Descubren gorilas salvajes usando herramientas

Después de numerosas investigaciones acerca del parecido tecnológico entre los seres humanos y algunos miembros notables de la familia primate, se ha descubierto que - sin tener contacto alguno con el hombre - los gorilas pueden utilizar utensilios para realizar tareas complejas.

Los hallazgos, que ahora están siendo publicados en Public Library Of Biology, aseguran que los animales investigados han llegado a un nivel de evolución superior al resto de las especies zoológicas. Los científicos Thomas Breuer, Mireille Ndoundou-Hockemba y Vivki Fishlock, responsables de la investigación, laboraron en las selvas de la República del Congo desde 1995.

A partir de octubre de 2004 fueron filmados un par de gorilas hembras utilizando algunos utensilios, una empleando un palo de madera para extraer su comida preferida y otra el mismo palo pero para medir la profundidad del pantano. Hasta ahora los científicos no han logrado discernir la causa de esos comportamientos sin intervenciones humanas, pero al parecer fueron de conocimiento intergeneracional dentro de los gorilas salvajes.

Sólo hasta hoy, este trabajo de herramientas era visto en gorilas de estado cautivo.


Les gorilles utiliseraient des outils

International Union for the Conservation of Nature

Des gorilles sauvages auraient été observés utilisant des outils, selon des chercheurs de la Wildlife Conservation society (WCS) basée aux États-Unis.

Différentes femelles se seraient aidées de divers outils « primitfs » pour résoudre des problèmes. Ainsi, une femelle s'est servi d'une branche pour évaluer la profondeur de l'eau avant de la traverser. L'utilisation de troncs d'arbres pour traverser une surface instable ou pour rechercher de la nourriture sans fatigue a également été observée.

M.Breuer, membre du WCS, a qualifié ces observations, faite au Congo, d'« surprenantes ». En effet, seuls les chimpanzés et les orangs-outangs avaient fait preuve de cette capacité jusqu'à présent.

Pourtant, il est très rare que des gorilles fassent preuve d'autant de créativité. Il a fallu une dizaine d'années d'observations sur le site avant que la découverte se fasse. Des similarités importantes entre le gorille, cousin oublié (au profit du chimpanzé) et l'homme, comme le note M.Breuer.


SAHTECH, SEMI, and Semiconductor Industry to promote "SEMI Safety Guideline" in Taiwan

"Localization of 'SEMI Safety Guideline'", executed by Safety and Health Technology Center of Taiwan (SAHTECH) and supervised by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), was announced today in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

This localization included several fields on health and safety of semiconductor manufacturing, certification testing on electrical devices, evaluations on fire or natural diseases, and environmental issues on semiconductor manufacturing devices, etc.. Companies and manufacturers from the semiconductor industry also paid more attentions on this guideline because issues on carbon-savings, earthquakes, fire diseases, and environment-efficiencies were included into this guideline.

On the other side of the incoming trade show of 2008 SecuTech Expo, scheduled after 2 weeks at Taipei World Trade Center, not only main fields on security devices, information security, and fire & disease preventions, the digital monitoring will be a hot topic in security industry. For applications on fire & disease preventions, because its issues contained industrial applications and ESH (Environmental, Safety & Health) managements, if a company want to decrease the ratio of fire disease or earthquake, companies from safety and related industries should pay more attentions on disease preventions.


SAHTECH、SEMI、半導體廠商 合推產業安全基準專案 為SecuTech Expo暖身

由國際半導體設備材料產業協會（SEMI），委託財團法人安全衛生技術中心（SAHTECH）執行的「『SEMI產業安全基準』中文化專案」，今（2）日在台灣正式發布，此項專案包括半導體製造之健康及安全，如電器設計驗證測試、火災風險評估、半導體製造設備之環保相關議題等。

SEMI台灣暨東南亞總裁曹世綸表示，此一標準是在1975年起初始，並由SEMI開始推動，而制定的標準，是依照歐、美、韓、日、台等五地的產業發展所進行。目前，S1至S25標準皆已完成制訂，並且，台灣半導體產業主導的S26標準─面板產業安全，也正在和各國半導體產業進行研擬，並將為面板產業的安全加持。

在本次的中文化專案中，台灣半導體產業特別注重環保、災害、省碳等議題，當中，SEMI台灣區ESH委員會許芳銘主席，藉由本身在台積電的經驗，說明環保與安全的結合，他表示：「半導體產業是高附加價值的產業，如果廠房遇到地震、火災，該如何減低損失？許多國家對於硬體的安全，很少去重視，而用電量，也會影響到能源，特別是二氧化碳的消耗，因此，希望藉由台灣半導體產業的這次發布，來影響全球的安全標準。」

另外，反觀即將於兩周後進行的SechTech Expo，今年除了維持傳統的安全設備、資訊安全、防火防災應用的三大區塊外，數位化的安全監控，也成為當今安全產業的重點話題，在防火防災應用部分，因為涉及工業相關應用與環境衛生，因此，不只安全產業，相關產業更應當為建築安全進行適當的規劃與把關，才有可能提升有力的環境因素與降低災害的發生率。

【2008年4月2日讯】


Scientists: Snow on Mt. Kilimanjaro to melt in twenty years

Scientists at the Ohio University predicted that the ice sheets of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain peak, will melt in the next twenty years due to global warming.

