-
Four 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........... Amazonian Tribes Unite to Demand Brazil Stop Hydroelectric Dams
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........... Amazonian Tribes Unite to Demand Brazil Stop Hydroelectric Dams
--
Strong under-earth quake jolts Bengkulu, Indonesia...
ReplyDeleteA Powerful under-land quake measuring 6.1 Richter scale hit Bengkulu province of Sumatra Island earlier Saturday, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency reported here.
The quake struck at 03:26 a.m. Jakarta time Saturday (GMT2026 Friday) with epicenter at 50 km northeast Bengkulu Utara and with the depth at 165 km under earth, Ali Imran, official in charge at the agency told Xinhua by phone.
"The quake was felt strong in Benggkulu Utara district for 2 to 3 second," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster management agency told Xinhua by phone after the quake.
Officials are assessing the impact of the quake, said Sutopo.
Indonesia is prone to quake as it sits on a vulnerable quake- hit zone so called "the Pacific Ring of Fire."
http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-05/16/content_35586778.htm
-------------------------
Magnitude Mw 5.9
Region SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Date time 2015-05-15 20:26:56.5 UTC
Location 2.65 S ; 102.12 E
Depth 153 km
Distances 293 km W of Palembang, Indonesia / pop: 1,441,500 / local time: 03:26:56.5 2015-05-16
128 km N of Bengkulu, Indonesia / pop: 309,712 / local time: 03:26:56.5 2015-05-16
101 km NW of Curup, Indonesia / pop: 46,245 / local time: 03:26:56.5 2015-05-16
emsc-csem.org
16/5/15
M 4.8 - NEPAL - 2015-05-16 03:39:25 UTC....local time: 09:24...
ReplyDeleteMagnitude mb 4.8
Region NEPAL
Date time 2015-05-16 03:39:25.3 UTC
Location 27.62 N ; 85.74 E
Depth 2 km
Distances 42 km E of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 09:24:25.3 2015-05-16
22 km E of Banepa, Nepal / pop: 17,153 / local time: 09:24:25.3 2015-05-16
emsc-csem.org
16/5/15
Earthquake M 5.7 - NEPAL - 2015-05-16 11:34:10 UTC...local time: 17:19...
ReplyDeleteMagnitude mb 5.7
Region NEPAL
Date time 2015-05-16 11:34:10.8 UTC
Location 27.64 N ; 86.24 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 91 km E of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 17:19:10.8 2015-05-16
45 km SE of Kodāri, Nepal / pop: 1,600 / local time: 17:19:10.8 2015-05-16
emsc-csem.org
16/5/15
-------------------
M5.7 - 24km N of Ramechhap, Nepal...
Time
2015-05-16 11:34:10 (UTC)
2015-05-16 14:34:10 (UTC+03:00)
Nearby Cities
24km (15mi) N of Ramechhap, Nepal
55km (34mi) E of Panaoti, Nepal
55km (34mi) E of Banepa, Nepal
76km (47mi) ESE of Kathmandu, Nepal
76km (47mi) E of Patan, Nepal
usgs.gov
16/5/15
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck about 50 miles east of the Nepali capital of Kathmandu, only several days after another major quake rattled the country and two weeks after a major trembler left more than 8,000 people dead throughout the region.
DeleteHundreds of people have gathered in kayaks and small boats for a protest in the north-western US port city of Seattle against oil drilling in the Arctic by the Shell energy giant...
ReplyDeletePaddle in Seattle is being held by activists who say the firm's drilling will damage the environment.
It comes after the first of Shell's two massive oil rigs arrived at the port.
The firm wants to move them in the summer to explore for oil off Alaska's northern coast.
Earlier this week, Shell won conditional approval from the US Department of Interior for oil exploration in the Arctic.
The Anglo-Dutch company still must obtain permits from the federal government and the state of Alaska to begin drilling....BBC
A huge glacier has collapsed in China, burying over 100 cattles, crushing dozens of houses and damaging 1,000 hectares of grassland...
ReplyDeleteNo casualties have been reported in the glacier slide that occurred in the Akto County of the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang.
About 60 families were evacuated after the 20-kilometre-long and one-kilometre-wide glacier devoured their land.
Researchers of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have been sent to investigate the glacier's collapse, state-run Xinhua news agency reported......http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Glacier-collapses-in-Chinas-Xinjiangcauses-extensive-damage/articleshow/47314458.cms
17/5/15
A B.C. aboriginal leader says no pipeline projects will be approved by the province's First Nations until they are consulted and satisfied with the steps taken to protect the environment and land rights...
ReplyDeleteGrand Chief Stewart Phillip told CTV's Question Period that, to date, energy companies and the federal government have disregarded the rights of First Nations people and their environmental concerns when proposing major natural resource projects, such as pipelines.
"The First Nations people in British Columbia have long held their absolute constitutional and legal right to defend the environmental integrity of their territories," said Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. "The aboriginal title and rights interest and everything they represent to the First Nations people in British Columbia are not for sale."....ctvnews.ca
17/5/15
Dozens Injured in Protests Over Chinese Railway Project ...
ReplyDeleteAuthorities say 38 civilians and more than 30 policemen were injured in southwestern China during a weekend protest by residents who feared that a planned railway would bypass their remote community.
The county government of Linshui in Sichuan province said in a statement Monday that more than 100 protesters charged police and burned vehicles on Saturday, and that 40 people were detained. It said 20 more were detained Sunday when crowds gathered again. It wasn't immediately clear if the 60 were held or released.
The demonstrators demanded that the railway go through their town, saying it urgently needs its first rail link. They had heard reports it would take another route.
The county government said Monday the route wasn't decided and that it would take into account the residents' wishes.
AP
voanews.com
18/5/15
Ergene project will destroy marine life: Report...
ReplyDeleteA planned clean-up project for Ergene River would destroy natural life in the Marmara Sea, according a report released by several non-governmental organizations and environmental groups May 18.
A report issued by a committee formed by members of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), and Marmara Environmental Monitoring (MAREM), along with contributions from the Ergene and Thrace Platform and Union of the Turkish Bar Association’s Commission for Environmental and Urban Law, says the clean-up project for Ergene River poses a major threat to the environmental life in the Marmara Sea and the surrounding area....hurriyetdailynews.com
18/5/15
A massive landslide triggered by heavy rains in northwest Colombia killed at least 33 people Monday, authorities said, warning the death toll could rise...
ReplyDelete"We have 33 dead, but that figure could increase," said Ines Cardona, director of the disaster response agency in the department of Antioquia, after the dawn landslide tore through a ravine in the municipality of Salgar.
AFP
ahram.org.eg
18/5/15
Τουλάχιστον 40 νεκροί από πλημμύρες στην Κολομβία...
DeleteΤουλάχιστον 40 άτομα έχουν σκοτωθεί, ενώ εκατοντάδες αγνοούνται εξαιτίας των πλημμυρών από τις σφοδρές βροχές που σημειώθηκαν το βράδυ της Δευτέρας στην Μπογκοτά της Κολομβίας.
Εκατοντάδες σπίτια είναι ετοιμόρροπα, καθώς υπερχείλισε το φαράγγι στέλνοντας νερό και λάσπη στα γειτονικά σπίτια στην περιοχή Σαλγκαρ. «Το μόνο που γνωρίζουμε είναι ότι οι νερκοί ξεπερνούν τους 40 και πολλές οικογένειες έχουν απομακρυνθεί από τις εστίες τους», δήλωσε εκπρόσωπος της δημοτικής αστυνομίας.
kathimerini.com.cy
18/5/15
Rescuers search for missing in Colombian town hurt by flood, mudslide...
DeleteRescuers searched for more bodies Tuesday and sought to aid the hundreds of survivors of a deadly flood and mudslide triggered by heavy rains that swept through a Colombian town, carrying away homes and people.
The avalanche of mud and debris roared through an alpine town of Salgar before dawn Monday, killing at least 58 people, but authorities said an undetermined number of people were still missing.
Survivors recalled being stirred from their beds by a loud rumble and neighbours' shouts, barely having enough time to gather their loved ones as modestly built homes and bridges plunged into the Libordiana ravine.
“The river took out everything in its path,” said construction worker Diego Agudelo, adding that the back part of his home was lost to the river.
Dozens of rescuers supported by Black Hawk helicopters on Monday evacuated residents near the ravine for fear of another mudslide. A red fire truck could be seen hauling away several bodies, their bare feet dangling from an open trunk.........http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/rescuers-search-for-missing-in-colombian-town-hurt-by-flood-mudslide-1.2379895
19/5/15
An unexpected spike in wind has spoiled the prospect of better firefighting conditions in British Columbia's Central Interior, where crews are struggling to make headway against the first major blaze of this year's fire season...
