-
...Cette planète est située en orbite autour d'une étoile lointaine. Elle
est à la même distance de son étoile que la Terre du Soleil : il
pourrait donc être possible d'y trouver de l'eau à l'état liquide qui
permettrait l'existence de la vie............Découverte d’une nouvelle exoplanète, la plus similaire à la terre jamais observée
--
Paraguay: la capitale Asuncion inondée, 40 000 personnes évacuées...
ReplyDeleteEnviron 40 000 personnes ont dû être évacuées des zones basses de la capitale paraguayenne Asuncion en raison d'une importante crue du Rio Paraguay, la deuxième en un an, ont indiqué des sources officielles.
7800 familles, soit environ 40 000 personnes, ont été déplacées, selon le secrétariat d'Urgence nationale, rattaché à la présidence, et l'agence municipale d'Asuncion pour les urgences et les catastrophes. "Environ 15% des sinistrés avaient déjà été secourus l'an passé et sont revenus demander de l'aide à l'Etat afin d'être relogés sur les hauteurs de la capitale", a déclaré à la presse la directrice de l'agence municipale, Nidia Lopez.
L'agence nationale de météorologie a attribué cette inondation au phénomène El Nino et prévenu qu'en dépit d'une lente décrue cette semaine, les eaux de la rivière pourraient à nouveau monter. "La situation reste critique", a mis en garde Mme Lopez, ajoutant que le nombre de familles évacuées avait augmenté entre jeudi et vendredi. Les eaux, qui sont montées à 6,11 m, contre moins de 5,5 m d'habitude, ont notamment submergé un quartier populaire où le pape François avait rassemblé quelque 10 000 habitants le 12 juillet dernier.
"Les autorités promettent de régler le problème depuis des décennies, mais elles n'en font rien", peste un riverain, Hugo Fernandez. "On aurait pu construire deux digues avec l'argent dépensé à chaque évacuation".
rtbf.be
1/8/15
Un vaccin contre Ebola se révèle efficace à 100 %...
ReplyDeleteL'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) a annoncé vendredi qu'un vaccin contre le virus Ebola testé depuis le mois de mars en Guinée s'avère être efficace à 100 %.
Les premiers résultats d'un vaccin à l'essai en Guinée contre la fièvre Ebola montrent qu'il est efficace à 100 %, a annoncé, vendredi 31 juillet, l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), ce qui laisse espérer qu'une campagne d'injections pourrait mettre fin à l'épidémie qui fait rage en Afrique de l'Ouest.
"S'il s'avère efficace, le vaccin changera la donne, la gestion de la crise actuelle liée à Ebola de même que les épidémies futures", a déclaré Margaret Chan, la directrice générale de l'OMS, lors d'une conférence de presse à Genève, parlant d'avancée "très prometteuse"...............http://www.france24.com/fr/20150731-vaccin-ebola-guinee-efficace-liberia-sierra-leone-oms-vsv-zebov
India and Myanmar monsoon rains leave dozens dead...
ReplyDeleteAt least 20 people have been killed in a landslide as monsoon rains continue to batter parts of South-East Asia.
The landslip in the eastern Indian state of Manipur buried a whole village, Indian media reported.
In neighbouring Myanmar, four western regions have been declared disaster zones after heavy floods left at least 27 people dead.
Incessant rain over several weeks has led to flooding and landslides in most of the country (also known as Burma).
Wind and rain from Cyclone Komen added to damage in recent days.
Elsewhere:
Floods in Vietnam left at least 17 people dead
And in western Nepal, some 30 people were killed after torrential rain triggered landslides.
'Big disaster'
The landslide in Manipur state hit a remote village in Chandel district, bordering Myanmar, early on Saturday.
Rescue teams were not expected to get there until Sunday because of heavy rains and landslides, a local MP said.
Continuous rain in recent days has washed away bridges and roads and left thousands homeless, Indian NDTV reported.
In Myanmar, Mg Mg Khin, the director of disaster management with the national Red Cross, told the BBC the country was facing "a big disaster" and that there was a risk of more rain over the coming weeks..............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33745840
1/8/15
Unwetter in Indien und den Nachbarländern: Viele Tote durch Monsun-Regen ....
DeleteJedes Jahr gibt es in Indien schwere Schäden durch den Monsun - doch in diesem Jahr fiel besonders viel Regen. Entsprechend dramatisch die Auswirkungen: Es gab bislang mindestens 100 Tote. Auch in den Nachbarländern starben Dutzende Menschen durch Unwetter.
Schwerer Monsunregen hat in verschiedenen Teilen Indiens mindestens 100 Menschen das Leben gekostet. Zehntausende weitere hätten aus ihren Häusern in Notschlafstellen fliehen müssen, teilte das Innenministerium mit.
Am schlimmsten betroffen ist der Staat Westbengalen im Osten Indiens. Ein Zyklon riss dort 48 Menschen in den Tod. 28 weitere Opfer gab es in Rajasthan im Westen.
Mindestens 20 Menschen wurden zudem im Bundesstaat Manipur im Nordosten Indiens unter einer Schlammlawine begraben. Am Samstag hatten von einem Hügel abrutschende Erdmassen ein Dorf an der Grenze zu Myanmar weitgehend zerstört. Die Behörden haben kaum noch Hoffnung, Überlebende zu finden.................http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/monsun-indien-103.html
3/8/15
Myanmar asks for international aid to handle floods...
DeleteThe Myanmar government has appealed for international aid amid floods which have killed at least 46 people and affected more than 210,000.
Four areas in the country have been declared disaster zones with widespread flooding and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rain.
Many areas are still completely cut off by high waters or damaged roads.