The ice that was present in 1912 gradually decreased by 85% by 2000, and by 2007 another 26% of the amount in 2000. This was the first time that the volume of the ice in Kilimanjaro was measured. The tests were conducted by Lonnie Thompson, a professor at Ohio University.

"The fact that so many glaciers throughout the tropics and subtropics are showing similar responses suggests an underlying common cause," Thompson said.

Change in cloudiness and weather could have also been factors in the retreat of the ice, especially in recent decades, scientists said. These findings were first published in the journal proceedings of United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on Monday.


La nieve del Kilimanjaro se derretirá por completo en veinte años

Científicos de la Universidad de Ohio dieron a conocer su predicción sobre el hielo en la cumbre del Kilimanjaro, la montaña más alta de África, ubicada al norte de Tanzania.

Debido a los cambios climáticos, el hielo que estaba presente en la montaña durante 1912 se redujo gradualmente alrededor del 85% hasta 2000, y del 26% hasta 2007. Esta fue la primera vez que se midió el volúmen de hielo en el Kilimanjaro, gracias al estudio dirigido por Lonnie Thompson, profesor de la Universidad de Ohio.

Según Thomson el derretimiento de los graciares afectará negativamente al turismo, sector clave en la economía de Tanzania. Las visitas al Kilimanjaro arrojan una fuente de ingresos de alrededor de 50 millones de dólares al año.

Según los científicos, los cambios en la nubosidad y el clima podrían ser factores en la retirada del hielo, especialmente durante las últimas décadas. Estas conclusiones fueron publicadas por primera vez en la revista de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Estados Unidos (NAS, por sus siglas en inglés) el lunes.


Neve do Kilimanjaro derreterá totalmente em vinte anos

Cientistas da Universidade de Ohio falaram sobre o futuro do gelo do cume do Kilimanjaro, a montanha mais alta da África, localizada no norte da Tanzânia.

Devido às mudanças climáticas, o gelo que havia na montanha em 1912 foi reduzido gradualmente em cerca de 85% até 2000, e de 26% até 2007. Esta foi a primeira vez que se mediu o volume de gelo no Kilimanjaro, graças ao estudo dirigido por Lonnie Thompson, professor da Universidade de Ohio.

Segundo Thomson o derretimento das geleiras afetará negativamente o turismo, setor chave na economia da Tanzânia. As visitas ao Kilimanjaro lançam um rio de ingressos de cerca de 50 milhões de dólares ao ano.

Segundo os cientistas, as alterações na nebulosidade e no clima podem ser fatores da diminuição das geleiras, especialmente nas últimas décadas. Estas conclusões foram publicadas pela primeira vez na revista da Academia Nacional de Ciências dos Estados Unidos (NAS, em inglês) na segunda-feira.


Seeds placed in Norwegian vault as agricultural 'insurance policy'

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a vault containing millions of seeds from all over the world, saw its first deposits on Tuesday. Located 800 kilometers from the North Pole on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, the vault has been referred to by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso as a "frozen Garden of Eden". It is intended to preserve crop supplies and secure biological diversity in the event of a worldwide disaster.

"The opening of the seed vault marks a historic turning point in safeguarding the world’s crop diversity," said Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust which is in charge of collecting the seed samples. The Norwegian government, who owns the bank, built it at a cost of $9.1 million.

At the opening ceremony, 100 million seeds from 268,000 samples were placed inside the vault, where there is room for over 2 billion seeds. Each of the samples originated from a different farm or field, in order to best ensure biological diversity. These crop seeds included such staples as rice, potatoes, barley, lettuce, maize, sorghum, and wheat. No genetically modified crops were included. (Beyond politics they are generally sterile so of no use.)

Constructed deep inside a mountain and protected by concrete walls, the "doomsday vault" is designed to withstand earthquakes, nuclear warfare, and floods resulting from global warming. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called it an "insurance policy" against such threats.

With air-conditioned temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius, experts say the seeds could last for an entire millennium. Some crops will be able to last longer, like sorghum, which the Global Crop Diversity Trust says can last almost 20 millenniums. Even if the refrigeration system fails, the vaults are expected to stay frozen for 200 years.

The Prime Minister said, "With climate change and other forces threatening the diversity of life that sustains our planet, Norway is proud to be playing a central role in creating a facility capable of protecting what are not just seeds, but the fundamental building blocks of human civilization." Stoltenberg, along with Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, made the first deposit of rice to the vault.

"It is very important for Africa to store seeds here because anything can happen to our national seed banks," Maathai said. The vault will operate as a bank, allowing countries to use their deposited seeds free of charge. It will also serve as a backup to the thousands of other seed banks around the world.

"Crop diversity will soon prove to be our most potent and indispensable resource for addressing climate change, water and energy supply constraints and for meeting the food needs of a growing population," Cary Fowler said.


Création d'une arche de Noé végétale en Norvège

Publié le 26 février 2008   La Norvège inaugure, sur une île de l'archipel du Svalbard, dans l'Arctique, une « Arche de Noé » souterraine destinée à abriter des semences des diverses espèces végétales de la planète.

C'est sur cette île, perpétuellement gelée et située à environ mille kilomètres du pôle Nord, qu'un chantier de 6,2 millions d'euros a été lancé il y a moins d'une année. Il s'agit d'un entrepôt fortifié, creusé dans la montagne, composé de trois chambres froides au bout d'un tunnel d'une centaine de mètres de long, où l'air ambiant est refroidi à -18 degrés Celsius.