ReplyDeleteB.C.'s Fire Management Branch welcomed Monday's forecast of cooler temperatures and lighter winds in the fight against the Little Bobtail Lake fire, about 70 kilometres southwest of Prince George.
But favourable wind conditions had waned by the afternoon, prompting the blaze to grow to 250 square kilometres -- a jump from Sunday's estimated size of 240 square kilometres.....ctvnews.ca
18/5/15
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a competition to find innovative science and technology solutions to combat illegal wildlife trafficking....
ReplyDeleteUSAID is offering a grand prize of up to $500,000 for innovations from the public to stem the slaughter of wildlife.
Applications have to address at least one of four issues for which innovative science and technology solutions can offer immediate impact.
USAID mission director in Asia Michael Yates said the four areas of concern are: detection of transit routes, strengthening forensic evidence, reducing consumer demand and tackling corruption.
“They're all interlinked. And it's going to take concerted action in each one of these areas to really address this issue. And it's something that needs to be addressed with urgency. The trend lines are just enormously troublesome with respect to the increase in poaching,” said Yates.
Achieving solutions, Yates added, has to involve everyone in society.
“It's not the kind of issue governments will be able to solve on their own. And we look forward to receiving applications from a broad range of creative people to help us better understand how we can – working together – more effectively address each one of the aspects of illegal wildlife trade,” he said.
Interested individuals or organizations have until June 30 to submit a short concept note describing their solution to enter the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge.......http://www.voanews.com/content/competition-launched-to-find-innovations-to-fight-wildlife-trafficking/2777039.html
19/5/15
Έδεσσα: Διαφωνία για τον τρόπο διαχείρισης των υδάτων της λίμνης Βεγορίτιδας...
ReplyDeleteΔιαφωνία σχετικά με τον τρόπο διαχείρισης των υδάτων της λίμνης Βεγορίτιδας έχει προκύψει μετά τη σύσκεψη που πραγματοποιήθηκε, την περασμένη εβδομάδα, στην Περιφέρεια Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας, λόγω της ανόδου της στάθμης της λίμνης και του κινδύνου πλημμυρών για παρακείμενες ιδιοκτησίες και αγροτικές εκτάσεις.
Μετά τη σύσκεψη είχε γίνει γνωστό, ότι με απόφαση των δυο Συντονιστικών Οργάνων Πολιτικής Προστασίας των Περιφερειακών Ενοτήτων Φλώρινας και Πέλλας, η παροχέτευση νερού προς τον Άγρα και την Τάφρο 66 θα γίνεται με ελεγχόμενη ροή από τη ΔΕΗ (με έλεγχο του θηροφράγματος Άρνισσας).
Επίσης, ανακοινώθηκε ότι η ροή θα γίνεται μέχρι τα δύο Συντονιστικά Όργανα Πολιτικής Προστασίας αποφασίσουν να διακόψουν την τροφοδοσία προς την Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Πέλλας, για λόγους πολιτικής προστασίας.
Ωστόσο, όπως αναφέρει ανακοίνωση του Δήμου Έδεσσας, ο δήμαρχος Δημήτρης Γιάννου εξέφρασε τις επιφυλάξεις του για την παραπάνω απόφαση, καθώς με ομόφωνη απόφαση του Δημοτικού Συμβουλίου έχει εκδοθεί ψήφισμα που απαιτεί τη διακοπή της εκτροπής του νερού της λίμνης Βεγορίτιδας.
Παράλληλα, ζήτησε από τους υπόλοιπους συμμετέχοντες να αναλάβουν και την ευθύνη από τυχόν πλημμυρικά φαινόμενα στην περιοχή του Άγρα και των Βρυτών, αλλά και στη Σκύδρα.....zougla.gr
19/5/15
Japan approves third nuclear plant for restart...
ReplyDeleteJapan's nuclear regulator signed off on the basic safety of a reactor at a third nuclear plant on Wednesday, as the country inches toward rebooting its atomic industry more than four years after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
The decision will be a boost for operator Shikoku Electric Power Co, which relied on its sole Ikata nuclear power station in southwestern Japan for about 40 percent of its electricity output before the meltdowns at Fukushima led to the shutdown of all the country's reactors.
For the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, resuming nuclear power, which provided about a third of Japan's electricity supply before Fukushima, is key to lifting the economy out of two decades of anemic growth.
The country has switched to fossil fuels to compensate for the closure of reactors, pushing imports of liquefied natural gas to a record-high 7.78 trillion yen ($65 billion) in the financial year ended March 31.
The safety approval is still only one of three needed before the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) gives its final sign off. The consent of local authorities, which is seen as a formality, is also required, along with operational checks.
At a regular meeting on Wednesday, the NRA's commissioners signed off on a provisional assessment that the Ikata reactor meets new design standards introduced after Fukushima. The decision will be open to public comment for about a month before being formalized.
Located about 700 kms (660 miles) west-southwest of Tokyo on Shikoku island, the Ikata No. 3 reactor started operations in 1994 and has a capacity of 890 megawatts........REUTERS
19/5/15
Κρουαζιερόπλοιο της εταιρείας Norwegian Cruise Lines προσάραξε σε ύφαλο τα ξημερώματα, ώρα Ελλάδας, έχοντας αποπλεύσει από τις Βερμούδες...
ReplyDeleteΔεν υπάρχουν αναφορές για τραυματίες.
Το «Norwegian Dawn» επέστρεφε στη Βοστώνη με 2.657 επιβάτες και περισσότερα από 1.000 άτομα προσωπικό. Η εταιρεία ανακοίνωσε ότι το πλοίο είχε αναχωρήσει από το λιμάνι Κινγκ στις Βερμούδες γύρω στις 17.00 το απόγευμα της Τρίτης (τοπική ώρα) όταν έσβησαν προσωρινά οι μηχανές και λόγω της ταχύτητας που είχε αναπτύξει έπεσε πάνω σε ύφαλο.
«Στο σκάφος λειτουργεί πλήρως το ρεύμα και οι υπηρεσίες προς τους επιβάτες συνεχίζονται κανονικά. Το προσωπικό του πλοίου έχει επιληφθεί της κατάστασης» αναφέρεται στην ανακοίνωση της εταιρείας....zougla.gr
20/5/15
Πετρελαιοκηλίδα προκλήθηκε χτες (Τετάρτη πρωί, ώρα Ελλάδας) στην παραλία Ρεφούτζιο της πόλης Σάντα Μπάρμπαρα στην Καλιφόρνια, ενώ σύμφωνα με το αμερικανικό λιμενικό σώμα είχε ξεκινήσει ο καθαρισμος της περιοχής παρουσία εκπροσώπων της εταιρείας πετρελαίου Exxonmobil...
ReplyDeleteΗ διαρροή πετρελαίου προκλήθηκε το μεσημέρι (τοπική ώρα) από σπασμένο αγωγό που επέβλεπε η εταιρεία Plains All American Pipeline.
Πηγές: ΑΜΠΕ, Γαλλικό πρακτορείο
naftemporiki.gr
A pipeline ruptured Tuesday in California dumping oil along the rocky coast of Santa Barbara and into the Pacific Ocean, the US Coast Guard said...
DeleteThe oil pipeline runs along a coastal highway, and the leak sullied waters at a nearby beach, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Andrea Anderson.
Oil reached along about four miles (six kilometers) of beach, the Coast Guard said on Twitter.
The rocky coast line was colored black by layers of greasy oil and volunteers in rubber boots had mobilized to help in clean-up efforts.
The leak -- which began around midday --- affected a pipeline operated by Plains All America Pipeline, which stopped the flow of oil, the company said.
It said the oil reached the ocean through a drain which has now been blocked off, and "no additional oil is reaching the water."
Plains All America Pipeline said it does not know how much oil leaked.....AFP
Στον καθαρισμό της πετρελαιοκηλίδας που δημιουργήθηκε την Τρίτη στην περιοχή της Σάντα Μπάρμπαρα προχωρούν οι τοπικές Αρχές, όπως ανακοίνωσε το Λιμενικό Σώμα της περιοχής...
DeleteΕκπρόσωποι της εταιρείας πετρελαίου Exxonmobil βρίσκονται στην παραλία Ρεφούτζιο προκειμένου να παρακολουθούν την διαδικασία καθαρισμού της πετρελαιοκηλίδας η οποία δημιουργήθηκε από διαρροή πετρελαίου όταν αγωγός που ήταν υπό την επίβλεψη της εταιρείας Plains All American Pipeline.
Να σημειωθεί τέλος πως την διαδικασία έχει αναλάβει συνεργείο που ειδικεύεται σε τέτοιες περιπτώσεις. Στην περιοχή βρίσκονται και οι Υπηρεσίες Έκτακτης Ανάγκης της Καλιφόρνια προκειμένου να βοηθήσουν όπου χρειαστεί.
kathimerini.com.cy
20/5/15
Workers race to clean California oil spill that spans nine miles...
