, fireworks and hazardous substances.
However, with online registration of controlled imports, with prior issue of transit permits, it is anticipated that as much as vehicle traffic through existing customs posts will be reduced by as much as 70 percent within five years. Goods which require physical checks can be routed to sites away from the borders, where they can be cleared.
One exception would be animal and plant material but this problem is much reduced because of the adoption of the "official controls" on foods of animal origin – and the plant equivalent - removing the need for border inspections for produce from EEA states.
The take-home point from all this, therefore, is that while the Sweden-Norway border, as it stands, is an example of what can be achieved under the EEA regime, it is not the definitive model and would have to be copied exactly if applied to Ireland.
Any Irish border arrangement would come out of a bespoke agreement which would take into account the special needs of the island and, even then, would be amenable to continuing development and improvement. But, like Norway, where the Union Customs Code was adopted and entered into force in October-November 2013, while its substantive provisions starting to applying in May 2016, the UK would also continue with the UCC.
One special feature that could be adopted, though, is the border agency cooperation system. In 1960 and 1969 respectively, Norway signed agreements with Swedish and Finnish authorities, This allows a division of labour where the national border authorities of each country are allowed to provide services and exercise legal powers not only on behalf of their home state, but that of their neighbouring states as well.
When goods are exported from Norway, either a Swedish, Finnish or Norwegian customs office may take care of all paperwork related to exportation from Norway and importation into the before mentioned countries. This is also the case when goods are imported into Norway.
As a result it is unnecessary to establish customs offices and deploy customs officers on both sides of the border. It is decided through bilateral negotiations which country or countries will manage a border post, as well as the allocation of costs.
Thus, if trucks do have to stop, it is only at one customs checkpoint. Then, each country's enforcement personnel have the right to operate up to 16km (10 miles) into each other's territory, with mobile inspection units operating within the zone.
Altogether, a "bespoke" EEA system, melded with the latest technology, would resolve all the underlying problems in Ireland, with the border as near invisible as makes no difference. Controls would be applied, but there would no barriers to traffic at the borders.
The problems, therefore, are neither technical nor procedural, but political. They stem entirely from Mrs May's decision to take us out of the Single Market (EEA). And, despite the blathering of the masses, the customs union is completely irrelevant. Within the EEA, tariffs and quotas disappear. A separate deal on ROO can also be accommodated within the agreement, and we retain our AEO approvals.
Turning it round, there is no solution to the Irish problem without the UK's participation in the EEA Agreement. The barrier, then, is Mrs May. Either she has to change her mind or she has to go.
Given that she does not change her mind, possibly the time for her to go is after the 29 March 2019, when we actually leave the EU. Then, under a new premier, the UK could use the transition period to negotiate with Efta, with a view to rejoining, and with all the EEA contracting parties with a view to rejoining the EEA.
If both coincide with the end or the transition period – which is the status quo option – then we will have administrative continuity and disruption will be minimised.
On that basis, the Efta/EEA option is not deal – merely delayed. And if we follow the principles of Flexcit, the current proposed transition becomes a transition to a transition. However, we cannot rule out negotiations during the transition period on reform of the EEA, to incorporate co-decision on rule-making, as Delors originally proposed.
Any solution though, will require a vastly improved level of competence on the UK side, together with a far better appreciation of how the EEA Agreement is structured and how it works. Moreover, the mantras have to be ditched, and people need to understand that the EEA is, for the moment, the only game in town.

@http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86807
If the increasingly impotent politicians wanted any guidance as to how to deal with the nightmare of a post-Brexit Irish border, all they have to do is look at the EEA Agreement. Right from day one, this has been staring them in the face. (http://www.efta.int/media/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Main%20Text%20of%20the%20Agreement/EEAagreement.pdf)
In particular, they should be looking at Chapter 3 (Article 21) and then Protocol 10 on the simplification of border controls and formalities, and Protocol 11 on mutual assistance in customs matters. (http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Protocols%20to%20the%20Agreement/protocol10.pdf) and (http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Protocols%20to%20the%20Agreement/protocol11.pdf)
As one might imagine, though, these are the provisions which form the regulatory basis for trade between Norway and Sweden, a border which is relatively free-flowing but not entirely frictionless. Truckers can find that clearance during busy periods can take as long as an hour and a half to get their loads cleared. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41412561)
As a result, numerous voices have argued that, for all its advantages, the so-called "Norway option" would not provide an entirely adequate solution for a border-free Ireland.
But what the pundits fail almost completely to understand are two things. Firstly, the nature of the EEA agreement is that it is infinitely flexible. Neither the Agreement nor the Protocols set out the finite details of the arrangements and such as are agreed can be changed through established mechanisms via the EEA Joint Committee.
