FACTS (French Ameri-Can Climate TalkS) - UCLA

Community Announcement

Friday, November 14th, 2014
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
UCLA - Carnesale Commons - Palisades Room
751 Charles E. Young Drive W Los Angeles, CA 90095

FACTS Los Angeles - Speakers
Building up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be hosted by France in December 2015 (COP 21-Paris Climate 2015), the Embassies of France in both Canada and the United States are organizing FACTS (French Ameri-Can Climate TalkS), a public conference series across seven cities in the US and in Canada involving renowned scientists, civil society representatives, NGOs, political figures, journalists and entrepreneurs.
Key speakers from both the US and France will be discussing the role of urban centers in regard to climate change policies: from the changing risks they have to face to the new opportunities they can benefit from.
Climate Ready Cities
Taking actions to mitigate climate change and adapt in urban areas
In partnership with the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative (LARC) for Climate Action and Sustainability, the Embassy of France in the United States and the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles will organize a conference to discuss the challenges climate change represents for cities around the world.
With more than half of humanity living in cities, urban centers are key actors for climate change. Climate change represents a major threat for many cities that will have to face a range of impacts from the consequences of the changing climate (sea level rise, increased frequency of extreme weather events, heat waves, etc.). However, the threats brought by climate change can also represent an opportunity and many cities are already taking action to become climate resilient by both decreasing their emissions and by preparing to mitigate the future impacts of climate change.



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R20 Regions For Climate Action - Paris Highlights October 2014

Follow greeninghollywd on Twitter by Paige Donner



"I love sequels. I hope there's a Kyoto 2. BUT, we shouldn't wait for Lima or Paris, we should go forward as sub-national governments. In California we never waited. We never hesitated. We didn't do 'No' as an answer. "



"Solutions are found in the cities, regions, territories."

"California refuses to tolerate inaction. We believe in perpetual motion. We have declared war on climate change." 

"Threats of ignoring climate change are immense."
- Arnold Schwarzenegger



"There is no B plan because there is no B planet." (paraphrasing Ban Ki Moon). 

"The "Terminator" is an Initiator and a Visionary."

"We must think of this issue as Climate Disruption. Not change. Change can be good. What we are seeing now is climate disruption."

"Keep in mind that we are the last generation to be able to act on this issue."

-  Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development




Mary Robinson, Left, Lady in Red

"I've done a lot of work mobilizing women. Let's make this an effort of human solidarity."

"I came to this issue of climate change through the issue of Human Rights; not through science or environmentalism. Food production in Africa is already severely impacted by Climate Disruption, where the population will double by 2050."

"We need a FAIR agreement in Paris (COP 21). Different countries/ regions still have different needs."

"The EU must take its leadership role. There's a moral imperative. "

- Mary Robinson, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Climate Change





The newly appointed Executive Director to R20, Christophe Nuttal, takes to the Road To Paris 2015 via both science and human rights. Originally a space engineer, he was then a scientific advisor to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the early 90s. He became the Exec. Dir. of R20 in January 2012.

More recently, he launched the International Multi-Partnerships Initiative on access to basic services, adopted at the 2007 UN-HABITAT Board. 

This initiative was adopted later in 2009 at ECOSOC resulting in listing of access to water as a human right in 2011. 



Terry Tamminen, co-organizer R20, Adviser on Environmental Issues to Mr. Schwarzenegger

All photos and video by Paige Donner copyright 2014. All Rights Reserved.


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Paris Is Always A Good Idea - R20 Regions of Climate Action

Follow greeninghollywd on Twitterby Paige Donner

Speaking this evening from the Palais Bourbon in Paris, Arnold Schwarzenegger said that, "Paris is always a good idea."






He then launched into how pivotal the roles are to be played at regional and city levels for taking action to mitigate climate change now and in the coming decades.

This was the evening cap to the first day of R20, Regions of Climate Action. It was fittingly held at the Assemblée Nationale following the day's panels and speakers at the Palais d'Iéna.