Les chambres froides sont situées à 130 mètres au-dessus du niveau de la mer pour échapper à la montée du niveau des océans. Leurs parois en béton armé leur permettent de résister aux tremblements de terre et même, selon leur concepteur, à une attaque nucléaire directe ou à une chute d'avion. Elles permettent de conserver dans le permafrost 4,5 millions d'échantillons de semences stockés dans des sachets hermétiques.

Le but du projet est de protéger le patrimoine végétal de la planète contre le changement climatique, les guerres, les catastrophes naturelles et d'autres menaces. Aujourd'hui, 250 000 échantillons ont déjà été collectés par la réserve auprès de différents États et institutions qui en resteront les propriétaires.

Après 17 mois de travaux, la réserve est inaugurée aujourd’hui conjointement par José Manuel Barroso, président de la commission européenne et Wangari Maathai, lauréate 2004 du prix Nobel de la paix et militante écologiste.


Severe smog blankets Moscow

Hot weather and peat fires near Moscow have created the worst smog in the city in almost a decade, with pollution levels around ten times higher than is considered safe.

At least 43 peat fires have erupted in rural regions to the east and south of the city, and temperatures only 0.1 degrees Celsius less than the record high of 34.7 degrees, set Monday, have led to a thick cloud of smog settling over the city.

According to pulmonologist Alexander Chuchalin, breathing the smog is equivalent "to the effect of two packs of cigarettes smoked within three or four hours."

Scientists predict that several hundred people may die as a result of the smog; Vladimir Kuznetsov of the Independent Center for Environmental Policy said that "[t]here will be sad news for some people with severe allergies, heart conditions, asthma, other breathing conditions and the like."

Numerous buildings in Moscow, particularly those dating from the era of the Soviet Union, lack air-conditioning, which makes it particularly difficult to combat the smog.

Temperatures are predicted to begin cooling by the weekend, and smog is expected to begin dissipating by the end of this week, although traces could remain for a few weeks.


Moskvon kovris densa fumo de torfejaj brulegoj

Tiu ĉi artikolo estas parte traduko de la artikolo "Severe smog blankets Moscow" el la angla Vikinovaĵoj, kiu estas sub la permesilo Creative Commons Atribuo 2.5.

Proksimume 43 torfejaj brulegoj[1] oriente kaj sude de Moskvo,[2] kaŭzitaj de la eksterordinara varmego, kreis fumnebulon, kiu ekde la lundo antaŭa semajno kovris la ĉefurbon de Rusio. Merkrede la fumo redensiĝis.[3]

Jam dum pluraj tagoj la taga temperaturo en Moskvo estas 35°C (95°F), kaj lunde ĝi atingis pli ol 37°C (99°F) — la maksimumon[3] dum iom pli ol unu centjaro de veterprotokolado.

Pulmologiisto Aleksandro Ĉuĉalin diris, ke spirado per tia fumo efikas kiel fumado de du pakaĵoj da cigaredoj en 3-4 horoj.[1]

Laŭ sciencistoj, pro la fumnebulo povas morti centoj da homoj; Vladimir Kuznecov el "Independent Center for Environmental Policy" (eble temas pri "Centro pri ekologia politiko de Rusio" — ruse "Центр экологической политики России") diris al Associated Press, ke "venos malbonaj novaĵoj por homoj kun gravaj alergioj, astmo, aliaj spiraj malsanoj ks".[2]

Multaj domoj en Moskvo ne havas klimatizilojn, do tie estas malfacile kontraŭbatali la fumon.[2]

Oni prognozas malvarmiĝon[1] kaj ioman fumdistriĝon semajnfine, sed postsignoj de la fumo eble restos dum kelkaj semajnoj.[2]

En la jaro 2002-a en Moskvo aperis fumnebulo pro arbaraj brulegoj.


Sewage spill fouls Waikiki Beach

More than 48 million gallons (180 million L) of untreated sewage that flowed into the ocean from a sewer spill on Friday, March 24, have forced city officials in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, to post signs warning tourists on Waikiki Beach to stay out of the water.

A 42-inch pressurized sewer line in Waikiki cracked on Friday, March 24, sending untreated sewage into the Ala Wai Canal on the inland (mauka) side of Waikiki.  Engineers believe that heavy rains since February 19 overwhelmed the sewer line, which was constructed in 1965.

City officials say that they had no alternative but to pump the raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal, which empties just west of Waikiki, to prevent the wastewater from backing up into homes and hotels.  Repair crews worked around the clock to fix the sewer break.  The spill was finally stopped on Thursday.

At first, tides and winds took the sewage spill out to sea, but southerly winds sent the sewage back toward Waikiki Beach, forcing city officials to take action.  Signs were posted on beaches on the west side of Waikiki.  Bacteria tests taken on the 29th showed levels of bacteria from three to sixty times acceptable levels.

Health officials will continue to test bacteria levels daily, but there is no estimate as to when the contamination will dissipate; warning signs may be in place for as long as several months.


Kloakvatten rinner in i Waikiki Beach

En en meter i diameter stor kloakledning i Waikiki brast på fredagen och läckte orenat kloakvatten ut i Ala Wai Canal på bergssidan i Waikiki. Ingenjörer tror att det tunga skyfallet den 19 februari överbelastade kloakledningen som konstruerades 1965.