The government has admitted giving a weak response to the disaster, according to state media.
The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper quoted Information Minister Ye Htut as saying that flood warnings had not reached everyone, and there had been confusion over evacuations..............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33769567
4/8/15
Rescuers are searching today for 20 villagers feared killed in a landslide in remote northeast India, as the death toll from recent floods elsewhere in the country topped 100, officials said...
ReplyDeleteA side of a hill collapsed yesterday onto a village in Manipur state close to the border with Myanmar where monsoon downpours there have also triggered landslides and flooding.
Local magistrate Memi Mary said rescuers reached the crushed village after being flown by helicopter and then trekking as blocked roads hampered access to the site, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from state capital Imphal.
"So far we have reports of 20 people killed when a small hill caved and trapped the villagers," the magistrate told AFP by telephone from the nearby town of Chandel.
Photos showed a bridge washed away by floodwaters in Manipur after days of torrential rain, while TV stations showed footage of a house collapsing and families sleeping in make-shift evacuation centres.
In West Bengal, some 42 people have been killed in the last week from floods, while some 250,000 homes have been destroyed, state disaster management minister Javed Ahmad Khan said.
"The situation is going to worsen. All rivers are flowing above their danger marks," Khan told AFP.............http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0802/718843-20-feared-dead-in-india-landslide/
Landslides and floods claim 90 lives in Nepal...
ReplyDeleteAt least 90 people have been killed across Nepal in the past two months due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains, authorities have said.
According to a report presented in the Parliament on Sunday, 117 houses, four bridges, five suspension bridges and one school have been destroyed in the various natural calamities.
At least 90 people have been killed in the recent monsoon-induced natural disasters, the report said.
Presenting the report in Parliament, deputy Prime Minister and home minister Bam Dev Gautam said the most loss of human lives and property occurred in the landslides in Taplejung and Kaski districts.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
3/8/15
Κατέρρευσε τετραώροφη πολυκατοικία στη Μαδρίτη...
ReplyDeleteΜία τετραώροφη πολυκατοικία κατέρρευσε το πρωί της Δευτέρας στη συνοικία Καραμπαντσέλ της Μαδρίτης, χωρίς ωστόσο να υπάρχουν τραυματίες, καθώς λίγες ώρες πριν είχε εκτάκτως εκκενωθεί από την πυροσβεστική υπηρεσία.
Το τετραώροφο κτήριο, καθώς και ένα γειτονικό σε αυτό, εκκενώθηκαν στις 4 τα ξημερώματα της Δευτέρας, με συνολικά 57 ενοίκους να απομακρύνονται από 40 διαμερίσματα. Σύμφωνα με την αγγλική έκδοση της El Pais, το κτήριο τελικά κατέρρευσε γύρω στις 9 το πρωί, ενώ οι δημοτικές αρχές αδυνατούν, για την ώρα, να εξηγήσουν τα αίτια της κατάρρευσης.
Σύμφωνα με μαρτυρίες των ενοίκων, οι πρώτες ρωγμές στους τοίχους της πολυκατοικίας εντοπίστηκαν, τυχαία, τον Ιούνιο ενώ το βράδυ της Κυριακής σχηματίστηκαν σε όλο το κτήριο, σε βαθμό τέτοιο ώστε μόνο οι ένοικοι του τετάρτου ορόφου να μπορούν να ανοίξουν τις πόρτες.
Η δήμαρχος της Μαδρίτης Μανουέλα Καρμένα μετά την επιτόπια επιθεώρηση της κατάστασης διαβεβαίωσε τους ενοίκους πως θα τους προσφερθούν σπίτια βάσει των αναγκών τους, ενώ παρόλο που δεν υπήρξαν τραυματισμοί, άμεση είναι η ιατρική βοήθεια για την αντιμετώπιση τυχόν κρίσεων πανικού.
in.gr
3/8/15
Punishing drought adds to Puerto Rico's woes...
ReplyDeletePuerto Ricans are learning to live without water on an island that already was suffering an economic crisis.
A severe drought is forcing businesses to temporarily close, public schools to cancel breakfast service and people to find creative ways to stay clean amid sweltering temperatures.
Rationing rules that had meant water coming through the pipes only one day out of three will increase the cutoff to one day out of four starting next week, government officials say.
"I've grown fearful of the weather report," said Cornelio Vegazo, owner of a roof-repair company. "There's no light at the end of the tunnel."
The drought is one of the worst in the U.S. territory's history. July was the fourth driest month in the capital of San Juan since 1898, the year Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States. Only 4 centimetres of rain fell last month, and forecasters predict several more weeks and possibly months of dry conditions.
Nearly 13 per cent of Puerto Rico is in extreme drought and an additional 38 per cent is in a severe one, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, which says 2.5 million people are affected........AP......http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/punishing-drought-adds-to-puerto-rico-s-woes-1.2504351
6/8/15
Nearly 5,000 people in east China's Fujian province have been evacuated as Typhoon Soudelor, the 13th this year, is expected to hit the province on Saturday...
ReplyDeleteThe typhoon, which is moving northwestward at a speed of more than 20 km per hour, is forecast to land on the coast of Fujian province on Saturday night after reaching Taiwan between Friday night and Saturday morning, according to the provincial flood control office.
The evacuees, mostly aquatic farm workers, have been transferred to safe locations on shore.
The province also required all fishing boats to return to harbor by 10 am Friday, as gales are predicted for nearby waters later in the day.
China has a four-tier warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The National Meteorological Center first issued a yellow alert for the typhoon on Thursday morning and renewed an orange alert Thursday night.
http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-08/07/content_36251622.htm
7/8/15
Southeast Chinese province Fujian evacuated more than 160,000 people and 32,000 fishing boats in a bid to reduce damage to a minimum as typhoon Soudelor landed on the Chinese mainland Saturday night with strong gales and heavy rains...
