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Environ 500 astéroïdes menacent potentiellement la Terre, mais des
solutions, relevant pour le commun des mortels de la science-fiction,
sont envisagées par les experts de l'Agence spatiale européenne (ESA),
réunis cette semaine à Frascati, près de Rome.....Cinq cents astéroïdes menacent potentiellement la Terre
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Estudio: Una de cada seis especies podría desaparecer debido al cambio climático...
ReplyDeleteSi el cambio climático no se detiene desaparecerá el 16% de las especies de plantas y animales del planeta, una de cada seis, alarman los científicos.
De acuerdo con el artículo 'Acelerando el riesgo de extinción por el cambio climático' publicado en la revista 'Science', basado en 131 estudios sobre los índices de extinción, la pérdida de biodiversidad se acelerará con cada grado centígrado que se caliente el planeta.
Según los científicos, la temperatura media de la superficie de la Tierra ya ha aumentado 1,5ºC desde la Revolución Industrial, y animales como los osos polares ven amenazada su supervivencia en un mundo cambiante Asimismo, las especies de América del Sur, Australia y Nueva Zelanda están particularmente en riesgo.
"No hemos visto muchas extinciones todavía, y creo que eso se debe a que aún estamos en una fase en la que el clima contribuye pero no es determinante", opina Mark Urban, de la Universidad de Connecticut, EE.UU., y autor principal del estudio. "Las extinciones debido al cambio climático se harán oír entre estos otros factores", señaló.
No obstante el investigador ha afirmado que "los seres humanos todavía tienen tiempo para evitar la extinción generalizada causada por el cambio climático, pero la ventana de la oportunidad se está cerrando". "Vamos a tener que tomar algunas decisiones, dependiendo de cuánto se caliente la Tierra", agregó Urban.
http://actualidad.rt.com/ciencias/173551-especies-desaparecer-cambio-climatico
1/5/15
Φονικές καταιγίδες στην Κούβα ...
ReplyDeleteΤρεις νεκροί και 10 χιλιάδες πληγέντες είναι ο μέχρι στιγμής απολογισμός σφοδρών καταιγίδων στην Κούβα.
Κτίρια κατέρρευσαν ή υπέστησαν μεγάλες ζημιές ενώ πλημμύρισαν συνοικίες της Αβάνας σύμφωνα με τοπικά μέσα ενημέρωσης.
Όπως μεταδίδουν, θύελλα η οποία σχηματίστηκε με μεγάλη ταχύτητα στα στενά της Φλόριντας μπροστά από ένα ψυχρό μέτωπο έπληξε την πρωτεύουσα τις πρώτες πρωινές ώρες της Τετάρτης, προκαλώντας σφοδρές καταιγίδες και ανέμους ταχύτητας 98 χιλιομέτρων την ώρα.
Η Πολιτική Προστασία της Κούβας διευκρίνισε ότι συνολικά 10.089 άνθρωποι επλήγησαν από την κακοκαιρία και φιλοξενούνται από οικείους τους ή σε κέντρα έκτακτης ανάγκης που άνοιξαν μετά τα ακραία καιρικά φαινόμενα.
riknews.com.cy
1/5/15
Σε ισχύ από την 1η Μαΐου η αντιπυρική περίοδος...
ReplyDeleteΟδηγίες-συμβουλές για την πρόληψη των δασικών πυρκαγιών, με αφορμή την έναρξη της αντιπυρικής περιόδου από την Παρασκευή 1 Μαΐου, δίνει η Πυροσβεστική Υπηρεσία.
Τονίζει ότι οι δασικές πυρκαγιές που εκδηλώνονται κάθε χρόνο στη χώρα οφείλονται κατά μεγάλο ποσοστό στην ανθρώπινη αμέλεια, ενώ οι κλιματολογικές συνθήκες που επικρατούν τους καλοκαιρινούς μήνες σε συνδυασμό με το έντονο γεωφυσικό ανάγλυφο, ευνοούν την ταχεία εξάπλωσή τους.
Το Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα δίνει οδηγίες για την αποτροπή των πυρκαγιών:
Δεν πετάμε ποτέ αναμμένα τσιγάρα και σπίρτα, όταν βρισκόμαστε στο δάσος. Το τσιγάρο αποτελεί την πρώτη αιτία πρόκλησης πυρκαγιάς από αμέλεια.
Δεν καίμε ξερά χόρτα, κλαδιά, καλάμια και σκουπίδια στην ύπαιθρο.
Αποφεύγουμε τις υπαίθριες εργασίες που ενδέχεται να προκαλέσουν πυρκαγιά (οξυγονοκολλήσεις, χρήση τροχού ή άλλου εργαλείου που προκαλεί σπινθήρες).
Δεν ανάβουμε υπαίθριες ψησταριές κατά τους θερινούς μήνες εντός των δασών ή σε χώρους που υπάρχουν ξερά χόρτα....in.gr
1/5/15
Blind man, armless friend plant thousands of trees in China...
ReplyDeleteA once-barren bank of the Ye river in central China now has 12,000 trees irrigated by a small canal, thanks to unlikely but dedicated gardeners: two friends, one blind and one without arms.
For the past 13 years, the two have planted and watered cedar trees near their village in Hebei province in what originally was supposed to be a commercial venture but became a mission supported by local officials to improve the air in a region more famous for its stifling pollution than for its rolling hills.
The story of Jia Wenqi, 53, with no arms, and his blind friend, Jia Haixia, 54, is one of perseverance, environmental awakening and of finding a path in a country where it is difficult for the disabled to find jobs.
"This empty riverbank was only dry sand and pebbles. It was deserted for many years. For normal people, it was impossible to plant trees there," Wenqi said in an interview on the riverbank. "But as the saying goes: Nothing is impossible to a willing heart."
