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Japan's space agency JAXA has announced the results of a competition to
name asteroid 1999 JU3, the 980-metre-wide space rock it hopes to target
with its sample-return mission Hayabusa2.The agency chose the name Ryugu from over 7,000 suggestions.................Asteroid on which Japan's space agency will detonate explosives in 2018, to be called "Ryugu"
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Iraq PM declares emergency in areas hit by heavy rain...
ReplyDeleteIraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared an emergency in areas overwhelmed by heavy rain that has caused widespread flooding and multiple deaths, his office said Sunday.
Abadi ordered a "declaration of emergency in the areas affected by torrential rainwater that exceeded drainage capacity", his office said in a statement.
And he announced the "mobilisation" of ministries, provinces, security forces, civil defence and civilian volunteers for rescue efforts in Baghdad and other provinces.
Iraq was hit by multiple days of heavy rain that, when combined with the country's decrepit infrastructure, caused major flooding in Baghdad and other areas that resulted in deaths and health problems.....AFP.....dailystar.com.lb
1/11/15
Global response to climate change keeps door open to 2°C limit ...
ReplyDeleteAn unprecedented world-wide effort is underway to combat climate change, building confidence that nations can cost effectively meet their stated objective of keeping a global temperature rise to under 2 degrees Celsius.
A new report released on last Friday, assessing the collective impact of over 140 national climate action plans, indicates that together they can dramatically slow global emissions into the atmosphere.
Another key finding is that the aggregate impact of the "Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)" will lead to a fall in per capita emissions over the coming 15 years.
"These INDCs or national climate action plans-represent a clear and determined down-payment on a new era of climate ambition from the global community of nations. Governments from all corners of the Earth have signalled through their INDCs that they are determined to play their part according to their national circumstances and capabilities," said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"Fully implemented these plans together begin to make a significant dent in the growth of greenhouse gas emissions: as a floor they provide a foundation upon which ever higher ambition can be built. I am confident that these INDCs are not the final word in what countries are ready to do and achieve over time the journey to a climate safe-future is underway and the Paris agreement to be inked in Paris can confirm, and catalyze that transition," she added.
The report released by the UNFCCC secretariat captures the overall impact of national climate plans covering 146 countries as of Oct. 1, 2015. This comprises 119 separate INDCs from 147 Parties to the UNFCCC, including the EU, a single Party representing 28 countries.
Since then, more INDCs have been submitted and submissions are likely to continue.............http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-11/02/content_36953996.htm
2/11/15
BP sees technology nearly doubling world energy resources by 2050....
ReplyDeleteThe world is no longer at risk of running out of oil or gas for decades ahead with existing technology capable of unlocking so much that global reserves would almost double by 2050 despite booming consumption, oil major BP said on Monday.
When taking into account all accessible forms of energy including nuclear, wind and solar, there are enough resources to meet 20 times what the world will need over that period, David Eyton, BP Group Head of Technology said.
"Energy resources are plentiful. Concerns over running out of oil and gas have disappeared," Eyton said at the launch of BP's inaugural Technology Outlook.
Oil and gas companies have invested heavily in squeezing the maximum from existing reservoirs by using chemicals, super computers and robotics. The halving of oil prices since last June has further dampened their appetite to explore for new resources, with more than US$200 billion worth of mega projects scrapped in recent months.
By applying these technologies, the global proved fossil fuel resources could increase from 2.9 trillion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) to 4.8 trillion boe by 2050, nearly double the projected 2.5 trillion boe required to meet global demand until 2050, BP said.
With new exploration and technology, the resources could leap to a staggering 7.5 trillion boe, Eyton said......REUTERS........http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/technology/bp-sees-technology-nearly/2233970.html
2/11/15
Projet d'oléoduc suspendu au cœur d'une lutte politique au Canada...
ReplyDeleteTransCanada a demandé, lundi, au gouvernement américain de suspendre temporairement sa demande d’autorisation pour son projet controversé d’oléoduc Keystone XL.
La demande a été formulée dans une lettre transmise au secrétaire d’État américain John Kerry. La lettre de TransCanada appelle l’administration d’Obama à reporter sa décision sur l’émission d’un permis qui permettrait à l’oléoduc de passer d’une frontière canadienne à une frontière américaine en attendant le règlement d’un litige dans l’État du Nebraska sur sa trajectoire.