DeleteAfter landing on Taiwan earlier Saturday and leaving at least six people dead, four missing and 102 injured, typhoon Soudelor hit Putian City in Fujian at 10:10 p.m. Saturday and is expected to storm through the province.
As of 1 p.m. Saturday, 163,200 people were evacuated onshore and 32,175 fishing vessels anchored at ports in the province.
Marine police in Fujian also saved 12 people from a Taiwan fishing vessel that lost power in the waters near the province on Saturday morning.
Precipitation in the provincial capital Fuzhou reached historical high on Saturday, with much of the downtown waterlogged.
More than 10,000 trees were toppled and traffic stalled on flooded streets. Slanted tree trunks and toppled branches were seen along major roads in downtown Fuzhou.
Heavy rains are still expected through Sunday morning in the northern part of Fujian, with precipitation reaching 350 mm through Monday.
Even before the Soudelor's landing on the Chinese mainland, strong gales have already caused power outages at more than 1.41 million household in the province. Maintenance staff resumed power for 347,000 households. Water supply to houses were also disrupted for several hours.................http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-08/09/content_36259879.htm
9/8/15
Japon: redémarrage prévu mardi d'un premier réacteur nucléaire ...
ReplyDeleteUn premier réacteur sera remis en service mardi au Japon, deux ans après la fermeture de toutes les centrales nucléaires du pays à la suite de l'accident de Fukushima, a annoncé lundi la compagnie exploitante.
"Nous relancerons ce réacteur le 11 août et il devrait commencer à générer de l'électricité le 14", a expliqué Kyushu Electric Power dans un communiqué.
Le redémarrage de Sendai 1 est prévu à 10H30 locales (01H30 GMT) et le coeur devrait entrer en réaction en chaîne à compter de 23H00 (14H00 GMT), selon une porte-parole.
"Nous allons ensuite faire monter progressivement la puissance et prévoyons une exploitation normale à compter de début septembre", a ajouté la compagnie.
Un réacteur éteint en 2011
Le redémarrage se fera sous la supervision de l'autorité de régulation nucléaire, Kyushu Electric précisant "faire de la sûreté sa priorité et effectuer avec prudence les étapes du procédé de remise en service".
Le réacteur en question, initialement entré en exploitation en juillet 1984, avait été éteint le 10 mai 2011 pour son 21e cycle de maintenance régulière, respectant alors le calendrier habituel qui prévoit 3 à 4 mois d'arrêt de routine après 12 à 13 mois de fonctionnement.
Toutefois, il n'a pas pu être réactivé depuis en raison de la décision des autorités d'instaurer des normes de sûreté plus sévères à l'aune du désastre de Fukushima............http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_japon-redemarrage-prevu-mardi-d-un-premier-reacteur-nucleaire?id=9050779
10/8/15
Reactor in Kagoshima poised for restart despite public opposition...
DeleteKyushu Electric Power Co. said Monday it will restart the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant on Tuesday, marking the country’s first long-term return to nuclear power since the Fukushima crisis.
The reactor, in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, will be the first to go live under new safety standards that were put in place in 2013. The standards were drawn up after the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant in March 2011.
The restart, strongly pushed by the pro-business administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will deal a tough blow to anti-nuclear activists and citizens who have been calling for abolition of all nuclear power plants.
Advocates of the restart include the prefectural government as well as residents of Satsumasendai who appreciate the impact of nuclear-power related subsidies on public works projects and the effect the plant has on local service industries.............http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/10/national/reactor-kagoshima-readied-tuesday-restart/#.VcinmrUpr2Y
10/8/15
Japan restarts first nuclear power plant since Fukushima...
DeleteJapan has restarted its first nuclear reactor under new safety rules following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
All Japan's nuclear plants were gradually shut down after a series of meltdowns at the Fukushima plant sparked by the tsunami and earthquake.
But after passing stringent new safety tests, Kyushu Electric Power restarted the number one reactor at its Sendai plant on Tuesday morning.
There is still strong public unease about a return to nuclear power.
Protests have been taking place outside the Sendai plant and at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's residence in Tokyo, about 1,000 km (600 miles) away.
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says that after being told a disaster like Fukushima could never happen, public confidence has been shaken.
A total of 25 plants have applied to be restarted, he says, but all are facing legal challenges from concerned locals.............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33858350
11/8/15
Reactor in Kagoshima poised for restart despite public opposition...
DeleteKyushu Electric Power Co. said Monday it will restart the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant on Tuesday, marking the country’s first long-term return to nuclear power since the Fukushima crisis.
The reactor, in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, will be the first to go live under new safety standards that were put in place in 2013. The standards were drawn up after the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant in March 2011.
The restart, strongly pushed by the pro-business administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will deal a tough blow to anti-nuclear activists and citizens who have been calling for abolition of all nuclear power plants.
Advocates of the restart include the prefectural government as well as residents of Satsumasendai who appreciate the impact of nuclear-power related subsidies on public works projects and the effect the plant has on local service industries.
Meanwhile, the Abe Cabinet risks losing popularity among voters. A poll by the Mainichi Shimbun on Saturday and Sunday found that 57 percent of people are opposed to reactivating the Sendai plant, while 30 percent support it. The survey polled 1,015 respondents nationwide.............http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/10/national/reactor-kagoshima-readied-tuesday-restart/#.VclsarUpr2Z
California Residents Evacuate Again After New Fire Erupts ...
