Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

I am unapologetically indoorsy. Photo: FORTEPAN/LENCSE ZOLTN

What are the effects of spending an entire season indoors, as most of us have done this year? I dont mean the psychological effects but the material ones. I wonder about the carpets that have gotten worn down from pacing. The couches that sag from cradling our butts all day. The expanded inventories of elastic-waist pants, house slippers, sweatshirts. Among other lessons learned, weve had a chance to become intensely familiar with what we like and dislike about our living spaces. Weve experienced every day what studies have confirmed: Plants, space, and sunlight make people happy, while extreme temperatures, loud noise, cramped conditions, and dim light make people unhappy. The pandemic has forced us to confront exactly how little control we have over our homes.

Thats the subject of Emily Anthess The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness. Along with domestic spaces, Anthes explores a range of buildings fancy offices, operating rooms, a housing development designed for adults with autism, a solitary-confinement unit in hopes of dissecting the effects of architecture and design on human behavior. I read it, in a perverse spirit, entirely outside, on a sunny patch of grass, without a single person within seeing or hearing distance. I am unapologetically indoorsy, writes the author in her introduction. Its not that I dont like nature; I think nature is lovely. Ive been camping several times and enjoyed it! Ha. Me and Emily Anthes, we could not be less alike.

The formula for popular social-science books is: cold open on a catchy anecdote, proceed to divulge personal interest in topic, pivot to argument about why topic is universal and not remotely what the reader expected, and then spend 240 pages on scenes of varying persuasiveness. Im usually out by page 30. I dont know if this is a fault of my attention span, the formula, the kind of author who is drawn to the formula, or constraints pushed by publishers eager to get the book on a best-seller list. In any case, my alarm bells tend to go off early.

In order to enjoy one of these books, you need to trust the authors ability to responsibly synthesize specialized knowledge that lies outside of her, and your, expertise. You need to know in your soul that the author is not the type of person to cite Wikipedia as a source or become enveloped in a plagiarism scandal one instant after you finish reading her book. I am glad to report that Anthes passes the trustworthy test. Her sources are respectable and diligently noted. My margins were covered with scribbled WTFs not because she was drawing deranged conclusions from misinterpreted studies but because the book contains piles of cool facts that are actually, from what I can tell, facts.

Those cool facts come fast and furious. The New York City subway, for example, is smothered in microbes associated with bare feet. Why? Anthes quotes a microbiologist on the topic: Every time you take a step, your heel comes up and then presses down, creating a small bellows of bottom-of-your-foot air squirting out into the surroundings. The scientist continues: Imagine millions of people running around down there. Puff puff puff puff puff every time they take a step, they put out a little puff of foot microbiology. Another WTF moment: Pillowcases and toilet-seat surfaces are apparently strikingly similar from a microbiological perspective. These are from a chapter on the billions of invisible roommates we cohabit with, from bacteria to fungi to dust motes to a zoos worth of wee invertebrates. In one scene, Anthes unscrews her showerhead and swabs the interior, then mails it off to a lab. The results come back a year later. Among other things, her showerhead contains an organism called RB41, which has been found in dog noses and paleolithic cave paintings, and a class of mycobacteria that can cause tuberculosis and leprosy when inhaled. Nothing to freak out about, the scientist who processed the swabs assures Anthes. Many of those could be totally nonpathogenic. Could be!Even the least germophobic reader will squirm at the descriptions of carpeting (disgusting a scientists term, not mine!) and basements (hotbeds of arthropod diversity). However, its less boring to stay home all day when you know that your house is a teeming jungle.

Hospitals are scarier. Design can alter patient outcomes in unnerving ways, suggesting that our fragile bodies are susceptible to environmental factors not just psychologically but on some mysterious mechanical level. Surgical patients with plants in their rooms have lower blood pressure and use less pain medication than patients in plant-free rooms. Patients in sunny rooms fare better than patients in shady rooms. In one study, patients treated in rooms with sound-absorbing tiles were significantly less likely to be readmitted within three months. When Florence Nightingale recommended sunlight and flowers for the infirm in 1859, she anticipated what would later become known as evidence-based design.

The books best chapter explores how neuroatypical people interact with their surroundings. Gallaudet University is a private college in Washington, D.C., that largely serves students who are deaf or hard of hearing. A group of academics and architects at the school outlined design features tuned to the needs of the students, including translucent and partial walls and rooms painted in soft blues and greens, which contrast with human-skin tones and make it easier to perceive gestures. Designers who worked on a housing development created for adults with autism made a slew of decisions that would probably appeal to people without autism too, pouring a layer of gypsum concrete between each floor to dampen the sound of footfall and cleverly installing shower temperature knobs opposite the showerhead, so residents didnt have to dart through a stream of frigid or boiling water in order to adjust it. (Can we standardize that?) In a 2015 study, researchers created a dental office designed to soothe children with autism, featuring dimmer lights, relaxing music, and calming images projected onto the ceiling. What happened next will not shock you: The changes were received warmly by neurotypical people, too.

A good chunk of the books material fits into the obvious category, but its always nice to see ones personal preferences ratified by data. A study of IT employees confirmed that face-to-face communication as opposed to, say, Slack was correlated with higher productivity and performance. (I believe workers required to use Slack should be paid extra for the sheer attentional burden of it.) Students who attend class in well-ventilated and well-maintained buildings perform better academically. A detention facility remodeled to include athletic facilities, a library, and classrooms saw the number of assaults drop by 50 percent.

But for every unsurprising conclusion, theres a curveball. Anthes visits a Louisiana professor who has developed a buoyant foundation that allows houses to float on top of floodwaters. The system requires no heavy equipment and can be installed inexpensively on an existing house by just two people. Rather than pour catastrophically into a home, the floodwater itself lifts residents to safety. But what would seem like a brilliant answer to Hurricane Katrina (and a future of similar disasters, worsened by climate change) is stymied by the federal government. Homeowners in high-risk areas are required to buy flood insurance, but amphibious structures like the floating foundations are not eligible for subsidized policies. When Anthes reaches out to FEMA, shes told that the technology is not as safe as simply moving to a higher elevation. Well, sure.