Every morning Haixia grabs onto the empty sleeve of Wenqi, who leads the way to the riverbank and then carries Haixia on his back across the shallow Ye river to their plantation. Haixia climbs trees to prune them of branches to be used as cuttings to plant new trees, using his hands to feel for the branches. Wenqi digs holes for the cuttings, tucking a shovel between his cheek and shoulder to aim it and then using his foot to drive it into the ground. He also uses his feet to fetch water from the river with a bucket and pour the water around the newly planted tree.
"Just ask a normal person to work with his arms in his pockets, like Wenqi!" Haixia said. "We handicapped people have an endurance that normal people don't possess."
The two childhood friends share a surname but are not closely related, though they both grew up in Yeli Village, part of the Hebei city of Shijiazhuang.
Unable to find work, they started their venture in 2002 with the modest goal of planting around 800 trees a year. But a drought devastated their first crop, and they have never made any money from the plantation. Instead they get by on modest government assistance for disabled people. However, they have stuck with the tree-planting and now feel they have a purpose: to improve the local environment......AP......dailystar.com.lb
La batterie qui pourrait bien révolutionner le photovoltaïque...
ReplyDeleteUne invention qui pourrait relancer le marché de l’énergie solaire. Le fabricant californien des véhicules électriques de luxe Tesla a dévoilé jeudi une « batterie pour domicile » destinée selon le fondateur de la société Elon Musk à changer « la totalité de l’infrastructure énergétique dans le monde ».
Cette batterie baptisée Tesla Powerwall peut stocker l’électricité fournie par des panneaux solaires ou par le réseau électrique au moment où celui-ci fournit de l’électricité bon marché, notamment pendant les heures de nuit, a précisé la société. La batterie peut également servir en cas de coupure de courant, a ajouté Tesla.
La batterie, destinée à être fixée sur le mur d’une maison ou dans un garage pourrait rendre les habitations équipées de panneaux photovoltaïques totalement indépendantes des réseaux électriques traditionnels..........lesoir.be
1/5/15
Ukraine is seeking more than $16 billion from Russia's Gazprom in its appeal to an arbitration court in Stockholm over a long-running gas pricing dispute between Kiev and Moscow, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said Friday...
ReplyDeleteUkraine's state gas business Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom are bound by a 10-year gas agreement signed in 2009. Kiev is challenging the price of Russian gas, and billions of dollars in debts which Russia says have accrued, and appealing to international arbitrators for a definitive ruling.
"The transit contract is not fair for Ukraine and more than $10 billion should be paid to Naftogaz from Gazprom to compensate for losses. In this way, the overall sum we are seeking from Gazprom in terms of the gas supply contract and the transit contract is already over $16 million," Yatseniuk said in a post on Facebook...dailystar.com.lb
1/5/15
Nueva isla del Pacífico que nació de un volcán se está 'hundiendo' ...
ReplyDeleteLa nueva isla que surgió frente a las costas de Tonga, en el sur del océano Pacífico, después de la erupción de un volcán submarino ha comenzado a erosionarse y está "cada vez más pequeña".
En forma de cono, en el momento de su formación en enero pasado a 65 kilómetros de la capital tongana de Nuku'alofa, tenía más un kilómetro de ancho, dos de largo y se elevaba alrededor de 100 metros sobre el nivel del mar.
Los científicos predijeron que la superficie terrestre de la isla sería frágil y que probablemente desaparecería gradualmente. La predicción se está confirmando luego de que una expedición de geólogos examinara la isla, informa el diario 'The Telegraph'....rt.com
1/5/15
Amazonian Tribes Unite to Demand Brazil Stop Hydroelectric Dams...
ReplyDeleteFour Amazonian tribes have joined forces to oppose the construction of hydroelectric dams in their territory as the Brazilian government ramps up efforts to exploit the power of rivers in the world’s biggest forest.
The Munduruku, Apiaká, Kayabi and Rikbaktsa released a joint statement on Thursday demanding the halt of construction on a cascade of four dams on the Teles Pires – a tributary of the Tapajós.
They say the work at the main area of concern – the São Manoel dam – threatens water quality and fish stocks. The site has already reportedly expanded almost to the edge of a nearby village, although the local communities say they have not been consulted as they obliged to be under national laws and international standards.
“The government builds dams without completing environmental studies, without seeking to understand the consequences of the destruction of nature in our lives. It authorizes the operation of dams without giving a response to indigenous people and leaving their lives without fish, without water, without hunting as they try to hide their negative impacts on our lives, our rivers and our territories,” the statement read....earthfirstjournal.org
1/5/15
Chernobyl Sarcophagus Faces €85Mln Funding Shortfall - Spanish Newspaper...
ReplyDeleteA massive engineering project to make the Chernobyl nuclear power plant safe is facing a €85 million funding shortfall, Spanish El Pais newspaper reported.
A makeshift sarcophagus built in the explosion’s aftermath was supposed to protect the environment from radiation for at least 30 years. But it has since developed cracks.
The project to build a new radiation container had been due for completion this year but the deadline was pushed to November 2017, as costs mushroomed from an initial estimate of €800 million to more than €2.15 billion now.
International donors agreed to pay an extra 180 million euros to fund the construction of a new cover for the disused Chernobyl nuclear power plant at a conference in London on Wednesday.
“Chernobyl pledging event raises 180 million euros to close funding gap,” the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is managing the talks, said in a statement.....http://sptnkne.ws/hjA
2/5/15
Nepal urges foreign rescue workers in capital to return home...
ReplyDeleteNepal's government urged foreign rescue workers in the quake-hit capital to return home Monday as hundreds of people visited Buddhist shrines and monasteries to mark the birthday of Gautam Buddha.
Information Minister Minendra Rijal said the major rescue work in Kathmandu and surrounding areas have been completed and that the remaining operations can be handled by local workers. However, work remained in the villages and remote mountain areas and foreign aid volunteers could work with local police and army rescuers in those areas, he said.
Since the April 25 earthquake, 4,050 rescue workers from 34 different nations have flown to Nepal to help in rescue operations, provide emergency medical care and distribute food and other necessities. The death toll from the quake, Nepal's worst in more than 80 years, reached 7,276, police said....ctvnews.ca
4/5/15
Pilot to fly solar plane across Pacific for 5 days, 5 nights...