Schwarzenegger illustrated that California is a prime example of how effective and instrumental regions can be. He noted that while he was governor of the Golden State tangible progress - on many levels - to establish a greener economy and infrastructure were successfully put in place and implemented.







R20 Regions o f Climate Action is an international non-profit organization founded by former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 2010. Its mission is to help states, provinces, regions, cities and other sub-national governments to develop low-carbon and climate resilient economic development projects, as well as policies and best practices for mitigating climate change. 
Follow R20 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regions20
and Twitter: @Regions20

All photos by Paige Donner copyright 2014 Paige Donner All Rights Reserved. 

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What are you doing for World Elephant Day August 12?

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On the third annual World Elephant Day, Tuesday, August 12, 2014, people around the world plan actions and activities to help save increasingly threatened African and Asian elephants


(Earth, August 5, 2014) Tuesday, August 12, 2014, is the third annual World Elephant Day, a day when people come together to honor elephants, to spread awareness about the critical threats they are facing, and to support positive solutions that will help ensure their survival. Within our lifetimes, elephants may face global extinction in the wild. World Elephant Day was launched on August 12, 2012, by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and Canadian documentary filmmaker Patricia Sims.
 
The survival odds for the world's elephants are increasingly grim. During the past four years, poaching for ivory has surged to unprecedented levels. It is estimated that 100 African elephants are slaughtered daily for the illegal wildlife trade. According to a June 2014 report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 20 percent of Africa's elephants may be killed in the next ten years if poaching continues at current levels. Others believe that all African elephants may be extinct in the wild by 2025. It is estimated that fewer than 400,000 African elephants remain. There are less than 40,000 Asian elephants left in the world, making their official status "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List. Asian elephants face extensive loss of habitat, and are also killed for their ivory, meat, and body parts, while young elephants are removed from their natural environment for use in the tourism industry.
 
World Elephant Day supporters can act in a multitude of ways, both locally and globally, to help protect elephants from the devastating impacts of poaching, the destruction of wilderness, the demand for ivory, human population growth and human-elephant conflict, and the social, economic, and environmental factors that fuel this tragic situation.
 
World Elephant Day encourages individuals and organizations worldwide to take action, spread awareness, and share effective ways to help save and protect elephants, and support the many commendable elephant conservation initiatives.
 
What you can do
 
There are many ways people can get involved to help elephants and raise awareness on World Elephant Day, and year-round.

  • Support organizations that are working to: stop the illegal poaching and trade of elephant ivory and other wildlife products; protect wild elephant habitat; and provide sanctuaries and alternative habitats for domesticated elephants to live freely.
  • If you wish to experience elephants in their natural environment, choose eco-tourism operators who support local elephant conservation projects and who treat elephants with respect and dignity.
  • Support healthy, alternative, sustainable livelihoods for people who have traditionally relied on elephants, wild animals, and natural resources.
  • Support orphaned elephants by fostering one whose parents have been killed by poachers.
  • Learn about indigenous cultures that have traditionally lived in harmony with elephants.
  • Be an elephant-aware consumer. Never buy ivory or other wildlife products.
  • Support a U.S. national ban on the sale of ivory. Contact your representatives and write to your country's leaders, supporting national and local legislation to ban the sale of ivory.
  • Do not support organizations that exploit or abuse elephants and other animals for entertainment and profit. Learn more at http://worldelephantday.org/how-to-help-elephants