The Great Indoors isnt a self-help book, but our present context has layered it with some self-helpy applications. You cant necessarily drill a window into your wall or blast a skylight into your ceiling, but you can push your favorite chair closer to the window and find out whether being depressed in a pool of sunlight is better than being depressed in a veil of shadows. If you cant turn your bedroom into an anti-sensory cocoon, do it to your own body with a pair of earplugs and an eye mask. Pick a clump of roadside greenery next time you go outside (in your mask) and put it in a rinsed-out jar on the kitchen table. All those studies proving that plants cause joy? They dont specify that the plants should be exquisite. Gather ye weeds while ye may.

*A version of this article appears in the June 22, 2020, issue ofNew York Magazine. Subscribe Now!

Link:
After Months Spent Inside, The Great Indoors Is Uncannily Relevant - Vulture

If you are fortunate enough to have a terrace, a porch or some backyard space, spending a lot of time at home can be a much nicer experience. But how you design that space makes all the difference.

A lot of times, youll see a beautiful garden with very organized furniture, which looks pretty, but when you actually go and sit, its out in the blazing sun, said Scott Shrader, a landscape designer in West Hollywood, Calif., and the author of The Art of Outdoor Living.

If you want an outdoor space where youll be comfortable lingering for hours, he said, you need to address some basic questions: Can you be protected from the sun? Can you put a drink down? Can you put your feet up?

In short, you need to think of it as another room in your home an outdoor room and furnish it accordingly.

We asked landscape and interior designers for practical advice on how to do that.

An outdoor room wont serve any function particularly well if it tries to do everything, so start with an honest assessment of how you plan to use the space.

You want to ask yourself, first and foremost, What are we going do there? said Charlotte Moss, a New York-based designer and a passionate gardener.

If the terrace will be a place for alfresco dining, youll need chairs that will allow people to sit upright and a table high enough to eat at a very different arrangement of furniture than a space for casual lounging, where sofas and low tables may be more appropriate.

Or maybe its just a space for hiding from everyone, Ms. Moss said, which would require greater privacy and perhaps just a single chaise longue.

If your outdoor space is large, planning several different seating arrangements can accommodate multiple functions.

When youre trying to decide on the style of an outdoor room, look to your homes interior-design scheme, Mr. Shrader said, to reinforce the connection between indoors and out.

I always start inside the house and work my way out, he said, with the goal of achieving an effortless flow from inside to outside.

In his West Hollywood home, he said, the indoor floors are antiqued oak, so he installed chiseled stone pavers on the terrace outside, for a similar sense of age. I try to blend the materials and make them all uniform so that you dont have anything super jarring, and its all very harmonious, he said.

Your interior-design scheme can also inform material and color choices for outdoor furniture, accessories and even plantings, said Keith Williams, a partner at the Palm Beach-based landscape-architecture firm Nievera Williams and the author of The Graphic Garden.

For instance, he said, if the house has soft, pale colors, well tend to pick that up in the landscaping through the choice of outdoor fabrics and flowers.

Demarcate the area of the outdoor room and make it feel like a destination that stands apart from the rest of the terrace or yard by changing the flooring material where the furniture will be placed.

For an outdoor dining table by a pool in Palm Beach, for instance, Mr. Williams designed an area where the ground looks almost like carpet, with crisscrossing lines of black pebbles and diamond-shaped patches of synthetic grass.

Wesley Moon, a New York-based interior designer, rolled out an actual carpet at his apartment on Fire Island an indoor-outdoor rug from Dash & Albert. It gives that softness that really makes it feel like a room, he said, noting that it is surprisingly easy to keep clean. You just vacuum it like a normal rug.

A section of wood decking could also be used to underpin a seating area, Mr. Moon noted, within a large expanse of pavers.

Ms. Moss, inspired by the gardens at Colonial Williamsburg, in Virginia, used crushed oyster shells for the floor of the outdoor dining area in her garden in East Hampton, N.Y. Mr. Shrader sometimes uses an area of pea gravel.

If there is no roof or overhang above your outdoor space, you can at least create the impression of a ceiling, Mr. Shrader said, both for the intimacy a sense of enclosure provides and for protection from the sun.

Everybody feels most comfortable when theyre tucked under something, he said.

Putting a seating area beneath the canopy of a tree is one of his favorite techniques. Often, I talk about trees as my outdoor ceilings, he said.

In the absence of a tree, Mr. Shrader will sometimes add a trellis over a seating arrangement, which he might cover with willow or bamboo. An umbrella would also work, he said, although it wont be as sturdy or durable.

Its also possible to add a sense of privacy by introducing tall plantings around the perimeter of an outdoor room. Its not a physical wall, but more of a visual separation that says, Something is happening here, Ms. Moss said. It could even be a 3-foot hedge that defines the space.

For her dining space in East Hampton, Ms. Moss installed a ceiling of hickory branches above walls of clipped hornbeams.

On a terrace or balcony, tall planters filled with leafy or flowering plants could be used to similar effect.

Many successful outdoor rooms have nearly as much furniture, and as many accessories, as indoor rooms.

I try really hard to make the outdoors just as comfortable and chic as the indoors, Mr. Moon said, so people really want to spend time out there.

That means plenty of comfortable seating, often with cushions upholstered in outdoor fabric (typically solution-dyed acrylic for durability). It also means having enough tables to hold drinks, snacks, phones and books. Add outdoor throw pillows in the same way you would use indoor pillows in the living room, Mr. Moon said, and keep throws handy for cool evenings.

