--
Im Nordosten der USA nimmt der Winter kein Ende: Erneut gab es am
Wochenende Sturm und rekordverdächtig viel Neuschnee. Eine eisige Kälte
macht den Menschen schwer zu schaffen, in Boston liegt der Verkehr lahm......................Rekordwinter in den USA: Neuer Schneesturm lähmt Boston
--
Mexico’s Colima Volcano Releases Giant Ash Plume..
ReplyDeleteAccording to the authorities, the ash plume, which stretched 4 kilometers (2 miles) high is the largest one spewed by the active volcano this year. The ash cloud is now moving eastward.
The Colima volcano released more ash after the first exhalation, although the second cloud was less significant and did not rise as high.
The authorities have warned local residents that the areas surrounding the volcano might be dusted with ash.
The Colima volcano is one of the most active in Mexico. It rises about 12,500 feet above sea level and has erupted explosively more than 40 times since the 16th century.
A major eruption occurred on May 24, 2005. Since that year, authorities have not had to conduct any evacuations of local residents because of Colima's activity.
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/latam/20150301/1018904445.html#ixzz3T6gPySwR
Lebanese Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon said the "Phoenicians Road" tourism project adopted by the World Tourism Organization is "at the heart of Lebanon's heritage and history," according to the Daily Star paper on Saturday...
ReplyDeletePharaon made the remarks while launching with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai the "Phoenicians Road" international tourism project, which highlights many touristic and cultural sites stretched in 18 countries in the Mediterranean Basin.
Pharaon said that this initiative comes "following a very difficult period the Lebanese tourism sector has witnessed with the drop of incoming tourists by 40 percent from 2011 till the end of 2013, due to the unstable security and political situation in Lebanon."
Rifai said that "7 percent of the world population travel yearly from one country to another and the international tourism sector proved to be a very strong industry despite all the challenges."
He stressed the importance of the "Phoenicians Road" for the 18 countries involved in it, adding that it is a peace initiative from Lebanon to the whole world despite the challenges it faces."
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/909461.shtml
1/3/15
Station spatiale internationale : deux astronautes de sortie pour préparer les vols habités...
ReplyDeleteDeux astronautes de sortie. Des membres d’équipage de la Station spatiale internationale (ISS) effectuent dimanche une nouvelle sortie orbitale, la troisième depuis une semaine, pour installer des équipements nécessaires à l’amarrage des futurs vaisseaux commerciaux américains qui transporteront des astronautes à partir de 2017.
Les Américains Barry Wilmore, commandant de l’équipage de l’ISS et Terry Virts, ingénieur de vol, ont émergé de la chambre de décompression de la Station à 11H52 GMT, une vingtaine de minutes plus tôt que prévu.
La Nasa a donné son feu vert à cette troisième sortie après avoir discuté d’une infiltration d’eau mineure dans le casque de Terry Virts à la fin de la précédente expédition orbitale le 25 février.
Les responsables de la mission ont conclu vendredi que « les systèmes de refroidissement du scaphandre étaient en bon état de fonctionnement ».
La craindre de la réapparition de ce dysfonctionnement récurrent avait retardé de 24 heures la première sortie orbitale il y a une semaine pour examiner davantage le fonctionnement des deux scaphandres spatiaux..................http://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/air-defense/0204192096625-station-spatiale-internationale-deux-astronautes-de-sortie-pour-preparer-les-vols-habites-1097695.php?egk5FDjFYFW7V6R4.99#xtor=RSS37
1/3/15
Massive Winter Storms Wreaking Havoc Across US, Cause 15 Car Pile Up..
ReplyDeleteThe notoriously harsh winter is not over for the US with large parts of the country currently receiving even more record snow and another storm on the way. Already, the latest blizzard is bringing travel to a standstill in many areas.
The latest storm, Winter Storm Sparta, has caused the deaths of three people already on roads made hazardous by ice and snow.
One collision involving at least 15 cars including several semi trucks in Missouri this weekend killed two people.............http://sputniknews.com/us/20150301/1018926574.html#ixzz3TAO6YagS
1/3/15
La production de la centrale nucléaire de Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) a totalement cessé depuis samedi soir, un défaut d'étanchéité ayant conduit à l'arrêt de son unité de production n°1 et la n°2 ayant été arrêtée la veille pour maintenance, a annoncé EDF...
ReplyDeleteSamedi à 18H55, l'unité de production n°1 "a été mise à l'arrêt suite à un défaut d'étanchéité constaté sur une tuyauterie située en aval du condenseur, dans la salle des machines (hors zone nucléaire)", a expliqué EDF dans un communiqué.
"Les équipes de la centrale réalisent actuellement un diagnostic pour préciser les causes exactes de cet événement", a ajouté EDF, précisant que cet événement n'avait "aucune conséquence sur la sûreté des installations, l'environnement et la sécurité du personnel"..............http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_la-centrale-nucleaire-de-fessenheim-totalement-a-l-arret?id=8920025
2/3/15
Une bactérie mortelle s’échappe d’un laboratoire américain de haute sécurité...
ReplyDeleteLes autorités de l’Etat de Louisiane cherchent à savoir comment une bactérie dangereuse et souvent mortelle s’est retrouvée à l’extérieur du laboratoire d’un centre de recherche de haute sécurité, a rapporté dimanche le journal USA Today . Les autorités ont assuré au journal que la population ne courait aucun risque, mais l’étendue de la contamination demeure inconnue.
L’incident survenu au National Primate Research Center de Tulane, situé à environ 80 kilomètres de La Nouvelle-Orléans et qui travaille sur un vaccin contre cette bactérie, a sans doute eu lieu en novembre 2014 ou plus tôt. La bactérie en question est appelée Burkholderia pseudomallei ou bacille de Whitmore. On la trouve principalement en Asie du sud-est et dans le nord de l’Australie. Elle peut se transmettre à l’homme et à l’animal par contact avec un sol ou de l’eau contaminé. Elle est classée dans la catégorie des agents pouvant être utilisé pour le bioterrorisme...........http://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/sciences-prospective/0204193357261-une-bacterie-mortelle-sechappe-dun-laboratoire-americain-de-haute-securite-1097965.php?zV8lI2DYw3IiGXbE.99#
2/3/15
Russia, Ukraine, European Commission to meet for new gas talks in Brussels...