What organizations are doing on World Elephant Day
  • Conservation Action Trust, Wilderness Safaris, and Africa Geographic are holding a photography competition for the best African elephant photo, with the grand prize of a four-day trip in Kruger National Park.
  • 96 Elephants is celebrating World Elephant Day with a variety of activities, including having zoos throughout the U.S. sending some 96,000 messages to legislators in support of an ivory ban. 96 Elephants is asking people to take "elphies" using the phrase "Go Grey for World Elephant Day" and to post images on social media using the hashtag #GoGrey. 96 Elephants is also organizing a "Thunderclap" where people can sign up on Twitter to send a simultaneous Tweet on World Elephant Day. During the day, @TheWCS and @96Elephants will tweet out 96 facts about elephants (one every 15 minutes). To learn more about 96 Elephants and World Elephant Day, visit 96elephants.org\WED
  • In August the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is launching an exclusive website focused on the beauty of elephants and packed full of ways for people to take action for elephants on August 12 and beyond. Keep an eye on sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and facebook.com/thedswt for more news about the site.
  • Bodhi Tree Foundation's S.A.F.E. Campaign will be celebrating World Elephant Day by showcasing unique African travel itineraries and safaris offered by several of its travel partners, enabling travelers to get up close and personal with elephants in the wild while aiding in their conservation. Its partners will be contributing a portion of the proceeds to the S.A.F.E. Campaign while offering additional special promotions on World Elephant Day. For more information, visit: saveafricaselephants.com/get-involved.
  • In South Africa, Save the Elephants is constructing a gigantic cardboard elephant and holding a raffle for a beautiful elephant photograph.
  • Thirty U.S. zoos, including the El Paso Zoo and the Toledo Zoo, will hold World Elephant Day events, and 42 zoos will deliver petitions and kids' drawings to their state's governors, asking them to act to protect elephants.
  • Many other individuals and organizations are promoting action on behalf of elephants on World Elephant Day, including Hard Rock Café, Do Something, Ivory for Elephants, and many others. Please see the full list of associates on World Elephant Day at www.worldelephantday.org/associates, and check the Events page at www.worldelephantday.org/events, where events are being added daily.

Get involved with World Elephant Day on social media
About World Elephant Day and its founders

World Elephant Day was launched on August 12, 2012, by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation (ERF), a charitable nonprofit organization based in Thailand, and Patricia Sims, president, producer, and director of CanazWest Pictures Inc., a Canadian-based independent film production company. 


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Berlin Startup Ecosia Acquires Bloson

Sponsored Post 

Ecosia acquires Bloson

We're happy to announce that Bloson.com, the popular app which helps to support charitable projects, is now part of Berlin-based social business Ecosia.org. Ecosia is a search engine that donates 80% of its income to a tree planting program in Brazil. By searching with Ecosia users can help the environment for free.

As a part of this transition, San Francisco-based Bloson will be shutting down its service and moving all app users to Ecosia's brand new Ecolink extension. This new tool enables Internet users to automatically generate money for the rainforest while shopping online. After the transition, which will completed in the next few days, all Bloson users will automatically generate donations for The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees program, just like all other Ecosia.org users. 

"It's been an amazing ride since we launched our initial site at the DEMO conference back in 2010 and later our popular Bloson app in 2011," said Antonio Marzo, Bloson's founder.

"I'd like to thank all the people who helped us along the way, especially the millions who used Bloson and the more than 100,000 people who installed our app on their computers."

The founder of Ecosia.org Christian Kroll is also happy about the acquisition: "Ecosia has already donated more than $2.5M and helped plant over 700,000 trees. With Bloson's users joining our cause, Ecosia will be able to reach its impact goals even faster." 

www.ecosia.org





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Açai Harvest In Brazil

by Paige Donner

Açai berry branch with fruit

Each and every year in Brazil the population awaits its annual açai berry harvest with bated breath. It's akin to the yearly Beaujolais harvest in France. A time of year filled with celebration and abundance.

The açai berry has been inching its way into the North American mainstream for at least a decade now. Hailed as a little berry packing a powerfully healthy punch, we first welcomed it in smoothies and nutrition bars.

 

Indeed some of the properties of the mythical açai berry are :

 

  • Health tonic elixir
  • Anti-oxidant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Sweet, Fruit and Fragrant

 

Açai - Cofruta CommunityAçai berry harvest - man with basket

Açai berries transported by riverboat


Health Properties Of The Açai Berry

For centuries this berry has been used for its health properties by the local Abaetetuba community in the northern Brazilian state of Pará.

 

The whole of Brazil has embraced the açai berry since many decades for more than its medicinal uses, however. Indeed the culture celebrates the annual harvest by making candies, sweets, and other delicacies out of the dark purple, pulpy and fruity berry.