In an outdoor room on a Manhattan terrace, Mr. Moon used low-slung, armless chairs from Dedon with throw pillows in various shapes, sizes and fabrics, as well as a group of small teak-and-stone tables that could be pushed together as a coffee table or pulled apart as side tables.

If your outdoor room will serve as a dining space, Mr. Shrader said, You really need to think about it like youre in an indoor dining room and hosting Thanksgiving dinner.

Consider the maximum number of guests youre likely to entertain and make sure you have an appropriately sized table and enough chairs, he advised. Then think about how you will serve meals.

A strategically placed buffet or console table can hold platters during dinners or function as a bar for cocktail parties, he said. After guests leave, that same piece of furniture can serve as a pedestal for potted plants and decorative objects.

Finish the space with vases, bowls and candleholders, which can be changed and rearranged over time. If the outdoor room is next to an exterior wall, consider adding mirrors, pieces of sculpture or wall-mounted planters.

Lighting is an important functional consideration without it, you might not be able to find your drink after dark but it can also provide a significant boost to nighttime ambience.

Some methods of adding light are simpler than others. You can hang a candle chandelier from a tree branch or have lanterns with candles, Ms. Moss said. Its very romantic.

Plug-in string lights and portable LED-based candles and lanterns are other easy options for adding light that dont require hiring an electrician.

If you want something more permanent, decorative pendant lamps can be suspended from pergolas, and sconces can be installed on nearby walls.

For a more dramatic look, Mr. Shrader and Mr. Williams frequently use low-voltage landscape lighting that is barely visible during the day, including small lights hidden in trees and mixed into plantings, and pin lights tucked into pergolas.

Whether you choose portable lamps, hard-wired decorative fixtures or landscape lighting or a mix of all three Mr. Shrader said he always prefers outdoor lights with a warm-white color temperature of about 2,700 Kelvin.

However you illuminate your outdoor room, adding light is crucial to extending the hours you can use the space, Mr. Williams said. Otherwise, it all goes away after the sun sets.

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How to Create an Outdoor Room - The New York Times

Pune, June 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global automotive interior materials market size is expected to gain momentum owing the increasing demand for lightweight materials in automotive and rising demand for e-vehicles. Fortune Business Insights, publish this information in its latest report, titled Automotive Interior Materials Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (Plastics, Fabrics, Composites, Leather {Synthetic and Natural}, and Others), By Application (Dashboard, Seats, Airbags & Seat belts, Door panel & trims, Carpet and headliners, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026. The reports observe that the market is projected to reach USD 66.38 billion by 2026, while exhibiting a CAGR of 3.845 between 2019 and 2026. Additionally, the reports mention that the market was worth USD 51.09 billion in 2018.

Browse Detailed Research Insights with Table of Content: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/automotive-interior-materials-market-102540

Global COVID-19 Analysis:

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has cast an unprecedented effect on several businesses across industries. While some industries are experiencing significant loss owing to the lockdown announced by the federal governments globally, collective efforts from the government and the industries will ensure that the testing times may soon pass away.

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

To Get the Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on this Market.

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Automotive Interiors are one of the vital parts of the automotive as they play an important role in influencing a customer to buy the vehicle by pleasing and attracting them with their aesthetic appeal. In addition to this, several materials such as plastics, wood, rubber, composites, and fabrics, among others are adopted in manufacturing the interiors. Furthermore, special impetus in laid on the quality of interiors as they have to meet certain industrial standards before being installed in the vehicle. For instance, in China, the GB-Standard 8410-2006 is put forth that defines the adoption of CCC-Certified automotive interior material for the market.

What does the Report Include?

The market report includes detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of several factors such as the key drivers and restraints that will affect market growth. In addition to this, the report provides insights into the regional analysis that covers the different regions, which are contributing to the growth of the market. Furthermore, it includes the competitive landscape that involves leading companies and adoption of strategies by them to innovate novel products, announce partnerships, and collaboration that will contribute to the growth of the market between 2019 and 2026. Moreover, the research analyst has adopted several research methodologies such as PESTEL and SWOT analysis to extract information about the current trends and industry developments that will drive the market growth in the forthcoming years.

Driver and Restraints:

High Demand for Lightweight Interiors to Drive the Market

Lightweight automotive results in low consumption of fuel and drastic reduction of carbon emissions. Therefore, the major manufacturers prefer lightweight automotive interior materials that are manufactured from high quality plastics, composites, and fabric materials. Furthermore, imposition of stringent regulations such as the CAF (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) is propelling the automakers to include lightweight materials. Increasing adoption of such materials such as the plastics to increase the aesthetic value and design of the interiors will contribute to the global automotive interior materials market during the forecast period. For instance, Hyundai, a leading auto manufacturer, adopted recycled plastic along with volcanic stone and powdered wood that helped in lowering down of the weight of the interior plastic by approximately 20%.

Regional Analysis:

Increasing Sales of E-Vehicles in Asia-Pacific to Surge Demand

Among the regions, the market in Asia-Pacific is expected to remain at the forefront and hold the highest global automotive interior materials market revenue during the forecast period. This is ascribable to factors such as increasing economic conditions of middle class people in countries such as India, Japan, South Korea, and China. Furthermore, increasing sales of e-vehicles in the region is anticipated to favor the market growth. Europe, on the other hand, is likely to witness significant growth and be the second-most leading region for the market. Factors such as increasing sales of hybrid and e-vehicles in Europe will drive the market growth.

The market in North America is expected to witness steady growth in the forthcoming years. This is attributable to factors such as rising adoption of e-vehicles among the population and introduction of innovative interior design by the major automakers.