ReplyDeleteConditions for gas supplies to eastern Ukraine and implementation of a "winter package" between Kiev and Moscow will be in focus at talks in Brussels on Monday involving energy officials from Russia, Ukraine and the European Union.
Hosted by the European Commission, the trilateral meeting will bring together Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Demchishin, the chief executive of Russia’s gas giant Gazprom, Alexey Miller, the head of Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz, Andrey Kobolev, and EU energy chief Maros Sefcovic.
It is the first meeting in this format since October 31 last year, when parties agreed on conditions for gas deliveries until the end of March..............http://tass.ru/en/economy/780351
2/3/15
Solar plane passes third test ahead of planned world tour...
ReplyDeleteA solar-powered plane completed its third test flight in the United Arab Emirates on Monday ahead of a planned round-the-world tour to promote alternative energy.
Organizers hope the Solar Impulse 2 will begin the voyage as early as Saturday but caution the launch will depend on the weather, even in the relatively cloudless Gulf.
The hourlong test flight was the plane’s third from the capital Abu Dhabi’s small Al-Bateen airport, but the first for Solar Impulse chairman Bertrand Piccard, the descendant of a family of Swiss scientist-adventurers.
The pilot reported no problems, mission chiefs said..........http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/02/world/science-health-world/solar-plane-passes-third-test-ahead-planned-world-tour/#.VPSI-CwYE9Q
2/3/15
El volcán chileno Villarrica entró en erupción y hay 3.300 evacuados...
ReplyDeleteLa presidenta Michelle Bachelet convocó a una reunión de emergencia en el palacio de La Moneda para reunir toda la información disponible y coordinar las medidas preventivas.
Carabineros está realizando contacto con unidades cercanas a los sectores de las comunas Lican Ray y Pucón, mientras que los habitantes de esta última comuna y Coñaripe comenzaron una autoevacuación..................http://www.telam.com.ar/notas/201503/96667-chile-volcan-villarica-evacuados.html
3/3/15
African leader urges 'Marshall Plan' for countries worst hit by Ebola epidemic...
ReplyDeleteThe leaders of the West African countries worst hit by Ebola called for more aid to eradiate the disease and rebuild their shattered economies at an international conference in Brussels Tuesday.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma and Alpha Conde of Guinea urged the world to help their recovery as the number of new cases slows.
More than 9,700 people have died of the disease since the west African epidemic emerged in southern Guinea in December 2013, with nearly 24,000 people infected, according to the World Health Organization.
"The impact of Ebola on our economies has been profound. The most important long-term response to Ebola therefore rests in plans and strategies for economic recovery," Sirleaf told the EU-backed conference............http://www.france24.com/en/20150303-ebola-africa-leaders-more-aid-marshall-plan-conference-brussels/
3/3/15
L'Union européenne est encore loin de ses objectifs environnementaux...
ReplyDeleteL'Agence européenne pour l'Environnement vient de publier un rapport sur la pollution de l'eau, de l'air, la biodiversité ou encore le recyclage des déchets. C'est en fait tout l'environnement européen qui a été passé en revue. Le constat de ce rapport est sans appel : l'Europe est encore loin de ses objectifs environnementaux.
Dans les zones urbaines très exposées à la pollution automobile, plus de neuf citadins sur dix respirent un air trop chargé en particules fines. Cette exposition causerait la mort de près de 430 000 personnes par an selon le rapport de l'Agence européenne pour l'Environnement. En plus, il y a l'impact économique que cette pollution peut avoir sur les entreprises avec les nombreux arrêts maladie qui sont générés par une mauvaise qualité de l'air.
A la pollution de l'air, il faut aussi ajouter la pollution sonore. Et là c'est 10 000 morts de plus par an en Europe, dus à des crises cardiaques ou des accidents vasculaires cérébraux. Des chiffres qui pourraient être largement sous estimés du propre aveu de l'Agence européenne de l'Environnement.
Moins de gaz à effet de serre mais plus de particules
C'est plutôt le signe que ce que fait l'Europe dans ce domaine ne marche pas mais, et c'est un peu le paradoxe de ce rapport, il démontre aussi que la mise en œuvre des politiques environnementales et climatiques a été dans l'ensemble bénéfique au fonctionnement des écosystèmes en Europe. Les émissions de gaz à effet de serre ont été divisées par cinq depuis 1990 malgré une augmentation de 45% de la production économique.
Mais cette chasse aux gaz à effet de serre a eu un effet pervers. Elle a favorisé les moteurs diesel par exemple qui envoient moins de CO2 dans l'atmosphère mais beaucoup plus de particules ou de dioxyde d'azote..................http://www.rtbf.be/info/dossier/euranetplus/detail_l-union-europeenne-est-encore-loin-de-ses-objectifs-environnementaux?id=8921337
3/3/15
Pueblos del sur de México resisten a la construcción de megaproyecto de energía...
ReplyDeleteDos modelos de desarrollo colisionan en los territorios del sureste de México, donde las comunidades han emprendido una campaña de resistencia en defensa del medioambiente y su ancestral estilo de vida agrícola, contra un megaproyecto integral de energía que contempla la construcción de dos centrales termoeléctricas, un gasoducto y un acueducto.
El proyecto, con un presupuesto de 600 millones de dólares, involucra a cuatro empresas concesionarias extranjeras (tres españolas y una italiana), "pero sin participación comunitaria en las concesiones", dijo a Sputik Nóvosti Samanta César, una de las dirigentes del Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra.