DeleteTwo oil slicks, stretching nine miles, have formed off the coast of southern California after an onshore pipeline ruptured.
Earlier estimates said a single slick had formed, stretching only four miles.
Officials do not know how much oil has been spilt, but say the pipeline was running at full-capacity when it broke on Tuesday.
While the pipeline has been switched off, it is unclear how long the cleanup will take.
Shovel and rake wielding workers have been fanning out across the beach to clean up oil that is stuck to sand and rocks along Refugio State Beach, which is on the southern Santa Barbara County coast.
Officials said about 105,000 gallons (400,000 litres) spilled from the pipe and about 21,000 gallons had reached the ocean.
Darren Palmer, an official with Plains All American Pipeline LP, who owns the pipe, said it was running at a rate of about 84,000 gallons an hour when it broke....BBC
A state of emergency has been declared in southern California in the US after two oil slicks, stretching nine miles, formed off the coast...
DeleteThe spill near Santa Barbara was caused by a ruptured onshore pipeline.
Officials said the pipeline was running at full-capacity when it broke on Tuesday and about 105,000 gallons (400,000 litres) may have spilled.
While it has now been switched off, it is unclear how long the clean up will take.
Earlier estimates said a single slick had formed, stretching only four miles.
Emergency workers have been fanning out across Refugio State Beach to remove oil that is stuck to sand and rocks.
It is estimated about 21,000 gallons of oil have reached the ocean.
California Governor Jerry Brown declared the state of emergency on Wednesday to help the state "quickly mobilise all available resources".
"We will do everything necessary to protect California's coastline," he added.....bbc.com
21/5/15
More than 22,700 litres of oil had been raked, skimmed and vacuumed from a spill that stretched across 14 kilometres of California coast in a cleanup effort that is now going 24 hours a day, officials said, but that's some of the sticky, stinking goo that escaped from a broken pipeline...
DeleteInvestigators took stock of the scope of the spill on Wednesday a day after the pipeline break, finding that up to 397,500 litres may have leaked out, and up to a fifth of that amount — 75,000 litres — reached the sea, according to estimates.
Federal regulators were investigating the leak as workers in protective suits raked and shoveled the black sludge off the beaches, and boats towed booms into place to corral the two slicks off the Santa Barbara coast.......http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/oil-spill-cleanup-underway-in-california-1.2383542
Syrian antiquities chief says statues moved from Palmyra...
ReplyDeleteHundreds of statues have been moved from the historic Syrian city of Palmyra to locations safe from Islamic State militants who managed to infiltrate it on Wednesday, the country's antiquities chief told Reuters.
Maamoun Abdulkarim said "small groups" of militants had entered the central city, and called on the Syrian army, opposition and international community to save the UNESCO World Heritage site.
"Hundreds and hundreds of statues we were worried would be smashed and sold are all now in safe places," he said. "The fear is for the museum and the large monuments that cannot be moved," Abdulkarim said. "This is the entire world's battle."
REUTERS
Το Μέλλον της Ευρώπης Ευρίσκεται στην Αμερική!...
ReplyDeleteΜπορεί να ηχεί παράξενο και άκρως αντιφατικό αλλά όπως προκύπτει από τις πλέον πρόσφατες δηλώσεις του Σλοβάκου Επιτρόπου υπεύθυνου για τα θέματα Ενεργειακής Ένωσης, κ. Maros Sefcovic, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση επιμένει να συμπεριληφθεί ολόκληρο κεφάλαιο για την Ενέργεια στην υπό διαμόρφωση εμπορική συμφωνία με τις ΗΠΑ, γνωστή ως Διατλαντική Συμφωνία ( TTIP) με στόχο την απεξάρτηση και διαφοροποίηση της ενεργειακής τροφοδοσίας της Ευρώπης. Είναι προφανές ότι η συμπερίληψη ξεχωριστού κεφαλαίου στην εν λόγω συμφωνία ΗΠΑ-ΕΕ έχει αποκλειστικό στόχο την διευκόλυνση Αμερικανικών εξαγωγών φυσικού αερίου και πετρελαίου προς τις χώρες της ΕΕ αφού προβλέπεται ειδικό, και πλέον προνομιακό, φορολογικό και δασμολογικό καθεστώς.
Η συλλογιστική του Επιτρόπου Sefcovic και των περί αυτόν υψηλόβαθμων στελεχών της Ε. Επιτροπής συνοψίζεται στην άποψη ότι το ενεργειακό μέλλον της Ευρώπης ευρίσκεται στην Αμερική, και όχι στην εγγύτερη γεωγραφικά Ευρασία, ότι και αυτό θα εξασφαλισθεί με αθρόες εισαγωγές πετρελαίου (όποτε και εάν τελικά μπορέσουν οι ΗΠΑ να γίνουν πάλι πετρελαϊκή εξαγωγική δύναμη) και φυσικού αερίου. Με άλλα λόγια ο απώτερος στόχος είναι η αντικατάσταση των Ευρωπαϊκών προμηθειών πετρελαίου και φυσικού αερίου από τη Ρωσία και άλλες χώρες με αντίστοιχες από τις ΗΠΑ...............http://www.energia.gr/article.asp?art_id=93994
20/5/15
Την άρση απαγόρευσης αλιείας, ιχθύων και λοιπών υδρόβιων οργανισμών στον ποταμό Έβρο, ανακοίνωσε η αρμόδια υπηρεσία της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας Έβρου...
ReplyDeleteΗ αλιεία στον ποταμό Έβρο, τους παραποτάμους του, τις τεχνητές λίμνες, στα ρέοντα ύδατα (ρέματα, χείμαρροι, κανάλια, διώρυγες) και τους υπόλοιπους υδάτινους σχηματισμός της Π.Ε. Έβρου είχε απαγορευτεί από τον Απρίλιο έως και χθες για την προστασία της αναπαραγωγής.
zougla.gr
20/5/15
Permission refused for 48-turbine wind farm in Co Mayo..
ReplyDeletePlans by a number of State companies to erect more than 150 wind turbines in north Co Mayo have been dealt a serious blow by An Bord Pleanála.
The planning agency has refused Coillte permission to construct a 48-turbine wind farm at Cluddaun, near Moygownagh in north Mayo.
It is seeking further information from the ESB about the environmental impact of a separate proposed development at Oweninny.
The ESB and Bord Na Móna had sought permission to construct what would be the country's biggest wind farm there, with 112 turbines.
An Bord Pleanála says a recent High Court judgment means the proposed Oweninny development may be contrary to planning and sustainable development guidelines.
It is seeking a revised Environmental Impact Assessment from the developers showing how the wind farm would be connected to the National Grid.
It also wants to know what the voltage of the cable transmitting the power would be and whether it would run underground or overground. ESB and Bord Na Móna have until late September to respond.
The board decided the Cluddaun development could impact on a number of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
The decision to refuse permission was also based on the scale of the development, the sensitive habitats that would be disturbed by the development, and the site's isolation from existing public roads.
In its ruling An Bord Pleanála says it was not satisfied that the area was suitable for such a wind farm development, even though it had been identified for this use by Mayo County Council.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0520/702624-wind-farms-mayo/
21/5/15
Εντός δύο μηνών ξεκινούν 25 έργα αποκατάστασης ζημιών από τις πλημμύρες στην Κεντρική Μακεδονία...
ReplyDeleteΣε δύο μήνες θα ξεκινήσουν 25 έργα αποκατάστασης ζημιών από τις πλημμύρες στην Κεντρική Μακεδονία, που έπληξαν κυρίως τις Σέρρες, τη Χαλκιδική και την περιοχή της Χαλκηδόνας, στη Θεσσαλονίκη.
Τα έργα θα χρηματοδοτηθούν με κονδύλιο ύψους δέκα εκατομμυρίων ευρώ από το Πρόγραμμα Δημοσίων Επενδύσεων, η απορρόφηση του οποίου θα ξεκινήσει με την έναρξη των εργασιών.
Τα περισσότερα έργα αφορούν αποκαταστάσεις δρόμων και ρεμάτων και ο χρονικός ορίζοντας υλοποίησής τους τοποθετείται χρονικά από τις υπηρεσίες της Περιφέρειας Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας στον ερχόμενο Οκτώβριο, καθώς τότε λήγουν οι προθεσμίες εκτάκτου ανάγκης.
Σύμφωνα με τον αντιπεριφερειάρχη Υποδομών και Δικτύων της Περιφέρειας Στάθη Αβραμίδη, το ύψος των ζημιών από τις πλημμύρες που έγιναν το χρονικό διάστημα, από τον Νοέμβριο του 2014 μέχρι και τον Μάρτιο του 2015, “αγγίζει” τα εκατό εκατομμύρια ευρώ, ωστόσο επιλέχθηκε να αποκατασταθούν οι ζημιές στα σημεία όπου τα προβλήματα ήταν εντονότερα και η ανάγκη για την αποκατάστασή τους επιτακτικότερη.