ReplyDeleteA pilot said Sunday that he is anxious but excited about flying a solar plane solo from China to Hawaii on the longest leg of the first attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel.
André Borschberg, 62, is due to fly over the Pacific Ocean for five days and five nights in the plane that has more than 17,000 solar cells on its wings to power its motors and recharge its batteries for nighttime flying.
The Solar Impulse 2 set off from Abu Dhabi in March and has stopped in Oman, India and Myanmar. Borschberg and another Swiss pilot, Bertrand Piccard, are taking turns flying the single-seater Swiss plane during a five-month journey to promote renewable energy use.
The 8,175-kilometer (5,079-mile) flight from Nanjing in eastern China to Hawaii - which may take off Thursday, depending on weather - is the seventh of 12 flights. None of the previous legs were more than 20 hours - compared with an estimated flight time of 120 hours to Hawaii.
"It's the most challenging, yes, in the sense that we never flew over the oceans," Borschberg said in a phone interview from Nanjing.....AP......dailystar.com.lb
4/5/15
Mount Everest to remain shut this season...
ReplyDeleteThe Nepalese government has decided to shut Mount Everest for this season as routes above the base camp which were hit by violent avalanches, were found impossible to be refixed, media reported on Monday.
Special teams of Sherpas, known as Icefall Doctors assigned by Nepal's Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), said that numerous avalanches triggered by the devastating earthquake on April 25 and its aftershocks had caused massive damage on the Everest route, and this cannot be fixed for this season, the Himalayan Times reported....timesofindia.indiatimes.com
4/5/15
Mount Everest remains open to climbers, a senior official at Nepal's tourism department said on Monday, despite avalanches after last month's devastating earthquake destroying much of the established route to the summit of the world's highest peak...
ReplyDeleteNepal's worst earthquake in decades has killed more than 7,200 people, including at least 18 climbers on Everest who were hit by a massive avalanche that wiped out part of the base camp.
But Nepal, which makes thousands of dollars from climbers, has hesitated over whether or not to officially close the mountain, and on Monday was still leaving the decision to press ahead to individual climbers.
Climbers pay $11,000 each to climb Everest, and 357 were registered for this climbing season.....REUTERS.......timesofindia.indiatimes.com
4/5/15
Egypt to attract 20 pct more tourists this year: minister...
ReplyDeleteEgypt will attract about 20 percent more visitors this year compared with 2014, the tourism minister said Monday, as the holiday sector recovers after four years of political upheaval, violence and street protests.
About 2.15 million tourists visited the country in the first quarter, up 6.9 percent from a year ago, Khaled Ramy said. Advance bookings indicate the full-year total would be around 12 million, below 2010's peak of 14.7 million but above 2014's 9.9 million.
"In the next four-and-a-half years we have to increase by double-digit [percentages] every year," the minister said.
Egypt's tourism revenue reached a peak at $12.5 billion a year in 2010, but was less than half that in 2013 as turmoil in the run up to the army's toppling of Islamist President Mohammad Morsi deterred visitors.....Reuters....dailystar.com.lb
4/5/15
Strong earthquake hits near Papua New Guinea, no reports of damage...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - A large magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on Tuesday around 150 km (93 miles) south of the town of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey said, setting off a tsunami warning within 300 km of the epicenter.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued the warning but said that a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami reaching as far as Hawaii was not expected.
The quake, downgraded from an initial estimate of 7.5, struck around 0140 GMT (9.40 p.m. EDT) at a depth of 63 km and was the latest in a series of strong tremors to hit the region....reuters.com
Σταθάκης: Είμαστε σε διαπραγματεύσεις με την Cosco για τον Πειραιά...
ReplyDelete«Η κυβέρνηση καλείται σήμερα, στο πλαίσιο του συνόλου των διαπραγματεύσεων και των ανοιγμάτων που έχει κάνει, να διαχειριστεί με τον καλύτερο τρόπο και να αλλάξει ριζικά τους όρους της σύμβασης σχετικά με την ιδιωτικοποίηση του ΟΛΠ.
«Η κυβέρνηση καλείται σήμερα, στο πλαίσιο του συνόλου των διαπραγματεύσεων και των ανοιγμάτων που έχει κάνει, να διαχειριστεί με τον καλύτερο τρόπο και να αλλάξει ριζικά τους όρους της σύμβασης σχετικά με την ιδιωτικοποίηση του ΟΛΠ.
» Βρίσκεται σε διαπραγματεύσεις με την COSCO και επιμένουμε σε μια συνολική διαχείριση του λιμανιού του Πειραιά που θα διενεργείται υπό την σκεπή του δημοσίου για να διασφαλίσουμε πλήρως τα συμφέροντα της χώρας». Αυτό δήλωσε ο υπουργός Οικονομίας Γιώργος Σταθάκης, απαντώντας σε σχετική επίκαιρη ερώτηση βουλευτή της Χρυσής Αυγής.
Όπως τόνισε ο κ. Σταθάκης, η κυβέρνηση αντιμετωπίζει μια κατάσταση που δεν δημιούργησε η ίδια αλλά κληρονόμησε, ενώ σημείωσε ότι η συζήτηση με την κινέζικη εταιρεία γίνεται ταυτόχρονα με τις διαπραγματεύσεις με τους ευρωπαϊκούς θεσμούς και στο πλαίσιο μιας πολύπλευρης γεωπολιτικής οικονομικής στρατηγικής.
«Η πολιτική μας είναι σαφής και επιδιώκει να μεγιστοποιήσει τα οφέλη του ελληνικού δημοσίου. Η διαπραγμάτευση με την COSCO είναι σε εξέλιξη ώστε να αναζητηθούν λύσεις που θα διαμορφώσουν ένα σύγχρονο μοντέλο διαχείρισης όλων των λιμανιών της χώρας», κατέληξε ο κ. Σταθάκης.
http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22770&subid=2&pubid=64181352
4/5/15
ISS orbit to be adjusted for Soyuz TMA-15M landing...