Myndigheterna uppger att de inte hade något annat alternativ än att pumpa kloakvattnet ut i Ala Wai Canal som rinner ut strax väster om Waikiki för att förhindra att vattnet skulle gå in i bostäder och hotell. Underhållspersonal arbetade dygnet runt för att laga läckan och lyckades stoppa den på torsdagen den 30 mars.

Till en början förde tidvattnet och vindarna kloakvattnet ut i havet men sydliga vindar förde det tillbaka till Waikiki Beach och tvingade då myndigheterna till åtgärder. Skyltarna sattes upp på den västra sidan på stränderna i västra Waikiki.

Tester som togs den 29 mars visade på bakterienivåer på tre till sextio gånger över gränsvärdet. Hälsomyndigheterna kommer att fortsätta att ta bakterieprover dagligen men det finns ingen uppskattning på när föroreningarna är borta. Varningsskyltarna kan komma att sitta uppe i flera månader.

Denna artikel är en kort telegramartikel. Vet du mer om ämnet den beskriver kan du hjälpa till med att utvidga den.

20 juli 2010: Vulkanen har sprutat lava i 27 år
2 april 2006: Översvämningar i Honolulu orsakar stora skador
1 april 2006: Kloakvatten rinner in i Waikiki Beach
26 februari 2006: Meena Lee vann Fields Open efter särspel
19 februari 2006: Sydkoreansk seger i SBS Open
18 februari 2006: Tre spelare i delad ledning i SBS Open
17 februari 2006: SBS Open avbröts på grund av regn

Naturkatastrofer

9 april 2011: Japan efter tsunamin
11 mars 2011: Stor tsunami i Stilla havet
28 november 2010: Efterskalv drabbar Lolol, Chile
8 juni 2008: Jordbävning i Patras, Grekland
23 maj 2008: Cyklonen Nargis krävt över 100 000 dödsoffer
6 maj 2008: Cyklon har dödat minst 15 000 i Burma
14 februari 2008: Jordbävning i Kongo-Kinshasa
10 januari 2008: 30 000 utan hem i Sri Lanka efter översvämning
7 januari 2008: Häftiga översvämningar i Australien
2 april 2006: Översvämningar i Honolulu orsakar stora skador

• Naturkatastrofer
• Hawaii

Händelser 24 mars • mars • 2006 • kvartal 1 • vecka 12

Publiceringar 1 april • april • 2006 • kvartal 2 • vecka 13


Snow hits New Zealand

A huge snowstorm has hit New Zealand.

Some parts of South Canterbury have had as much as 30 cm.

Some bus services in Christchurch have closed down, including the Rangiora line.

Christchurch Airport has closed.

The MetService reports that there is a good chance of getting up to a half a metre of snow.

Further north in Auckland, the bad weather also caused power outages when an earth-wire at the Otahuhu substation snapped. The substation is the main supplier of power going into Auckland.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) Xtra reports that some people will experience Internet failure, especially where the power outages are, Auckland and the rest of the upper North Island.

The power is expected to be back by at least nightfall NZST, however some places are reporting to have had power back.


ニュージーランド南部で大雪、クライストチャーチ空港閉鎖

12日、ニュージーランドの一部が大雪に見舞われている。

カンタベリー州南部の一部では、30cmの積雪を記録した。

ランギオラ（クライストチャーチの北約20km）線を含むクライストチャーチのバス路線は運休した。

クライストチャーチ空港は閉鎖した。

積雪は50cmくらいに達する可能性が強いとニュージーランド気象情報公社は伝えた。

一方、遠く北に離れたオークランドでも、悪天候のため、オタフフ変電所のアース線が切れて、停電が起こった。オークランドは主にこの変電所から電気が送られている。

インターネットサービスプロバイダー (ISP) のXtraは、停電が起こったオークランドやニュージーランド北島の他の部分の一部地域でインターネットへの接続ができなくなるかもしれないと報告した。

電力は少なくともニュージーランド時間 (UTC+12) の夜までに回復すると期待されている。しかし、すでにいくつかの場所で電力が復旧したと報告されている。

英語版ウィキニュースの記事の翻訳です。


Burza śnieżna nawiedziła Nową Zelandię

W poniedziałek burza śnieżna nawiedziła Nową Zelandię. Niektóre jej obszary zostały pokryte 30-centymetrową pokrywą śniegu.

Z powodu obfitych opadów śniegu, zamknięte zostało lotnisko w Christchurch na Wyspie Południowej. Wstrzymane zostały także niektóre kursy autobusów.

W Auckland na Wyspie Północnej odnotowano przerwy w dostawie prądu - przerwany został przewód podstacji Otahuhu, która dostarcza prąd do wielu gospodarstw w tym mieście.

Średnie temperatury czerwca w Auckland wynoszą 12 stopni Celsjusza.


The Next Consortium of ITRI launches 'RoboScooter'

At the Pavilion of Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium during the AutoTronics Taipei 2008, in Taipei Time, the Next Consortium of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) unveiled a brand-new environmental-concept vehicle named "RoboScooter". It was jointly designed by the Creativity Lab of ITRI, SYM Motors, and the Media Lab of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This announcement was approved by industrial, governmental, and academical executives, but not just in Taiwan.