Τη μερίδα του λέοντος στη χρηματοδότηση καταλαμβάνει το έργο της αποκατάστασης των αναχωμάτων του ποταμού Στρυμόνα, με 2,2 εκατομμύρια ευρώ, καθώς η περιοχή αυτή επλήγη περισσότερο από τις πλημμύρες και είχε κηρυχθεί σε κατάσταση έκτακτης ανάγκης............http://www.agelioforos.gr/default.asp?pid=7&ct=1&artid=225918
21/5/15
Japan takes South Korea to WTO over Fukushima-related food import restrictions...
ReplyDeleteThe central government launched a trade complaint at the World Trade Organization on Thursday to challenge South Korea’s import bans and additional testing requirements for Japanese food after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
South Korea expressed regret at Japan’s action and said its ban on some Japanese seafood was necessary and reflected safety concerns.
Japan says several measures taken by South Korea violate the WTO’s sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) agreement and Seoul has failed to justify its trade restrictions as required, the WTO said in a statement.
Under WTO rules, South Korea has 60 days in which to deal with Japan’s concerns in bilateral talks. After that Japan could ask the WTO to adjudicate on the matter.....japantimes.co.jp
21/5/15
Ocean's hidden world of plankton revealed in 'enormous database'...
ReplyDeleteThe hidden world of the ocean's tiniest organisms has been revealed in a series of papers published in the journal Science.
An international team has been studying samples of plankton collected during a three-year global expedition.
They have so far found 35,000 species of bacteria, 5,000 new viruses and 150,000 single-celled plants and creatures.
They believe that the majority of these are new to science.
Dr Chris Bowler, from the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), in Paris, told BBC News: "We have the most complete description yet of planktonic organisms to date: what's there in terms of viruses, bacteria and protozoa - we finally have a catalogue of what is present globally."......BBC
22/5/15
Kent earthquake 'causes homes to shake'...
ReplyDeleteA 4.2 magnitude earthquake has been recorded in Kent, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has said.
The tremor originated near Sandwich at a depth of 15km (9.5 miles) underground at 02:52 BST, it reported.
Residents in other areas including Margate, Canterbury and Southend-on-Sea, Essex, reported feeling the earthquake.
Kent Police said a number of calls had been received but no injuries had so far been reported.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which monitors seismic activity across the continent, also recorded the earthquake.
One witness report on the centre's website said the tremor had lasted between two and five seconds....BBC
22/5/15
--------------------
M 4.3 - ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM.....local time: 02:52...
Magnitude ML 4.3
Region ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
Date time 2015-05-22 01:52:15.1 UTC
Location 51.32 N ; 1.27 E
Depth 2 km
Distances:
97 km E of City of London, United Kingdom / pop: 7,556,900 / local time: 02:52:15.1 2015-05-22
46 km SE of Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom / pop: 163,377 / local time: 02:52:15.1 2015-05-22
5 km N of Ash, United Kingdom / pop: 2,767 / local time: 02:52:15.1 2015-05-22
emsc-csem.org
22/5/15
M 4.7 - NEPAL - 2015-05-22 10:59:32 UTC....local time: 16:44....
ReplyDeleteMagnitude mb 4.7
Region NEPAL
Date time 2015-05-22 10:59:32.8 UTC
Location 28.03 N ; 84.97 E
Depth 2 km
Distances:
50 km NW of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 16:44:32.8 2015-05-22
49 km NW of Kirtipur, Nepal / pop: 44,632 / local time: 16:44:32.8 2015-05-22
emsc-csem.org
22/5/15
French law to force supermarkets to donate unsold food...
ReplyDeleteFrench MPs on Thursday voted unanimously in favour of a new law that will outlaw the destruction of unsold food products, forcing large supermarkets instead to donate them to charities or for use on farms.
"It's scandalous to see bleach being poured into supermarket dustbins along with edible food," said Guillaume Garot, the Socialist MP who sponsored the bill, referring to one of the methods supermarkets use to prevent people from eating products from their refuse bins.
Under the new law, all larger supermarket chains must enter into contracts with charity groups to donate any unsold food that is still edible. The discarded food can also be used for animal feed and farming compost.
In addition to the tons of food wasted every year by the country’s supermarkets, the average French person is estimated to throw away between 20 and 30 kilograms (44 to 66 pounds) of food per year, altogether worth between €12 billion and €20 billion.
Thanks to the new legislation, the government hopes to halve France’s food waste by 2025............france24.com
22/5/15
Mit drastischen Maßnahmen geht Frankreich gegen die Verschwendung von Lebensmitteln vor....
ReplyDeleteDer Großhandel darf unverkaufte Nahrungsmittel künftig nicht mehr wegwerfen, wie das Parlament in Paris am Donnerstagabend beschloss.
Insbesondere wird es den Händlern im Lebensmittelbereich verboten, ihre unverkaufte Ware für den Konsum ungeeignet zu machen. Ein Abgeordneter prangerte es als "skandalös" an, dass zum Beispiel Chlor über Mülltonnen mit noch nutzbaren Lebensmitteln des Großhandels verteilt werde.
Spenden oder kompostieren
Das nun beschlossene Maßnahmenbündel sieht vor, dass die Händler jegliche Verschwendung vermeiden müssen. Unverkaufte Ware soll gespendet, als Tiernahrung genutzt oder als Kompost für die Landwirtschaft verwendet werden. Supermärkte mit einer Fläche von über 400 Quadratmetern werden verpflichtet, ein Abkommen mit einer karitativen Organisation für Lebensmittelspenden zu schließen. In der Schule soll zudem Unterricht gegen die Verschwendung von Lebensmitteln in den Lehrplan aufgenommen werden.
Der Handel kritisierte, dass die Maßnahmen ihr Ziel verfehlten, denn der Großhandel sei lediglich für fünf Prozent der verschwendeten Lebensmittel verantwortlich. Zudem sei der Großhandel bereits jetzt schon der größte Spender und arbeite eng mit Hilfsorganisationen zusammen......http://kurier.at
22/5/15
Trois obligations que les supermarchés ne pourront plus mettre à la poubelle...
ReplyDeleteUn vote à l’unanimité. Fait rarissime à l’Assemblée nationale, les mesures contre le gaspillage alimentaire ont dépassé le clivage gauche-droite. Ce jeudi soir, les députés ont voté des amendements à la loi sur la transition énergétique qui visent à responsabiliser les grandes surfaces.
En France, chaque habitant jette en moyenne 20kg de nourriture par an, selon les chiffres du ministère de l’Ecologie. Les déchets alimentaires représentent 7.1 millions de tonnes, et 11% de ces gaspillages sont causés par le commerce et la distribution............http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/societe/20150522.OBS9428/trois-obligations-que-les-supermarches-ne-pourront-plus-mettre-a-la-poubelle.html?xtor=RSS-25
22/5/15
Japanese authorities have closed part of a popular hot springs area to the public because of fears a volcano might erupt...
ReplyDeleteIncreased earthquake activity at Mount Hakone prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to raise the alert level earlier this week to 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest.
The town of Hakone met on Thursday with tourism industry representatives who are concerned about the possible impact on business.
About 50 people who operate businesses in the restricted area were allowed to make a temporary visit to maintain their facilities and collect necessities, according to Japanese broadcaster TBS. It quoted a cafe owner saying he hopes the situation will be over soon.
The closed area includes Owakudani, a well-visited site where tourists can see steam emerging from vents in a crater from a past eruption. Both a section of a ropeway that passes nearby and trails to Owakudani have been closed.
Hakone, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Tokyo, attracts visitors from both Japan and overseas. Most of Hakone's other sights remain open.
The eruption of Mount Ontake in central Japan last September killed 57 people.
AP
kvoa.com
22/5/15
Flooding in China claims 57 lives, including schoolchildren on crowded bus...
ReplyDeleteThe death toll in China's latest round of flooding has risen to at least 57, including two schoolchildren aboard a bus carrying more than twice its authorized passenger load that plunged into a pond, authorities said Saturday.
At least 13 other people are missing in floods that have ravaged mountain districts of six provinces and autonomous regions in central and southeastern China. More than a quarter-million people have been moved to temporary shelters, and major damage has been inflicted on buildings and crops.
Among the dead were 16 people killed in the collapse of a nine-story building in the city of Guiyang following a landslide..............http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/flooding-in-china-claims-57-lives-including-schoolchildren-on-crowded-bus-1.2387505
23/5/15
Νέο Απολιθωμένο Δάσος Αποκάλυψε η Διάνοιξη του Νέου Δρόμου Καλλονής - Σιγρίου ...