ReplyDeleteThe Mission Control Center (MCC) outside Moscow will adjust the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, MCC told TASS on Tuesday.
"The Progress M-26M spaceship engine will be ignited at 08:15 am, Moscow time, on May 6 and will work for 736 seconds, giving an impulse of 1.34 metres per second to the station," the source said. According to him, the ISS orbit will be raised by 2.13 km in this manoeuvre to reach 400 km in average.
The orbit adjustment manoeuvre will be made to ensure the conditions for landing of the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft that is scheduled for May 14.
According to previous reports, due to the contingency with the Progress M-27M cargo spacecraft that was launched on April 28, the manoeuvre could be cancelled or postponed.
http://tass.ru/en/non-political/792982
Tornado as violent storms batter northern Germany...
ReplyDeleteViolent storms have swept the north of Germany, causing widespread damage and leaving at least one person dead.
A tornado triggered by the storms caused severe damage in the town of Buetzow, near Rostock, hurling cars 70m (230ft) and damaging buildings.
In the city of Hamburg, a 26-year-old man was killed and his pregnant girlfriend injured when debris was blown on to their car.
High winds and lightning halted bus and train services, causing travel chaos.
The railway line between Hamburg and Leubeck was blocked in both directions by a fallen tree.
German media reported wind speeds of up to 119km/h (74mph) in Geilenkirchen north of Aachen.....bbc.com
6/5/15
Volcano alert raised for Mount Hakone...
ReplyDeleteJapanese authorities raised the volcano alert for Mount Hakone, a popular tourist spot southwest of Tokyo, on Wednesday morning, anticipating a possible small eruption that could impact the nearby Owakudani hot spring district and calling on people to stay away from potentially dangerous areas.
The alert has been raised from 1, which denotes normal levels, to 2, a level that regulates entry to areas around the volcanic vent, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The number of volcanic earthquakes there on Tuesday reached 116, the highest ever recorded in one day, the agency said.......Kyodo
6/5/15
No-go zone declared at Hakone as officials raise volcano alert...
DeleteJapanese authorities raised the volcano alert for Mount Hakone, a popular tourist spot southwest of Tokyo, on Wednesday morning, anticipating a possible small eruption that could impact the nearby Owakudani hot spring district and calling on people to stay away from potentially dangerous areas.
The alert has been raised from 1, which denotes normal levels, to 2, a level that regulates entry to areas around the volcanic vent, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.....Kyodo
7/5/15
Zwei Tote bei Unglück auf Ölplattform ...
ReplyDeleteBei einem Unfall auf einer Ölplattform im Golf von Mexiko sind zwei Arbeiter ums Leben gekommen. Die Plattform Troll Solution der Firma Typhoon habe vor der Küste des Bundesstaats Campeche Schlagseite bekommen, teilte der mexikanische Energiekonzern Pemex am Dienstag mit. 101 Arbeiter seien in Sicherheit gebracht worden, teilte das Unternehmen Grupo Salinas mit, zu dem Typhoon gehört.
Pemex wies Medienberichte zurück, nach denen die Troll Solution untergegangen sei. Die mobile Plattform wird für Instandhaltungsarbeiten an Bohrlöchern benutzt."Die Plattform verfügt über sämtliche Sicherheitsmechanismen, die für eine Einrichtung dieser Größe notwendig sind", hieß es in einer Stellungnahme der Salinas Group. "Unglücklicherweise kommt es trotz Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu Unfällen." Ermittlungen durch mexikanische Bundesbehörden laufen...kurier.at
6/5/15
California Regulators Approve Mandatory Water Restrictions ...
ReplyDeleteCalifornia's water regulators have approved steep mandatory cuts in water usage as the western U.S. state struggles amid a catastrophic drought now in its fourth year.
The State Water Resources Control Board voted 5-0 Tuesday on a plan that calls on cities and local agencies to reduce water usage by amounts ranging from eight percent to 36 percent in cities that use the most water. The mandatory restrictions are the first of their kind imposed in California.
Recent figures released by the board show that Californians reduced their water usage by less than four percent in March compared with the same month in 2013.....voanews.com
6/5/15
Thailand says making progress against illegal fishing...
ReplyDeleteThailand has made significant headway in the fight against illegal fishing, Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula said on Wednesday, following a decision by the European Union last month to give the country six months to drastically clean up its fishing industry.
The world's third-largest seafood exporter was issued a "yellow card" by the EU and risks an embargo on its fish exports in October unless it cracks down on illegal fishing.
Thailand's annual exports to the EU are estimated to be worth between 575 million euros and 730 million euros (539 million pounds)....channelnewsasia.com
6/5/15
Indonesian police have arrested a suspected wildlife smuggler after discovering nearly two dozen rare birds, mostly yellow-crested cockatoos, jammed inside plastic water bottles in his luggage...
ReplyDeleteThe 37-year-old man was stopped by police Monday as he alighted from a passenger ship in Surabaya, a city on the man island of Java.
Photographs show the birds, with distinctive yellow plumage, peering out of the bottles after being found by officers. The bottoms of the bottles had been cut off to squeeze the birds inside.
The head of the criminal investigation unit at the Tanjung Perak port, Aldy Sulaiman, said police found the live birds stashed inside the man's luggage......dailystar.com.lb
Indonesia urged to combat wildlife smuggling...
DeleteAn Indonesia-based environmental protection organization has called on the government to tighten measures against the smuggling of wildlife after police discovered more than 20 endangered birds in plastic bottles on a ship.
The chairman of ProFauna Indonesia told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that the port in Surabaya city where a man was recently arrested for smuggling 23 live birds -- including 22 endangered yellow-crested cockatoos -- was a transit point in the illegal trade of protected wildlife.
"We asked the transportation department to tighten supervision of passengers," Rosek Nursahid said. "There should be a ban on bringing protected animals in public transportation such as train, aircraft, boat and bus."