The ability for R&D to manufacture the electronic vehicles and bicycles was concerning to several automobile-related industries. There was concern not only from several trade shows, but also international competitions related to the design after winning several prizes back in Taiwan to establish the industrial position and brand image of "Made in Taiwan". Since several industries like automobile are transformed to high-value industries, "creativity" progressively became a key element before unveiling any new products.

As of this sector, Wen-jean Hsueh (ITRI Creativity Lab General Director) hoped companies could do proper transformations on its R&D nature from "Made in Taiwan" to "Created in Taiwan" for best practice. This not only echoed "OBM" theory discussed at 2007 Taiwan Brands' Trend Forum but also blended with a key element of production - "creativity".

On the other side of SYM Motors, to solve the transportation problem for TWTC Nangang, SYM Motors Taiwan imported manufacturing technology from Kinglong Bus Co., Ltd. to manufacture several 4th-cycle low floor buses and sell them to Chung-hsing Bus Co., Ltd. and Kwang-huang Bus Co., Ltd. In this launch, the SYM Motors Taiwan hope this vehicle is energy-efficiency, easily-parked, and has creative functions which can improve the transportation habits of individuals.


RoboScooter新世代概念機車 展現創意與品牌精神

繼數週前的台北車電展，台灣車輛研發聯盟展示了一款環保電動概念車，並在台灣機車產業展的研討會中，進行試行案例分析後，工業技術研究院的「新世代創意聯盟」，在今（29）日發表了一款由工研院創意中心、三陽工業、美國麻省理工學院媒體實驗室，藉由創意聯盟的開放式創新平台，聯手打造的環保概念車─RoboScooter，獲得產官學界的高度支持。

台灣在電動車、自行車、車輛相關零組件的研發能力，向來獲得各國產業界的高度重視，無論是車輛相關產業展覽，或是國內外各項設計競賽中，台灣的作品一直受到高度的重視，甚至屢獲佳績，也確立了「台灣製造」的名望，但隨著各產業朝高附加價值進行發展的局勢下，創意更顯得舉足輕重，因此，創意中心薛文珍主任，也希望能夠有新的轉型，讓產業走入「台灣創造」，這不只是把創意融入，更呼應去年台灣品牌論壇提倡的「OBM」目標。

在本次參與研發的三陽工業部分，早先，針對台北世貿南港館的交通，所設計的「新忠孝幹線」，也在光華巴士、中興巴士聯手採購20台三陽金龍四期環保低底盤公車後，獲得一定的紓解效果；另外，在概念車發表會中，三陽工業也希望借重其節能、環保、可摺疊、輕便、易停車等功能，來改善通勤族的行動習慣。


Thermoelectric plants in Arad, Romania to be modernised

The Romanian government has allocated 16.6 million euros for the modernisation of two thermoelectric power plants that serve a residential area in the city of Arad, western Romania. The funds come in response to a request sent at the beginning of this year by the Arad municipal government.

The mayor of Arad, Gheorge Falcă, said that the modernisation was necessary because, up until now, apartments in the area could not be properly heated due to a significant loss of hot water caused by problems in the pipe network. According to the mayor, the installations will be fully modernised by this winter (December 2005). Falcă also added that, in years to come, he would request more funds from the national government in order to modernise all out-of-date power plants in the city, and therefore reduce the costs for consumers.

At the same time, the Romanian government has pledged to reduce pollution levels, especially in industrial cities like Arad, in order to comply with European Union environmental standards. Romania is set to join the EU in 2007. The government's target is that, by 2015, all plants or facilities using large combustion installations will have to align to EU environmental standards or will be forced to shut down. One of such plants is the Arad District Heating Plant, CET Arad, which is going to be modernised in the future. The modernisation is expected to take 100 million euros to complete.


Centrala termoelectrică de la Arad va fi modernizată

19 aprilie 2005 București, România —

Guvernul României a alocat suma de 16,6 milioane de euro pentru modernizarea a două centrale termoelectrice din unui cartier rezidențial din orașul Arad. Fondurile au fost alocate după ce guvernul municipal din Arad a făcut o aplicație la guvernul național.

Primarul Aradului, Gheorghe Falcă, a spus că modernizarea este neceasară, fiind că, până acum, apartamentele din unei zone din Arad nu puteau fi încălzite satisfăcător fiind că erau pierderi significante de apă caldă, cauzare de probleme în rețeaua de țevi. Primarul a spus că instalațiile vor fi complet modernizare până în această iarnă, adică decembrie 2005. Falcă a adăugat că, în anii viitori, va cere mai mulți bani de la guvernul național pentru a moderniza toate centralele demodate din Arad. Prin asta, el a spus că consumatorii vor beneficia de costuri reduse din cauza pierderilor reduse.

În același timp, Guvernul României a promis să reducă nivelurile de poluare, mai ales în orașe industriale ca Arad, ca să se alinieze la standardurile Uniunii Europene pentru protejarea mediului. România va adera la UE în 2007, și obiectivul guvernului este că până în 2015, toate centralele sau facilitățiile din țară care folosesc instalații de combusție să fie ori modernizate la standardele UE sau forțate să se închidă. Una dintre aceste centrale este CET Arad, care va fi modernizată în viitor. Modernizarea este așteptată se coste în jur de 100 de milioane de euro.

