The geo-engineering ...[ 368 ]

Engineering Earth 'is feasible'

By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News...1-9-09 Reducing carbon emissions remains the prime solution, the authors write A UK Royal Society study has concluded that many engineering proposals to reduce the impact of climate change are "technically possible". Such approaches could be effective, the authors said in their report. But they also stressed that the potential of geo-engineering should not divert governments away from their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Such engineering projects could either remove carbon dioxide or reflect the Sun's rays away from the planet. Suggestions range from having giant mirrors in space, to erecting giant CO2 scrubbers that would "clean up" the air. Ambitious as these schemes seem, the report concluded that many of them potentially had merit, and research into them should be pursued. The authors stated, however, that some of the technology was barely formed and there were "major uncertainties regarding its effectiveness, costs and environmental impacts". One of the technologies considered "too risky" was pouring iron filings into the ocean to grow algae which, the authors said, could cause "substantial damage" to marine life and freshwater, estuary and coastal ecosystems. Buying time The study stressed that engineering approaches would only have a limited impact, and that efforts should continue to be focused on reducing CO2 emissions. "(Governments) should make increased efforts toward mitigating and adapting to climate change and in particular agreeing to global emissions reductions of at least 50% on 1990 levels by 2050 and more thereafter," the authors wrote. But, they continued, there should be "further research and development" into geo-engineering options "to investigate whether low-risk methods can be made available if it becomes necessary to reduce the rate of warming this century". Injecting sea salt into the clouds could cool the planet Of the two basic geo-engineering approaches, the report concluded that those involving the removal of carbon dioxide were preferable, as they effectively return the climate system closer to its pre-industrial state. But the authors found that many of these options were currently too expensive to implement widely. This included "carbon capture and storage" methods, which require CO2 be captured directly from power plants and stored under the Earth's surface. Current proposed methods also work very slowly, taking many decades to remove enough carbon dioxide to significantly reduce the rate of temperature rise. Of the carbon removal techniques assessed, three were considered to have most potential: 1. CO2 capture from ambient air: This would be the preferred method, as it effectively reverses the cause of climate change. 2. Enhanced weathering: This aims to enhance natural reactions of CO2 from the air with rocks and minerals. It was identified as a prospective longer-term option. 3. Land use and afforestation: The report found that land-use management could and should play a small but significant role in reducing the growth of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. CO2 capture and storage is still "too expensive", the report says So-called solar radiation management methods do not take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and, according to some climate models, may be ineffective in altering shifts in rainfall patterns and storms, the report said. Geo-engineering and its consequences are the price we may have to pay for failure to act on climate change. Professor John Shepherd, University of Southampton But the authors said that the door should not be shut to the approach, which could be a faster way to reduce the rate of increase in global temperatures. Some suggestions include: a giant mirror on the Moon; a space parasol made of superfine aluminium mesh; and a swarm of 10 trillion small mirrors launched into space one million at a time every minute for the next 30 years. The study also said that many of these approaches had huge logistical demands, and it could take several decades for them to be implemented. But if temperatures rose to such a level where more rapid action needed to be taken, three techniques were considered to have most potential: 1. Stratospheric aerosols: Previous volcanic eruptions have effectively provided case studies of the potential effectiveness of this method. 2. Space-based methods: These were considered to be a potential technique for long-term use, but only if major problems of implementation and maintenance could be solved. 3. Cloud albedo approaches: These include "cloud ships" which would send sea water into the clouds to make them more reflective. The report also highlighted an inadequate international legal framework for cross border projects. Afforestation could play a small role in reducing atmospheric CO2 "The greatest challenges to the successful deployment of geo-engineering may be to social, ethical, legal and political issues associated with governance rather than scientific issues," it pointed out. The authors urged an appropriate international body, such as the UN Commission for Sustainable Development, to establish a method for developing treaties to determine who would be responsible for research that might have global risks and benefits. Professor John Shepherd, a researcher from the University of Southampton, chaired the Royal Society's geo-engineering study. He said: "It is an unpalatable truth that unless we can succeed in greatly reducing CO2 emissions, we are headed for a very uncomfortable and challenging climate future. "Geo-engineering and its consequences are the price we may have to pay for failure to act on climate change."