Police arrested Mulyono -- who like many Indonesians uses only one name -- at Tanjung Perak Port on Monday while he was carrying a yellow-crested cockatoo and a green parrot.
National news agency Antara reported that police also seized 21 other yellow-crested cockatoos that Mulyono, 37, would not claim.
Aldy Sulaiman, a police officer at the port, told reporters that the birds were listed as protected and were “put in bottles of mineral water" to prevent them from drawing suspicion by flapping their wings.
Yellow-crested cockatoos have a value of around $1,500 each on the domestic market.....http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/505653--indo
6/5/15
Kagoshima residents appeal court’s go-ahead to restart Sendai reactors...
ReplyDeleteLocal residents on Wednesday appealed a court decision last month dismissing calls to stop the restart of two reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture.
The appeal, filed with the Fukuoka High Court’s Miyazaki branch, disputes the Kagoshima District Court’s rejection of a local call for an injunction to stop the restart of the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Kyushu Electric Power Co. plant.
While the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to restart reactors taken offline after the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns, many in the country remain opposed to such moves due to lingering safety concerns.
On April 22, the district court ruled that there were no “irrationalities” in Japan’s new safety standards adopted in the wake of the Fukushima crisis, and that, having cleared those standards, the Sendai plant is fit for operation.....Kyodo
6/5/15
Un parque zoológico de la ciudad de Oklahoma, EE.UU., ha sido golpeado por un tornado este miércoles y sus propietarios confirman que algunos animales exóticos quedaron "sueltos", informan medios locales...
ReplyDeleteLas autoridades piden a los ciudadanos no salir de sus casas, ya que entre los animales que han escapado hay tigres y caimanes.
rt.com
7/5/15
Scientists say they have discovered a new type of stem cell that has the potential to develop into any kind of body tissue, which could aid research into early human development and, eventually, may allow human organs to be grown in large animals...
ReplyDeleteScientists previously only knew about two types of pluripotent stem cells, both of which were difficult to grow in large numbers or guide to mature into specific types of adult cells. But researchers at the Salk Institute have identified a type of pluripotent cell that is easier to grow in vitro and grafts into an embryo when injected into the right spot....http://sptnkne.ws/hZR
7/5/15
Tornadoes in Oklahoma destroy homes, flip cars...
ReplyDeleteTornadoes raked the southern Plains Wednesday, overturning cars on an Oklahoma City interstate and destroying dozens of homes.
No deaths were immediately reported from the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma and rural parts of Kansas and Nebraska.
The worst damage seemed to be in the Oklahoma City area. A twister destroyed homes at Bridge Creek, Amber and Blanchard, southwest of the city, and it appeared another tornado touched down later Wednesday evening when a second storm came through the area.
"We have damage reports, so we do strongly think there was a tornado on the south side of Oklahoma City," meteorologist Michael Scotten with the National Weather Service in Norman said after the second storm that hit around 8:40 p.m.
That storm flipped vehicles on Interstate 35 and left power lines strewn across the roadway, Scotten said.....ctvnews.ca
6-7/5/15
Des tornades balaient le centre des Etats-Unis...
ReplyDeletePlusieurs tornades ont balayé le centre des Etats-Unis mercredi, détruisant des maisons et arrachant des arbres, ont rapporté des médias américains. Il n'a été fait état d'aucune victime dans l'immédiat.
Selon la chaîne spécialisée Weather Channel, au moins 29 tornades ont été observées à travers le Kansas, le Nebraska, le Texas et l'Oklahoma, Etat dans lequel de nombreuses maisons ont été détruites.
Des images d'une chaîne de télévision locale affiliée à CNN montrent d'importantes destructions dans l'Oklahoma, y compris un immeuble dévasté.
Le Service de météo national, dans un communiqué, a prévenu les personnes chargées de surveiller les tempêtes et les secours qu'elles devaient "se tenir prêtes".
"Un épisode météorologique sévère restera une menace quotidienne à travers les Plaines et le Midwest jusqu'au week-end en raison de phénomènes climatiques qui se déplacent très lentement en Amérique du Nord", a-t-il ajouté.
AFP
rtbf.be
7/5/15
The Philippines is preparing to evacuate residents along its northeastern coast as a typhoon approaches, as well as those near a rumbling volcano that has been spewing steam and ash over a central province, officials said on Friday....
ReplyDeleteTyphoon Noul was about 480 km (300 miles) northeast of the town of Borongan in Eastern Samar province early on Friday, with wind gusts of up to 185 km per hour (115 mph), and was expected to make landfall as a category four storm at the weekend.
Thousands of passengers have already been stranded in seaports along the central and eastern Philippines after authorities stopped vessels from sailing because of rough seas.
Officials warned that heavy rain from the typhoon could cause lahar, or flows of mud and debris, around Mount Bulusan, a volcano that has been spewing ash this week.
"There could be lahar flow, mudslides, that could sweep away houses in the area if there is heavy rain ... that is the danger," Esperanza Cayanan, division head at the weather bureau, told a briefing at the national disaster agency.
jpost.com by Reuters
8/5/15
Ενας στους τέσσερις Ελληνες διαθέτει ποδήλατο, ωστόσο το 3% το χρησιμοποιεί ως βασικό μέσο για τις μετακινήσεις του.
ReplyDeleteΑυτό προκύπτει από έρευνα που διενεργήθηκε για λογαριασμό του WWF Ελλάς, στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος «Καλύτερη Ζωή». Σύμφωνα με αυτήν, το 15% των Αθηναίων δήλωσε ότι «δεν έχει κάνει ποτέ/δεν ξέρει» ποδήλατο, ενώ περίπου το 40% έχει να κάνει ποδήλατο από παλιά ή την παιδική ηλικία τους.
Τέλος, σχετικά με τη συχνότητα χρήσης του ποδηλάτου, το 21% των πολιτών είπε ότι το χρησιμοποιεί όσο συχνά θέλει ενώ το 32% το χρησιμοποίησε τον τελευταίο χρόνο.