"TransCanada croit qu’il serait approprié à ce moment-ci que le département d’Etat interrompe son examen de la demande du permis présidentiel pour Keystone XL", écrit TransCanada dans sa missive. "Cela permettra qu’une décision sur le permis soit prise plus tard, dans la certitude que cela respecte la trajectoire de l’oléoduc", ajoute l’entreprise.
La suspension de ce projet intervient 48 heures avant l'entrée en fonction du nouveau premier ministre canadien Justin Trudeau, qui, sans être opposé à Keystone XL, s'est déclaré plus soucieux des enjeux environnementaux et climatiques que son prédécesseur Stephen Harper, ardent défenseur de l'oléoduc............http://sptnkne.ws/ZXm
3/11/15
Shares in VW have dropped after it reported "irregularities" in carbon dioxide emissions levels, which could affect around 800,000 cars in Europe...
ReplyDeleteThe firm said the problem, which it came across while investigating diesel emissions, could cost about €2bn (£1.4bn).
Brands including VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat could be affected, a VW spokesman told BBC News.
The issue mainly affects diesels, but could also include petrol models.
The problem lies in the way certain car types with "smaller engines" were certified to meet carbon dioxide emissions standards, the spokesman added.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, as opposed to the NOx involved in earlier allegations, which is a pollutant that causes lung disease.
The so-called irregularities that have now been found relate to the way in which CO2 emissions and fuel consumption were measured during the technical approval process for some models.
On the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, shares in VW were down 5.6% in early trading. The company's shares have lost about a third of their value since September, when the diesel emissions scandal first broke...........http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34712435
4/11/15
Two Indonesian Airports Closed Over Volcanic Eruption...
ReplyDeleteBali's main Ngurah Rai International Airport and Selaparang Airport located in the Lombok island are closed until Thursday due to the eruption of the Indonesian Mount Rinjani volcano, Director General for Air Transport Suprasetyo said Wednesday.
"They will be closed until Thursday morning, November 5," Suprasetyo was quoted by the Detik news outlet as saying.
According to the official, such measure have been taken to ensure safety.
On Tuesday, the Australian airlines Virgin Australia and Jetstar cancelled all yesterday's flights to and from Indonesian island of Bali amid ash emissions.
Already seven villages in the northern part of Lombok have become covered with thick layer of ash, the Jakarta Post newspaper revealed, citing Azhar, chief of the West NUSA Tenggara Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Indonesia is a part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a string of volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean emerged amid subduction of oceanic plates. This area is known for a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
sputniknews.com
4/11/15
La Nasa assure que l’Antarctique gagne plus de glace qu’elle n’en perd...
ReplyDeleteLa dernière étude de la Nasa fait débat : l’agence spatiale américaine affirme que la couche de glace de l’Antarctique croît plus vite que ses glaciers ne fondent. Ce qui ne constitue pas forcément une bonne nouvelle pour le climat. Explication.
La Nasa vient de faire un beau cadeau aux climatosceptiques… en apparence. Une étude publiée samedi 30 octobre “contredit les conclusions notamment du Giec [Groupe d'experts intergouvernemental sur l'évolution du climat, NDLR] qui affirme que l’Antarctique perd en surface de glace”, affirme l’agence spatiale américaine.
Au contraire, la masse totale de glace aurait augmenté grâce à une accumulation continue de neige depuis 10 000 ans. Cet enneigement serait plus important que les pertes dues à la fonte des glaciers.
“Plus il fait chaud, plus il neige”
“C’est un coup dur pour les tenants d’un discours alarmistes sur le climat”, se réjouit ainsi le site américain conservateur Breitbart. Du point de vue des climatosceptiques, hausse des températures et augmentation de la masse de glace du continent Antarctique sont incompatibles.
“Je sais que certains vont sauter sur l’occasion pour prétendre que cette étude démontre qu’il ne faut pas autant s’inquiéter, mais ils ont tort”, affirme Jay Zwally, l’auteur principal de l’étude de la Nasa...........http://www.france24.com/fr/20151104-nasa-antarctique-glace-fonte-climat-cop21-altimetrie-rechauffement-climatique
4/11/15
Swedish aviation officials say a solar storm has knocked out their air traffic control systems, prompting them to shut down the country's airspace for more than an hour...