ReplyDeleteΈνα νέο απολιθωμένο δάσος έφεραν στο φως οι ανασκαφές που πραγματοποιήθηκαν με αφορμή την κατασκευή του νέου οδικού άξονα Καλλονής - Σιγρίου στη Μυτιλήνη.
Ιστάμενοι και κατακείμενοι απολιθωμένοι κορμοί σε πρωτόγνωρους αριθμούς, θραύσματα και αποσπασμένα τμήματα απολιθωμένων κορμών κωνοφόρων και αγγειόσπερμων δέντρων (δαφνίδες, βαλανιδιές, φοίνικες, κυπαρισσίδες και πευκίδες), ηφαιστειακοί ορίζοντες ιδιαίτερα πλούσιοι σε απολιθωμένα φύλλα και με μεγάλη ποικιλία ειδών (φύλλα δάφνης, κανέλλας, καρυδιάς, φοινικόδενδρων) περιμένουν τον επισκέπτη από το ερχόμενο Σάββατο στο Σίγρι της Λέσβου, στη νέα μεγάλη έκθεση του Μουσείου Φυσικής Ιστορίας, ενώ σύντομα θα γίνουν επισκέψιμες και οι θέσεις των υπαίθριων απολιθωμάτων. Τα ευρήματα είναι ιδιαίτερης επιστημονικής αξίας και επιβεβαιώνουν την ύπαρξη επάλληλων εκτεταμένων υποτροπικών δασών στην περιοχή, που σκεπάστηκαν και απολιθώθηκαν από διαδοχικές βίαιες ηφαιστειακές εκρήξεις...........http://www.energia.gr/article.asp?art_id=94120
M 4.4 - NEPAL - 2015-05-23 16:41:00 UTC...local time: 22:41...
ReplyDeleteML 4.4
Region NEPAL
Date time 2015-05-23 16:41:00.0 UTC
Location 27.90 N ; 85.51 E
Depth 10 km
Distances:
29 km NE of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 22:26:00.0 2015-05-23
410 km W of Thimphu, Bhutan / pop: 98,676 / local time: 22:41:00.0 2015-05-23
676 km NW of Dhaka, Bangladesh / pop: 10,356,500 / local time: 22:41:00.0 2015-05-23
emsc-csem.org
23/5/15
Russia's decision on an extension of a gas discount to Ukraine may take into account Ukraine's position on repayment of debts, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak said on Saturday according to comments cited in Russian news agencies...
ReplyDeleteEarlier Novak said Ukraine had requested the extension of a gas price discount, in effect until the end of the second quarter, until the end of the year.
REUTERS
Tschechien will vier neue Atomreaktoren bauen...
ReplyDeleteDie tschechische Mitte-Links-Regierung rechnet mit dem Bau von vier neuen AKW-Blöcken. Das bekräftigte Ministerpräsident Bohuslav Sobotka nach Angaben seines Sprechers bei einem Besuch des Kernkraftwerks Dukovany am Samstag. Ein erster neuer Reaktorblock soll demnach an dem Standort in Südmähren gebaut werden.
"Zeitgleich würde mit den Vorbereitungen für den ersten neuen Block im AKW Temelin begonnen", sagte der Sozialdemokrat.
Das AKW Temelin - rund 60 Kilometer von Österreich entfernt - steht nach früheren Störfällen im Visier der Umweltschützer. Das AKW Dukovany ist jedoch die ältere der beiden Anlagen. Vor 30 Jahren erfolgte dort die erste Kettenreaktion.
Die Regierung in Prag hatte vor wenigen Tagen eine neue Energiestrategie beschlossen. Sie sieht vor, den Anteil der Kernkraft am Energiemix von rund einem Drittel auf mehr als 50 Prozent zu steigern.
kurier.at
23/5/15
Nepal earthquake: People flee as landslide blocks river...
ReplyDeleteThousands of people have fled to safety following a landslide in western Nepal which blocked the flow of a river.
The Kali Gandaki River in Myagdi district, about 140km (90 miles) north-west of the capital, Kathmandu, has created a deep and growing new lake.
There are no reports of casualties. Army soldiers are being sent to help.....BBC
24/5/15
Thousands evacuated in Nepal after landslide blocks river...
ReplyDeleteThousands of people have fled villages and towns along a mountain river in in northwest Nepal after it was blocked by a landslide that could burst and cause flash floods.
Government administrator Yam Bahadur Chokhal says the landslide blocked the Kaligandaki River early Sunday and the buildup of water has created a lake 2 kilometres long.
He says residents living on the banks of the river have been moved to higher grounds for fear that flash floods could sweep the area north of Beni Bazaar, about 200 kilometres northwest of the capital, Kathmandu...AP....ctvnews.ca
24/5/15
More than 150 people have died due to intense heat wave in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana in the last three days, a senior health official said Saturday...
ReplyDelete"While 80 people have died due to heat stroke in Andhra Pradesh, 70 others have died in the neighboring state of Telengana since Thursday," the official said, on condition of anonymity.
Most of those who succumbed to heat wave were homeless people, the official said.
Meanwhile, the governments of both the states have advised people not to venture out during peak summer hours.
Weather department has predicted that the heat wave will continue for a couple of days more.
http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2015-05/23/content_35646201.htm
Rain deluge brings floods to Texas and Oklahoma...
ReplyDeleteA deluge of rainfall has burst rivers and brought flood warnings to several southern US states, with Texas and Oklahoma the worst hit so far.
A fire-fighter lost his life when swept away by floodwater in Oklahoma.
Parts of Texas saw up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain over a 24-hour period, with more predicted across the region into next week.
There were numerous rescues on Sunday after burst banks, and 1,000 people were evacuated in central Texas.
Warnings and alerts stretch from Colorado through to Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and eastern Kansas.
'Worst I've seen'
One of the worst hit rivers was the Blanco in Texas..........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32867226
24/5/15
Up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain fell over 24 hours in parts of Texas, prompting numerous evacuations and rescues overnight and into Sunday, while a firefighter in northeast Oklahoma died after being swept away in floodwaters...
ReplyDeleteThe storm system that moved across central and North Texas and most of Oklahoma pushed northeast on Sunday, bringing a threat of flooding to some western Arkansas counties, which could see as much as 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) of rain. And the National Weather Service says the region could see more rainfall in the coming week.
About 1,000 people were evacuated in Central Texas communities, which saw dozens of high-water rescues overnight as the Blanco River and other swollen waterways breached their banks. The river - which crested Sunday above 40 feet (12 meters), more than double the flood stage of 13 feet (3.9 meters) - swamped sections of Interstate 35, forcing parts of the busy north-south highway to close.....AP
Τ/κ και Ε/κ συγκεντρώθηκαν σήμερα στο κομμάτι της οδού Λήδρας που βρίσκεται μέσα στην γραμμή κατάπαυσης του πυρός στη Λευκωσία για να διαμαρτυρηθούν ενάντια στους σχεδιασμούς της Τουρκίας σε σχέση με την ανέγερση δύο πυρηνικών σταθμών στη Σινώπη στη Μαύρη Θάλασσα και στη Μερσίνα, η οποία βρίσκεται απέναντι από την Κύπρο...
ReplyDeleteΤην εκδήλωση, η οποία πραγματοποιήθηκε στο πλαίσιο εκδηλώσεων που πραγματοποιούν οικολογικές οργανώσεις στην Κύπρο, στην Τουρκία, στην Ελλάδα, στην Αρμενία, στη Ρουμανία και στη Γεωργία, διοργάνωσε η Αντιπυρηνική Πλατφόρμα Κύπρου με τη συμμετοχή του Κινήματος Οικολόγων Περιβαλλοντιστών και του Τ/κ κόμματος «Νέα Κύπρος». Στην εκδήλωση παρευρέθηκαν ο πρόεδρος των Οικολόγων Γιώργος Περδίκης και ο ΓΓ του κόμματος «Νέα Κύπρος» Μουράτ Κανατλί.
«Μαζευτήκαμε εδώ για να πούμε ΟΧΙ στην πυρηνική ενέργεια. Αυτή μας η ενέργεια εντάσσεται στο πλαίσιο συντονισμένης προσπάθειας και αγώνα παρά μια συγκέντρωση που πραγματοποιείται περιστασιακά» αναφέρει στη διακήρυξη της η πλατφόρμα την οποία διάβασε στους παρευρισκόμενους η εκπρόσωπος της Πλατφόρμας Φαϊκά Ντενίζ Πασιά.
Η Φαϊκά Ντενίζ Πασιά εξήγησε ακόμη ότι το πυρηνικό εργοστάσιο που σχεδιάζεται να κατασκευαστεί στο Άκκιουγιου θα θέσει σε κίνδυνο όχι μόνο την περιοχή, τη Μεσόγειο και την Τουρκία αλλά θα μετατρέψει ολόκληρο τον κόσμο σε χώρο πυρηνικών αποβλήτων.
