Make your plans now to attend ISEE's 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique and register before November 30 to receive discounted early bird rates. As many as 1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and suppliers gather from all over the world to gain new insights and to form new business alliances. Participation will be strong as the largest conference of its kind in the explosives industry comes together in Las Vegas. Register today.

Make an instant impact in the blasting industry by donating items for the Society of Explosives Engineers Education Foundation annual auction. The money raised from this event will provide scholarships to industry college students. The auction will take place during at the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique. To donate, download an auction donation form and email a completed copy to isee@isee.org or call 440.349.4400. Items will be accepted through Dec. 18, 2015.

Do you have a knack for photography and some great shots of a recent job you’d like to share? Submit them to our 23rd annual photo contest for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to the ISEE Bookstore. The winner will be announced during our 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique held Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After peaking in 2013, world coal consumption has been dramatically falling in the last two years and, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), it is on track to decline an additional 2% to 4% before the end of the year.

The study, which suggests consumption of coal for power is likely to have peaked two years ago, says that happened as a result of declining consumption by main coal-using countries, particularly China.

Brazil mining company Samarco has agreed to pay at least 1bn reais (£170m; $260m) in compensation for the collapse of two dams it used to hold waste water from iron ore.The breaches caused rivers of mud to descend on nearby villages in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais.

Eleven people were killed and 12 are missing, presumed dead.Samarco is owned by mining giants Vale, from Brazil, and Anglo-Australian company BHP Billiton. Vale and BHP Billiton "made all possible effort to prioritise the needs of the people who were in the accident area" on 5 November when the dams burst, it said in a statement.

As thunderous cracks rang across the St. Clair River, the smokestacks of the Mighty Marysville toppled and crumpled after standing for 93 years as a Blue Water Area landmark.

A giant plume of dust took nearly two minutes to cross the river, enveloping the bumper-to-bumper traffic lining the Canadian shore. In the river, law enforcement officials kept nearly 100 recreation boaters out of harm's way.

The BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2015 highlights the significant changes in global energy production and consumption that have had profound implications for prices, for the global fuel mix and for global carbon dioxide emissions.

Gold investors have more to worry about than the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates.
The metal, traditionally used as a hedge against rising consumer prices, is getting a one-two punch as weak inflation indicators compound the impact of speculation that the Federal Reserve will soon tighten monetary policy. Higher rates curb gold’s appeal because it doesn’t pay interest or give dividends, unlike competing assets.

Americans’ expectations for inflation over the next five-to-ten years matched the lowest in data going back to 1979, according to a University of Michigan report on Friday. While government figures on Tuesday showed prices excluding food and energy picked up in October, the central bank’s preferred gauge hasn’t met the Fed’s 2 percent goal since April 2012.

Five people were rescued after spending 41 days trapped by a landslide in a small-scale gold mine in northwest Tanzania and one body was recovered, the mining ministry said on Tuesday. The incident occurred at Kahama district, Shinyanga region, near the licensed Bulyanhulu and Buzwagi gold mines, which are owned by Acacia Mining Ltd, formerly African Barrick Gold. "Five out of six miners who were trapped in the landslide ... were rescued alive," Badra Masoud, spokesperson of the energy and minerals ministry said in a statement.

The ISEE Board of Directors Election is underway, and eligible voters, all members in good standing with the exception of student members, can cast votes until Dec. 1, 2015. Eligible voters with an email on file should have received an email with step-by-step instructions for casting a vote online. Members who don’t have an email address on file will soon be receiving print ballots in the mail.

This year, we will be raffling off the new 18th Edition Blasters’ E-Handbook to five randomly drawn voters who submit a ballot by the voting deadline. The lucky winners will be among the first people to have this yet-to-be-released e-book that will be compatible with most mobile devices and desktop computers. We will also offer voters a 10% off coupon to the ISEE Bookstore for a future purchase.

Your opinion matters. Take part in this year’s election.

Did you know that all ISEE members have exclusive access to dozens of e-handbooks, guides, checklists and other industry tools? They're all available through the Blaster's Toolkit, conveniently located inside the Member's Hub of www.isee.org. From drill log sheets to tips on how to write effective news releases, the Blasters’ Toolkit was developed to give members instant access to information that can make their jobs easier.

Content is added to the toolkit on a regularly basis, too. One of the newest tools is the Introduction to Blasting: A Teacher’s Workshop presentation. It’s a free, downloadable PowerPoint presentation that highlights major aspects of the math and science blasters use every day with the goal of getting high school teachers interested in including blasting in their course curriculum.

To take advantage of these resources, visit www.isee.org and sign in with your email address on file with ISEE and your member ID number as your password. This will take users to the ISEE Member’s Hub, where the Blaster’s Toolkit is located. Check it out today.

Nov. 27, 2015
Queensland, Australia

Dec. 4, 2015
Email dough@sayreassociates.com for more information.

Dec. 7, 2015
Evansville, Indiana
Email Phyllis Hart at phart@dnr.in.gov for more information.

Dec. 8 - Dec. 10, 2015
Huntsville, Alabama

Dec. 10-11, 2015
Lexington, Kentucky