Poland, World War II start [ 367 ]

Poland remembers World War start

Advertisement The dawn ceremony began a day of remembrance in Gdansk (BBC) 1-9-09--A day of commemorations is taking place in Poland to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. The first ceremony took place at dawn on Westerplatte peninsula near Gdansk, where a German battleship fired the first shots on a Polish fort in 1939. Poland's president and prime minister led a sombre ceremony at the fort. President Lech Kaczynski added to a row with Russia over responsibility for the war, saying his country had received a "stab in the back". Foreign leaders from 20 countries including Germany and Russia are expected in Gdansk during the day as ceremonies continue. In a news conference with his Polish counterpart, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acknowledged there were "problems" in the two countries' history which needed to be analysed. ANALYSIS Jonny Dymond BBC News, Gdansk There was, of course, talk of heroism in the speeches of the Mayor of Gdansk, President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. But for Poland, perhaps more than any other nation on earth, World War II was nothing but a catastrophe. By the war's end, 5m-6m Poles had been killed - a greater proportion of its population than any other country. Poland remembers its catastrophe Relations between Poland and Russia are currently thorny, partly because of differing historical interpretations of events at the start of the war. Mr Putin added that the pair should "rise above the problems of the past... and solve the problems of the future". He went on to talk about trade and energy co-operation between the two. Earlier, Mr Kaczynski and his prime minister Donald Tusk joined war veterans beside a monument to the heroes of Westerplatte at 0445 (0245 GMT). The ceremony marked the exact time on 1 September 1939 when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire at point-blank range on the fort. At the same time, the German Wehrmacht invaded Poland from east, west and south. The attacks triggered Britain and France's declaration of war against Germany two days later. Important symbol Poles, though, have long seen the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty, signed a week before war started, as the starting gun for the German invasion, says the BBC's Jonny Dymond in Gdansk. Putin strikes conciliatory note with Poland Just two weeks later, in mid-September 1939, the Soviet armies occupied eastern Poland. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Kaczynski said: "On 17 September... Poland received a stab in the back... This blow came from Bolshevik Russia." He added: "Glory to the heroes of Westerplatte, glory to all of the soldiers who fought in World War II against German Nazism, and against Bolshevik totalitarianism." In his address, Mr Tusk said the lessons of history should not be forgotten. "We remember because we know well that he who forgets, or he who falsifies history, and has power or will assume power will bring unhappiness again like 70 years ago," he said. Watching the start of World War II Pact that set the scene for war UK service to mark evacuations At the time of the attack by the Schleswig-Holstein - which was moored in the Polish harbour on a friendship visit - Gdansk was known as the free city of Danzig. The 182 Polish troops defending the Polish fort were expected to resist for about 12 hours. Despite coming under fire from the air, sea and land, they held out against a force of more than 3,000 Germans for seven days. According to a survey published on Monday, Westerplatte is the most important symbol of Polish resistance in the whole of the war. A wreath-laying ceremony will take place later in the day and, of the speeches expected throughout the ceremonies, it is Mr Putin's which is the most keenly anticipated in Poland. According to the historian Professor Pawel Machcewicz, the Poles are expecting some sort of gesture from Mr Putin. Thorny relations Two weeks after the German invasion, the Red Army invaded and annexed eastern Poland under terms agreed in the secret protocol of a Nazi-Soviet pact. In early 1940, the Soviet secret services murdered more than 20,000 Polish officers in the forests around Katyn. For 50 years Moscow blamed the Nazis and only admitted responsibility for the crime in 1990. Russian courts have ruled that Katyn cannot be considered a war crime and Moscow is still refusing to declassify documents about the massacre. The temperature was raised further this week with accusations broadcast on Russian state TV which implied the USSR was justified in its invasion of Poland because Warsaw had been conspiring with Hitler against Moscow.

Βοήθεια από... καμένους [ 366 ]

Ελληνική και ιταλική ανταπόκριση για βοήθεια στην Πορτογαλία
NAFTEMPORIKI.GR Τρίτη, 1 Σεπτεμβρίου 2009 09:16

Άμεση ήταν η ανταπόκριση Ελλάδας και Ιταλίας στο αίτημα των πορτογαλικών αρχών για βοήθεια στην αντιμετώπιση του σημαντικού αριθμού δασικών πυρκαγιών που εκδηλώθηκαν από τις 30/8 στην χώρα της Ιβηρικής χερσονήσου.

Σύμφωνα με σχετική ανακοίνωση της Γενικής Γραμματείας Πολιτικής Προστασίας της Ελλάδας, οι αρχές Πολιτικής Προστασίας της Πορτογαλίας ζήτησαν αργά χθες το απόγευμα διεθνή συνδρομή σε εναέρια μέσα.

Η Ελλάδα και η Ιταλία ανταποκρίθηκαν άμεσα,και τέθηκαν σε ετοιμότητα δύο αεροσκάφη τύπου Canadair CL-415.

Οι πορτογαλικές αρχές Πολιτικής Προστασίας αποδέχθηκαν την ιταλική προσφορά, λόγω μικρότερης απόστασης, ευχαριστώντας τις ελληνικές αρχές για τη διαθεσιμότητα και την άμεση προσφορά τους.