 

Its deep purple color are indicative of the berry's rich anti-oxidant properties. And if you've never tasted açai before, the flavor pyramid to expect is : red fruits such as raspberry and wild strawberry giving way to wood berries like blackberries and blueberries ending on a final note of sandal wood and light, aromatic woods.

Açai - Cofruta Community 


Natura Brasil's EKOS Açai Body Care Line

 

For its EKOS Açai line of body care products, Natura Brasil works with the Cofruta Community, a co-op based in the Pará state of Brazil, who does the bulk of the annual berry harvest.

 

COFRUTA = Fruit Growers Co-operative of Abaetetuba

 

This is the co-operative, who in their native Amazonian forest, produces and harvests 95% of the total Brazilian açai berry crop each year.  The co-op is made up of several hundred families. The açai berries they harvest are certified organic and along with Natura Brasil, working with them for several decades now, they have developed a sustainable harvesting method. The co-op even produces their own açai berry syrups and jams now in a factory they built in their native Amazonian forest in 2002.

 

Products from Natura Brasil made from the açai berry harvest are released in limited edition quantities each year. They include :

 

Triphasée Shower Oil – this fruity and light oil goes on fresh all over your body on still moist, just showered skin. It contains oil pressed directly from the organic açai berry, thus containing concentrated amounts of pure anti-oxidant properties. A fresh, fruity, fragrant scent.

 

Frescor – the eau de toilette made from organic alcohol and essential oil extracts from the fresh açai berry harvest.


Hand Cream and Body Lotion -  These products each give 24hours and 30 hours respectively of skin hydration as well as offering anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant protection.

 Ekos Acai_FleurCreme

For more information about these products and the sustainable harvest program that Natura Brasil has institituted with the native Amazonian COFRUTA community in Brazil, go to NaturaBrasil.com.

 

Eco.Luxury.Style – quarterly Sustainable Magazine

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The Emissary by Patricia Cori: Interpreting the Songs of the Whales to Save the Earth’s Oceans Indiana Jones-style

Beau Bridges, Actor: "…A uniquely exciting adventure that capture the heart and the soul of the reader."

The Emissary: Interpreting the Songs of the Whales to Save the Earth's Oceans Indiana Jones-style 

Elisabeth Rohm, actor, author, activist, mother: "The whales and dolphins of this planet need our help – and Patricia Cori is their Emissary!"

Los Angeles, CA, April 29, 2014 – Fans of Animal Planet would likely call bestselling author, Patricia Cori, the "whale whisperer."  However, Cori's fans deem her a "real-life Indiana Jones."  One thing is for sure.  Cori's debut suspense book, The Emissary (North Atlantic Books) is action-packed and will soon be gracing the big screen in partnership with Global Universal Entertainment.


Since its release, The Emissary has garnered positive attention around the globe.  Within the pages of The Emissary, Cori artfully engages her readers with fast action and profound, thought-provoking ideas.  "Readers will definitely think about the Earth in a different light after reading The Emissary," says Cori.  "One of the key ideas explored is how our actions today impact the environment tomorrow. We've already seen some of this come to reality, however The Emissary explores this idea and the findings are quite unsettling."




Three events take place nearly simultaneously:  People in Los Angeles witness hundreds of birds dropping from the heavens; Beaches in Maine are covered with tens of thousands of dead fish; and a New Zealand beach resort is devastated with dying whales and dolphins.  In the aftermath of this chaos, a strange, grid-like pattern forms in the clouds.  Readers soon learn that this is not a coincidence, but part of an evil plan to destroy all life on Earth. Enter, the emissary – a leading psychic, who understands and identifies secrets in the songs of the dying whales.  She then uses what she learns in her dangerous journey to avert a global disaster.   

"The Emissary gives readers the thrills and action-packed adventures that we all thrive upon," says Patricia Cori.  "But it also offers something more, awareness of our oceans and the changes that have come about, due to man's interference in nature."  