«Δεν θα επιτρέψουμε να καταστραφεί η περιοχή, ούτε θα επιτρέψουμε να τοποθετηθεί στη Γη ακόμη μια ωρολογιακή βόμβα» είπε...............riknews.com.cy
A village in the B.C. interior has declared a state of emergency after a violent storm on Saturday evening triggered flash flooding in the area...
ReplyDeleteThe storm hammered the village of Cache Creek with torrential rain and hail, causing the Bonaparte River that runs through the community to overflow.
The village's mayor, John Ranta, said that between 30 to 35 homes have been rendered uninhabitable by the disaster.....ctvnews.ca
The International Atomic Energy Agency criticized Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Japanese regulatory authorities for their failure to prevent the 2011 Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster despite knowing the risk of large tsunami hitting the facility, according to a copy of an IAEA report obtained Sunday by Kyodo News...
ReplyDeleteThe U.N. nuclear watchdog said in the final report on the nuclear disaster triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, “The Fukushima Daiichi NPP (nuclear power plant) had some weaknesses which were not fully evaluated by a probabilistic safety assessment, as recommended by the IAEA safety standards.”
The paper, compiled by around 180 experts from 42 countries, is set to be submitted to the IAEA’s annual meeting in September after its board examines the 240-page summary in June.
The report addressing the causes and consequences of the Fukushima disaster as well as lessons learned is expected to serve as a reference for nuclear safety measures worldwide........japantimes.co.jp
A rare bird may become extinct in Syria because of the capture of Palmyra by Islamic State, experts say...
ReplyDeleteA tiny breeding colony of the northern bald ibis was found near the city in 2002.
Three birds held in captivity were abandoned last week after their guards fled the fighting. Their fate is unknown.
Officials have offered a reward of $1,000 (£646) for information about the whereabouts of a fourth bird.
'Extinction'
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon told the BBC that finding the missing female, called Zenobia, is crucial.
She is the only bird who knows the migration routes to wintering grounds in Ethiopia and without her other captive birds cannot be released.
Then the species could go extinct in the wild in Syria, said ornithologists.
"Culture and nature they go hand in hand, and war stops, but nobody can bring back a species from extinction," said head of the society Asaad Serhal.....BBC
Με εξαφάνιση απειλείται σπάνιο είδος πτηνού στη Συρία εξαιτίας της κατάληψης της ιστορικής πόλης Παλμύρα από το Ισλαμικό Κράτος, προειδοποιούν ειδικοί...
DeleteΜία ολιγάριθμη αποικία από το συγκεκριμένο πτηνό που είναι γνωστό ως Ίβις του Ουάλντραπ (επιστημονική ονομασία: Geronticus eremita) ανακαλύφθηκε κοντά στην Παλμύρα το 2002.
Την περασμένη εβδομάδα, τρία πτηνά που βρίσκονταν σε αιχμαλωσία, εγκαταλείφθηκαν όταν οι φρουροί ασφαλείας στο χώρο όπου φυλάσσονταν έφυγαν για να γλιτώσουν από τις συγκρούσεις.
Οι αρχές προσφέρουν αμοιβή χίλια δολάρια σε όποιον διαθέτει πληροφορίες για την τύχη ενός τέταρτου πτηνού της ίδιας οικογενείας, τη Ζηνοβία.
Η Ένωση για την Προστασία της Φύσης στον Λίβανο δήλωσε στο BBC ότι ο εντοπισμός της Ζηνοβίας, του αγνοούμενου θηλυκού πτηνού, είναι κομβικής σημασίας καθώς είναι το μοναδικό πτηνό που γνωρίζει τις μεταναστευτικές διαδρομές προς τόπους διαχείμασης στην Αιθιοπία και χωρίς εκείνην τα άλλα αιχμάλωτα πτηνά δεν μπορούν να αφεθούν ελεύθερα.
Κατά συνέπεια, προειδοποιούν, οι ορνιθολόγοι, το είδος αυτό κινδυνεύει με εξαφάνιση στην άγρια φύση της Συρίας.
Ο ανταποκριτής του BBC στη Βηρυτό Τζιμ Μούιρ δήλωσε ότι το είδος αυτό εθεωρείτο ότι έχει εξαφανιστεί από την περιοχή μέχρι που βρέθηκαν επτά τέτοια πτηνά να έχουν χτίσει τις φωλιές τους κοντά στην Παλμύρα πριν από τουλάχιστον δέκα χρόνια. Αλλά παρότι τέθηκαν υπό προστασία, ο αριθμός τους μειώθηκε σε τέσσερα.
riknews.com.cy
25/5/15
M5.3 - 2km NNW of Hasuda, Japan...local time: 14:28...34km (21mi) N of Tokyo, Japan...
ReplyDeleteTime
2015-05-25 05:28:07 (UTC)
Nearby Cities:
2km (1mi) NNW of Hasuda, Japan
3km (2mi) SW of Shiraoka, Japan
5km (3mi) ENE of Ageo, Japan
7km (4mi) NW of Iwatsuki, Japan
34km (21mi) N of Tokyo, Japan
usgs.gov
25/5/15
-------------------------
Magnitude mb 5.3
Region NEAR S. COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Date time 2015-05-25 05:28:11.1 UTC
Location 35.99 N ; 139.56 E
Depth 70 km
Distances 13 km NW of Saitama, Japan / pop: 1,193,350 / local time: 14:28:11.1 2015-05-25
1 km S of Okegawa, Japan / pop: 75,062 / local time: 14:28:11.1 2015-05-25
emsc-csem.org
Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits Japanese capital Tokyo...
ReplyDeleteAn earthquake has shaken Tokyo and the surrounding areas earlier today, but no tsunami warning has been issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Reuters report that the magnitude 5.3 quake centered in the Ibaraki prefecture just northeast of the Japanese capital shook buildings and briefly halted the city's rail network.
There has been no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
itv.com
At least 3 dead, hundreds of homes destroyed as flash flooding sweeps through Texas, Oklahoma...
ReplyDeleteA storm system dropped record amounts of rainfall across the southern Plains Sunday, causing flash floods in normally dry riverbeds, spawning tornadoes, destroying homes, and forcing at least 2,000 people to flee.
Two people were confirmed dead in Oklahoma. where a firefighter was swept to his death while trying to rescue people from high water and a woman in Tulsa died in a traffic-related crash. In Texas, a man's body was recovered from a flooded area along the Blanco River, which rose 26 feet in just one hour and left piles of wreckage 20 feet high, authorities said....................foxnews.com
25/5/15
Rescuers searched Monday for at least 12 people missing in spectacular flash flooding in Texas and Oklahoma that also left at least three dead...
DeleteMore heavy rain with potential for additional flooding was forecast.
The raging waters destroyed hundreds of homes and sent cars floating down streets, rolling and bobbing like giant toys.
In the Texas city of San Marcos, residents were ordered to evacuate their homes as flood waters rose menacingly around them, following torrential rain that turned streets into meandering rivers.
Cars and trucks were submerged and people used inflatable lounge chairs to float down the street, in surreal scenes.
As many as 400 homes in the surrounding area were destroyed, authorities said, and San Marcos opened temporary shelters to host residents who could not return home.....AFP
At least 13 people have been killed by a tornado that hit the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuna...
ReplyDeleteHundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed in the city, in Coahuila state, just across the border from Del Rio, Texas.
The US state has seen severe flooding, with three killed and a dozen missing.
Images from Mexico showed cars and buildings badly damaged. Many people have been injured and there are fears the death toll could rise.
Coahuila Governor Ruben Moreira, on a visit to the stricken area, said 10 adults and three children had died and a baby was missing. Another 150 people had been taken to hospital, he said.....BBC
A volcano perched atop one of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands erupted in the early hours of Monday, the local authorities said, potentially threatening a unique species of pink iguanas...
ReplyDeleteThe roughly 1.7-kilometer (1.1-mile) high Wolf volcano is located on Isabela Island, home to a rich variety of flora and fauna typical of the archipelago that helped inspire Charles Darwin's theory of evolution following his 1835 visit.
"The Wolf volcano is not located near a populated area. There is not risk for the human population. This is the only population of pink iguanas in the world," Galapagos National Park said in a posting on Twitter.
Wolf had been inactive 33 years, according to the park.
The lava is flowing down the volcano's southern face while the iguanas, officially an endangered species, inhabit the opposite side, the Environment Ministry said in a statement, adding it expected the animals to escape harm.
The flow is likely to reach the sea, however, where it could harm marine life, the Geophysics Institute said separately. While populated areas of the island are safe from the eruption, the institute said some of the ash cloud could descend upon them.