ReplyDeleteA Northern California blaze more than doubled in size overnight despite an increase in humidity and cooler temperatures.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire, which erupted Sunday several miles away from the community of Lower Lake, had burned nearly 30 square kilometers (19 square miles) by Monday.
For the second time in as many weeks, residents had to evacuate their homes because of the uncontained fire lighting up rocky hills about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of San Francisco.
Firefighters
More than 1,100 firefighters are battling the blaze, w hich is threatening 50 structures.
No homes have been destroyed and no injuries have been reported.
Meanwhile, firefighters have nearly surrounded a larger blaze that started about two weeks ago and burned 175 square kilometers (109 square miles)...............http://www.voanews.com/content/california-residents-evaucate-again-after-new-fire-erupts/2913652.html
11/8/15
Dozens missing after landslide in Shaanxi, China...
ReplyDeleteAbout 40 people are missing after a landslide in China's northwest Shaanxi province, say local authorities.
The landslide buried 15 dormitory buildings and three homes owned by the Shaanxi Wuzhou Mining Company in Shanyang county shortly after midnight, covering a large area of land.
Rescue efforts have been greatly hampered by heavy rain, said state broadcaster CCTV.
China has seen severe weather during the current monsoon season.
The powerful Typhoon Soudelor hit southern China over the weekend bringing strong winds and rain,.
The Shanyang government said on its website that people in the area surrounding the landslide had been evacuated, and that large machinery and rescue personnel had been brought in.
CCTV said dozens of soldiers, some with sniffer dogs, were at the scene looking for signs of life.
BBC
China coal mine accident in southwest China kills 10: Xinhua...
ReplyDeleteTen people have been killed in a coal mine accident in China's southwestern province of Guizhou, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday, the latest incident that points to the poor safety record of the world's biggest coal producer.
Xinhua said the "coal and gas outburst" occurred on Tuesday night and that rescue work was still in progress. The total number of casualties would require further verification, it said.
China's mines are among the world's deadliest because of lax enforcement of safety standards and a rush to feed economic demand.
reuters.com
‘Dangerous goods’ blast in Tianjin industrial zone kills at least 17, injures 400: Xinhua...
ReplyDeleteTwo massive explosions caused by flammable goods ripped through an industrial area in the northeast Chinese port city of Tianjin late on Wednesday, killing 17 people and injuring around 400, official Chinese media reported.
President Xi Jinping demanded that authorities quickly extinguish the fire caused by the blasts and “make full effort to rescue and treat the injured and ensure the safety of people and their property,” China Central Television said on its official microblog.
Fears for weather-related havoc across the globe...
ReplyDeleteIf you don't know El Niño now, you will soon.
The waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean are heating up, scientists say, building towards a strong El Niño event that could rival the intensity of the record 1997 event that wreaked weather-related havoc across the globe, from mudslides in California to fires in Australia.
According to the latest forecast released Thursday by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, this year's El Niño is "significant and strengthening."
"There is a greater than 90% chance that El Niño will continue through Northern Hemisphere winter 2015-16, and around an 85% chance it will last into early spring 2016," the NOAA said in a statement.
The weather phenomenon largely became a part of the public vernacular during the 1997 El Niño. It caused devastating flooding in the western U.S. and drought in Indonesia. It was blamed for deadly virus outbreaks in Africa and rising coffee prices around the world.
Chris Farley became El Niño personified on Saturday Night Live..................http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/13/weather/el-nino-2015/index.html?eref=edition
13/8/15
Explosions à Tianjin : inquiétudes sur de possibles rejets hautement toxiques...
ReplyDeleteLes habitants de Tianjin s’inquiètent pour leur santé après les explosions qui ont dévasté mercredi soir une zone industrielle de la ville qui abritait des centaines de tonnes de produits chimiques dangereux.
L’inquiétude grandit à Tianjin (est), à 140 kilomètres de Pékin, où sont survenus, mercredi 12 août au soir, de gigantesques explosions dans un entrepôt où étaient stockés, selon des médias, des centaines de tonnes de produits chimiques dangereux et de gaz toxiques.
Alors que les origines de la série de déflagrations restaient officiellement indéterminées, la catastrophe, qui a eu lieu dans une zone portuaire de Tianjin, a fait au moins 50 morts et plus de 700 blessés, selon le bilan officiel. La plus forte des explosions était d'une puissance équivalente à la détonation de 21 tonnes de TNT, avait précisé l'autorité chinoise des réseaux de surveillance des séismes.
"Le gouvernement ne nous dit rien"
Les médias d'État avaient assuré jeudi que les explosions étaient parties d'un entrepôt où étaient empilées des substances chimiques dangereuses. Mais les responsables municipaux de la ville ont assuré vendredi, au cours d’une conférence de presse, qu'ils ignoraient la nature spécifique des produits qui se trouvaient dans l'entrepôt.
Une équipe de plus de 200 militaires spécialistes des armes nucléaires, bactériologiques et chimiques a entamé jeudi des opérations de nettoyage sur place, selon l'agence étatique Chine Nouvelle.................http://www.france24.com/fr/20150814-chine-explosions-tianjin-rejets-produits-toxiques-chimiques-bilan
14/8/15
Japan raises warning level on volcano not far from nuclear plant...
ReplyDeleteJapan warned on Saturday that a volcano 50 km (31 miles) from a just-restarted nuclear reactor is showing signs of increased activity, and said nearby residents should prepare to evacuate.
Sakurajima, a mountain on the southern island of Kyushu, is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and erupts almost constantly. But a larger than usual eruption could be in the offing, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
"There is the danger that stones could rain down on areas near the mountain's base, so we are warning residents of those areas to be ready to evacuate if needed," the official added.