Meet Patricia Cori.  Cori is a bestselling author, screenwriter, public speaker and has been interviewed on hundreds of radio and television programs including CNN and Coast to Coast.   She's credited with founding the global non-profit, Save Earth's Oceans, Inc., whose mission is dedicated to restoring the balance of the ocean's ecosystems.  Cori's the former host of Beyond the Matrix (BBS Radio) and she is deemed a visionary to her fan base.     

The Emissary

www.TheEmissary.net





Pen Densham, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director, producer, author, artist: "I am a giant fan of creativity that takes us out of our daily thinking. Patricia Cori has penned just such a tale. A broad fantasy adventure that speaks to those who want to think differently and challenge the daily onslaught against nature and our own future."


Ervin Laszlo, twice nominated for the Nobel prize, Founder and President of The Club of Budapest, Chancellor of the Giordano Bruno GlobalShift University, and best-selling author of 83 books and publications: "The Emissary is that rarest of books: it entertains, indeed, it fascinates, and at the same time conveys a message that we should not forget. Indeed, once we have opened this book, we never will."


Jim Marrs, New York Times Best Selling author of Psi Spies: The True Story of America's Psychic Warfare Program:  "The Emissary' brings us government skullduggery, sexy agents, catastrophic events, high-sea adventure, singing whales and a cosmic secret — what's not to like in this fast-paced page turner?"


New Consciousness Review: "Patricia Cori has done a great service to us all, and I believe the majestic creatures of the sea as well, by turning her skill, passion, and intelligence toward understanding and protecting them, and simultaneously illuminating a path for human transformation."


Lawrence Bloom,  Recently retired Chairman of the UN Environmental Progamme, Green Economy Initiative Council on Green Cities and the World Economic Forum at Davos Global Agenda Council on Urban Management: "It's a brilliant story – it reads with the pace of a Bond novel, and it's based in reality. You may not sleep well after you read it! I could not put it down….


Donald Newsom, President, BBS Radio Network, Inc: "Phenomenal! Her extraordinary vision and the way she communicates her truth to her readers will make Patricia Cori a staple in every library."


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Une Way Of Life: Burnt Red Nails

By Paige Donner

We love (as in love ! love !) Une’s Slightly Burnt Red nail enamel. Red livens up any outfit and adapts to all clothes and makeup, regardless of coloring. Deep and almost brickishly red, it’s a perfect color for early spring and on into the summer. Did we mention how nicely it wears with a deep brown tan ?



Something else you’ll find with UNE nail poishes is an XXL brush that applies your enamel varnish on your nail in one easy stroke. Its not-too-hard, not-too-soft brush fans out over the nail so you’ve got full color coverage precisely and in a flash of one brush-stroke.

And since it’s UNE, ethical is part of the product and part of the packaging. For instance, on the back of each nail polish bottle label is the figure that indicates the percentage of natural origin ingredients for each varnish shade : C09 our Slightly Burnt UNE Red lovely is a whopping 72.1% natural origin.

The Base and Top Coat otherwise known as C00 is 85% natural origin. This adds a natural Ultra-Shine to any of the nail enamel colors.

The color pigments ? They are mineral.
The petrochemical derivatives found in most nail varnishes ? UNE replaced them with equally effective natural origin ingredients : cotton, potato, manioc, algae.


New for this Spring are the 4 shades to match skin color, ranging from NUDE to cocoa brown. Forbidden and exciting shades to wear on your hands as we cruise towards warmer weather.

Other members of the UNE nail enamel color wheel are the SHIL family of shades. These are 2 Natural Shades (soft pink, light beige), 2 Shades Inspired by Lips (blush red, slightly burnt UNE red), and 4 Inspired by Eyes (taupe, khaki, smokey, denim).

SHIL stands for Skin, Hair, Iris and Lips.  It’s a sort of (shhh ! secret) code invented by UNE to create natural colors that enhance women of all ages. These shades take their inspiration from the natural shades of Skin, Hair, Irises and Lips.