Σύμφωνα με σχετική ανακοίνωση της Γενικής Γραμματείας Πολιτικής Προστασίας, σε περίπτωση που απαιτηθεί επιπλέον βοήθεια, ή αποσυρθεί η ιταλική βοήθεια, θα εξεταστούν εκ νέου οι δυνατότητες παροχής βοήθειας από την Ελλάδα.

Το ελληνικό νηολόγιο...[ 365 ]

Τα δεξαμενόπλοια ενισχύουν το ελληνικό νηολόγιο
Η ΝΑΥΤΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΗ Δευτέρα, 31 Αυγούστου 2009 07:00

Στα 2.114 πλοία συνολικής χωρητικότητας 41.442.364 κόρων ολικής χωρητικότητας (ΚΟΧ) έφθασε η δύναμη του ελληνικού εμπορικού στόλου τον Ιούνιο 2009, έναντι 2.106 πλοίων χωρητικότητας 40.666.222 τον προηγούμενο μήνα.

Η αύξηση του αριθμού των πλοίων και της συνολικής χωρητικότητας οφείλεται κυρίως στην αύξηση του αριθμού των δεξαμενοπλοίων και των πλοίων της κατηγορίας επιβατηγά και λοιπά πλοία. Αντιθέτως, στα φορτηγά συνεχίζονται οι πτωτικές τάσεις των τελευταίων μηνών.

Από τα 2.114 πλοία που ήταν ενταγμένα στο ελληνικό νηολόγιο τον Ιούνιο, τα 614 ήταν φορτηγά συνολικής χωρητικότητας 14.941.259 κοχ (έναντι 620 πλοίων χωρητικότητας 15.013.242 κοχ τον προηγούμενο Μάιο, τα 556 δεξαμενόπλοια συνολικής χωρητικότητας 24.814.295 κοχ έναντι 547 χωρητικότητας 23.985.371 κοχ τον προηγούμενο μήνα και τα 944 επιβατηγά και λοιπά πλοία συνολικής χωρητικότητας 1.686.810 κοχ έναντι 939 πλοία χωρητικότητας 1.667.609 κοχ τον περασμένο Μάιο).

Δεκέμβριος 2000 - Ιούνιος 2009

Το χρονικό διάστημα Δεκέμβριος 2000 - Ιούνιος 2009 σημειώθηκε:

- Αύξηση της συνολικής δύναμης των πλοίων κατά 7,5%,
- Αύξηση της συνολικής χωρητικότητας των πλοίων κατά 51,6%,
- Μείωση των φορτηγών πλοίων κατά 1,8%,
- Αύξηση της συνολικής χωρητικότητας των φορτηγών πλοίων κατά 25,7%,
- Αύξηση των δεξαμενόπλοιων κατά 21,7%,
- Αύξηση της συνολικής χωρητικότητας των δεξαμενόπλοιων κατά 76%,
- Αύξηση των επιβατηγών και λοιπών πλοίων κατά 6,7%,
- Αύξηση της συνολικής χωρητικότητας των επιβατηγών και λοιπών πλοίων κατά 25,3%.

USA, California Fire...[ 364 ]

California fire 'serious threat'

Advertisement LA County deputy fire chief Mike Bryant and State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued warnings Firefighters tackling an intense wildfire north of Los Angeles say the blaze remains "very dangerous". Fuelled by hot weather and dense, dry brush, the blaze is threatening 12,000 buildings and key communications masts. Two firefighters were killed on Sunday after their vehicle was overrun by flames and rolled down a mountainside. Mike Dietrich, of LA County Fire Dept, said: "We are making progress. But it is... slow and very dangerous. We have to wait for the fire to come to us." The fire has been growing steadily, doubling in size on Sunday. Mr Dietrich said it was possible it would double in size yet again over the next few days. See map of California wildfires Some 6,600 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders. State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger described the blazes as "still totally out of control". The fires also threaten communication towers housing transmitters for all Los Angeles' major TV stations. Mount Wilson, where the towers are located - near the city of Pasadena - is also home to a historic solar observatory. In pictures: California's wildfires Firefighters are on the mountain clearing brush and spraying fire retardant in preparation for the fires, which are approaching the transmitters. About 2,500 firefighters are trying to contain the fires, which have burnt over 66 sq miles (170 sq km) of forest. Fire department officials say the area's steep, rugged hills are making efforts to fight the fire more difficult. With forecasts of continuing hot weather, there has been speculation that it could take firefighters a week to bring the blaze under control, says the BBC's David Willis in Los Angeles. Wildfires are a feature of the Californian summer, but it is unusual for them to break out so close to major population centres. A number of other fires are also burning in southern and central California. A new fire in Placer County, north-east of the state capital, Sacramento, has destroyed 60 structures, many of them homes in the town of Auburn.