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Competitive Landscape:

Merger and Acquisition Strategies by the Companies to Spur Demand

In January 2020, FAURECIA, a leading French manufacturer of automotive components, announced its acquisition of SAS, a major player in interior modules. The acquisition has enabled the company to expand its product portfolio and maintain stronghold in the global marketplace. Adoption of strategies such as novel product launches, partnership, and merger and acquisition by the companies to gain major chunk of the global automotive interior materials market share will bode well for the market growth during the forecast period.

List of the Leading Companies Operating in the Automotive Interior Materials Market:

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Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data.

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Automotive Interior Materials Market Size Worth USD 66.38 Billion by 2026; Increasing Adoption of E-vehicles to Bolster Growth, Says Fortune Business...

Office sound masking is an important workplace component that can help businesses protect private information and improve employee morale.

Sound maskingotherwise known as white noise or pink noise"is the only acoustical treatment that involves all sound paths, according to the Taylored Systems Blog. The acoustical effect of walls, carpets, and ceilings do not change, but sound masking can be modified.

According to Healthline, the color of noise is determine by the energy of the sound signal. White noise contains equal energy on every frequency. People often use it as constant background noise, and examples include a fan, radio or television static, or an air conditioner.

Pink noise, on the other hand, is equal energy per octave, and is often compared to white noise with the bass turned up. Examples include waves at the beach, rustling leaves, or a steady rain. Pink noise is also helpful for private conversations, and its often more enjoyable to listen to in a working environment.

An office sound masking system is important if you dont want people to overhear certain speeches or conversations. This is especially important for certain industries, such as healthcare, government, law ,and finance, which often have strict confidentially requirements. For example, a business could install sound masking outside of a conference room if its near a reception area.

When installing sound masking, architects often use an ABC approach: absorb, block, or cover sound. And if youre concerned about aesthesis, dont worry. Sound masking installation can be minimal and hardly noticeable.

Office sound masking is important for a variety of reasons. Not only does it help protect personal information, but it can also improve productivity and employee morale.

Heres how the six benefits can help your business:

Protect customer information: Did you provide your credit card number over the phone? Did the recipient of that information read it back to you? If so, chances are high that others may have heard it as well. This is especially important in offices where there is a lot of open space. In some industries, such as healthcare, protecting customer information is the law.

Protect personal employee information: You may think that casual employee conversations are private, but phones and other devices may pick up what youre saying in the office. Be mindful that conversations between employees could potentially reach a customers ears.

Ensure privacy for meetings: Meetings are meant to be private, and sometimes sensitive information is the topic, such as a new product launch, a personnel issue, or a company acquisition. Sound masking helps keep private meetings private, and according to Cambridge Sound, 60 percent of employees say a lack of speech privacy is a main point of dissatisfaction.

Fewer distractions: According to Cambridge Sound Management, employees can waste as much as 86 minutes per day due to noise distractions.

Remove awkward silences: Awkward silence can lead to distractions, and simple sound masking noises can make a work environment more comfortable.

Enhance workplace productivity: Sound masking can lead to a more enjoyable and productive environment. Noise interrupts employees every 11 minutes, according to Cambridge Sound, and it can take 23 minutes for employees to get back on track. Also, research shows that employees waste almost 22 minutes a day due to distracting workplace conversations. If employees are less distracted, they are more engaged and according to Forbes, highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability.

Office sound masking is an important tool with a variety of benefits that can enhance a workplace, such as protecting important information and ensuring privacy.

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6 Benefits of Using Sound Masking in the Workplace - AV Network

Pune, June 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global smart glass market size is projected to reach USD 15.02 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 18.2% during the forecast period. Growing emphasis on energy preservation worldwide will prove beneficial for the market, suggests Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Smart Glass Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Technology (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) Glass, Suspended Particle Device (SPD) Glass, Electrochromic (EC) Glass, Photochromic Glass, and Thermochromic Glass), By Application (Architectural, Automotive & Transportation, Consumer Electronics, Power Generation, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026.

Browse Summary of This Research Report with Detailed Table of Content:https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/smart-glass-market-102569

COVID-19 Impact Analysis:

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. Some industries are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are making continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

Get Sample PDF Brochure with Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Smart Glass Market,

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Smart glass technology provides an optimal solution to the increasing pollution and carbon emission levels from buildings in urban areas. These windows adapt to the outside temperature conditions by changing their tint, thus improving heat absorption and release. For example, in summers, thickly tinted smart windows will absorb less heat, lowering the need to switch on air conditioners in the house or office. Energy savings from smart window installations in buildings can be immense. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the electrical energy required to power 100 smart glass windows will be less than the power needed to light a 75-watt bulb. Extensive environmental benefits of these glass products will fuel the growth of the market in the forthcoming years.

According to the report, the value of this market stood at USD 3.97 billion in 2018. Additionally, the report offers the following:

Market DriverIncreasing Installation of Smart Glass Solutions in Airplanes to Aid Market GrowthWindow seats in airplanes are much-coveted by passengers, especially when travelling long distances. However, many times, passengers face the issue of glare and direct heat as these windows are mostly non-tinted, forcing fliers to pull down the window visor. Companies operating in the glass industry have been innovating smart glass solutions to overcome this challenge and make window seats worth their premium. For example, smart windows developed by Vision Systems can bring down cabin temperature by 18 degrees Fahrenheit, which can help save costs on air conditioning. US-based Gentex has successfully installed smart glass windows in Boeings 787 Dreamliner. Thus, the benefits of these glass products are immense for the aviation industry, which is driving their adoption and propelling the smart glass market growth.

Regional InsightsStringent Environmental Regulations to Stoke Adoption in EuropeIn terms of revenue, Europe is anticipated to dominate the global market during the forecast period owing to the strict implementation of environmental regulations in the region to reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, the demand for greener materials for buildings and automobiles is providing additional fuel for the growth of the market in the region.North America, on the other hand, is expected to lead the smart glass market share overall on account of surging demand for switchable glass products from the healthcare and consumer electronics industries. In 2019, the regions market size was at USD 1.31 billion. In Asia Pacific, booming growth of the automotive and construction sectors in India and China is expected to augment the market growth in the coming years.