Mihai Istrate, „Arad thermoelectric power plants modernized” — Bucharest Daily News, 19 aprilie 2005


Thousands demand climate change action

Thousands of people across Australia are taking part in protests calling on the Federal Government to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The 'Walk Against Warming' is part of an international day of action in 40 countries, coinciding with the United Nations climate change talks in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

According to the Walk Against Warming group, "the need to reduce greenhouse gases is at crisis point, we must act now for the sustainability of our planet for future generations."

Melinda Cook, Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales official, says governments need to take much stronger action on the issue of Climate Change.

"This international day has been called to put pressure on Australia and the US to ratify and to make sure governments are aware that the community is demanding serious commitments and action on greenhouse gas reduction," said Cook.

Siding with the United States, the Australian Federal Government has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, arguing it is damaging to their economic interests. Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell says Australia is focused on measures that should be taken after Kyoto expires in 2012.

"We need to do something that suits the developed world, something that suits the rapidly developing world, partnerships, technologies, economic mechanisms that drive us towards that," said Campbell. "We're nowhere near that at the moment and Australia wants to be a constructive part of driving us towards a very useful post-Kyoto regime."

Protesters across Australia are using the International Day of Action on Climate Change to demand the government adopt a clean energy policy. Hundreds of people marched through Sydney on Saturday to mark the day.

The protest against global warming coincides with the 12-day conference in Montreal, which will discuss climate change measures and future international action when the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012. Australia and the United States are the only western industrialised nations which refuse to ratify the global Kyoto Protocol. Australia has delegates at the Montreal meeting, but will only act as observers.

Melinda Cook said scientists had predicted huge negative consequences including extreme weather and even social and economic impacts if steps were not taken now. Cook also said governments must make a "serious commitment" not to build any more coal fire powered stations.

The United States Bush administration and the Australian Howard Government have refused to ratify the Kyoto agreement, which pledges industrialised nations to cut carbon dioxide levels to 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.

Global Action

Up to a million people will take to the streets of more than 100 cities across dozens of countries today to demand greater action on global warming. Organizers of the protests say the world's leading industrialised nations had failed to make an impact on climate change and some, in particular Britain, were backsliding on their environmental commitments.

The United Nations meeting in Montreal, will be attended by representatives of 189 countries. The centerpiece of the International Day of Climate Protest will be a mass protest in Montreal, where at least 15,000 people are expected to lobby delegates.

Across the planet, protests are being held in locations from Helsinki to Seoul. In Washington, drivers of fuel-efficient hybrid cars will rally around the White House. In New Orleans - devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August - there will be a "Stop Global Warming" street party in the French Quarter.

"There is probably very little we can expect [from Montreal] because we are doing nothing to keep fossil fuel in the ground. All these techno-fixes are a waste of time if we continue to burn fossil fuel at the same rate," said George Monbiot, an academic and environment commentator, who will address a rally in London.

"There is a lot of cynicism about what the British government is doing. [Prime Minister] Tony Blair has promised much and persuaded many that he will deliver but it has turned out to be rubbish. Blair had no intention of doing anything on climate change other than talk about it. But this weekend's protests are taking place in a changed context - the media are listening and finally we have to make the politicians listen."


Klimatförhandlingar i Montreal leder till globala protester

3 december 2005 Tusentals människor i Australien deltar idag i manifestationer där man kräver att landets federala regering ratificerar Kyotoavtalet. Manifestationen "Walk Against Warming" är en del av en internationell dag med demonstrationer och olika aktiviteter i ett 40-tal länder i samband med FN:s klimatförhandlingar i Montreal i Kanada.

Talesmän för "Walk Against Warming" säger: "Behovet att reducera växthusgaser har nått en kritisk punkt. Vi måste agera nu för den hållbara utvecklingen på planeten för kommande generationers skull". Melinda Cook från naturskyddsföreningen i New South Wales säger att landets regering måste agera mycket mer kraftfullt vad gäller klimatförändringar:

Tillsammans med USA har australiens regering vägrat ratificera Kyotoavtalet med argumentet att det skadar deras ekonomiska intressen. Australiens miljöminister Ian Campbell har sagy att regeringen är inställd på åtgärder som kommer att träda i kraft först då Kyoroavtalet träder ur kraft 2012:

Med lördagens demonstrationer krävde många att australiens regering skulle anta en mer miljövänlig politik. I Sidney demonstrerade hundratals människor för att uppmärksamma den internationella dagen.

Protesterna mot den globala uppvärmningen sammfaller med en tolv dagar lång konferens i Montreal där man ska diskutera internationella åtgärder efter Kyotoavtalet som löper ut 2012. USA och Australien är de enda två industrialiserade länderna som inte godkänt avtalet. Australien kommer att ha två delegater närvarande på konferensen, men de har bara status som observatörer.

Enligt Melinda Cook förutsäger forskare mycket allvarliga negativa konsekvenser om inte utvecklingen stoppas, utöver extrema väderleksförhållanden även sociala och ekonomiska följder. Hon krävde att regeringen på allvar skulle åta sig att sluta bygga ut kolkraften i landet. Enligt Kyotoavtalet förbinder sig världens industrialiserade länder att under perioden 2008-2013 minska utsläppen av koldioxid till 5,2% mindre än 1990-års nivåer.