Four people were injured Friday when the ceiling collapsed at part of the domestic terminal of Istanbul's Ataturk airport, Turkish media reports said...
ReplyDeleteThree security workers and one traveller were injured when the suspension ceiling collapsed in the security control area at the entrance to the domestic terminal, the CNN-Turk television station reported.
Turkish television images showed debris and broken support struts from the ceiling strewn around the X-Ray security machines and the injured being strapped into stretchers.
Ataturk airport, named after modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and located on the western outskirts of Istanbul, is the busiest airport in the country.
AFP
dailystar.com.lb
8/5/15
More than 20 dead whales found beached in Chile...
ReplyDeleteMore than 20 whales were found dead and rotting along a rocky coast of southern Chile, maritime officials said Friday, as they tried to determine what killed them and when.
The whales, discovered beached north of the Gulf of Penas, measured about 10 meters (33 feet) long, according to officials with Chile's national fisheries service.
Officials identified them as sei whales, which are internationally protected after being hunted nearly to extinction during the middle of the 20th century.
Images showed the decaying mammals grouped together and laid out along a grass-and-rock shoreline.
They were discovered by a group of foreign scientists who were conducting research in the area.
"The number of dead whales exceeded 20, but we have not tallied the total," a fisheries service source told AFP, declining to be identified.
Bad weather was hampering attempts to determine exactly how many whales had died and when.......AFP......dailystar.com.lb
9/5/15
Mais de 20 baleias encontradas encalhadas no Chile...
DeleteAs baleias, que foram descobertas encalhadas numa praia por uma equipa de cientistas internacionais que realizava investigação na área, medem aproximadamente de dez metros de comprimento.
As más condições meteorológicas têm dificultado as tentativas de determinar exatamente quantas baleias morreram, quando e porquê.
As autoridades identificaram-nas como baleias-sei -- também conhecidas como baleias sardinheiras -- uma espécie internacionalmente protegida depois de ter sido caçada quase até à extinção durante meados do século XX.
"Estavam por todo o lado, nove estavam feridas, por isso acreditamos que sofreram uma 'maré vermelha' [florescimento de algas] ou um vírus", disse o biólogo alemão Vreni Haussermann, que lidera o grupo que encontrou as baleias, realçando que em 15 anos de investigação na área nunca viu nada assim.
As baleias foram detetadas a 21 de abril pelo grupo de cientistas que só recentemente conseguiu alertar as autoridades chilenas.
jn.pt
9/5/15
Food wastage an ‘enormous’ global concern, G20 says...
ReplyDeleteFood wasted by consumers is an enormous economic problem and nations should ensure excess food is given to the hungry instead of being thrown away, agriculture ministers from the Group of 20 leading countries said yesterday (May 8).
The two-day meeting in Istanbul has focused on problems of food security and nutrition, including the impact of climate change. A reduction in the amount of food wasted would improve food security, the ministers said in their final communique.
“We note with great concern the significant extent of food loss and waste ... and their negative consequences for food security, nutrition, use of natural resources and the environment,” the ministers said.
“We highlight this as a global problem of enormous economic, environmental and societal significance.”
An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food, or roughly 30 per cent of global production, is lost or wasted annually, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said last year.
UN agencies said this would easily feed the world’s 800 million hungry......Reuters.....todayonline.com
9/5/15
Liberia declared Ebola-free after weeks of no cases...
ReplyDeleteThe World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Liberia free of the Ebola virus, confirming that the country has had no new cases in 42 days.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told the BBC that Liberia had "crossed the Rubicon" and would be celebrating a concerted effort to stem the disease.
More than 4,700 deaths from Ebola have been recorded in Liberia, more than in any other affected country.
Neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to fight the outbreak.
It has claimed over 11,000 lives across the region since last year....bbc.com
9/5/15
Tropical storm arrives weeks before start of Atlantic hurricane season...
ReplyDeleteEarly surprise Ana muscled up to a tropical storm early Saturday as it plodded toward the Carolinas, threatening to push dangerous surf and drenching rains up against the Southeast coast as it made its appearance weeks ahead of the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Ana was centred at 8 a.m. ET about 185 kilometres south of Wilmington, North Carolina and about 165 kilometres southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had top sustained winds of 95 kph.
Ana was moving north-northwest at 7 kph on a forecast track expected to bring it "very near" the coasts of South and North Carolina sometime Sunday morning,....ctvnews.ca
9/5/15
At least five people died after violent storms and tornadoes battered parts of the southern United States over the weekend, leaving at least eight more missing and dozens injured, officials said Monday...
DeleteA couple was killed in Nashville, Arkansas on Sunday when powerful winds smashed their mobile home in a trailer park, Howard County Coroner John Gray told local media. An infant in the home reportedly survived.
About 180 miles (290 kilometers) to the southwest in Van, Texas, a husband and wife were found dead near a mobile home park, according to the Dallas Morning News, which said eight people remained missing there.
And one person drowned in the town of Corsicana, 60 miles southwest of Van, according to the Corsicana Daily Sun.....AFP....ahram.org.eg
L'épidémie d'Ebola est terminée au Liberia, annonce l'OMS...
ReplyDeleteL'épidémie d'Ebola est terminée au Liberia, où 42 jours se sont écoulés sans nouveaux cas signalés, a annoncé samedi à Monrovia un responsable de l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) lors d'une cérémonie officielle en présence de la présidente libérienne Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
"Aujourd'hui, 9 mai 2015, l'OMS déclare le Liberia exempt de la transmission du virus Ebola. 42 jours se sont écoulés depuis le dernier cas confirmé en laboratoire", décédé et qui a été inhumé le 28 mars.
"L'épidémie d'Ebola au Liberia est terminée", a affirmé ce responsable de l'OMS, Alex Gasasira.
Le 9 mai a marqué l'expiration d'un délai de deux fois la période maximale d'incubation (21 jours) après le dernier décès enregistré, sans autre nouveau cas.