ReplyDeleteThe civil aviation authority said the solar storm Wednesday created disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, which affected radar installations in southern Sweden. It wasn't immediately clear whether other countries also were affected.
Agency spokesman Per Froberg said flights disappeared from radar screens in Swedish air traffic control towers during the blackout, which lasted about an hour until 5:30 p.m. Froberg said it was unclear why the impact was so severe, adding the last time something similar happened in Sweden was in 1999.
He couldn't say how many flights were affected, but the country's main airports listed dozens of delays.
Associated Press
Homes and vehicles were engulfed in thick, red mud Thursday after a dam burst at an iron ore mine in southeastern Brazil...
ReplyDeleteAerial pictures showed several hundred meters of industrial sludge overrunning the small town of Bento Rodrigues, about seven kilometers below the Fundao Dam in the state of Minas Gerais.
Rescue teams were on the scene, and residents were ordered to evacuate.
The dam was built to hold back water and mine tailings, a mixture that often can be toxic.
Authorities said there were fatalities and that some people were missing, but they gave no figures. Reuters quoted Globo Media as reporting that at least 15 people were dead and 45 others were missing.
Brazilian mining company Samarco, which owns the mine, said on its website that it could not yet say what caused the dam to burst or what the extent of the disaster was.
Samarco is jointly owned by mining giants Vale of Brazil and BHP Billiton of Australia.
voanews.com
5/11/15
More than a dozen people are feared dead after a dam holding back waste water from an iron ore mine in Brazil burst, flooding nearby homes...
ReplyDeleteOfficials in south-eastern Minas Gerais state say one person is confirmed dead. But there are reports that up to 16 have died and others are missing.
Rivers of thick red mud surged down the valleys of the hilly area outside the old colonial city of Mariana.
It engulfed cars and lorries, and destroyed homes.
Authorities in Mariana said the dam had ruptured on Thursday afternoon and sent torrents of mud and debris into the small town of Bento Rodrigues, about 7km (four miles) away.
The BBC's Julia Dias Carneiro in Rio de Janeiro said the area affected is home to about 500 people.
The rescue operation has been hampered by fears of landslides but helicopters have taken several stranded people to safety, she adds.
Authorities have warned that the water mixed with residue from mining operations could be toxic.
A spokesman for the Samarco mining company, which owns the dam, said the cause of the breach was not yet known.
bbc.com
6/11/15
Rupture d'un barrage au Brésil: au moins 17 morts, plus de 40 disparus ...
ReplyDeleteAu moins 17 personnes sont mortes et plus de 50 ont été blessées jeudi au Brésil après l'effondrement d'un barrage minier qui a provoqué une gigantesque coulée de boue ayant englouti un village, ont indiqué les pompiers à l'AFP.
"Il y a 17 morts. Le nombre de disparus va dépasser les 40, mais ce chiffre n'est pas encore officiel", a déclaré Adaõ Severino Junior, commandant des pompiers de la ville de Mariana (sud-est).
"Le nombre de blessés a dépassé les 50", a ajouté ce responsable, qui parlait au téléphone depuis le village aux trois-quart submergé de Bento Rodrigues, où il participait aux secours.
Le corps des pompiers d'Ouro Preto, l'autre ville voisine du sinistre, a également fait état d'un bilan de 17 morts, selon la radio et le site BandNews.
"C'est une situation dramatique"
Un bilan antérieur fourni par le président du syndicat local des mineurs avait fait état d'un mort seulement, un employé victime d'un infarctus après la sinistre, et d'au moins cinq blessés.
"C'est une situation dramatique. Il fait noir. il y a beaucoup de boue. Les recherches vont se poursuivre toute la nuit", a poursuivi le commandant des pompiers de Mariana.
Les maisons de Bento Rodrigues, un village d'environ 600 habitants, ont été ravagées par la coulée de boue qui s'est déversée dans une vallée sur deux kilomètres.
Certaines maisons étaient submergées jusqu'à la hauteur du toit, selon des images d'hélicoptère..........rtbf.be
6/11/15
Un terremoto de magnitud 6,8 grados se produjo este sábado en la parte central de Chile, informó el Servicio geológico de EEUU...
ReplyDeleteEl movimiento telúrico tuvo lugar a las 04:31 de la madrugada (hora local) con epicentro a 308 kilómetros de la capital chilena, Santiago, y 14 kilómetros de profundidad.
De momento no se informa sobre las posibles víctimas o destrucciones.