Esa organización aglutina a unos 40 poblados de mayoría campesina e indígena y cuenta con la solidaridad de unos 20 pueblos más, explica la integrante del nuevo movimiento social surgido hace un par de años.
"Ese tipo de desarrollo afecta a la seguridad de las comunidades, implica un riesgo para la vida de sus miles de habitantes, traerá contaminación, y sobre todo cambiará la vida campesina que queremos preservar", basada en el ancestral cultivo del maíz, los frijoles, el chile el sorgo, dice la activista social...............http://mundo.sputniknews.com/americalatina/20150303/1035050881.html#ixzz3TM710DcJ
3/3/15
L'Australie face à une sécheresse dévastatrice...
ReplyDeleteDans certaines zones agricoles d'Australie, il n'a quasi pas plu depuis plus de deux ans. Les éleveurs du nord-est du pays sont durement frappés par la sécheresse, « principal défi » pour l'agriculture australienne....................video...........http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/video/2015/03/04/secheresse-devastatrice-en-australie_4586970_3244.html#LGhBIghsBWvRBVDz.99
Συσκευές eCall στα νέα οχήματα...
ReplyDeleteEγκρίθηκαν από το Συμβούλιο οι απαιτήσεις που προβλέπει το σχέδιο κανονισμού της ΕΕ για την τοποθέτηση συσκευών eCall στα νέα οχήματα, ένα πανευρωπαϊκό σύστημα, ταχύτερης επέμβασης των υπηρεσιών έκτακτης ανάγκης, που αναμένεται να συμβάλλει σημαντικά στη διάσωση ανθρώπων, από τροχαία ατυχήματα.
Υπολογίζεται, ότι θα μειώσει κατά το ήμισυ τον χρόνο επέμβασης των υπηρεσιών έκτακτης ανάγκης, με αποτέλεσμα να σώζονται ζωές και να παρέχεται άμεση φροντίδα στους τραυματίες.
Η θέση του Συμβουλίου ακολούθησε τη συμφωνία που επετεύχθη με το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο τον περασμένο Δεκέμβριο.
Στη συνέχεια, το Ευρωκοινοβούλιο αναμένεται να επιβεβαιώσει τη θέση του Συμβουλίου χωρίς τροπολογίες κατά τη διάρκεια ψηφοφορίας σε δεύτερη ανάγνωση, στα πλαίσια της ολομέλειας που θα συνεδριάσει πριν το καλοκαίρι.
Εφαρμογή
Τα νέα οχήματα θα πρέπει να διαθέτουν ασύρματες συσκευές που θα στέλνουν αυτομάτως σήμα κινδύνου στον αριθμό κλήσης έκτακτης ανάγκης 112..................http://www.elzoni.gr/html/ent/696/ent.52696.asp
4/3/15
Bulgarien will das Projekt der Gaspipeline Nabucco reanimieren lassen und zu einem Transitland für Gas aus Aserbaidschan werden. Das erklärte Bulgariens Regierungschef Boiko Borissow am Mittwoch nach Angaben der Nachrichtenagentur AFP...
ReplyDeleteNach Verhandlungen mit Aserbaidschans Präsident Ilcham Alijew teilte Borissow mit, Sofia möchte wenigstens den westlichen Teil der Nabucco-Pipeline reanimieren, der von der geplanten Transanatolischen Pipeline (TANAP) Richtung Bulgarien verlegt werden soll. Die TANAP-Leitung mit einer Durchsatzkapazität von rund 16 Milliarden Kubikmeter pro Jahr soll durch die Türkei verlaufen und die geplante Trans-Adria-Pipeline (TAP) über die Südkaukasus-Pipeline mit dem Gasfeld Schah Denis in Aserbaidschan verbinden.....................http://de.sputniknews.com/wirtschaft/20150304/301366297.html#ixzz3TRtol3bq
4/3/15
La découverte d’un morceau de mâchoire vieillit le genre humain de 400 000 ans ...
ReplyDeleteUne mandibule avec des dents datant de 2,8 millions d’années trouvée en Ethiopie est le plus ancien fossile du genre Homo, jamais découvert, qui repousse ses origines de 400.000 ans. Cette découverte annoncée mercredi, donne un nouvel éclairage sur l’émergence du genre Homo à qui appartient l’homme, estiment les scientifiques dont les travaux paraissent mercredi dans la revue américaine Science.
« La mise au jour de cette mâchoire inférieure aide à réduire le fossé dans l’évolution entre l’Australopithèque – la célèbre Lucy datant de 3,2 millions d’années – et les premières espèces du genre Homo comme l’erectus ou l’habilis », expliquent ces paléontologues. « Ce fossile est un excellent exemple d’une transition des espèces dans une période clé de l’évolution humaine », ajoutent-ils.
Cette mandibule a été trouvée en 2013 dans une zone de fouille appelée Ledi-Geraru dans la région Afar en Ethiopie.................http://www.lesoir.be/812428/article/actualite/sciences-et-sante/2015-03-04/decouverte-d-un-morceau-machoire-vieillit-genre-humain-400-000-ans
4/3/15
Missing link? African bones predate earliest-known humans by 400,000yrs...
DeleteA newly discovered fossil has shaken up science’s view of human evolution and could be the missing link between apes and humans: 400,000 years older than the oldest human bone found, the discovery could entirely rewrite our story.
For decades scientists have been stumped on the gap between humans that walked bent over and those that walked upright. Who was the mysterious ancestor that joined the ape-like Australopithecus with the human-like Homo? We could be looking at an answer. It now appears the timeline for earliest upright humans goes back not to 2.3 – but to 2.8 million years..............http://rt.com/news/237905-homo-human-fossil-bone/
5/3/15
Scientists who recently unearthed a 2.8-million-year-old Jawbone in Ethiopia said Thursday that the discovery would significantly add to knowledge of human evolution...
DeleteThey said at a press briefing in Addis Ababa that a fossilized lower jawbone found in the Ledi-Geraru research area of the northeastern Afar region had pushed back scientists' estimates for when human life began.