Cela représente, a-t-il estimé, "une réalisation monumentale" pour le Liberia, qui a décompté en un an plus de 4700 morts sur quelque 10 500 cas, avec, au pic de l'épidémie entre août et septembre 2014, "300 à 400 nouveaux cas par semaine".............http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_l-epidemie-d-ebola-est-terminee-au-liberia-declare-l-oms?id=8976529
9/5/15
Multiple tornadoes tore through the southern U.S. state of Texas on Saturday, leaving one person dead and others unaccounted for in a sparsely populated farming and ranching area as the system slowly weakened while advancing toward Fort Worth...
ReplyDeleteWalter Fairbanks, fire chief in Cisco, confirmed there was one fatality when the tornado hit Saturday afternoon near the town.
Authorities were going house to house to assess the damage, but that proved difficult amid the heavy rainfall, Eastland County Judge Rex Fields said.
"There is a considerable amount of damage,'' Fields, who also serves as the county's emergency services coordinator, told The Associated Press. "Homes have been lost.''......voanews.com
Des sons bizarres enregistrés à 36 km d'altitude...
ReplyDeletePour la première fois depuis un demi-siècle, les scientifiques ont enregistré des bruits étranges à la frontière entre la stratosphère et l'espace.
Pour l'instant, les chercheurs n'ont pas réussi à identifier l'origine de ces sons mais l'intensité et la complexité des signaux infrasonores sont frappantes. Les chercheurs préparent de nouvelles expériences.
Les sons ont été enregistrés à l'aide d'un équipement développé par un doctorant de l'Université de la Caroline du Nord, Daniel Bowman, dans le cadre d'un projet de la NASA. Au cours de l'expérience, des microphones spéciaux ont été transportés dans la haute atmosphère par un ballon gonflé d'hélium. Il est monté à une altitude de 37 500 mètres, soit largement au-dessus du niveau des vols d'avions, mais sous la frontière entre l'espace ouvert et les couches supérieures de la stratosphère.
Les appareils ont enregistré des sifflements et des grésillements d'une fréquence inférieure à 20 Hz. Pour l'oreille humaine, ces signaux sont inaudibles. Pour entendre ces sons mystérieux, il faut donc accélérer l'enregistrement du microphone.
fr.sputniknews.com
10/5/15
Shell moves step closer to Arctic drilling off Alaska after clearing U.S. government hurdle...
ReplyDeleteRoyal Dutch Shell’s Arctic drilling program has cleared a major bureaucratic hurdle to begin drilling for oil and gas off Alaska’s northwestern coast this summer.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Monday approved the multiyear exploration plan in the Chukchi Sea for Shell after reviewing thousands of comments from the public, Alaska Native organizations and state and federal agencies.
The approval came just days before a planned protest of the drilling program in Seattle.
Shell must still obtain other permits from state and federal agencies, including one to drill from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The company must also obtain government opinions that find Shell can comply with terms and conditions of the Endangered Species Act.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said the approval “is an important milestone and signals the confidence regulators have in our plan. However, before operations can begin this summer, it’s imperative that the remainder of our permits be practical, and delivered in a timely manner.....AP
Shell gets 'conditional' US Arctic drilling approval...
DeleteOil firm Royal Dutch Shell has won approval from the US Department of Interior to explore for oil in the Arctic.
The approval depends on Shell getting a nod from other US regulators, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said.
Shell stopped Arctic exploration more than two years ago after problems including an oil rig fire and safety failures.
Environmental campaigners oppose the move.
Shell has spent about $6bn (£3.85bn) on exploration in the Arctic - a region estimated to have about 20% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas....BBC
M 7.3 - NEPAL - 2015-05-12 07:05:19 UTC ... local time: 12:50....
ReplyDeleteMagnitude Mw 7.3
Region NEPAL
Date time 2015-05-12 07:05:19.0 UTC
Location 27.89 N ; 86.17 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 86 km E of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 12:50:19.0 2015-05-12
23 km E of Kodāri, Nepal / pop: 1,600 / local time: 12:50:19.0 2015-05-12
emsc-csem.org
M7.3 - 18km SE of Kodari, Nepal....
ReplyDeleteTime
2015-05-12 07:05:19 (UTC)
2015-05-12 10:05:19 (UTC+03:00)
Nearby Cities
18km (11mi) SE of Kodari, Nepal
59km (37mi) ENE of Banepa, Nepal
62km (39mi) ENE of Panaoti, Nepal
76km (47mi) ENE of Kathmandu, Nepal
77km (48mi) ENE of Patan, Nepal
usgs.gov
12/5/15
Major earthquake strikes Nepal...
ReplyDeleteA major earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, two weeks after more than 8,000 people were killed in a devastating quake.
The latest earthquake hit near the town of Namche Bazar, near Mount Everest.
The US Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.3. An earthquake on 25 April, centred in western Nepal, had a magnitude of 7.8.
The latest tremor was felt as far away as the Indian capital Delhi, as well as Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
Strong tremors were felt in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, which was badly damaged in last month's earthquake.....bbc.com
New Strong Earthquake Hits Nepal ...
ReplyDeleteA strong earthquake struck Nepal early Tuesday afternoon, shaking a country still dealing with a devastating quake that hit less than three weeks ago.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the new earthquake measured magnitude 7.4 with its center about 80 kilometers east of the capital, Kathmandu.
That is about 150 kilometers from the epicenter of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck on April 25, killing more than 8,000 people and leaving thousands homeless.
The government and aid agencies have been working to provide food, water and shelter in an operation that struggled in its early days because of aftershocks, bad weather and the challenge of reaching outlying areas in the Himalayan nation........voanews.com
M 3.8 - CRETE, GREECE - 2015-05-12...local time: 13:17...
ReplyDeleteMagnitude ML 3.8
Region CRETE, GREECE
Date time 2015-05-12 10:17:26.6 UTC
Location 35.06 N ; 25.22 E
Depth 2 km
Distances 346 km SE of Athens, Greece / pop: 729,137 / local time: 13:17:27.1 2015-05-12
26 km S of Irákleion, Greece / pop: 137,154 / local time: 13:17:27.1 2015-05-12
9 km SW of Arkalochóri, Greece / pop: 3,537 / local time: 13:17:27.1 2015-05-12 ..
emsc-csem.org
French police are investigating fires that caused minor damage near three nuclear installations, state-owned utility EDF and atomic research agency CEA said on Tuesday...