Tampoco se anunció amenaza de tsunami.
El pasado domingo, un terremoto de magnitud 5,8 grados se produjo en el sur del país latinoamericano con epicentro a 31 kilómetros al sur de San Pedro de Atacama y 80 kilómetros de profundidad.
http://sptnkne.ws/abqk
7/11/15
The death toll in the collapse of a bag-manufacturing factory in rose to 45 as the rescuers pulled out four more bodies from the rubble of the building...
ReplyDeleteSoldiers and rescuers were carefully cutting through steel and using cranes to lift the debris of the building in a bid to find people still alive. It is believed that over two dozen people are under the debris and hopes were fading for anyone left alive.
http://www.ubalert.com/Nhdc
7/11/15
Rescuers in Pakistan have pulled a teenage boy alive from the rubble of a collapsed factory near Lahore 50 hours after the structure toppled, officials said Saturday.
DeleteThe teenager had been trapped for more than two days after the collapse and his family, thinking him dead, had already identified and buried another recovered body they believed to be his.
"An 18-year-old Muhammad Shahid was also evacuated alive 50 hours after the building collapsed by the blessing of God," Muhammad Usman, a top administration official in Lahore, told AFP.
The four-story Rajput Polyester polythene bag factory came crashing down on Wednesday evening, and at least 37 bodies have so far been recovered from the wreckage...........AFP............dailystar.com.lb
7/11/15
Un nouveau cyclone s'abat sur le Yémen en guerre: des morts et des blessés...
ReplyDelete(Belga) Un nouveau cyclone inhabituel s'est abattu dimanche sur l'île yéménite de Socotra, faisant au moins deux morts et des dizaines de blessés, selon une source gouvernementale.
Le cyclone Megh a provoqué la panique et a poussé un ministre à lancer un "appel urgent" à l'Onu et au sultanat voisin d'Oman pour "sauver" la population. Des vents violents, de fortes pluies et de brusques inondations ont été signalés au moment où Megh a touché l'île qui avait déjà été gravement affectée la semaine dernière par le cyclone Chapala, ont indiqué des habitants. Socotra est située à 350 kilomètres au large des côtes sud-est du Yémen. Un homme et une femme ont péri dans l'effondrement de leurs habitations, a déclaré à l'AFP une source gouvernementale qui a fait état de "dizaines de blessés" dans un bilan provisoire. Les cyclones tropicaux sont très rares sur la péninsule arabique. L'arrivée de deux à très courte intervalle est "un évènement absolument extraordinaire", a souligné la porte-parole de l'OMM. Selon le Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires des Nations unies (OCHA), quelque 44.000 personnes ont été déplacées par le cyclone Chapala qui a touché les côtes du Yémen mardi dernier, détruisant 237 habitations sur son passage. Le Yémen est gravement affecté depuis mars par une guerre qui oppose des forces progouvernementales appuyées par l'Arabie saoudite sunnite à des rebelles alliés à l'Iran chiite. Le conflit a fait quelque 5.000 morts, dont plus de la moitié de civils, et 25.000 blessés. (Belga)
rtl.be
8/11/15
Two degree rise in global temperatures threatens major cities: study...
ReplyDeleteLarge swathes of Shanghai, Mumbai, New York and other cities will slip under the waves even if an upcoming climate summit limits global warming to two degrees Celsius, scientists reported Sunday.
A 2 degree Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) spike in Earth's temperature would submerge land currently occupied by 280 million people, while an increase of 4 C (7.2 F) -- humanity's current trajectory -- would cover areas lived on by more than 600 million, the study said.
"Two degrees Celsius warming will pose a long-term, existential danger to many great coastal cities and regions," said lead author Ben Strauss, vice president for sea level and climate impacts at Climate Central, a US-based research group.
Sea level rises corresponding to these 2 C or 4 C scenarios could unfold in two hundred years, but would more likely happen over many centuries, perhaps as long as 2,000 years, according to the research, published by Climate Central.
Capping the rise in Earth's temperatures to 2 C above pre-industrial levels is the core goal of the 195-nation UN climate summit in Paris from November 30 to December 11.
The most effective way to slow global warming is to slash the output of the greenhouse gases which drive it..............http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/91859-151109-two-degree-rise-in-global-temperatures-threatens-major-cities-study
9/11/15
Global temperatures are set to rise more than one degree above pre-industrial levels according to the UK's Met Office...