The agency also said it had raised the warning level on the peak, 990 km southwest of Tokyo, to an unprecedented 4, for prepare to evacuate, from 3. Roughly 100 people could be affected.
Japan on Tuesday restarted a reactor at the Sendai nuclear plant, some 50 km from Sakurajima. It is the first reactor to be restarted under new safety standards put in place after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.....Reuters.........http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Japan-raises-warning-level-on-volcano-not-far-from-nuclear-plant/articleshow/48491214.cms
15/8/15
Equateur: le volcan Cotopaxi se réveille, Correa décrète l'état d'exception...
ReplyDelete(Belga) L'Equateur a déclaré samedi l'état d'exception face au réveil du volcan Cotopaxi, proche de Quito et considéré comme l'un des plus dangereux du monde, faisant évacuer plusieurs localités menacées par une éventuelle éruption.
Situé à 45 km au sud de la capitale Quito, dans le centre du pays, le volcan perché à 5.897 mètres d'altitude a été secoué vendredi par de nombreuses explosions, dégageant une importante colonne de cendres jusqu'à 8 kilomètres de hauteur. Il a expulsé samedi des fragments solides et incandescents qui, selon les autorités, peuvent provoquer des avalanches. "Quatre cent personnes ont été évacuées de façon préventive" des abords du volcan, dans les provinces de Cotopaxi et Pichincha, a déclaré le président équatorien Rafael Correa lors de son intervention hebdomadaire à la radio et à la télé équatoriennes. Le président équatorien a annoncé avoir décrété un "état d'exception", qui permet "d'utiliser toutes les ressources où qu'elles soient, mis à part celles de l'éducation, pour répondre à une éventuelle urgence et mobiliser les ressources nécessaires", a-t-il précisé.............http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/equateur-le-volcan-cotopaxi-se-reveille-correa-decrete-l-etat-d-exception-746475.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RTLInternational+%28RTL+info+%3E++Monde%29
Ecuador declares state of emergency over Cotopaxi volcano activity...
ReplyDeleteEcuador's President Rafael Correa on Saturday declared a state of emergency following increased activity the day before at the giant Cotopaxi volcano, giving the government greater leeway to mobilize financial resources in the event an eruption.
Two minor explosions on Friday at Cotopaxi, located about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) south of Quito, led to a precautionary evacuation of small towns in the center of country.
"We declare a state of emergency due to the unusual activity of Mount Cotopaxi," Correa said during his weekly Saturday address. "God willing, everything will go well and the volcano will not erupt."
The move allows the president to immediately mobilize security forces throughout the country and lets the government block publication of information related to Cotopaxi.
The state of emergency may not exceed 60 days.........reuters.com
L'extraction de ressources naturelles dans l'espace est pour bientôt...
ReplyDeleteLes astéroïdes renferment plus de ressources naturelles qu'il n'en a été produit pendant toute l'histoire de la Terre. En seulement 100 ans, si on les exploitait, on pourrait théoriquement mettre fin à toutes les guerres pour les ressources.
Est-ce possible? Que peut-on extraire dans l'espace? Est-ce que cela apporterait vraiment la paix à notre monde ou bien, au contraire, entraînerait de nouveaux conflits?
Ces deux dernières années, beaucoup de découvertes ont permis d'aborder avec confiance l'extraction des ressources sur les amas rocheux errant à travers notre système solaire. Planetary Resources est l'une des entreprises qui envisagent exploiter les ressources minières des astéroïdes: elle a lancé son premier satellite à partir de la Station spatiale internationale — la deuxième tentative de l'entreprise après le lancement échoué d'Antares.
Une autre société d'exploitation minière des astéroïdes, Deep Space Industries (DSI), a quant à elle gagné deux subventions de la NASA. L'une a été consacrée à l'étude de la possibilité de créer du propergol à partir des matières de l'astéroïde, et l'autre à la création d'une imitation du régolite d'astéroïdes pour pourvoir essayer les équipements sur Terre. Ensuite, DSI a obtenu un contrat d'aide à la création d'un satellite BitSat conçu pour transmettre les transactions de Bitcoin.............http://sptnkne.ws/AQs
16/8/15
Cuba put its civil defense system on alert on Monday due to a year-long drought that is forecast to worsen in the coming months and has already damaged agriculture and left more than a million people relying on trucked-in water...
ReplyDeleteFrom Cuba's famous cigars to sugar, vegetables, rice, coffee and beans, the drought is damaging crops. It has slowed planting and left one in 10 residents waiting for government tank trucks to survive in record summer heat.
The country's civil defense system said the drought, record heat and water leakage have led to "low levels of available water for the population, agriculture, industry and services."
The government has not provided a national breakdown of drought damage but it said on Monday that emergency measures were being taken at all levels, including stricter rationing of water through the state-run waterworks.
Communist-run Cuba loses around 50 percent of the water pumped from its reservoirs due to leaks. There is little irrigation of farm land and the systems that exist are outdated and inefficient.
Drought conditions across the Caribbean, caused by the phenomenon known as El Nino, have left reservoirs at 37 percent of capacity................http://www.voanews.com/content/cuba-drought-worsens/2922084.html
17/8/15
Lake Cajititlan: Fish die off in large numbers...
ReplyDeleteFishermen have been removing thousands of dead fish from a lake near the western Mexican city of Guadalajara.
Local media reported at least 40 tonnes of popoche chub freshwater fish had washed up on the shores of Lake Cajititlan, in Jalisco state.
One local official described their deaths as a "natural, cyclical phenomenon" that occurred every year.
However, other state and local officials have blamed poor lake management for the deaths of the fish..............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-33981128
18/8/15
USA: l'armée à la rescousse pour combattre les incendies en Californie...