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Competitive Landscape

Game-changing Product Launches by Players to Make Competition FierceWith a wide scope for innovation, key players in this market are intensifying their R&D efforts to introduce ground-breaking innovations in the market. Launch of such products is allowing companies to solidify their position in the market and diversify their product portfolio.

Industry Developments:

List of Key Companies Covered in the Smart Glass Market Report are:

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Flat Glass MarketSize, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Float, Sheet, and Rolled), By Product Type (Coated, Extra Clear, Laminated, Toughened, and Others), By Application (Architecture, Automotive, Solar Panels, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Building Thermal Insulation MarketSize, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (Mineral Wool {Glass Wool, Stone Wool}, Foamed Plastics {Expanded Polystyrene [EPS], Extruded Polystyrene [XPS], Polyurethane [PU], Polyisocyanurate [PIR], and Other Foamed Plastics}, Cellulose, Aerogels, and Others), By End-Use (Residential and Non-residential), By Application Area (Floor & Basement, Wall, and Roof & Ceiling), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Solar Control Glass MarketSize, Share & Industry Analysis, By Application (Residential Buildings, Commercial Buildings, and Automotive), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Aerospace & Defense Materials Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (Titanium Alloys, Aluminum Alloys, Composites, Super Alloys, Steel and Others), By Aircraft (Commercial, Military, Business & General Aviation and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Automotive Composites Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Fiber (Glass, Carbon and Natural), By Resin Type (Thermoset and Thermoplastics), By Application (Exterior, Interior, Structure & Power train, and Other), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Cosmetic Packaging MarketSize, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (Glass, Paper & Board, Plastic, Metal, and Others), By Application Type (Skin Care, Hair Care, Make-up and Nail care), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Rainscreen Cladding MarketSize, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (Composite Material, Metal, Terracotta, Fiber Cement, High-Pressure Laminate, and Others), By End-Use (Commercial, Residential, Institutional, and Industrial), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Fiberglass Flooring Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis By Product (Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Vinyl Composite Tiles, Vinyl Sheet), By Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Glass Packaging Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By End-use Industry (Alcoholic beverages, Food, Non-Alcoholic beverages, Pharmaceuticals, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Flooring Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Non-Resilient {Ceramic, Wood, Laminate, and Others}, Resilient {Vinyl, and Others}, Carpets & Rugs, {Tufted, Woven, and Others}), By End-Use (Residential and Non-residential), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

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Smart Glass Market to Touch USD 15.02 Billion by 2026; Rising Demand for Switchable Glass in Commercial Structures to Boost the Market: Fortune...

Small and Medium Wind Power are connected to grid through the power providers or it can stand alone (off-grid). Its features, such as low cost, low maintenance, ease of installation in a short period and in a little space without the need for any additional infrastructure makes it a better choice for dependable alternative energy sources. Expanding speculations on renewable energy sources, stringent government guidelines to increase the adoption of alternative energy sources is expected to drive the Small and Medium Wind Power market during the forecast period, 2019 to 2025.

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Growth in the Small and Medium Wind Power Market with Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Vergnet, Xzeres Wind, Northern Power Systems - 3rd Watch News

Tropical rainforests have an outsized role in the world. Of the Earths ecosystems, rainforests support the largest variety of plants and animal species, house the majority of indigenous groups still living in isolation from the rest of humanity, and power the mightiest rivers. Rainforests lock up vast amounts of carbon, moderate local temperature, and influence rainfall and weather patterns at regional and planetary scales.

Despite their importance however, deforestation in the worlds tropical forests has remained persistently high since the 1980s due to rising human demand for food, fiber, and fuel and the failure to recognize the value of forests as healthy and productive ecosystems. Since 2002, an average of 3.2 million hectares of primary tropical foreststhe most biodiverse and carbon-dense type of foresthave been destroyed per year. An even larger area of secondary forest is cleared or degraded.

In recognition of World Rainforest Day 2020, which was launched in 2017 by Rainforest Partnership, below is a brief look at the state of the worlds largest remaining tropical rainforests.

Note: All figures below are based on 2020 data from the University of Maryland (UMD) and World Resources Institute (WRI) using a 30% canopy cover threshold. Tree cover loss does not account for regrowth, reforestation, or afforestation.

The Amazon is the worlds largest and best known tropical rainforest. As measured by primary forest extent, the Amazon rainforest is more than three times larger than that of the Congo Basin, the worlds second largest rainforest. The Amazon rainforest accounts for just over a third of tree cover across the tropics.

The Amazon River, which drains an area nearly the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States, is the worlds biggest river. It carries more than five times the volume of the Congo or twelve times that of the Mississippi. By one estimate, 70% of South Americas GDP is produced in areas that receive rainfall generated by the Amazon rainforest. This includes South Americas agricultural breadbasket and some of its largest cities.

Due to its size, the Amazon leads all tropical forest areas in terms of its annual area of forest loss. Between 2002 and 2019, more than 30 million hectares of primary forest was cleared in the region, or about half the worlds total tropical primary forest loss during that period.

The Amazon is thought to house more than half the worlds uncontacted tribes living in voluntary isolation from the rest of humanity. However the vast majority of indigenous peoples in the Amazon live in cities, towns, and villages.

Extent: 628 million hectares of tree cover, including 526 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: About 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest lies within the borders of Brazil; the balance is found in parts of Peru (13%), Colombia (8%), Venezuela (6%), Bolivia (6%), Guyana (3%), Ecuador (2%), and Suriname (2%), as well as French Guiana (1%), a department of France.

Most famous species: Jaguar; tapir; capybara; river dolphins; various monkeys and parrots. Bulk numbers: more than 40,000 plant species, including 16,000 tree species; 3,000 fish; 1,300 birds, 1,000 amphibians; 430 mammals, and 400 reptiles.