ReplyDeleteFigures from January to September this year are already 1.02C above the average between 1850 and 1900.
If temperatures remain as predicted, 2015 will be the first year to breach this key threshold.
The world would then be half way towards 2C, the gateway to dangerous warming.
The new data is certain to add urgency to political negotiations in Paris later this month aimed at securing a new global climate treaty............http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34763036
California Storms Bring Autumn Respite to Drought ...
ReplyDeleteSnow and rain brought an autumn respite in Northern California from the state's devastating drought on Monday, with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of snow forecast for the Sierra Nevada mountains, raising hopes for a strong ski season and a replenished snowpack.
The drought, now in its fourth year, has ravaged the state's majestic mountains, contributing to the deaths of millions of pine trees and leaving the state last year with its lowest levels of snow in 500 years.
But a series of storms over the past week have begun to moisten the state's lower elevations and brought enough snow to the Sierra to prompt several ski resorts to make plans to open early.
"This is the third storm that's rolled through and we're in early November so this is fantastic," said Michael Reitzell, president of the California Ski Industry Association. "Everyone in California is excited to see rain but the fact that it is also falling in the form of snow in the mountains is fantastic."
Last year, dry conditions forced several ski resorts to close early, and some smaller ski areas were not able to open at all.........http://www.voanews.com/content/california-storms-rain-snow-drought/3051212.html
9/11/15
An international team of architects and scientists have observed "thermal anomalies" in the pyramids of Giza, Egyptian antiquities officials say...
ReplyDeleteThermal cameras detected higher temperatures in three adjacent stones at the bottom of the Great Pyramid.
Officials said possible causes included the existence of empty areas inside the pyramid, internal air currents, or the use of different building materials.
It comes as experts search for hidden chambers within the pyramids.
The tombs of the pharaohs Khufu (Kheops), Khafre (Khephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus) were built in the Fourth Dynasty, about 2613-2494BC.
'Impressive' anomaly
A team of architects and scientists from Egypt, France, Canada and Japan used infrared thermography to survey the pyramids during sunrise, as the sun heats the limestone structures from the outside, as well as at sunset when they cool down...............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34773856
10/11/15
Hurricane Kate has formed in the Atlantic far out to sea north of Bermuda, becoming the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season...
ReplyDeleteThe hurricane's maximum sustained winds early Wednesday are near 75 mph (120 kph).
Kate is centered about 395 miles (635 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda and is moving northeast near 45 mph (72 kph).
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says swells from Kate are affecting Bermuda on Wednesday, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
AP
dailystar.com.lb
6 Killed, Thousands Displaced by Flash Floods in Western Kenya...
ReplyDeleteAuthorities said six people were killed and thousands more have been displaced by flash floods in western Kenya after heavy downpours battered the region.
The El Nino rains affecting several parts of the country have devastated property worth millions of shillings, with residents pleading for help from the National Disaster Management agency.
Local police said three people were killed on Monday when a mudslide hit Mt. Elgon in Bungoma County. By Wednesday, Red Cross personnel were coordinating with police to evacuate those living in mudslide-prone areas in the mountain.
In Homa Bay County, flood waters swept away a student in Gwasi and a 50-year-old woman in Tonga. Police said a nine-year-old girl was killed when the motorcycle she was sitting on got washed away by raging water.
The worst-hit areas are in western Kenya, the coastal region and some areas in Rift Valley where heavy downpours swept away bridges and damaged roads.
Red Cross personnel and volunteers have been deployed to the flood-stricken areas, helping with search and rescue operations, evacuating victims and distributing relief supplies.
In the Bakuyu area of Garissa, over 1,000 households were rendered homeless in the floods. Kenya Red Cross has already donated relief goods to more than 400 displaced residents in Bakuyu.
http://www.ubalert.com/ktdc
Poland wants EU to ban second Baltic pipeline ...
ReplyDeletePoland wants the European Union to ban the construction of a second pipeline to pump Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, alleging it undermines the bloc's strategic interests and violates competition rules.
Plans to build the Nord Stream-2 pipeline "go far beyond matters of energy, because in our region of Europe, the gas trade has strategic consequences,"Poland's incoming conservative minister for Europe, Konrad Szymanski, was quoted as saying Thursday by the Polish PAP news agency.