ReplyDelete(Belga) L'armée va être envoyée en Californie pour la première fois depuis neuf ans afin de prêter main forte à quelque 12.000 pompiers mobilisés contre une vingtaine de feux, les autorités s'inquiétant par ailleurs du danger posé par les drones pour lutter contre les incendies.
Quelque 200 soldats provenant d'une brigade fédérale basée dans l'Etat de Washington (ouest) vont recevoir trois jours de formation avant de rejoindre à partir de dimanche les pompiers locaux. Dix-huit feux font actuellement rage en Californie, dévorant quelque 809 km2, soit près de huit fois la superficie de Paris. Une vague de chaleur s'ajoutant à plus de quatre années d'extrême sécheresse ont rendu l'Etat le plus peuplé des Etats-Unis particulièrement vulnérable aux incendies cette année. "C'est la première fois depuis 2006 que le ministère de la Défense (DoD) mobilise du personnel militaire fédéral" pour combattre les feux, a souligné Jeff Davis, porte-parole du Pentagone, dans un communiqué. Le Pentagone a également déployé lundi près de Sacramento 4 avions ravitailleurs C130 équipés de systèmes modulaires aéroportés anti-incendies, qui ont déjà déversé plus d'un million de litres de substances ignifuges.............http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/usa-l-armee-a-la-rescousse-pour-combattre-les-incendies-en-californie-747156.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RTLInternational+%28RTL+info+%3E++Monde%29
19/8/15
Japanese rocket blasts off, carrying supplies to International Space Station...
ReplyDeleteA Japanese rocket blasted off Wednesday carrying emergency supplies in an unmanned cargo vessel bound for the International Space Station.
The H-IIB rocket lifted off from the southern island of Tanegashima at 8:50 p.m. after the launch was postponed twice due to weather conditions, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.
About 15 minutes later the rocket released the 5.5-ton cargo vessel called Kounotori (or stork in Japanese), which contains supplies including food, water, clothing and tools necessary for experiments in space.
“It was released successfully and we will check if it now can go into its scheduled orbit,” said an official of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a launch partner.
The mission should reach the International Space Station, where Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui is staying, on Aug. 24.
Yui has been tasked with catching the cargo vessel with robotic arms and then affixing it to the space station....AFP
19/8/15
Την ενίσχυση του τυφώνα Ντάνι, ο οποίος συνοδεύεται από ανέμους που πνέουν με ταχύτητα 165 χιλιομέτρων την ώρα, ανακοίνωσε το Εθνικό Κέντρο Τυφώνων των ΗΠΑ (ΝHC), τονίζοντας ωστόσο ότι δεν απειλούνται άμεσα οι ακτές....
ReplyDeleteO τυφώνας Ντάνι αναβαθμίσθηκε στην κατηγορία 2 στην κλίμακα του NHC, σήμερα το μεσημέρι, αφότου «η ταχύτητα των ανέμων που τον συνοδεύουν ανήλθε στα 165 χιλιόμετρα την ώρα» εξηγεί το Κέντρο, με έδρα το Μαϊάμι.
«Δεν έχει εκδοθεί προς το παρόν προειδοποιητικό σήμα ή σήμα συναγερμού που να αφορά τις ακτές» διευκρινίζεται.
Ο «Ντάνι» βρίσκεται σε απόσταση 1.495 χιλιομέτρων ανατολικά των Νήσων Λιγουόρντ, στην θάλασσα της Καραϊβικής και κατευθύνεται «προς τα δυτικά, βορειοδυτικά με ταχύτητα 17 χιλιομέτρων την ώρα» σύμφωνα με το NHC που συνέστησε στις αρχές των περιοχών του αρχιπελάγους να βρίσκονται σε επιφυλακή και να παρακολουθούν την εξέλιξη του φαινομένου.
«Ο Ντάνι παραμένει ένας μικρός τυφώνας» υπογραμμίζει εντούτοις το κέντρο.
Πηγές: ΑΜΠΕ, Γαλλικό Πρακτορείο, Reuters
naftemporiki.gr
21/8/15
President Barack Obama declared an emergency on Friday for wildfire-ravaged Washington state, as Australia and New Zealand sent firefighters to help US crews struggling to contain deadly blazes across America's drought-stricken West...
ReplyDeleteObama's declaration releases federal funds to help in relief efforts in the northwestern state, where several fires are burning out of control and three firefighters have been killed.
Large wildfires are currently blazing across 10 US states, with active fires burning some 1.3 million acres (526,000 hectares).
"Many residents in Washington, as well as other western states, remain evacuated as firefighters work to contain large fires across the West," the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) said.....AFP...........http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Obama-declares-wildfire-emergency-in-Washington-state/articleshow/48607097.cms
22/8/15
Monsoon floods kill 14 in India's remote northeast...
ReplyDeleteOfficials say monsoon flooding has killed at least 14 people and forced around 200,000 to leave their water-logged homes and take shelter in state-run camps in India's northeastern Assam state.
State officials say the army is using boats to rescue marooned people in northern and western parts of the state. The flooding is the worst in the past three years, affecting nearly 600,000 people in 19 of the state's 27 districts.
Police officer Diganta Borah says a van carrying wedding guests plunged into a river Friday night in Dhubri district. Rescuers found four bodies Saturday and rescued six occupants.
Other deaths from drowning were reported in Korajhar, Nalbari and Barapeta districts.
The area is prone to flooding during the June-to-September monsoon season.
Associated Press
22/8/15
Wildfires in US state of Washington destroy 200 homes...
ReplyDeleteSixteen large wildfires burning across central and eastern areas of the US state of Washington have destroyed more than 200 homes as thousands of people remain on evacuation notices.