"The fossil bone was unearthed by Ethiopian PhD student Chalachew Seyoum, who is also a member of a team of scientists from Arizona University," said Prof. Kaye E. Reed, the lead researcher in a team of scientists from Arizona State University's Institute of Human Origins.
She added that the Jawbone predated previously known fossils of Homo sapiens by some 400,000 years.
The fossil, which has teeth attached to it, was discovered in 2013 in Ethiopia's Afar region.
"Researchers also found a fossil mammal assemblage contemporary with this jaw to be dominated by species that lived in more open habitats – grasslands – than those common at older Australopiticus-bearing sites such as Hadar," Reed said.
She added that the Ledi jaw had helped narrow the evolutionary gap between Australopiticus and early homo sapiens.
The researcher described the jawbone as an "excellent case of a transitional fossil in a critical time period in human evolution."................http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/474516--ancient-jawbone-found-in-ethiopia-to-help-evolution-research
5/3/15
Severe Flooding in Brazil Forces more than 80,000 to Evacuate...
ReplyDeleteFlooding in the northwestern Brazilian state of Acre has affected more than 80,000 people, according to media reports, after the River Acre, which runs through Peru, Brazil and Bolivia, overflowed at the end of February.
Local authorities report that as of March 3, almost 7,500 evacuees are living in shelters in Rio Branco, the state capital, alone, with floods reported in 53 districts; over 24,000 buildings have been affected.
On February 27, the WHO-affiliated Pan American Health Organization reported that a "State of Public Calamity" had been declared in the Departments of Acre, Amazon, and Santa Catarina as a result of the rise of the Acre River, which is reported to have reached a level of more than 18 meters, far surpassing its usual depth; local authorities have said that in some areas the river is up to 14 meters above its usual level.
On February 23, neighboring Bolivia declared a state of emergency after more than 4,000 people were forced to leave their homes in the northern town of Cobija as a result of the flooding. The Bolivian government announced that neighborhoods located close to the river would have to be relocated, and the mayor of the town of San Pedro de Bolpebra, which lies on the banks of the river close to Bolivia's borders with Peru and Brazil, told the media that a new town would have to be built after the settlement was almost completely destroyed.
http://sputniknews.com/latam/20150305/1019082746.html#ixzz3TUqItz3N
5/3/15
Την ενεργειακή τους εξάρτηση από ασταθείς πολιτικά περιοχές του κόσμου, δεσμεύτηκαν να περιορίσουν Γαλλία, Ισπανία και Πορτογαλία σε τριμερή Σύνοδο που διεξήχθη στη Μαδρίτη, με τη συμμετοχή του προέδρου της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής, Ζαν Κλοντ Γιούνκερ...
ReplyDeleteΗ ουκρανική κρίση έχει βάλει τους Ευρωπαίους σε σκέψη σχετικά με την εξάρτηση τους από ρωσικές πηγές ενέργειας.
http://www.energia.gr/article.asp?art_id=91399
Hundreds of thousands of American students and government workers stayed home on Thursday (Mar 5) as a major winter storm hit from Texas to the northeastern United States...
ReplyDeleteWashington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York were expected to get as much as a foot and a half of snow, with wind chill temperatures dipping well below average in much of the region.
In the nation's capital, government offices and schools were shuttered, along with most national Smithsonian museums, leaving the city's core eerily quiet as freezing rain turned to snow by mid-morning.
Many schools and government offices were also closed in Philadelphia and Baltimore, while Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency for the state, where some cities were pounded with 20 inches of snow.
Southern United States was not spared - with Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico all facing weather warnings. The National Weather Service said 65 million people were under a winter storm warning, and other another 29 million were under a winter weather advisory...........http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/massive-winter-storm/1698122.html
6/3/15
Deep brain stimulation offers treatment, hope for severe anorexia patients...
ReplyDeleteA ground-breaking experimental treatment undertaken by Toronto doctors may be giving patients suffering from extreme forms of anorexia nervosa their last chance to live a long and healthy life.
The debilitating eating disorder causes patients to develop a distorted view of their own bodies and become obsessed with being thin; typically dramatically limiting the amount of food they eat.
The treatment, called deep brain stimulation, or DBS, has been used to treat a number of other conditions but never before anorexia. It requires the patients to be awake during brain surgery.
The findings of this innovative study are being revealed as part of a CTV W5 documentary which chronicled the treatment of two patients over the past 18 months.............http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/deep-brain-stimulation-offers-treatment-hope-for-severe-anorexia-patients-1.2266141
7/3/15
Σοβαρά προβλήματα από την κακοκαιρία σε Ροδόπη και Ξάνθη...
ReplyDeleteΕπί ποδός βρίσκονται τις τελευταίες ώρες η Πολιτική Προστασία, η Πυροσβεστική και η Αστυνομία σε περιοχές της Ροδόπης και της Ξάνθης, λόγω της κακοκαιρίας που εκδηλώθηκε στους δύο νομούς, με κύρια χαρακτηριστικά τις ισχυρές καταιγίδες στα πεδινά και τις χιονοπτώσεις στα ορεινά.
Η χιονόπτωση στα ορεινά είχε ως αποτέλεσμα να ταλαιπωρηθούν αρκετοί Έλληνες οδηγοί που κινούνταν με τα οχήματά τους στα ελληνοβουλγαρικά σύνορα.
Όπως έγινε γνωστό από την Πολιτική Προστασία, κοντά στους μεθοριακούς σταθμούς Νυμφαίας Ροδόπης και Αγίου Κωνσταντίνου Ξάνθης, αρκετά οχήματα εγκλωβίστηκαν λόγω της πυκνής χιονόπτωσης. Τελικώς, οι οδηγοί - με τη συνδρομή των ελληνοβουλγαρικών αρχών - μπόρεσαν να συνεχίσουν το ταξίδι τους...........http://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/924033/sobara-problimata-apo-tin-kakokairia-se-rodopi-kai-ksanthi
Solar Impulse plane begins epic global flight...