Revenue from the new pipeline could end up in Russian state coffers and be spent on arms, Szymanski warned.
He also pointed to the risk that a Russian monopoly on gas supplies to the EU could violate the bloc's competition rules.
"We expect the European Commission to fulfil its responsibilities regarding this matter," he said.......mme.int
12/10/15
El Niño: 2.3 million Central Americans will need food aid, UN warns in latest alert...
ReplyDeleteSome 2.3 million people in Central America will need food aid as the current El Niño weather pattern, one of the strongest on record, exacerbates a prolonged drought, the United Nations warned today in the latest alert on the impact of the phenomenon which causes floods in parts of the world and drought in others.
“Unfortunately, another dry spell in 2015, this time exacerbated by El Niño, has again caused significant losses during the first crop cycle, the Primera season,” UN World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Miguel Barreto said in Panama.
“This has hit small producers and their families who were struggling to recover from the previous year’s drought, and the number of people in need may increase soon.”
The WFP alert came just two days after UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake warned that 11 million children are at risk from hunger, disease and lack of water due to El Niño in eastern and southern Africa alone.
Mr. Barreto said $75 million is needed in Central America, where the drought has already lasted two years in the Dry Corridor that stretches from Guatemala to Nicaragua, but resources are being depleted. WFP assisted more than 200,000 people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras last year.................http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52535#.VkT2ZV4pr2Y
12/11/15
4 Killed, 33 Missing in Landslide in Eastern China...
ReplyDeleteLocal officials reported early Saturday that four people were killed and 33 others remained unaccounted for after a landslide hit a village in Zhejiang Province on Friday night.
The incident was reported at 10:50 p.m. (local time) in Lidong Village of Yaxi Township in Liandu District of Lishui City. According to the press release of the city government, 20 houses in the village were buried by torrents of mud and rocks.
As of Saturday morning, only five people were found, four of whom had succumbed to their injuries. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Authorities in Lishui reported heavy downpours over the past two days, and the local weather bureau said that as of 8:00 a.m. on Friday, the average precipitation reached 36 millimeters.
http://www.ubalert.com/6xdc
14/11/15
Two more dams at the iron ore mine that suffered a dam breach earlier this month are at risk of bursting and are undergoing emergency repairs, mining company officials said Tuesday...
ReplyDeleteKlebber Terra, the director of operations at the Samarco mine in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, said blocks of rocks were being used to reinforce the two dams, reported G1, the Internet portal of the Globo television network. Terra told a news conference that the work will take up to three months, G1 said.
"We are very sympathetic and distraught about what happened. We work with the best dam monitoring technicians but we cannot say that this tragedy could have been avoided," Terra said in comments carried by O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper........AP.........dailystar.com.lb
Brésil: Samarco confirme le risque de rupture d'autres barrages après la coulée de boue...
ReplyDeleteLa compagnie minière Samarco, responsable du barrage qui a cédé et libéré un tsunami meurtrier de boue de déchets miniers le 5 novembre dans le sud-est du Brésil, a confirmé le risque de rupture de deux autres barrages au même endroit.
"Il existe un risque (de rupture) et nous, pour augmenter la sécurité et réduire le risque, nous faisons les actions d'urgence nécessaires", a déclaré un directeur de Samarco, Germano Lopes, lors d'une conférence de presse dans l'Etat de Minas Gerais (sud-est) dont l'enregistrement a été envoyé mercredi à l'AFP.
Risques pour deux nouveaux barrages
Les responsables de Samarco - entreprise détenue à parts égales par les multinationales minières brésilienne Vale et anglo-australienne BHP Billiton - avaient indiqué initialement que deux barrages avaient cédé le 5 novembre, Fundao et Santarem.
Mais ils ont expliqué mardi qu'en réalité seul Fundao avait cédé et que Santarem avait seulement débordé avec les 62 millions de m3 de boue ocre chargée de résidus de minerai de fer qui ont englouti un village de 630 habitants proche de la ville historique de Mariana, faisant 10 morts et 15 disparus.....................http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_bresil-samarco-confirme-le-risque-de-rupture-d-autres-barrages-apres-la-coulee-de-boue?id=9140433
18/11/15
We Are Killing Earth: Numerous Amazon Tree Species at Risk of Extinction..