These changes can be introduced either as specific amendments to the EEA Agreement of via EEA relevant legislation promulgated by the EU and adopted into the EEA acquis. There is no technical limit to the number of changes, nor the frequency, permitting a process on ongoing development.
Secondly, and having regard to the first point, the Norwegian land border with Sweden – which has been continually under scrutiny as the possible model – is considered to be unfinished business. With technological and procedural enhancements planned over the next ten years, the movement of goods is expected to be even smoother than it is at present.
Many of the limitations on freedom arise from policy differences between Norway and the EU, and especially in relation to VAT, duties on alcohol, tobacco and vehicles, and from minor differences in the rules relating to the import of medicines, waste , explosives, fireworks and hazardous substances.
However, with online registration of controlled imports, with prior issue of transit permits, it is anticipated that as much as vehicle traffic through existing customs posts will be reduced by as much as 70 percent within five years. Goods which require physical checks can be routed to sites away from the borders, where they can be cleared.
One exception would be animal and plant material but this problem is much reduced because of the adoption of the "official controls" on foods of animal origin – and the plant equivalent - removing the need for border inspections for produce from EEA states.
The take-home point from all this, therefore, is that while the Sweden-Norway border, as it stands, is an example of what can be achieved under the EEA regime, it is not the definitive model and would have to be copied exactly if applied to Ireland.
Any Irish border arrangement would come out of a bespoke agreement which would take into account the special needs of the island and, even then, would be amenable to continuing development and improvement. But, like Norway, where the Union Customs Code was adopted and entered into force in October-November 2013, while its substantive provisions starting to applying in May 2016, the UK would also continue with the UCC.
One special feature that could be adopted, though, is the border agency cooperation system. In 1960 and 1969 respectively, Norway signed agreements with Swedish and Finnish authorities, This allows a division of labour where the national border authorities of each country are allowed to provide services and exercise legal powers not only on behalf of their home state, but that of their neighbouring states as well.
When goods are exported from Norway, either a Swedish, Finnish or Norwegian customs office may take care of all paperwork related to exportation from Norway and importation into the before mentioned countries. This is also the case when goods are imported into Norway.
As a result it is unnecessary to establish customs offices and deploy customs officers on both sides of the border. It is decided through bilateral negotiations which country or countries will manage a border post, as well as the allocation of costs.
Thus, if trucks do have to stop, it is only at one customs checkpoint. Then, each country's enforcement personnel have the right to operate up to 16km (10 miles) into each other's territory, with mobile inspection units operating within the zone.
Altogether, a "bespoke" EEA system, melded with the latest technology, would resolve all the underlying problems in Ireland, with the border as near invisible as makes no difference. Controls would be applied, but there would no barriers to traffic at the borders.
The problems, therefore, are neither technical nor procedural, but political. They stem entirely from Mrs May's decision to take us out of the Single Market (EEA). And, despite the blathering of the masses, the customs union is completely irrelevant. Within the EEA, tariffs and quotas disappear. A separate deal on ROO can also be accommodated within the agreement, and we retain our AEO approvals.
Turning it round, there is no solution to the Irish problem without the UK's participation in the EEA Agreement. The barrier, then, is Mrs May. Either she has to change her mind or she has to go.
Given that she does not change her mind, possibly the time for her to go is after the 29 March 2019, when we actually leave the EU. Then, under a new premier, the UK could use the transition period to negotiate with Efta, with a view to rejoining, and with all the EEA contracting parties with a view to rejoining the EEA.
If both coincide with the end or the transition period – which is the status quo option – then we will have administrative continuity and disruption will be minimised.
On that basis, the Efta/EEA option is not deal – merely delayed. And if we follow the principles of Flexcit, the current proposed transition becomes a transition to a transition. However, we cannot rule out negotiations during the transition period on reform of the EEA, to incorporate co-decision on rule-making, as Delors originally proposed.
Any solution though, will require a vastly improved level of competence on the UK side, together with a far better appreciation of how the EEA Agreement is structured and how it works. Moreover, the mantras have to be ditched, and people need to understand that the EEA is, for the moment, the only game in town.

@http://eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=86807
If the increasingly impotent politicians wanted any guidance as to how to deal with the nightmare of a post-Brexit Irish border, all they have to do is look at the EEA Agreement. Right from day one, this has been staring them in the face. (http://www.efta.int/media/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Main%20Text%20of%20the%20Agreement/EEAagreement.pdf)
In particular, they should be looking at Chapter 3 (Article 21) and then Protocol 10 on the simplification of border controls and formalities, and Protocol 11 on mutual assistance in customs matters. (http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Protocols%20to%20the%20Agreement/protocol10.pdf) and (http://www.efta.int/sites/default/files/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Protocols%20to%20the%20Agreement/protocol11.pdf)
As one might imagine, though, these are the provisions which form the regulatory basis for trade between Norway and Sweden, a border which is relatively free-flowing but not entirely frictionless. Truckers can find that clearance during busy periods can take as long as an hour and a half to get their loads cleared. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41412561)
As a result, numerous voices have argued that, for all its advantages, the so-called "Norway option" would not provide an entirely adequate solution for a border-free Ireland.