ReplyDeleteA record-breaking attempt to fly around the world in a solar-powered plane has got under way from Abu Dhabi.
The aircraft - called Solar Impulse-2 - took off from the Emirate, heading east to Muscat in Oman.
Over the next five months, it will skip from continent to continent, crossing both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the process.
Andre Borschberg was at the controls of the single-seater vehicle as it took off.
He will share the pilot duties in due course with fellow Swiss, Bertrand Piccard.
The plan is stop off at various locations around the globe, to rest and to carry out maintenance, and also to spread a campaigning message about clean technologies.
Before taking off, Borschberg told BBC News: "I am confident we have a very special aeroplane, and it will have to be to get us across the big oceans."
"We may have to fly for five days and five nights to do that, and it will be a challenge.
"But we have the next two months, as we fly the legs to China, to train and prepare ourselves."...........http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31772140
9/3/15
Επικίνδυνες καιρικές συνθήκες στη Βουλγαρία ...
ReplyDeleteΤεράστια προβλήματα στην ηλεκτροδότηση, την υδροδότηση και τις τηλεφωνικές επικοινωνίες, προκαλεί στη Βουλγαρία, σφοδρή κακοκαιρία που πλήττει τη χώρα.
Περισσότερες από 800 περιοχές βρίσκονται από το περασμένο Σάββατο, χωρίς ηλεκτρικό ρεύμα. Η μετεωρολογική υπηρεσία της χώρας, εξέδωσε έκτακτο δελτίο για επικίνδυνες καιρικές συνθήκες σε ορεινές και αραιοκατοικημένες περιοχές, όπου οι δρόμοι είναι απροσπέλαστοι, η υδροδότηση έχει διακοπεί, ενώ εκτεταμένες διακοπές σημειώνονται στις τηλεφωνικές επικοινωνίες.
Στην πόλη Ραζλόγκ, τρεις βούλγαροι τουρίστες, καταπλακώθηκαν από χιονοστιβάδα και βρήκαν τραγικό θάνατο, ενώ έκαναν σκι σε απαγορευμένη περιοχή.
http://www.riknews.com.cy/index.php/news/diethni/item/12767-epikindynes-kairikes-synthikes-sti-voulgaria
9/3/15
Heavy snowfall blocks roads, cuts power in southern Bulgaria ...
ReplyDeletePower supply to more than 800 locations in southern Bulgaria has been disrupted as of Sunday evening due to heavy snowfall now in its third day.
Some villages and towns in the regions of Smolyan and Kardzhali as well as the southernmost areas of Pazardzhik region have remained without water supply, too, as water pumps were idled by the lack of electricity.
Worst affected were the municipalities of Madan, Zlatograd, Nedelino and Rudozem. Households there remained without electricity for a second day in row.
Mobile telecommunications in those regions also were disrupted. Mobile operators have promised to provide emergency power feed to their cells to restore the operation of their phone network in the affected regions..............http://www.novinite.com/articles/167065/Heavy+snowfall+blocks+roads%2C+cuts+power+in+southern+Bulgaria#sthash.TFcsrU3b.dpuf
Η Διγλωσσία της Βουλγαρίας Πλήγμα στην Ολοκλήρωση του IGB...
ReplyDeleteΜπορεί η Ελλάδα να παραμένει σταθερά προσηλωμένη στην ολοκλήρωση της κατασκευής του ελληνοβουλγαρικού αγωγού IGB, που σχεδιάζεται να συνδεθεί με τον TAP, ωστόσο, η Βουλγαρία εμφανίζεται να υιοθετεί διγλωσσία σε ό,τι αφορά την κάλυψη των αναγκών της σε φυσικό αέριο. Η συμφωνία στην οποία κατέληξαν στα μέσα του περασμένου Φεβρουαρίου στο Μπακού οι υπουργοί, Παν. Λαφαζάνης και Temenuzhka Petkova, ότι η επενδυτική απόφαση για τον IGB θα ληφθεί ως τα τέλη Μαΐου, κινδυνεύει να μείνει στα χαρτιά, δεδομένου ότι η Βουλγαρία «αλληθωρίζει» στην αναβίωση του Nabucco West και την προμήθεια φυσικού αερίου μέσω του Turkish Stream. Έτσι, δυόμισι μήνες πριν από την καταληκτική ημερομηνία στην οποία συμφώνησαν οι δύο υπουργοί, δεν υπάρχει καμία αποτύπωση στην επίσημη διαδικασία για την προώθηση του έργου, όπως αναφέρουν καλά πληροφορημένες πηγές στο energia. gr...............http://www.energia.gr/article.asp?art_id=91519
9/3/15
Les poids lourds pourront à l'avenir avoir en Europe un design différent, qui les rendra plus surs pour les piétons ou cyclistes, et moins gourmands en carburant...
ReplyDeleteLe Parlement européen a approuvé mardi un accord passé en ce sens avec les États membres. L'Institut belge pour la sécurité routière (IBSR) se réjouit de cette avancée.
Les nouvelles règles européennes autoriseront des cabines plus rondes, de manière à améliorer le champ de vision du conducteur. En effet, en réduisant les angles morts, les chauffeurs pourront mieux apercevoir les piétons ou les deux-roues. C'est une avancée très importante pour l'IBSR, car "il y a en moyenne entre 350 et 400 accidents corporels chaque année entre un camion et un usager faible, dont une trentaine sont directement dus à l'angle mort", précise son porte-parole, Benoit Godart.
Une conception allongée de l'habitacle permettra en outre de mieux absorber les chocs en cas de collision. "C'est positif pour la sécurité tant des camionneurs que des occupants de véhicule. On espère voir moins de camions 'à nez court' (sans cage d'absorption) sur nos routes", explique M. Godart.............http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/europe/l-europe-approuve-un-nouveau-design-pour-les-camions-les-poids-lourds-vont-radicalement-changer-707056.aspx
Strong earthquake jolts northeastern Colombia...
