Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

George IV’s 1821 coronation was a lavish affair, costing upwards of $26 million in today’s dollars. An estimated 4,656 guests flocked to Westminster Abbey in London, many of them dressed in costumes inspired by fashions of centuries past. After the British king was crowned, a select group of attendees moved to Westminster Hall for a banquet featuring 160 dishes of fish, 480 sauce boats, 80 savory pies and 100 gallons of iced punch. The…

A few weeks ago, the New Zealand media gave some coverage to the spectacle of the US President and the Prime Ministers of Australia and the UK signing an agreement whereby Australia will buy eight nuclear-powered submarines over the next two decades at a cost of some $400 billion, confirmation of the so-called AUKUS treaty between the three countries. · Reactions in Australia were varied, though there was no push-back from the Opposition…

We all know that trees help clean the air in cities, but which trees do so best? According to new research conducted in Sweden, a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees will give you the most bang for your buck. · For the study, a University of Gothenburg team led by Prof. Håkan Pleijel analyzed the leaves and needles of 11 types of trees growing in the same area of the Gothenburg Botanical Garden. The deciduous (leafy) trees consisted…