ReplyDeleteFires broke out on Monday morning at a weather station near EDF's former Brennilis nuclear power station in Brittany and another near its Belleville nuclear plant on the Loire river, a spokeswoman said.
She said the fire had damaged equipment belonging to the IRSN nuclear research institute used to measure pollution and radioactivity at the weather stations, which are each about 1.5 kilometres away from the nuclear plants.
"Police investigations are ongoing," the EDF spokeswoman said......Reuters.....channelnewsasia.com
12/5/15
Séisme de 6,8 au large des côtes du nord-est du Japon...
ReplyDelete(Belga) Un puissant séisme de magnitude 6,8 s'est produit mercredi matin au large des côtes du nord-est du Japon, a annoncé l'Institut américain de géophysique (USGS).
Les autorités japonaises n'ont pas émis d'alerte au tsunami et aucun dégât n'a pour le moment été signalé. Le séisme a été enregistré à 06H12 locales (23H12 HB mardi) au large de la préfecture de Miyagi, sur l'île principale Honshu, dans l'océan Pacifique et à une profondeur de 38,9 km. L'agence météorologique japonaise a indiqué qu'il n'y avait pas de risque de tsunami. Une grande partie de la zone secouée, de l'île septentrionale de Hokkaido à Tokyo, avait été meurtrie le 11 mars 2011 par le tsunami qui a dévasté la région, fait plus de 18.000 morts et provoqué l'accident nucléaire de Fukushima. Cette fois, selon la chaîne de télévision publique NHK, les opérateurs des centrales atomiques de la région (dont le complexe saccagé Fukushima Daiichi) ont fait savoir qu'aucune nouvelle anomalie n'avait été relevée. Des trains ont été temporairement arrêtés pour le contrôle des voies, mais ont été remis en service quelques dizaines de minutes plus tard, selon la NHK. Tous les réacteurs du Japon sont actuellement stoppés pour des mises en conformité aux nouvelles normes rendues plus sévères, avant une éventuelle remise en exploitation. Le Japon est situé à la jonction de quatre plaques tectoniques et enregistre chaque année environ 20% des séismes les plus violents recensés sur la planète. (Belga)
rtl.be
13/5/15
M 6.8 - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 2015-05-12 21:13:01 UTC....local time: 06:13...
ReplyDeleteMagnitude Mw 6.8
Region NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Date time 2015-05-12 21:13:01.8 UTC
Location 38.99 N ; 141.98 E
Depth 60 km
Distances 125 km NE of Sendai-shi, Japan / pop: 1,037,562 / local time: 06:13:01.8 2015-05-13
25 km E of Ōfunato, Japan / pop: 35,418 / local time: 06:13:01.8 2015-05-13
emsc-csem.org
Geological experts on a panel under the Nuclear Regulation Authority said Wednesday that faults running beneath a nuclear plant in central Japan may be active, clouding the prospects for resuming its operations...
ReplyDeleteFour outside experts of the five-member panel told a meeting it is possible the fault running right under the No. 1 reactor at Hokuriku Electric Power Co.’s two-unit plant in Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, is active.
The panel also pointed out that two other faults beneath the Nos. 1 and 2 turbine buildings could have moved in the past.
Building reactors or other nuclear facilities directly above active faults is prohibited. The issue came into the spotlight after the triple meltdown at Tepco’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant, which was triggered by a megaquake and tsunami. The disaster resulted in all of the country’s commercial reactors being taken offline by September 2013.....Kyodo/japantimes.co.jp
Ιταλία: Πλαφόν επισκεπτών στον αρχαιολογικό χώρο της Πομπηίας...
ReplyDeleteΜέχρι 15.000 άνθρωποι θα μπορούν να επισκέπτονται τον αρχαιολογικό χώρο της Πομπηίας, ημερησίως, σύμφωνα με απόφαση που έλαβε το ιταλικό υπουργείο Πολιτισμού, προκειμένου να προστατευθούν οι 2.000 ετών σπάνιες νωπογραφίες στα σωζόμενα κτήρια του χώρου.
Όπως διαπιστώθηκε ύστερα από έρευνα κλιμακίου της UNESCO, η παρουσία μεγάλου αριθμού επισκεπτών αυξάνει τα ποσοστά υγρασίας, επηρεάζοντας κατ’ αυτόν τον τρόπο το μικροκλίμα στους επισκέψιμους χώρους. Κατά συνέπεια οι συνθήκες που δημιουργούνται είναι ιδιαίτερα επιβαρυντικές για τις αριστουργηματικές νωπογραφίες. Το πρόβλημα παρατηρείται κυρίως τις Κυριακές, οπότε η είσοδος στον αρχαιολογικό χώρο είναι ελεύθερη. Είναι χαρακτηριστικό πως την Κυριακή 3 Μαΐου ο χώρος δέχθηκε 35.000 επισκέπτες......http://news.in.gr/culture/article/?aid=1231407646
14/5/15
Heavy rain caused flooding in New Zealand's capital Thursday that left one man dead, halted train service and blocked highways during the evening commute...
ReplyDeleteCrews struggled to clear highways, and the shutdown of Wellington's train services delayed travel for many.
Elsewhere in the North Island, a small tornado lifted roofs from buildings in the town of Mount Maunganui near Tauranga.
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown urged people to find alternative accommodation in the city for the night rather than trying to make it home and even opened the downtown library for those who wanted to stay...........AP....http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/floods-disrupt-new-zealand-capital-one-dead-more-rain-forecast-1.2373466
I'm impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog
ReplyDeletethat's both equally educative and entertaining, and without a doubt, you have hit
the nail on the head. The issue is something that not enough people are
speaking intelligently about. Now i'm very happy I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.