Deforestation trend: Rising in most countries, led by Brazil. The Amazon lost over 30 million hectares of primary forest (5.5% of the 2001 extent) and 44.5 million hectares of tree cover (6.6%) between 2002 and 2019.

The second largest block of tropical rainforest is found in the Congo Basin, which drains an area of 3.7 million square kilometers. The majority of the Congo rainforest lies within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which accounts for 60 percent of Central Africas lowland primary forest. Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea account for nearly all the rest of the Congo Basin rainforest.

Until the early 2010s, deforestation in the Congo Basin was relatively low. War and chronic political instability, poor infrastructure, and lack of large-scale industrial agriculture help limit forest loss in the region. Most deforestation was driven by subsistence activities, though degradation due to logging was substantial. The situation is changing however: deforestation has been trending sharply upward in recent years.

Extent: 288 million hectares of tree cover, including 168 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (60% of the Congos primary forest), Gabon (13%), Republic of the Congo (12%), Cameroon (10%), Central African Republic (3%), and Equatorial Guinea (1%).

Most famous species: Forest elephants; okapi; great apes including gorillas, bonobos, and chimps.

Deforestation trend: Deforestation is rising rapidly though it remains lower on a percentage basis than other major forest regions. The Congo lost over 6 million hectares of primary forest (3.5% of the 2001 extent) and 13.5 million hectares of tree cover (4.5%) between 2002 and 2019.

The Australiasian rainforest includes tropical forests on the island of New Guinea and northeastern Australia as well as scattered islands that were connected when sea levels dropped during that last ice age. As a consequence of this linkage, both land masses have common assemblages of plants and animals, while conspicuously lacking groups found on islands further west. For example, cats, monkeys, and civets are absent from New Guinea and Australia, but both have an unusually high diversity of marsupials like kangaroos, wallabies, cuscuses, and opossums.

Virtually all this regions primary tropical rainforest is on the island of New Guinea, which is roughly split between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse island on the planet with some 800 languages. There are believed to be a few uncontacted groups in remote parts of New Guinea.

Among major forest areas, Australiasia had the second lowest rate of primary forest loss since 2001, but deforestation is trending upward due to logging and conversion for plantations.

Extent: 89 million hectares of tree cover, including 64 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua (51% of the regions primary forest), Papua New Guinea (49%), and Australia (under 1%).

Most famous species: Tree kangaroos; cassowaries; giant ground pigeons; saltwater crocodiles.

Deforestation trend: Deforestation is rising rapidly due to plantation agriculture, especially oil palm. The Indonesian part of New Guinea lost 605,000 hectares of primary forest since 2002 (1.8% of its 2001 cover), while PNG lost 732,000 hectares (2.2%). New Guinea is seen as the last frontier for large-scale agroindustrial expansion in Indonesia.

Sundaland includes the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, among others as well as Peninsular Malaysia. Most of the regions remaining forest is on the island of Borneo, which is divided politically between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Sundaland lost the worlds largest share of primary forest cover between 2002 and 2019. Borneo lost 15% of such forests, while Sumatra lost 25%. Deforestation for oil palm and timber plantations, as well as fires set for land-clearing, are the biggest drivers of deforestation. However deforestation has been slowing since the mid-2010s.

Extent: 103 million hectares of tree cover, including 51 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Indonesia (73% of the regions primary forest cover) and Malaysia (26%). Brunei and Singapore have less than 1% of the regions forests.

Most famous species: Elephants; orangutans; two species of rhino; tigers; various hornbill and monkey species.

Deforestation trend: Deforestation is the highest of any major forest region, but trending downward. Between 2002 and 2019, Borneo lost 5.8 million hectares of primary forest (15% of 2001 cover), Sumatra 3.8 million hectares (25%), and Peninsular Malaysia 726,000 hectares (14%). Indonesia accounted for 75% of primary forest loss in the region, compared with 25% for Malaysia.

The Indo-Burma region includes a mix of tropical forest types, from mangroves to lowland rainforests to seasonal forests. Historical large-scale forest loss due to human population pressure means that surviving forests in this region are more fragmented than other regions mentioned so far. Most of the regions tree cover consists of plantations, crops, and secondary forests.

The largest extent of primary forests in this region are in Myanmar, which has about one-third of the total area.

Indo-Burma lost about 8% of its primary forests and 12% of its tree cover since 2001. Cambodia accounted for more than a third of the regions primary forest loss during this period.

Extent: 139 million hectares of tree cover, including 40 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Myanmar (34% of the regions primary forest cover), Laos (19%), Vietnam (15%), Thailand (14%), Cambodia (8%), far eastern India (6%), and parts of southern China (4%).

Most famous species: Elephants; two species of rhino; tigers; gibbons; leopards.

Deforestation trend: The rate of primary forest loss was roughly flat over the past 20 years, while tree cover loss is accelerating. Cambodia accounted for 34% of primary forest loss, followed by Laos (21%), Vietnam (18%), and Myanmar (16%). Cambodia lost over 28% of its 2001 primary forest cover over the period as natural forests were increasingly converted to plantations and industrial projects.

Mesoamerican rainforests extend from southern Mexico to southern Panama. Costa Ricas rainforests are arguably the best known in the region thanks to its world-famous ecotourism industry, but the country ranks fifth in terms of primary forest cover.

Extent: 51 million hectares of tree cover, including 16 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Mexico (39% of Mesoamericas primary forest cover), Guatemala (13%), Honduras (11%), Panama (11%), Nicaragua (10%), and Costa Rica (9%).

Most famous species: Jaguar; puma; tapir; peccary.