Wildfires across the drought-plagued western US states have led residents to flee their homes as authorities scramble for resources to beat back the flames.
The fires in Washington state destroyed an area covering almost 1,500 square kilometres as more than 12,000 homes and thousands of other structures remain threatened.
The massive cloud of smoke began to lift on Sunday, according to fire officials, but as air quality improves, the fire's behaviour could become more erratic and intense.
"It's like a flue opening in a fireplace," said Suzanne Flory, spokeswoman for the US Forest Service and the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team, quoted by the AP news agency.
"Smoke serves as a cap on the fire."
Flory said they would not know until Sunday night or early Monday how much the fire had grown on Sunday, but as of late afternoon, fire activity had been relatively quiet, adding that visibility and air quality improved during the day.
Emergency declaration
Meanwhile, a new firefighting mobilisation centre is being set up at Fairchild Air Force Base near the city of Spokane to help fight wildfires in Washington state. The base will be the staging area for 20 large fire engines and 10 water takers and will be run by a team from San Diego, California.........AP.......http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/wildfires-washington-150824050219880.html
24/8/15
L'Etat de Washington fait face aux incendies les plus ravageurs de son histoire ...
DeleteLes feux ravageurs auxquels fait face l'Etat de Washington, au nord-ouest des Etas-Unis, sont devenus les plus dévastateurs de son histoire, ayant déjà détruit 200 maisons et menaçant 12 000 autres habitations.
Ces 16 grands incendies pour l'instant hors de contrôle sur l'est de cet Etat ont déjà dévoré plus de 240 000 hectares, d'après le Centre national de coordination de la lutte contre les feux (NFCC).
Mike Ferris, porte-parole du Service fédéral des forêts, a confirmé qu'il s'agissait des plus importants feux de l'histoire de l'Etat, situé au nord-ouest des Etats-Unis.
"Plus de 200 habitations ont déjà été détruites et plus de 12 000 supplémentaires sont à présent menacées, en plus de milliers d'autres structures", indique le site du bureau du gouverneur de l'Etat, Jay Inslee.
Des évacuations sont en cours et de nombreuses routes sont pour l'instant fermées. Trois pompiers ont perdu la vie la semaine dernière en luttant contre le feu près de la ville de Twisp.
Dimanche, 700 membres de la Garde nationale de Washington épaulaient des milliers de pompiers à travers l'Etat pour lutter contre les virulents incendies.
Vendredi, le président américain Barack Obama avait signé une déclaration permettant aux autorités fédérales de porter assistance à l'Etat de Washington.
rtbf.be
24/8/15
At least eight people were killed and two more missing on Monday in flooding in Turkey's northeastern Black Sea province of Artvin, officials said.
ReplyDeleteArtvin governor Kemal Cirit was quoted as saying by the DHA news agency that at least three of those deaths were caused by the collapse of a house in the town of Hopa.
Television pictures showed chaotic scenes as rivers burst their banks and raged down roads, trapping cars and buses.
Artvin province, on the border with Georgia, is known for its high levels of rainfall and regularly has to deal with floods.
AFP
24/8/15
Moscou devra indemniser les Pays-Bas pour l’arraisonnement de l’Arctic Sunrise...
ReplyDeleteLa Russie doit indemniser les Pays-Bas suite à l'arraisonnement en 2013 du navire de Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise, a estimé lundi la Cour permanente d'arbitrage (CPA).
"Le tribunal a conclu que les Pays-Bas ont droit à des dommages et intérêts en réparation des préjudices matériels subis par l'Arctic Sunrise et des préjudices matériels et immatériels subis par les 30 membres d'équipage de l'Arctic", a indiqué la CPA dans un communiqué.
Le montant de l'indemnité sera déterminé plus tard.
Arctic Sunrise, un navire de l'Organisation non gouvernementale Greenpeace est arrivé en juin 2014 dans le port d'Amsterdam depuis Mourmansk. Selon Greenpeace, après la saisie le navire avait eu besoin d’une inspection et d’une rénovation complète.
Le 18 septembre 2013, un groupe de militants de Greenpeace se trouvant à bord du brise-glace Arctic Sunrise a tenté d'escalader la plateforme pétrolière Prirazlomnaya en mer de Petchora. Les gardes-frontières russes ont effectué des tirs de sommation pour contraindre le capitaine du brise-glace à arrêter ses moteurs. Suite au refus d'obtempérer, un commando héliporté de gardes-frontières a pris le 19 septembre le contrôle de l'Arctic Sunrise..........http://fr.sputniknews.com/international/20150825/1017759298.html#ixzz3joc0oo6Z
Officials in Romania say 25 miners are protesting more than 200 meters (650 feet) down in a mine, complaining that authorities will not give them an operating license...
ReplyDeleteMine manager Gabriela Dobrota said a further 79 miners joined the protest Wednesday, gathering outside the Baita Plai mine some 520 kilometers (325 miles) northwest of Bucharest.
Economy Minister Mihai Tudose told Romania TV that authorities were investigating suspected cases of illegal mining at the site, which was why the National Agency for Mineral Resources had not issued a mining permit.
The mine has ores which contain gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead and tungsten.
The mine was recently acquired by British mining company Vast Resources PLC.
AP
dailystar.com.lb
26/8/15
Dix ans après Katrina, Obama salue la renaissance de La Nouvelle-Orléans...
ReplyDeleteDix ans après le passage de Katrina, ouragan qui plongea la Louisiane dans le chaos et jeta une lumière crue sur les carences du gouvernement fédéral, le président Barack Obama a salué jeudi le renouveau - réel mais inachevé - de La Nouvelle-Orléans.