ReplyDeleteThe Colombian Seismological Service said the quake struck at 3: 57 p.m., local time, with the epicenter being monitored at 7.4 kilometers away from Mesa de los Santos, the capital of Santander department, where initial reports said two electric towers were toppled by the temblor.
"No reports of victims following the 6.6-magnitude quake in most of Colombia," the country's Caracol news network reported on its website, adding instead "it caused a great scare."
The quake was also felt in Bogota, the national capital, and other regions including Bucaramanga, Medellin, Manizales, Costa Atlantica, the entire department of Boyaca and the area bordering Venezuela to the northeast.
In Bogota, tall buildings in the downtown area were evacuated.
Authorities were evaluating the situation to identify possible victims or structural damage caused by the strong quake, which disrupted cellphone service due to the flood of calls, in addition to causing panic.
http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-03/11/content_35018114.htm
10/3/15
Fukushima No. 1′s never-ending battle with radioactive water ...
ReplyDeleteThe disaster that struck four years ago may have abated for most of the Tohoku region, but the nightmare continues at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, which suffered three reactor core meltdowns and is plagued daily by increasing amounts of radioactive water.
Tepco hopes to improve the situation via two key measures: a 1.5-km-long sunken wall of frozen soil encircling stricken reactors 1, 2 and 3 and the damaged reactor 4 building to keep groundwater from entering and mixing with coolant water leaking in the reactor building basements, and “subdrain” wells around the buildings to pump up the tainted groundwater for treatment and ultimate discharge into the Pacific.............http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/11/national/fukushima-1s-never-ending-battle-radioactive-water/#.VQATv46LVr8
11/3/15
Le Japon se souvient des terribles séisme et tsunami du 11 mars 2011...
ReplyDeleteLes Japonais étaient tous appelés mercredi à respecter une minute de silence à l'heure précise à laquelle un violent séisme de magnitude 9 au nord-est a provoqué un tsunami dans lequel ont péri près de 18 500 personnes le 11 mars 2011.
Pour la quatrième année de suite, les sirènes ont retenti et le Japon s'est tu à 14H46 locales (05H46 GMT), pour ces morts emportés par un mur d'eau qui a dépassé 30 mètres par endroits le long de la côte Pacifique.
Une poignante cérémonie s'est tenue à Tokyo en présence du couple impérial, du Premier ministre et de représentants de toutes les régions meurtries.
"Quatre ans se sont écoulés depuis le grand tremblement de terre de l'est. Nous ne pouvons pas oublier les images que nous avons alors vues, vraiment effroyables. Durant ces quatre années, dans ces circonstances pénibles, tout le monde est parvenu à tisser des liens, à unir ses forces, mais les conditions restent difficiles. Il est encore important que se poursuivre l'entraide", a déclaré l'empereur Akihito, dont les mots d'empathie avaient profondément touché la population immédiatement après la tragédie.................http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_le-japon-se-souvient-des-terribles-seisme-et-tsunami-du-11-mars-2011?id=8927878
11/3/15
The March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake caused 229,000 people to relocate either permanently or temporarily, lodging with relatives or friends and unable to return to their homes...
ReplyDeleteNearly half were residents of Fukushima prefecture, where waves up to 15 meters tall (42 feet) from a magnitude 9.0 earthquake-triggered tsunami caused a meltdown of its nuclear power plant's reactors. In other prefectures, waves reached as high as 40.5 meters (132.8 feet)
At present, 83,000 survivors live in extremely harsh conditions in makeshift housing built immediately after the disaster and designed to last no more than two years. However, compared to last year's 267,000 displaced residents, surviving victims of the Tohoku earthquake are gradually acquiring own housing............http://sputniknews.com/asia/20150311/1019326910.html#ixzz3U4WDvAUo
11/3/15
Νόμιμη, τελικά, η άδεια υλοτομίας των μεταλλείων στις Σκουριές...
ReplyDeleteΕπιστρέφουν στις δουλειές τους οι υλοτόμοι-δασεργάτες των Σκουριών, καθώς, όπως ανακοίνωσε ο αναπληρωτής υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος, Γιάννης Τσιρώνης, ο έλεγχος στα πρωτόκολλα υλοτόμησης, που ολοκληρώθηκε την Τετάρτη, έδειξε ότι είναι νόμιμα.
Σχετικά με την υλοτόμηση της περιοχής Καρατζά Χαλκιδικής, το γραφείο του κ. Τσιρώνη εξέδωσε την εξής ανακοίνωση:
«Η υλοτόμηση και αποψίλωση της περιοχής Καρατζά αφορά μια έκταση 300 στρεμμάτων για μελλοντική εναπόθεση παραπροϊόντων εξόρυξης στις Σκουριές Χαλκιδικής.
»Το Υπουργείο Παραγωγικής ανασυγκρότησης Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας, πάντα ευαίσθητο σε θέματα περιβάλλοντος, ζήτησε από το αρμόδιο δασαρχείο τον πλήρη φάκελο για τα πρωτόκολλα υλοτόμησης, προκειμένου να διενεργηθούν οι αναγκαίοι έλεγχοι.
»Ζήτησε επίσης να μην επιτραπεί καμία υλοτομική εργασία μέχρι την ολοκλήρωση του ελέγχου.
»Από τον έλεγχο που ολοκληρώθηκε σήμερα το μεσημέρι, προέκυψε η νομιμότητα των μέχρι σήμερα πρωτόκολλων. Κατόπιν αυτού θα εφαρμοστεί ο νόμος................http://news.in.gr/greece/article/?aid=1231392038
11/3/15
Αύριο η πρώτη απόπειρα «αφύπνισης» του Philae στον κομήτη 67P...