Deforestation trend: The rate of primary forest loss and tree cover loss accelerated toward the end of the 2010s driven by increasing incidence of fire, coupled with conversion of forests for cattle pasture, plantations, and smallholder agriculture. Mexico (534,000 hectares of primary forest loss), Guatemala (480,000), and Nicaragua (460,000) lost the greatest area of primary forest between 2002 and 2019. Costa Rica lost less than 2% of its primary forest during the period. In contrast, Nicaragua lost nearly 30%.

Wallacea represents a biogeographic oddity. When sea levels fell during the last ice age, islands to the west of this area joined continental Asia, while islands to the east got connected to land mass formed from Australia and New Guinea. As a result, Wallacea today has an unusual mix of species, drawing plant and animal groups from both regions, but also having high levels of endemism.

Extent: 24.4 million hectares of tree cover, including 14.6 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Indonesia. More than 60% of Wallaceas primary forest cover is on the island of Sulawesi. The Maluku islands account for 34%.

Most famous species: Babirusa; tarsiers and various monkeys; hornbills; cuscuses.

Deforestation trend: The rate of primary forest loss and tree cover loss jumped in 2015 and 2016 following a particularly bad fire season. Deforestation for industrial plantations, including oil palm and coconut, increased in the 2010s.

The Guinean Forests of West Africa consists of the lowland tropical forests that extend from Liberia and Sierra Leone to the Nigeria-Cameroon border. These forests have been greatly diminished by agriculture, including subsistence farming by small-holders and commercial cacao, timber, and oil palm plantations.

Extent: 42 million hectares of tree cover, including 10.2 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Liberia (41% of the regions primary forest cover), Cameroon (17%), Nigeria (17%), Cte dIvoire (10%), and Ghana (10%).

Most famous species: Gorillas and chimps; pygmy hippo; various monkey species.

Deforestation trend: The rate of primary forest loss has been rising since the mid 2000s. Tree cover loss sharply accelerated in the 2010s. While Cte dIvoire accounted for only an eighth of the regions primary forest cover in 2001, it had nearly 40% of total primary forest loss between 2002 and 2019. The country lost about a third of its total primary forests in less than 20 years.

The Atlantic Forest once extended from northeastern Brazil into the hinterlands of Argentina and Paraguay. Today it has been greatly reduced by agriculture and urbanization. Most of the tree cover in this region is crops, plantations, or secondary forests.

Extent: 89 million hectares of tree cover, including 9.3 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Brazil (86% of the regions primary forest cover), Argentina (9.5%), and Paraguay (4%).

Most famous species: Jaguar; Puma; Golden Lion Tamarin; Howler monkeys.

Deforestation trend: The rate of primary forest loss in the Atlantic Forestknown as the Mata Atlntica in Brazilhas slowed since the 20th century, with annual deforestation remaining relatively flat.

The Choc rainforest extends from southern Panama and along the Pacific Coast of South America through Colombia and Ecuador. It is the worlds wettest rainforest and has the lowest deforestation rate of any of the regions covered in this post. The Choc is home to both Amerindian tribes and Afroindigenous or maroon communities.

Extent: 15.6 million hectares of tree cover, including 8.4 million hectares of primary forest, in 2020.

Major countries: Colombia (79% of the regions primary forest cover), Panama (13%), and Ecuador (8%).

Most famous species: Jaguar; Puma; various monkeys.

Deforestation trend: Primary forest loss in the Choc amounted to 1.4% of its 2001 extent between 2002 and 2019. Ecuador and Panama accounted for a disproportionately large share of this loss.

This list is limited to the ten largest rainforests. Missing the cut are the forests of the Eastern Himalayas; East Melanesian Islands; the Philippines; Indian Ocean islands, including Madagascar; Eastern Afromontane; the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka; the Caribbean; and Polynesia-Micronesia.

The learn more about rainforests, please see the rainforests section of Mongabay, Mongabay-Kids, our rainforests news feed, or our Rainforests decade in review.

Read more:
The world's great rainforests - Mongabay.com

Australian Greens

The NSW Environment Minister must act upon alarming new evidence by WWF that estimates that 90 percent of some native species were wiped out by bushfires by immediately protecting more threatened species habitat, says Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment.

The report by Eco-Logical consultants, prepared for WWF Australia, comprises the results of extensive fauna surveys of Gibraltar Range and Torrington State Conservation Area in North-East NSW.

Even before the bushfires, NSW was in the grips of an extinction crisis, but the massive loss of native animals over the summer has pushed our wildlife to the brink, says Ms Faehrmann.

Despite this the Government continues to allow logging of native forests and clearing of threatened species habitat for development, while land clearing on farmland continues virtually unchecked.

The numbers in this report are clear: unless destruction of unburnt threatened species habitat stops, the Premier and Environment Minister are signing death warrants for our precious native animals like the koala.

The Government needs to introduce watertight protections for threatened species habitat now including expanding the national park estate and increasing protection for native vegetation on private land.

We also need to see a massive government stimulus package to restore habitat and create thousands of jobs by employing people to plant trees, restore forests and rehabilitate the land.

The only way to stop some of our most precious native animals becoming extinct is by taking strong action now. Sitting on your hands doing nothing to save our wildlife and their remaining habitat after the bushfires is as good as giving a green light to their extinction, said Ms Faehrmann.

Excerpt from:
Protect More Land After Fires or Face Mass Extinction in NSW - Mirage News

Our system, most specifically members of Congress, have been handed an opportunity to finally get this right. All of us should insist that they do just that, and with all deliberate speed.

Dreamers, by the policy definition of President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, are people who were brought illegally to the United States from another nation, mostly in Central and South America, when they were children.

They are, by definition, innocent bystanders in our nations bitter and often cruel immigration policy disputes. In general, they are as American as any of us, in many cases speaking only English, fully steeped in American culture. They are students at, or graduates of, our schools and universities, members or veterans of our armed forces, and have no memory of or connections with the land of their birth.