Organisatörerna hoppas att så många som en miljon människor kommer att delta i den globala manifestationen i ett dussintal länder under dagen. Med manifestationen kräver de åtgärder mot den globala uppvärmningen. Enligt organisatörerna har världens industrialiserade länder misslyckats med att hantera miljöförändringarna och vissa länder, i synnerhet Storbritannien, misslyckades med att leva upp till sina miljöåtaganden.

Till FN-konferensen i Montreal kommer representanter från 189 länder och den största manifestationen under dagen, med omkring 15 000 deltagare, kommer att äga rum i staden. Andra manifestationer kommer att äga rum i olika städer i världen – från Helsingfors till Seoul. I Washington D.C. kommer miljövänliga bilar att köras runt Vita huset. I de franska kvarteren i New Orleans, som förstördes av orkanen Katrina i augusti, kommer en gatufest att hållas på temat "Stop Global Warming".

Den brittiske miljökommentatorn George Monbiot deltar i en manifestation i London och säger:

Bland länderna som deltar i den globala dagen finns: Australien, Bangladesh, Brasilien, Bulgarien, kanada, Chile, Kroatien, Kongo, Finland, Frankrike, Tyskland, Grekland, Indonesien, Irland, Italien, Japan, mexiko, Nya Zeeland, Nicaragua, Norge, Peru, Filippinerna, Portugal, Rumänien, Ryssland, Sydafrika, Sydkorea, Spanien, Turkiet, Uganda, USA och Venezuela.


Tropical Storm Alpha forms, breaks Atlantic storm record

Tropical Storm Alpha formed Saturday in the Caribbean to break the record for most tropical storms in an Atlantic hurricane season ever, making it the 22nd storm of the year. It is also the first storm to be named with a letter of the Greek alphabet. Wilma exhausted the English alphabetic list as the 21st named storm; the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are skipped when naming Atlantic storms.

Currently, the storm has sustained winds of 40mph, which is only 1mph over the threshold for a tropical storm. It is centered about 70 miles south of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Haiti and portions of the Dominican Republic.

According to scientists, since 1995 an increase in hurricane activity has been due to a rise in ocean temperatures and decrease of wind shear that rip apart hurricanes.

The prior record has stood since the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. However the season does not end till November 30, leaving room for more storms to form and shatter the record. Scientists have noted that the number of very strong hurricanes is likely to increase further in future years as the effects of global warming increase. Researcher Dr Peter Webster stated that "What I think we can say is that the increase in (hurricane) intensity is probably accounted for by the increase in sea-surface temperature, and I think probably the sea-surface temperature increase is a manifestation of global warming."


トロピカルストーム「アルファ」発生、年間ハリケーン発生数、観測史上最多を記録

カリブ海で22日午後5時（東部夏時間、UTC-4、日本時間23日午前6時）までに、トロピカルストーム（熱帯性暴風）「アルファ」が発生し、2005年に北大西洋海域で発生したハリケーンの数は観測史上最高の22に達した。また「アルファ」は観測史上初めてギリシア文字により名付けられたハリケーンとなった。ハリケーンの命名規則では、Q、U、X、Y、Zを除くアルファベットを頭文字にする21の人名があらかじめ決められている。それで不足する場合は、ギリシャ文字を順に付けることとなっており、21番目のウィルマ(Wilma)のあとは、したがってアルファとなる。

米国立ハリケーンセンターによれば、東部夏時間23日午前2時現在「アルファ」は時速40マイル（毎秒17m）で、トロピカルストームと判定される閾値（最大風速34ノット＝毎時39マイル＝以上）をわずか時速1マイルだけ上回っていた。その時点で中心はドミニカ共和国サントドミンゴの95キロメートル南の海上にあったが、北上し、23日午前中にイスパニョーラ島に上陸した。上陸後は勢力を弱め、現地時間午前11時までに風速時速35マイル（毎時55キロメートル）の熱帯低気圧となった。しかしハリケーンセンターでは今後勢力を回復しふたたびトロピカルストームとなるおそれもあるとしている。

上陸前、イスパニョーラ島の西部を占めるハイチおよび東部を占めるドミニカ共和国の海岸部にトロピカルストーム警報が出ていたが、現地時間午前11時に解除された。同センターでは、今後の進路として予想されるバハマおよび英領タークス・カイコス諸島では依然として警戒が必要だとしている。

AP通信によれば、1995年以来、ハリケーンの活動は活発になりつづけている。科学者は、海水の温度上昇とハリケーンをばらばらにするウィンドシア（局地的に風向や風速が極端に変化していること）の発生の減少を、ハリケーンが増加している原因として指摘している。

これまでのハリケーンの北大西洋における年間発生最高記録は1933年に観測された。ハリケーンシーズンは11月末まで続くため、今シーズンの記録はさらに更新される余地を残している。

英語版ウィキニュースからの翻訳です。


Tropical storm Erin forms in Gulf of Mexico

Tropical storm Erin has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. It expected to make landfall Thursday near Corpus Christi, Texas, forecasters have stated.

At 11:00 a.m. EDT today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measured winds over 40 mph which is the mark of a tropical storm.

At 11:30 a.m. EDT, the storm was about 250 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, and about 295 miles east-northeast of La Pesca, Mexico, with sustained winds of 30 mph.

Texas Governor Rick Perry is warning that many areas in the projected path of the storm could be facing severe flooding, saying “Because storms have saturated much of our state this summer, many communities in this storm's projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding.”