You can rely on your 3-in-1 UNE nail color formula – that’s Base, Color and Extreme Shine – to be formaldehyde-, phthalate- and toluene-free.

Oil-Based Nail Polish Remover

And now for the real kicker !  UNE likes to say that they don’t know the meaning of impossible. So when faced with creating a natural nail polish remover, they went in the direction of OIL-Based and all natural.

The First 100% natural origin, zero fragrance remover. 

What’s more, it not just respects your nails but your cuticles too.  Want to know what’s in it ?

80% natural origin solvents extracted from plants.
20% sweet almond and apricot oil

On the light, blossom green bottle you’ll find listed the ingredients, detailing the percentage of natural origin ingredients : 100%

It’s also 100% effective in removing the UNE nail natural ingredient nail polishes. Even my Spring-Summer fave, the Slightly Burnt UNE Red.  If only for a color refresh !



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Couvrance - For A Complexion Worthy of The Big Screen

by Paige Donner

 

Cake-free and doll perfect. That’s you, right ? Of course it is ! And if you feel you need just a tiny little nudge of help in getting there, look no further than Couvrance, the clean pure makeup by Avène, and its line of complexion correcters and foundations.

 

Couvrance is based on the premise that a woman’s skin is one of her most sensitive and prescious organs. Hence, tender loving care are the operating words here for this line of medical makeup. 

 

The other philosophy is to use the correcter sticks that come in Coral, Yellow and Green to neutralize those small flaws, bags under the eyes and tiny blemishes. Once these small imperfections are made invisible through the delicate application of counter-balancing correcters, a light sheen of  Couvrance Compact Foundation Creams can be applied to achieve that flawless Big Screen finish.

 

Since Valentine’s Day this year is yet again smack dab in the middle of Awards Season, here are some tips that will keep you looking your fresh, radiant and thoroughly seductive self, whatever the occasion :

 

Dark Circles Under The Eyes

 

First – and always – thoroughly moisturize under the eye before applying complexion correcters.

 

For brown undereye circles – Use the coral concealer stick which works for darker skin, the type of skin that tends toward brown undereye circles. The Couvrance Coral Concealer stick creates a very luminous and natural anti-dullness effect.

 

For blue undereye circles – The Couvrance Yellow Concealer stick works wonders in neutralising the appearance of blue undereye circles.

 

More Tips on the Concealer Sticks:
Green – neutralises redness, spots, small blemishes
Yellow – neutralises bruises and dark spots 
Coral – neutralises brown spots, melasma
 

 

Technique «  Since your small imperfections have now been neutralised, there’s no need to apply coat after coat of foundation. Instead focus on texture and application techniques, with the desired results in mind. »

 

Use a brush to apply the Couvrance Fluid Foundation Corrector. This will achieve the appearance of a flawless complexion by casting a veil over your skin.  If your complexion tends towards the grey or dull (such as during winter months!), choose a shade with a hint of pink to freshen up your complexion.  Choosing a shade that is slightly ligher than your skin tone can help your face appear younger. (Darker shades tend to add years.)

 

Now, for the finishing touches, you can actually « draw » on your face with the Couvrance Concealer Pen.

 

These work by applying them to your face after your foundation (to avoid running). The areas of application are on these points : the forehead, nasolabial folds, tip of the nose, corners of the mouth, hollow of the chin.

 

This adds contour and illumination to your face.

 

Last step – Mattify your makeup with a dusting of the Couvrance Mosaic Powders. *Hint – these can be used as an eye makeup palette as well. 

 

Whether you set your makeup with the translucent Mosaic Powder, the Radiance or the Bronzer, each are sure to have your makeup lasting all night long and a quick re-dusting of the Mosaic Powder in its slim white compact case during the evening, or any time, will keep your face shine-free.

 

Nooowww you’re ready for your Big Screen close-up, you doll, you !

 

*Couvrance are high-tolerance formulas designed for sensitive skin types. They contain no preservatives, no fragrances and are hypoallergenic. They do not smear ; they offer UV protection and are resistant to water and perspiration.

 

 

Couvrance by Avène.fr

 


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