The sitting president has, at times, exhibited sympathy for the plight of the Dreamers and, at other times, shown brutal disdain for their hopes and humanity. His Department of Homeland Security issued a policy order aimed overturning DACA and clearing the way for deporting hundreds of thousands of them to nations where they would be lost and alone.

In its 5-4 ruling Thursday, the court made a point of saying that it was offering no opinion on whether DACA or its reversal was the better policy. The opinion from Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by the four members of the courts liberal wing, was based on the letter of a law requiring such decisions to hew to a set of procedural requirements which, the chief found, the administration failed to do.

The administration did not even consider the fact that many thousands of people living in the United States had made serious life plans -- going to college, launching businesses, starting families -- based on the promise of DACA. Many of them are the essential workers who have powered us through the COVID-19 pandemic, and suffered a disproportionate share of its damage.

Taking away that lifeboat without at least going through the required steps made the removal of DACA, in lawyer-speak, arbitrary and capricious, and therefore void.

The bad news is that the court has provided the administration with a road map to cancel DACA again, and this time make it stick, by laying out the whys and wherefores of its move in a way that will be no less cruel but much better able to stand up to judicial review.

Unless Congress moves quickly to pass a bill making DACA, or policy very much like it, not just an executive pronouncement but the law of the land. Such a bill passed the House of Representatives on a vote of 237-187, but has yet to be taken up by the Senate.

Rep. Ben McAdams, the lone Democrat in the Utah delegation, rightly voted for that measure. Rep. John Curtis joined the two other Republican House members from Utah in opposing it, yet he spoke Thursday of an opportunity to finally resolve the issue.

Utahs senators, Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, have offered little that is hopeful on the matter. Romney has yet to walk back any of his remarks about being more of an immigration hard-liner even than the president. And Lee, as is his wont, is droning on about Obamas executive overreach.

But offering DACA protection, and adding a legal path to citizenship, is an idea supported by the public, by long-time champions of immigration reform such as Utahs former Sen. Orrin Hatch, as well as politicians at all levels and of all ideological stripes and business interests that include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and top management at Apple and Microsoft.

It could be said that the Supreme Court punted on this issue, kicking it back to the democratic process where it belongs. Good.

Now, let us show the wisdom and humanity that democracy is capable of, and welcome the Dreamers, once and for all time.

View post:
Tribune Editorial: Make DACA the law of the land - Salt Lake Tribune

In 11-plus years covering the Yankees, Ive been lucky to chronicle my share of incredible performances, memorable games for reasons good and bad and, yes, the bizarre involving baseballs winningest franchise.

But one entry immediately comes to mind when it comes to craziest of all, and the Yankees were not a part of it.

Instead, we go north of the border for the Jose Bautista bat-flip game, a wild free-for-all of a playoff series-deciding game between the Blue Jays and Rangers at Torontos cacophonous Rogers Centre.

It included a near-riot by the hometown fans, a game protest by the home-team manager, three consecutive errors by the visiting team and a pair of bench-clearing incidents and all of the above occurred in a 53-minute seventh inning that remains difficult to fully or adequately describe.

In October 2015, with the Yankees having been eliminated in the AL wild-card game by Dallas Keuchel and the Astros, I was assigned the ALDS between the AL East-winning Blue Jays and the AL West-winning Rangers.

It was a series for the most part contested in anonymity at least as far as New York was concerned. Appropriately so, as the Mets were about to embark on an impressive postseason run that would land them in the World Series for the first time since 2000.

Rangers-Blue Jays already had a bit of everything before Game 5, including the road team winning each of the first four games.

Torontos reputation as a friendly city is well-earned, but its no secret among visiting teams that all that pleasantness does not extend inside Rogers Centre.

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Certainly not on this Wednesday afternoon, with most of the sellout crowd of 49,742 already in their seats well before the 4:07 p.m. first pitch and creating a din.

The Rangers were not intimidated, and the score was tied at 2 entering the top of the seventh.

Blue Jays righty Aaron Sanchez relieved former Patchogue-Medford High School star Marcus Stroman, who allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, and the Rangers Rougned Odor led off with a single before reaching third with two outs.

With Shin-Soo Choo at bat, Sanchezs 1-and-2 pitch was a ball.

Then, chaos.

Catcher Russell Martins return throw to the mound clipped Choos bat and skipped away. Odor sprinted home and initially was sent back by plate umpire and crew chief Dale Scott.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister, a former minor-league catcher, calmly argued that the ball was live, and, according to little-known Rule 6.03 (a) (3), indeed it was. Scott correctly changed the call and the Rangers led 3-2, prompting an 18-minute on-field argument, accompanied by a torrent of garbage, including water bottles and beer cans, raining down.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons protested the game. More debris from above.

Perhaps impacted by the palpable hostility of the crowd in real time, one couldnt help but wonder just how ugly it might end up being if the Blue Jays lost by that 3-2 score the Rangers shockingly committed three straight errors to load the bases to start the bottom of the seventh.

Toronto pushed the tying run across and righty Sam Dyson came on to face Bautista, who obliterated a 97-mph fastball to leftfield to give the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead. Bautista accentuated the blow with what still is considered the gold standard of bat flips. Rogers Centre resembled the inside of a jet engine, and another hailstorm of refuse, this time in celebration, came from the upper levels.

Dyson and the next batter, Edwin Encarnacion, began jawing, causing a bench-clearing incident. Another followed when, after fouling out to end the inning, Troy Tulowitzki and catcher Chris Gimenez startedyelling at each other.

Somehow, the final two innings were without incident and Toronto was in the ALCS.

Insane was just one of the words used in the victorsclubhouse afterward.

Absolutely crazy, Tulowitzki said.

The craziest.

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.

Read more:
From the Press Box: The Bautista bat-flip game - Newsday