ReplyDeleteThe South American Amazon forest, which is well-known worldwide for its unique species, could lose 50 percent of its trees as the region constantly faces deforestation due to farming and cattle ranching, a report said Friday.
Up to almost 60 percent of the world’s most diverse flora species would be extinct if people continue to overuse trees. These estimations have been conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature that found 15,000 trees at the risk of extinction.
The group of scientists provided first estimates that a 5.5 square km land extending from Brazil to French Guiana has critically endangered trees.
"Many of the species that we suggest may be threatened are used by Amazonian residents on a daily basis, and many others are crucial to Amazonian economies," said ecologist Nigel Pitman from the Field Museum in Chicago................Read more: http://sputniknews.com/environment/20151121/1030499618/amazon-forests-in-danger.html#ixzz3s7Tp3G75
21/11/15
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake jolted 174 km WNW of Saumlaki, chief town of Indonesia's Maluku province at 0906 GMT on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said...local time: 18:06.....
ReplyDeleteThe epicenter, with a depth of 67.3 km, was initially determined to be at 7.207 degrees south latitude and 129.9253 degrees east longitude.
----------
Magnitude Mw 6.1
Region KEP. TANIMBAR REGION, INDONESIA
Date time 2015-11-21 09:06:15.1 UTC
Location 7.29 S ; 130.04 E
Depth 100 km
Distances:
512 km E of Dili, East Timor / pop: 150,000 / local time: 18:06:15.1 2015-11-21
448 km SE of Ambon, Indonesia / pop: 355,596 / local time: 18:06:15.1 2015-11-21
349 km SW of Tual, Indonesia / pop: 39,502 / local time: 18:06:15.1 2015-11-21
Chile plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, Environment Minister Pablo Badenier said Friday...
ReplyDeleteBadenier said his country will announce the pledge at the upcoming 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
The conference should lead to the adoption of "a binding agreement, with mandatory compliance, between all countries," on cutting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, Badenier told a gathering of foreign correspondents.
He said such an agreement should also surpass the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming.
With additional financial support, "we could cut the gases by up to 45 percent by the same year," said the minister.
In 2007, Chile emitted 1.02 tons of CO2 per million pesos in gross domestic product (GDP), and aims to cut the figure down to 0.71 over the next 15 years................http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-11/21/content_37128184.htm
A giant plant using energy from the Sun to power a Moroccan city at night will open next month...
ReplyDeleteThe solar thermal plant at Ouarzazate will harness the Sun's warmth to melt salt, which will hold its heat to power a steam turbine in the evening.
The first phase will generate for three hours after dark; the last stage aims to supply power 20 hours a day.
It is part of Morocco's pledge to get 42% of its electricity from renewables by 2020.
The UN has praised Morocco for the level of its ambition. The UK, a much richer country, is aiming for 30% by the same date.
The Saudi-built Ouarzazate solar thermal plant will be one of the world's biggest when it is complete. The mirrors will cover the same area as the country's capital, Rabat......................BBC
Russia halting gas supplies to Ukraine...
ReplyDeleteOSCOW: The chief executive of the Russian state-controlled gas company says it is halting supplies to Ukraine.
Gazprom's CEO Alexei Miller said on Wednesday that Russia sent the last shipment to Ukraine at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday and would not send more because Ukraine has not paid in advance for future supplies.
Top Comment
without money who will give the gas??? no onePrasad
Russia resumed gas shipments to Ukraine less than two months ago after the two countries signed an EU-brokered deal ensuring supplies through March.
Past gas disputes between Russia and Ukraine have led to cutoffs. One standoff in 2009 caused serious disruptions in shipments EU countries in the dead of winter.
Temperatures in Ukraine where most homes rely on piped gas for central heating were below freezing Wednesday morning.
AP
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
25/11/15
Russland hat seine Gaslieferungen an die Ukraine gestoppt....
DeleteZur Begründung verwies der Chef des Energiekonzerns Gazprom, Alexej Miller, auf Zahlungsrückstände. Es gebe weder neue Vorauszahlungen noch neue Bestellungen. Sobald der ukrainische Konzern Naftogaz Vorauszahlungen leiste, werde Gazprom wieder liefern.