But what the pundits fail almost completely to understand are two things. Firstly, the nature of the EEA agreement is that it is infinitely flexible. Neither the Agreement nor the Protocols set out the finite details of the arrangements and such as are agreed can be changed through established mechanisms via the EEA Joint Committee.
These changes can be introduced either as specific amendments to the EEA Agreement of via EEA relevant legislation promulgated by the EU and adopted into the EEA acquis. There is no technical limit to the number of changes, nor the frequency, permitting a process on ongoing development.
Secondly, and having regard to the first point, the Norwegian land border with Sweden – which has been continually under scrutiny as the possible model – is considered to be unfinished business. With technological and procedural enhancements planned over the next ten years, the movement of goods is expected to be even smoother than it is at present.
Many of the limitations on freedom arise from policy differences between Norway and the EU, and especially in relation to VAT, duties on alcohol, tobacco and vehicles, and from minor differences in the rules relating to the import of medicines, waste , explosives, fireworks and hazardous substances.
However, with online registration of controlled imports, with prior issue of transit permits, it is anticipated that as much as vehicle traffic through existing customs posts will be reduced by as much as 70 percent within five years. Goods which require physical checks can be routed to sites away from the borders, where they can be cleared.
One exception would be animal and plant material but this problem is much reduced because of the adoption of the "official controls" on foods of animal origin – and the plant equivalent - removing the need for border inspections for produce from EEA states.
The take-home point from all this, therefore, is that while the Sweden-Norway border, as it stands, is an example of what can be achieved under the EEA regime, it is not the definitive model and would have to be copied exactly if applied to Ireland.
Any Irish border arrangement would come out of a bespoke agreement which would take into account the special needs of the island and, even then, would be amenable to continuing development and improvement. But, like Norway, where the Union Customs Code was adopted and entered into force in October-November 2013, while its substantive provisions starting to applying in May 2016, the UK would also continue with the UCC.
One special feature that could be adopted, though, is the border agency cooperation system. In 1960 and 1969 respectively, Norway signed agreements with Swedish and Finnish authorities, This allows a division of labour where the national border authorities of each country are allowed to provide services and exercise legal powers not only on behalf of their home state, but that of their neighbouring states as well.
When goods are exported from Norway, either a Swedish, Finnish or Norwegian customs office may take care of all paperwork related to exportation from Norway and importation into the before mentioned countries. This is also the case when goods are imported into Norway.
As a result it is unnecessary to establish customs offices and deploy customs officers on both sides of the border. It is decided through bilateral negotiations which country or countries will manage a border post, as well as the allocation of costs.
Thus, if trucks do have to stop, it is only at one customs checkpoint. Then, each country's enforcement personnel have the right to operate up to 16km (10 miles) into each other's territory, with mobile inspection units operating within the zone.
Altogether, a "bespoke" EEA system, melded with the latest technology, would resolve all the underlying problems in Ireland, with the border as near invisible as makes no difference. Controls would be applied, but there would no barriers to traffic at the borders.
The problems, therefore, are neither technical nor procedural, but political. They stem entirely from Mrs May's decision to take us out of the Single Market (EEA). And, despite the blathering of the masses, the customs union is completely irrelevant. Within the EEA, tariffs and quotas disappear. A separate deal on ROO can also be accommodated within the agreement, and we retain our AEO approvals.
Turning it round, there is no solution to the Irish problem without the UK's participation in the EEA Agreement. The barrier, then, is Mrs May. Either she has to change her mind or she has to go.
Given that she does not change her mind, possibly the time for her to go is after the 29 March 2019, when we actually leave the EU. Then, under a new premier, the UK could use the transition period to negotiate with Efta, with a view to rejoining, and with all the EEA contracting parties with a view to rejoining the EEA.
If both coincide with the end or the transition period – which is the status quo option – then we will have administrative continuity and disruption will be minimised.
On that basis, the Efta/EEA option is not deal – merely delayed. And if we follow the principles of Flexcit, the current proposed transition becomes a transition to a transition. However, we cannot rule out negotiations during the transition period on reform of the EEA, to incorporate co-decision on rule-making, as Delors originally proposed.
Any solution though, will require a vastly improved level of competence on the UK side, together with a far better appreciation of how the EEA Agreement is structured and how it works. Moreover, the mantras have to be ditched, and people need to understand that the EEA is, for the moment, the only game in town.