Arrivé en milieu de journée depuis Washington, M. Obama a fait un tour, à pied, dans le quartier afro-américain de Tremé, l'un des plus anciens de la ville.
Ce quartier, qui jouxte le Vieux Carré français, fut très lourdement touché et compte aujourd'hui environ 20% d'habitants de moins qu'avant la tempête. Mais selon l'exécutif américain, sa population est de nouveau en croissance, grâce à l'accent mis en particulier sur la construction de logements sociaux.
Dans son discours, dont la Maison Blanche a diffusé des extraits à l'avance, le président devait louer "l'extraordinaire ressort" des habitants qui ont redressé la tête après cet ouragan qui fit 150 milliards de dollars de dégâts pour la seule ville de La Nouvelle-Orléans................http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/dix-ans-apres-katrina-obama-attendu-a-la-nouvelle-orleans-pour-saluer-son-renouveau-749342.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RTLInternational+%28RTL+info+%3E++Monde%29
27/8/15
Greenpeace is anticipating several hundred people to rally during US President Barack Obama’s visit to Alaska to participate in an international conference on Arctic cooperation on August 31, Greenpeace spokesperson Travis Nichols told Sputnik...
ReplyDelete"We are expecting a few hundred people right now. It’s just pretty remarkable. I think there will be a lot of groups to show their support for the President as well as to show where they disagree with the President, and there will be just a lot of Alaskans out to see it, because it’s the first time the sitting president will visit Alaska," Nichols said.
The Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic: Cooperation, Innovation, Engagement and Resilience, or GLACIER, will be held on August 30 and 31. The event will be hosted by the US Department of State, and is strongly supported by the US government.
On July 17, the White House announced that Obama would address the GLACIER conference............http://sptnkne.ws/DSr
28/8/15
Florida declares state of emergency over storm Erika...
ReplyDeleteFlorida has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Erika, which has already wreaked havoc across the Caribbean, moves towards the US state.
The storm is expected to hit southern Florida on Monday after battering the Dominican Republic and Haiti with "life-threatening floods" over the weekend, the US National Hurricane Centre said on Friday.
Governor Rick Scott made his declaration that Erika "poses a severe threat to the entire state" shortly after forecasters adjusted the trajectory of the storm to show that it is predicted to go through the middle of the state.
The order calls for the activation of the US National Guard and gives authorities the ability to waive tolls and rules to allow emergency crews and vehicles to move throughout the state.
A hurricane has not hit Florida in 10 years. The latest forecasts show that Erika will remain a tropical storm when it makes landfall.
Carribean havoc
On Friday, Erika lashed Puerto Rico with powerful winds and heavy rain a day after killing at least four people in the Caribbean island of Dominica.
Emergency officials were searching for several missing people after rain-triggered landslides on the small, mountainous island of on Thursday, Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a radio broadcast.............http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/florida-declares-state-emergency-storm-erika-150828121455304.html
28/8/15
Life on Mars: NASA launches year-long isolation experiment...
ReplyDeleteA group of six people shut themselves inside a dome on a dormant volcano in Hawaii on Friday as part of a year-long NASA experiment to simulate life on Mars.
The crew – which is made up of a French astrobiologist, a German physicist and four Americans, including a pilot, an architect, a journalist/doctor and a soil scientist – will spend 365 days cramped inside a 36-foot-wide (11 metres) dome on the barren, northern slope of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano.
The isolation experiment is the longest in United States history and is designed to help NASA prepare for a potential human mission to Mars by simulating long-term space exploration.
Each crew member will have their own small room, with space for a sleeping cot and desk, and will spend their days eating food like powdered cheese and canned tuna, only going outside if dressed in a spacesuit.
So what kind of person wants to spend a year this way?
Crew member Sheyna Gifford described the team as "six people who want to change the world by making it possible for people to leave it at will", on her blog, LivefromMars.life............http://www.france24.com/en/20150829-usa-nasa-launches-year-long-mars-isolation-experiment-hawaii
29/8/15
Italy's Eni discovers huge gas field off Egyptian coast...
ReplyDeleteItalian energy group Eni says it has found one of the world's largest natural gas fields off Egypt's coast.
The company said the area was 1,450m (4,757 feet) beneath the surface and covered 100 sq km (39 sq miles).
It could hold as much as 30 trillion cubic feet of gas, or 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, Eni said.
The company says that the Zohr field "could become one of the world's largest natural-gas finds" and help meet Egypt's gas needs for decades.
"This historic discovery will be able to transform the energy scenario of Egypt," said Claudio Descalzi, chief executive of Eni.
Eni, which has full concession rights to the area, is the biggest foreign energy firm in Africa.
In June, it signed an energy exploration deal with Egypt's oil ministry worth $2bn (£1.5bn) allowing the company to explore in Sinai, the Gulf of Suez, the Mediterranean and areas in the Nile Delta.
Eni's find follows other significant gas discoveries in the Mediterranean in recent years, including by Egypt's neighbour Israel.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34102656
30/8/15
Eni découvre un gisement gazier en Méditerranée...
ReplyDeleteSelon le groupe italien, le gisement offshore Zohr, l'un des plus grands au monde, pourrait avoir un potentiel d'environ 850 milliards de m³ de gaz.
Le groupe pétrogazier italien Eni a annoncé avoir découvert un gisement de gaz naturel géant sur un secteur de quelque 100 km² au large de l'Egypte, en Méditerranée.
"Zohr est le plus grand gisement de gaz jamais découvert en Egypte et en Méditerranée", a indiqué le groupe dans un communiqué......http://sptnkne.ws/E2a
30/8/15