Reuters
Vulkan "Wolf" spuckt Lava...
DeleteAuf einem Hang lebt die weltweit einzige Kolonie der rosa Landleguane der Galapagosinseln - noch gefahrlos.
Der "Wolf" ist ausgebrochen: Es handelt sich dabei um einen Vulkan auf dem Galapagos-Archipel. Der 1.707 Meter hohe Vulkan auf der Insel Isabela hat Montagfrüh Lava gespuckt, wie die Behörden des Nationalparks mitteilten. Der Lavafluss laufe auf dem südöstlichen Hang. Auf dem Nordwesthang lebt die weltweit einzige Kolonie der Rosada Drusenköpfe (Conolophus marthae), der rosa Landleguane der Galapagosinseln.
Auch gelbe Leguane und Riesenschildkröten (Chelonoidis becky) leben auf dem nördlichen Vulkanhang. Sie seien zur Zeit von der Eruption nicht gefährdet.
Der Vulkan, die größte Anhöhe des Archipels, war zuletzt 1982 ausgebrochen. Die touristischen Ausflüge auf der Insel Isabela gingen vorerst weiter. Die nächste Ortschaft Puerto Villamil mit ihren 2.200 Einwohnern liegt 115 Kilometer südlich des Kraters. Die Galapagos-Inseln, die etwa 1.000 Kilometer vor der Küste Ecuadors liegen, wurden 1978 von der UNESCO zum Weltkulturerbe erklärt. Viele Tier- und Pflanzenarten kommen weltweit nur dort vor.
(apa/rts/mn) Erstellt am 26.05.2015, 11:14
kurier.at
A volcanic eruption on the Galapagos Islands has raised fears the ecosystem that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution may be under threat...
DeleteOn Monday, the Wolf volcano on Isabela Island erupted for the first time in 33 years, spewing fire, smoke and lava.
Experts say the eruption poses no risk to people living on the island.
The island holds the world's only population of pink iguanas but authorities say that they are not in immediate danger....BBC
The temperature topped 30 degrees in Tokyo on Tuesday for the first time this year as much of the nation baked in unseasonable hot weather...
ReplyDeleteThe mercury rose to 30.1 degrees in central Tokyo at 1 p.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding Tuesday was the 16th straight day of higher-than-average temperatures for the Kanto region.
The agency said temperatures for the past few days have been about the average for early July.
Elsewhere, the mercury reached 32.3 degrees in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, 32 degrees in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture and 31.5 degrees in Kyoto.
The agency said the temperature surpassed 30 degrees at 88 of its 928 monitoring points across Japan............japantoday.com
26/5/15
M 4.3 - NEPAL - 2015-05-26 14:15:00 UTC....local time: 20:00...
ReplyDeleteMagnitude ML 4.3
Region NEPAL
Date time 2015-05-26 14:15:00.0 UTC
Location 27.54 N ; 85.43 E
Depth 10 km
Distances:
21 km SE of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 20:00:00.0 2015-05-26
9 km SW of Panaoti, Nepal / pop: 27,602 / local time: 20:00:00.0 2015-05-26
emsc-csem.org
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La saison 2015 des ouragans sera inférieure à la normale dans l'Atlantique...
ReplyDelete(Belga) La saison 2015 des ouragans dans l'Atlantique sera inférieure à la normale, selon les prévisions annoncées mercredi par l'Agence américaine océanique et atmosphérique (NOAA).
L'Agence a estimé qu'il y avait 70% de probabilités que six à onze tempêtes tropicales se produisent pendant cette saison, qui s'étend du 1er juin au 30 novembre. Trois à six d'entre elles pourraient devenir des ouragans, dont deux au maximum de catégorie 3, 4 ou 5 avec des vents d'au-moins 178 km/h. Mais, a-t-elle souligné, il y a aussi 20% de chances que cette saison des ouragans soit normale et 10% de probabilités qu'elle soit plus active que la moyenne. "Une saison des ouragans inférieure à la normale ne signifie pas pour autant que nous n'avons rien à craindre, comme nous l'avons vu dans le passé il peut se produire des tempêtes catastrophiques pendant de telles saisons", a prévenu la directrice de la NOAA, Kathryn Sullivan. Elle a rappelé ainsi que la saison peu active de 2012, avec seulement sept tempêtes tropicales au total, avait été lancée par la tempête Andrew qui est devenue un ouragan majeur de force cinq et a dévasté la Floride.......http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/la-saison-2015-des-ouragans-sera-inferieure-a-la-normale-dans-l-atlantique-726620.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RTLInternational+%28RTL+info+%3E++Monde%29
27/5/15
Andrés ouvre la saison des ouragans dans le Pacifique...
DeleteAndrés est devenu vendredi le premier ouragan de la saison dans l'océan Pacifique, à bonne distance toutefois des côtes du Mexique, a rapporté le Service de météorologie national mexicain.
"L'ouragan Andrés de catégorie 1 se déplace au nord-ouest, avec des vents soutenus de 120 km/h et des rafales de 150 kmh", a indiqué le SMN sur son compte Twitter. Vendredi après-midi, le phénomène se trouvait à presque 800 kilomètres au sud-ouest de l'île Socorro, dans l'archipel de Revillagigedo, face à la station balnéaire du cap San Lucas. De fortes pluies pourraient survenir dans les Etats frontaliers avec le Pacifique, comme le Michoacan, Colima et Jalisco, d'après les services météo. Les autorités ont appelé à la prudence les navigateurs mais l'ouragan ne devrait pas toucher terre, ont rassuré les prévisionnistes. La saison des ouragans dans le Pacifique débute le 15 mai et s'étend jusqu'en novembre.
Belga
US military accidentally shipped live anthrax to labs...
ReplyDeleteThe US military accidentally sent live anthrax samples to as many as nine labs across the country and to a US military base in South Korea, the Pentagon says.
Twenty-two military personnel at the Osan Air Base in South Korea are receiving preventive treatment after being possibly exposed to the sample.
In the US, four civilians are receiving treatment - although they face a "minimal risk".
A Defence Department lab in Utah "inadvertently" shipped the samples.
The personnel at the South Korean base might have come into contact with the anthrax sample during a "training event", the US military said, but so far none had shown "any signs" of exposure.
However, they were given "appropriate medical precautionary measures to include examinations, antibiotics and in some instances, vaccinations".
"The sample was destroyed in accordance with appropriate protocols," said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren.
Experts in biosafety say they are astonished by the lapse and called for greater precautions.....BBC
US military mistakenly ships live anthrax to labs in nine states...
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. military mistakenly sent live anthrax bacteria to laboratories in nine U.S. states and a U.S. air base in South Korea, after apparently failing to properly inactivate the bacteria last year, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
The U.S. military mistakenly sent live anthrax bacteria to laboratories in nine U.S. states and a U.S. air base in South Korea, after apparently failing to properly inactivate the bacteria last year, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
The Pentagon said there was no known suspected infection or risk to the public. But four U.S. civilians have been started on preventive measures called post-exposure prophylaxis, which usually includes the anthrax vaccine, antibiotics or both.
Twenty-two personnel at the base in South Korea were also given precautionary medical measures although none have shown sign of exposure, the U.S. military said.
The four in the United States face "minimal" risk, said Jason McDonald, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has begun an investigation of the incident. They had been "doing procedures that sent the agent into the air," he said.
When anthrax becomes airborne, it can cause a deadly illness called inhalation anthrax. That occurred in 2001, when anthrax sent through the U.S. mail to government and media targets killed five people.
The anthrax, which was initially sent from a Utah military lab, was meant to be shipped in an inactive state as part of efforts to develop a field-based test to identify biological threats, the Pentagon said......REUTERS.....channelnewsasia.com
Water levels around the Philippines are rising at a rate almost three times the global average, leaving the country more vulnerable to natural disasters, the World Meteorological Organisation's data has showed...
ReplyDeleteOn average, sea levels around the world rise 3.1 cm every 10 years but for the Philippines, it is more than double. Water levels here are projected to go up between 7.6 and 10.2 cm each decade.
According to a study by the University of the Philippines, at least 13.6 million Filipinos will have to relocate to higher, safer places due to sea rise levels...channelnewsasia.com
28/5/15
Ethiopian fossils may add new branch to prehistoric human family tree...
ReplyDeleteIn 1974, anthropologists in Ethiopia found the astonishing fossilized remains of a human-like creature who last walked the planet some 3.2 million years ago.
Was “Lucy,” as the hominid was called, the direct ancestor of Homo sapiens? Was she “The Mother of Mankind,” as some headlines claimed?
Over the years, the dramatic assertion has come under attack by doubters, who point to ancient yet inconclusive finds in Kenya and Chad.
But a new fossil, reported on Wednesday, may have dealt Lucy’s claimed status an irreversible blow.