ReplyDeleteΛίγες ώρες απομένουν από την πρώτη προσπάθεια των επιστημόνων του Γερμανικού Κέντρου Αεροδιαστημικής (DLR) για επικοινωνία με το ρομπότ Philae (Φίλαι), το οποίο βρίσκεται προσεδαφισμένο στον κομήτη 67P/Τσουριούμοφ-Γκερασιμένκο (Τσούρι).
Οι επιστήμονες θα επιχειρήσουν να έρθουν σε επαφή με το σκάφος αύριο ώστε, αν είναι τυχεροί, το πρώτο σήμα από το Philae να σταλεί στο διαστημόπλοιο Rosetta που κινείται σε μικρή απόσταση από τον κομήτη και, από αυτό, να καταλήξει στο κέντρο ελέγχου κατά τις 6 το πρωί, ώρα Ελλάδας.
Το Philae έπεσε σε «χειμερία νάρκη» στις 12 Νοεμβρίου, σε ένα αρκετά σκιερό σημείο του κομήτη, με συνέπεια να μην είναι βέβαιο ότι τα ηλιακά του πάνελ έχουν συγκεντρώσει έως τώρα αρκετή ενέργεια, για να καταφέρει να «ξυπνήσει».
Εξάλλου, για να τεθεί σε λειτουργία, υπάρχουν αρκετές προϋποθέσεις. Κατ’ αρχάς η θερμοκρασία στο εσωτερικό του σκάφους πρέπει να είναι μεγαλύτερη από -45 βαθμούς Κελσίου...............http://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/925341/aurio-i-proti-apopeira-afupnisis-tou-philae-ston-komiti-67p
11/3/15
Soyuz reentry module with ISS crew lands in Kazakhstan steppe...
ReplyDeleteRescuers have reached the reentry module of the Soyuz TMA-14M spaceship which landed in Kazakhstan’s steppe some 146 kilometres southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan, a spokesman for the Mission Control Centre told TASS on Thursday.
The rescuers are evacuating the crew of Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr Samokutyayev and Yelena Serova and NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore who returned from the International Space Station (ISS) after a 170-day mission.
‘The crew members are feeling well," the spokesman said..............http://tass.ru/en/russia/782234
12/3/15
750 tons of Fukushima plant water leaked – TEPCO...
ReplyDeleteIn yet another major leak at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) reported that 750 tons of contaminated rainwater have escaped the plant.
The water overflowed from mounds where storage tanks for radioactive water are located, The Japan Times quoted TEPCO as saying.
Rainwater within that perimeter had up to 8,300 becquerels per liter of beta particle-emitting radioactive substances, such as strontium-90.......................http://rt.com/news/239925-fukushima-leak-nuclear-plant/
12/3/15
Tropical cyclone Olwyn has hit Australia’s western coast, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday...
ReplyDeleteThe cyclone, accompanied by torrential rains, is moving south-ward along the coast line.
The cyclone has intensified to a category three, with wind gusts reaching up to 55 km/h near the epicenter. A red alert has been issued for people in coastal communities of Exmouth, Onslow and Coral Bay.
Meanwhile, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union accused US company Chevron of gross negligence toward its 1,600 employees on Barrow Island, who are developing a local coastal gas deposit. Barrow Island, located 50km from the continent, was hit by the cyclone on Thursday, but Chevron refused to evacuate its workers. The company’s representatives say no standard work procedures were violated and safety regulations were closely followed, adding that no one was harmed in the incident.
http://tass.ru/en/world/782468
13/3/15
The European Commission on Friday has reportedly backed a decision by Euratom to refuse permission to Russia for building nuclear plants in Hungary....
ReplyDeleteAccording to a report in the Financial Times, the decision, details of which were kept secret, came at a meeting in Brussels last week of all 28 EU commissioners, including Hungary’s Tibor Navracsics, who is EU Commissioner for Education, Youth and Sport.
Russia was to build two 1200-megawatt nuclear reactors in the town of Paks, 120.7 kilometers (75 miles) south of Budapest, in a deal worth €12 billion ($12.7 billion). The deal was orchestrated by Hungarian President Viktor Orban in January 2014.
But Euratom blocked the deal at the end of February this year, because it included a clause requiring the plants to import fuel exclusively from Russia.
The European Commission decision means that the deal will not go through, although a renegotiation is possible if aspects of the contract are changed and it is resubmitted to Euratom.
The Hungarian government issued a denial of the report, which cites sources close to the Commission.
http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/477846--eu-nixes-hungary-russia-nuclear-plans-report
13/3/15
Russia, Hungary deny report that EU blocked nuclear fuel deal...
ReplyDeleteRussian and Hungarian officials are denying a report that said EU blocked a multibillion deal under which Hungary is to buy nuclear fuel rods from Russia for its Paks nuclear power plant.
Russian nuclear engineers are to build two new reactors with combined capacity of 1,200 megawatts at Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, which currently has four reactors. The deal signed last year involves a €10-billion loan that Moscow offered to Budapest on condition that the money would pay for the equipment.
The new reactors would have to be loaded with Russian-made fuel rods, which is a matter of safety for the new reactors. However EU’s nuclear fuel purchasing agency Euratom is opposing the exclusive deal. The Financial Times reported Thursday that the European Commission last week secretly backed Euroatom’s decision to block the deal.
Hungarian and Russian officials said the report was not true. Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs denied the FT report, saying that Budapest would demand that the newspaper publish a retraction. Russian nuclear agency Rosatom said “it had nothing to add” to Kovacs’ words and that as far as it knew, the deal was approved by the European Commission..................http://rt.com/news/240309-hungary-russia-nuclear-deal/
13/3/15
Global CO2 emissions 'stalled' in 2014...
ReplyDeleteThe growth in global carbon emissions stalled last year, according to data from the International Energy Agency.
It marks the first time in 40 years that annual CO2 emissions growth has remained stable, in the absence of a major economic crisis, the agency said.
Annual global emissions remained at 32 gigatonnes in 2014, unchanged from the previous year.
But the IEA warned that while the results were "encouraging", this was "no time for complacency".