Miller sprach von ernsten Risiken für die Versorgung Westeuropas. Die Ukraine ist das wichtigste Transitland für russisches Gas für die EU. Die EU-Kommission sieht den Lieferstopp jedoch gelassen. "Die Kommission macht sich keine besonderen Sorgen über den Gasfluss von Russland an die Ukraine", sagte eine Sprecherin in Brüssel. Zuvor hatte Naftogaz in Kiew mitgeteilt, über genügend Vorräte zu verfügen. Russisches Gas sei vorerst nicht nötig.
zeit.de
25/11/15
Armageddon-like Bush fire kills 3, injures 15 in Adelaide, Australia...
ReplyDeleteWitnesses of the devastating fires burning across parts of South Australia have described the blazes as 'Armageddon-like'. The out-of control bushfires raging north of Adelaide and to the west of the state have already torched more than 90,000 hectares. Two people have also been killed, while more than two-dozen more were injured or hospitalized, and many properties have been lost. Pictures taken by people fleeing the fires show how dramatically the skies changed, with some capturing it as a dark shade of black, while it was bright orange in others. More than 200 firefighters are on the ground with the support of four water bombing aircraft and two observation planes. About 350 firefighters from Victoria are also on their way to SA and are expected to relieve local crews from Friday.
http://www.ubalert.com/ROdc
26/11/15
Russian emergency officials say clean-up operations are under way after an oil tanker was grounded, damaging one of its fuel tanks...
ReplyDeleteThe tanker Nadezhda hit a reef during a storm on November 28 near the port city of Nevelsk on Sakhalin Island in Russia's Far East. It was carrying 786 tons of fuel oil and diesel fuel.
The Emergency Services Ministry said operations were taking place to collect spilled oil and also contaminated soil from along the shore.
Oil remaining on the damaged tanker was being pumped into other vessels.
Sakhalin Island, located in the Pacific Ocean just north of Japan, is a major producer of oil and natural gas.
AP
NEWZ.GR
29/11/15
11 Missing after Cargo Vessel Sank Off Northern Philippines...
ReplyDeleteAuthorities said the cargo vessel Fortune Life sank in the South China Sea about 130 nautical miles off Luzon island in northern Philippines. The ship, carrying 7,500 tons of feldspar, began taking in water and eventually capsized.
The Philippine Coast Guard launched a search and rescue operation (SAR) for the 19 crewmen, including 18 Chinese and one Vietnamese national. During the first four hours of the SAR, the coast guard managed to locate eight crew members, while the rest are still missing.
Authorities are not giving much chances of finding the rest of the crewmen in the rough waters of the South China Sea, but a SAR is still ongoing. Based on preliminary information, the Fortune Life began getting water ingress and encountered stability problem, which subsequently caused the sinking. Another assumption is that the feldspar cargo shifted in the holds, causing the ship to capsize.......http://www.ubalert.com/MTdc
29/11/15
State of Emergency Declared in Oklahoma Amid Winter Storm, Flooding...
ReplyDeleteThe state of Oklahoma declared a state of emergency on Sunday for all its 77 counties after a winter storm and flooding wreaked havoc across the state over the weekend. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin explained that the declaration will help facilitate mutual aid for the state, while almost 100,000 homes remained without power.
http://www.ubalert.com/FUdc
Les Japonais bravent toutes les interdictions et reprennent la chasse à la baleine: cette fois dans l'Antarctique...
ReplyDeleteLe Japon enverra dès mardi des "navires de recherche" dans l'Antarctique. Leur annonce a déjà été dénoncée par une ONG très active en matière de chasse à la baleine.
Le Japon va envoyer mardi des baleiniers "de recherche" dans l'Antarctique, a annoncé lundi le gouvernement, ignorant l'interdiction de l'ONU qui avait estimé l'an dernier que de telles activités cachaient une chasse commerciale.
"Les baleiniers de recherche partiront pour cette nouvelle mission de recherche dans l'Antarctique le 1er décembre 2015", a indiqué l'Agence japonaise de la pêche dans un communiqué publié sur son site internet. Le communiqué précise que la "période de recherche" s'étendra de fin décembre à début mars. La mission comprendra un "bateau-mère" et trois autres navires. Les équipages seront au total 160 personnes.
L'archipel avait été contraint de renoncer à la saison 2014-2015 de prises de cétacés après une décision en mars 2014 de la Cour internationale de justice (CIJ) qui, saisie par l'Australie, a jugé que le Japon détournait à des fins commerciales une activité présentée comme étant destinée à la recherche animale.............http://www.rtl.be
30/11/15