Another species of hominid lived at the same time and in the same Afar region of Ethiopia, according to the paper, published in the journal Nature.
Named Australopithecus deyiremeda, the hominid and Lucy are probably only part of a wider group of candidates for being our direct forerunners, the finders said.
“The new species is yet another confirmation that Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis, was not the only potential human ancestor species that roamed in what is now the Afar,” said Yohannes Haile-Selassie of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History........japantimes.co.jp
28/5/15
Low Oil Prices Challenge China’s Fight Against Pollution ...
ReplyDeleteThe low price of oil has saved China billions of dollars on imports. But energy analysts and industry experts say it is also creating challenges for China's leaders who have committed themselves to cleaning up the environment.
China has pledged to take steps to reduce its carbon footprint to improve its sullied image as one of the world’s worst emitters of greenhouse gases. Its determination to fulfill the pledge will be closely watched at the United Nations climate change talks in Paris later this year.
In recent years, China has adopted a range of strategies to reduce its use of oil by building additional capacities in sectors such as natural gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear, solar and wind power. But the higher price of oil and the need for a clean environment were key drivers of such initiatives......http://www.voanews.com/content/low-oil-prices-challenge-chinas-fight-against-pollution/2793828.html
28/5/15
1st tropical storm of Pacific season strengthens off Mexico ...
ReplyDeleteThe first named tropical storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season has formed far from Mexico's coast.
Tropical Storm Andres formed Thursday and strengthened through the day to maximum sustained winds near 95 kph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm could become a hurricane overnight or Friday, though it is not currently forecast to threaten land.
The storm is centred about 1,285 kilometres south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and is moving west-northwest at 19 kph, which is expected to continue overnight.
AP
ctvnews.ca
Volcano erupts on isle off Kagoshima, prompting evacuation order...
ReplyDeleteThe Meteorological Agency said Friday that there was a volcanic eruption at Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture at 9:59 a.m.
The agency raised the alert level to 5, which requires islanders to evacuate, from 3, where people are restricted from entering the mountain.
Pyroclastic flows have reached the ocean, the agency said.
The Kagoshima Prefecture town of Yakushima, on the nearby island of the same name, meanwhile ordered all of Kuchinoerabu’s roughly 130 inhabitants to evacuate. There are about 80 households there, NHK said.
The prime minister’s office also set up a task force.
The forested island is located about 100 km south of the southern tip of Kagoshima Prefecture....japantimes.co.jp
China vernichtete mehr als 660 Kilo Elfenbein.... Das Land will damit ein Zeichen gegen die Elefantenwilderei setzen...
ReplyDeleteDie chinesische Regierung hat als Zeichen gegen die Elefantenwilderei 662 Kilo beschlagnahmtes Elfenbein vernichtet. Die Stoßzähne wurde am Freitag bei einer Zeremonie der staatlichen Forstverwaltung und des Zolls in Peking zunächst in Stücke zerbrochen und anschließend zermahlen, berichtete die Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua.
Die Vernichtung sei "ein starkes Symbol des staatlichen Engagements im internationalen Kampf gegen die Elefantenwilderei und den illegalen Elfenbeinhandel", sagte Zhou Fei, Vorsitzender der chinesischen Abteilung des internationalen Artenschutzprogramms Traffic.............http://kurier.at/politik/weltchronik/china-vernichtete-mehr-als-660-kilo-elfenbein/133.355.058
29/5/15
In experiments focusing on amnesia, scientists restore lost memories in mice...
ReplyDeleteResearchers have gained new understanding on the workings of amnesia through research that used light to revive lost memories in mice, a study published Thursday reported.
Amnesia remains a controversial subject in the field of neuroscience, with some researchers arguing that it occurs when cells are damaged and memory cannot be stored, while others believe that the memories are simply blocked and cannot be recalled.
The study, published in the U.S. journal Science, indicated that memories do in fact remain, but are simply unable to be recollected.
“The majority of researchers have favored the storage theory, but we have shown in this paper that this majority theory is probably wrong,” researcher Susumu Tonegawa of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said.
“Amnesia is a problem of retrieval impairment,” the Nobel Prize-winning scientist said...........http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/29/national/science-health/experiments-focusing-amnesia-scientists-restore-lost-memories-mice/#.VWiFjFIpr2Z
29/5/15
Grande barrière de corail: l'Unesco réclame un nouveau rapport à l'Australie...
ReplyDelete(Belga) L'Unesco a demandé à l'Australie de lui préciser d'ici fin 2016 les progrès réalisés dans la protection de la Grande barrière de corail mais ne place pas le site sur sa liste du patrimoine naturel en péril, selon un projet de décision publié vendredi.
L'Australie devra remettre au Comité du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco, "d'ici au 1er décembre 2016", un rapport faisant le point sur les progrès réalisés afin de "confirmer que la mise en oeuvre du plan (de protection) a été efficace", indique ce texte. Le projet de décision salue les mesures prises par l'Australie mais souligne qu'elle doit "mettre en oeuvre, rigoureusement, tous ses engagements". Quelques heures avant la publication de ce projet de décision, l'Australie s'était dite certaine d'en avoir fait assez pour protéger la Grande barrière et éviter que l'Unesco ne la place sur sa liste du patrimoine naturel en péril.....rtl.be
Obama signs disaster declaration over deadly Texas storms ...
ReplyDeleteUS President Barack Obama on Friday signed a disaster declaration for areas in Texas hit by storms and flooding that killed at least 21 people this week and and prompted evacuations.
The statement from the White House said the declaration would open up federal funds to assist residents, businesses and governments reeling from the major disaster to help rebuild.
JPOST BY REUTERS
30/5/15
M 7.7 - BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION - 2015-05-30 11:23:03....local time: 20:23....
ReplyDeleteMagnitude M 7.7
Region BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Date time 2015-05-30 11:23:03.6 UTC
Location 27.91 N ; 140.43 E
Depth 704 km
Distances
839 km S of Yokohama-shi, Japan / pop: 3,574,443 / local time: 20:23:03.6 2015-05-30
807 km S of Shizuoka-shi, Japan / pop: 701,561 / local time: 20:23:03.6 2015-05-30
emsc-csem.org
30/5/15
M7.8 - 189km WNW of Chichi-shima, Japan...
ReplyDeleteTime
2015-05-30 11:23:02 (UTC)
2015-05-30 14:23:02 (UTC+03:00)
Nearby Cities
189km (117mi) WNW of Chichi-shima, Japan
771km (479mi) SSE of Shimoda, Japan
781km (485mi) SSE of Oyama, Japan
783km (487mi) SE of Shingu, Japan
874km (543mi) S of Tokyo, Japan
.usgs.gov
30/5/15
China and Latin America should cooperate to promote the development of clean energy as both sides are going through similar development phases, China's Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said...
ReplyDelete"Both need to develop clean energy and we can cooperate and support each other to promote the development of clean energy, to reduce CO2 emissions and to build a better world," Wan told Xinhua in an interview Thursday after the Sixth Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting concluded in Merida, eastern Mexico.
China's energy consumption has increased from 1.5 billion tons of coal equivalent in 2001 to 3.76 billion in 2013, with an annual growth rate of 8 percent.
"China is the biggest energy consumer in the world, mainly due to the huge population and vast territory. China, however, has been investing in the research of clean energy for a long time," Wan said.
"Clean energy industries have been developing very fast in China since we began researching at the beginning of this century. The government also facilitates the industry with supportive policies for the manufacture and application of clean energy equipment," he said............http://www.china.org.cn/world/2015-05/30/content_35698195.htm
Heavy rain was pounding Dallas on Saturday as U.S. authorities searched for 11 people still missing in the record-setting storms that have submerged highways and flooded homes across Texas...
ReplyDeleteAt least 28 people have been killed nationwide in the storms, 24 of them in Texas.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning Saturday morning for Johnson and Tarrant counties near Dallas-Fort Worth.
Before Saturday's rain, the agency said 16.07 inches (40.8 centimeters) of rain had already fallen across the Dallas area in May, easily eclipsing a 1982 record of 13.66 inches (34.7 centimeters)...........Associated Press
30/5/15
Solar Impulse plane begins Pacific crossing...
ReplyDeleteSwiss pilot Andre Borschberg has begun his bid to cross the Pacific, from China to Hawaii, in the zero-fuel Solar Impulse aeroplane.
The experimental aircraft, which has a wingspan bigger than a jumbo but weighs little more than a large car, left Nanjing at about 02:40 (18:40 GMT).
It is likely to take Mr Borschberg five to six days of continuous flight to reach his central Pacific destination.
He will try to stay awake for much of that time, taking only short catnaps.
His progress will be monitored the entire way from a control room in Monaco.
Meteorologists and flight strategists will constantly update him on the best route to follow..........http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32946874
30/5/15