"This is both a very welcome surprise and a significant one," said IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol......................http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31872460
13/3/15
Delivery of radioactive soil to interim storage begins in Fukushima...
ReplyDeleteWorkers on Friday began delivering soil and other radiation-tainted waste generated by the decontamination work following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis to a makeshift storage yard at a storage facility in the prefecture.
The government plans to build depositories on around 16 sq. km of land in the towns of Okuma and Futaba, which host the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant, to eventually store massive amounts of radioactive waste. But the plan remains highly uncertain amid slow progress in negotiations with landowners..................http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/13/national/delivery-of-radioactive-soil-to-interim-storage-begins-in-fukushima/#.VQMKZY4YE9Q
13/3/15
Fifty percent of all children to be autistic in ten years - Massachusetts Institute of Technology..
ReplyDeleteResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory made a shocking statement. According to them, a half of all children in the world will suffer from autism by 2025.
MIT Senior Researcher Stephanie Seneff said that the drastic rise in autism was largely thanks to Monsanto and the use of its own-brand of glyphosate (pesticide) known as Roundup Ready. Monsanto is a world leader in herbal biotechnology. The company produces genetically modified corn seeds, soybeans, cotton, as well as the world's most widely spread herbicide, Pravda.Ru says.....http://english.pravda.ru/news/science/13-03-2015/130031-autistic_children-0/
Fire breaks out at China’s biggest power plant...
ReplyDeleteSmoke billowed high above a Beijing power plant Friday, as firefighters scrambled to extinguish a blaze at China’s biggest coal-fired station.
State news agency Xinhua reported that 20 teams of firefighters, 91 fire engines and scores of police arrived at the scene shortly after the blaze broke out just before 3 p.m. (0500GMT).
The flames took around an hour to extinguish.
China Huaneng Group, the country’s top power producer, confirmed to the agency that one of the plant's four generators had caught fire.
The remaining three were shut down as a safety precaution, it added.
Photos posted to social media showed thick black smoke billowing above the plant.
The blaze took place near to annual parliamentary meetings.
http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/478083--fire-breaks-out-at-china-s-biggest-power-plant
13/3/15
Dozens feared dead after Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu...
ReplyDeleteThe death toll from a category five tropical storm that has hit islands in the South Pacific could run into the dozens, the UN's relief agency says.
Cyclone Pam battered Vanuatu with winds of up to 270kph (170mph).
Pictures on social media showed buildings badly damaged and trees and power lines down.
Authorities on the islands had earlier issued a red alert to residents after the cyclone changed direction and began moving towards populated areas.
Communications have been knocked out over a wide area and aid agencies said on Saturday it could be several hours before a clear picture emerges.
Although thousands of people spent the night in emergency shelters, many more were forced to ride out the storm in their own homes.
Pam had already caused major damage on other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands...............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31865001
14/3/15
Cyclone devastates Pacific island nation of Vanuatu...
ReplyDeleteWinds of up to 250 kilometers an hour (155 mph) ripped metal roofs off houses and downed trees in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Saturday, as relief agencies braced for a major rescue operation and unconfirmed reports said dozens had already died.
Witnesses described sea surges of up to eight meters (yards) and flooding throughout the capital Port Vila after the category 5 cyclone named Pam hit the country late on Friday.
Communications with the outside world were largely knocked out as high winds continued to batter the capital on Saturday. “It felt like the world was going to end,” Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), told Reuters by cellphone from Port Vila.
“It's like a bomb has gone off in the center of the town. There is no power. There is no water..................http://www.todayonline.com/world/un-fears-worst-after-typhoon-batters-vanuatu
14/3/15
'Unbelievable destruction' reported in Tropical Cyclone Pam's wake...
ReplyDeleteRelief workers reported "unbelievable destruction" after Tropical Cyclone Pam smashed the capital of Vanuatu, the Australian Red Cross said Saturday.
The Australian Red Cross said via Twitter that "humanitarian needs will be enormous. Many people have lost their homes. Shelter, food and water (are) urgent priorities" in Port Vila.
Meteorologists said the storm has weakened some, but it was still pounding the islands after hours of fierce winds and torrential rain.
"#CyclonePam still tearing through #Vanuatu. 'Much bigger than expected,' says our colleague in Port Vila. Initial reports of devastation," the Australian branch of UNICEF said on Twitter earlier.................http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/13/asia/cyclone-pam-vanuatu/index.html
Des chercheurs ont découvert l’existence d’une créature de deux mètres de long qui habitait les océans il y a 480 millions d’années...
ReplyDeleteCe monstre marin « aurait été l’une des plus grandes à vivre à cette époque », a indiqué la zoologiste Allison Daley, de l’université d’Oxford, coauteure de l’étude publiée mercredi dans la revue Nature. Le monstre marin portait sur sa tête un réseau d’épines qui filtrait les aliments et serait donc la plus ancienne représentante connue des géants aquatiques qui se nourrissent en filtrant l’eau de mer.
Cette nouvelle espèce a été nommée Aegirocassis benmoulae d’après le nom du chasseur de fossile marocain Mohamed Ben Moula, qui a effectué les fouilles au Maroc. Elle fait partie de la famille disparue des anomalocaridides, des animaux marins apparus il y a 520 millions d’année. Cependant, jusqu’ici la plupart des anomalocaridides découverts étaient des prédateurs qui se trouvaient au sommet de la chaîne alimentaire, plus proches de nos requins actuels. Cette nouvelle espèce d’anomalocaridide ressemble plus à nos baleines qui elles aussi filtrent l’eau de mer à travers leurs fanons pour recueillir le plancton, mais qui sont elles de la famille des mammifères.....................http://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/sciences-prospective/0204218658833-des-scientifiques-ont-decouvert-lexistence-dun-monstre-marin-vivant-il-y-a-480-millions-dannees-1101964.php?wLsKpHiOB41bfq36.99#xtor=RSS37
14/3/15