Therefore, Governor Perry has an estimated 30 vehicles and 60 National Guard members in the area on standby in case of severe flooding. Also, Texas' disaster response team has been mobilized. There are also members of the Texas Task Force One, who have been trained in urban search and rescue techniques, on standby. Corey Ricketson with Texas Task Force One said, "We've got food, water, we've got shelters, we've got showers, beds, everything that we need right here in order to go to a remote location and be self-sufficient as a unit."


La tormenta tropical Erin amenaza el Golfo de México

15 de agosto de 2007Harlingen, Texas —

La tormenta tropical Erin se ha formado en el Golfo de México. Se espera que toque tierra el jueves, cerca de Corpus Christi, Texas, según declararon meteorólogos.

La tormenta había comenzado como una benévola depresión tropical.

A las 11 a.m. EDT de hoy, el National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration de Estados Unidos midió vientos que sobrepasaban las 40 mph que indicaba una tormenta tropical.

A las 11:30 a.m. EDT, la tormenta estaba a 250 millas al este de Brownsville, Texas, y a 295 millas al noreste-este de La Pesca, México, y se midieron vientos de 30 mph.

Rick Perry, gobernador de Texas, advirtió que en el curso de la tormenta se podrían causar varias inundaciones. "Como las tormentas han saturado bastante de nuestro estado este verano, varias comunidades en el recorrido previsto de la tormenta están en gran riesgo de sufrir peligrosas inundaciones relámpago".

El gobernador Perry ha puesto a un estimado de 30 vehículos y 60 miembros de la Guardia Nacional en el área en caso de inundación. Además, el equipo de respuesta a emergencias de Texas se ha movilizado.

También hay miembros de la Texas Task Force One, que fueron entrenados en búsquedas urbanas y técnicas de rescate. Corey Ricketson con la Texas Task Force One dijo: "Tenemos comida, agua y refugio, tenemos duchas, camas, y todo lo que necesitamos aquí para ir a una localización remota y ser una unidad autosuficiente".

México también ha declarado una emergencia en su país.


Tsunami warning briefly issued for Indian Ocean after latest earthquake

In response to another major earthquake, near India's Nicobar Islands (in the Indian Ocean, about 690 miles southwest of Bangkok, Thailand), government agencies briefly issued official tsunami warnings. However, it was later determined that the earthquake, although strong, was of a type which does not commonly spawn large tsunamis.

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center reported that the earthquake occurred at 15:42:05 (UTC) on Sunday, July 24, 2005, and registered as a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.  Its location is 7.926°N, 92.146°E

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported at 16:11 UTC that an earthquake had occurred at 15:42 UTC near the Indo-Chinese Peninsula (8.7°N, 92.1°E). The scale of this earthquake was estimated by JMA to be 7.3 on the Richter scale, and its seismic center near the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean.

"There is a possibility of a destructive local tsunami in the Indian Ocean," said the JPA, when it issued its warning. But that possibility did not come to fruition.

This was made clear in a report from the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center, which said in a bulletin that "No tsunami threat exists to coastlines in the Pacific, however earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a few hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter. As the center does not have sea level gauges outside the Pacific, they will not be able to detect or measure a tsunami if one occurs. It can be assumed the danger has passed if no tsunami waves are observed near the epicenter within an hour of the earthquake."

The US Geological Survey's Waverly Person told the BBC that the event was "unlikely to spark a tsunami".

The Thai TV station MCOT was reporting at around 1:00 (local time, UTC+7) that everything was under control and there has been no confusion; in Phuket and Trang provinces, the sea level was reported to be at normal levels at that time. At 1:25 (local time), the Thai National Disaster Warning Center cleared the tsunami warning nationwide.

The top federal administrator of the Nicobar Islands, Ram Kapse, told Reuters news agency that there had been no reports of casualties or damage from any of the inhabited islands.


Tsunami-Warnung in Asien nach schwerem Seebeben

Bangkok (Thailand), 24.07.2005 – Nach einem schweren Seebeben der Stärke 7.2 im Indischen Ozean in der Nähe der Nikobaren wurde zunächst eine Tsunami-Warnung von Behörden in Indonesien, Thailand und USA ausgegeben und vorsorglich Evakuierungsmaßnahmen eingeleitet.

In Thailand werden auf Regierungsweisung hin Küstenabschnitte evakuiert. Dies galt ausdrücklich für die sechs Provinzen Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Ranong, Satun und Trang. Dort war es zur Zeit der Warnung Mitternacht (Ortszeit).

Auswirkungen des Seebebens wurden auch in Indien (Madras) und Indonesien (Aceh) registriert.

Gleichwohl die ausgelöste Flutwelle gegen 19:15 Uhr MESZ die Küste Südthailands hätte erreichen müssen, ist über Auswirkungen, eventuelle Schäden und Opfer aktuell nichts bekannt.

Mittlerweile wurden die Tsunamiwarnungen wieder aufgehoben. Auch die US-Behörde (USGS) hat die Warnung auf ihrer Internetseite zurückgenommen.


インド洋 ニコバル諸島で強い地震

協定標準時(UTC)24日（日本時間25日）、インド領のニコバル諸島で強い地震があり、気象庁ほかが地元での小規模な津波の可能性を示唆したが、津波は起こらなかった。

気象庁発表では、地震は協定標準時(UTC)15時42分（日本時間25日0時42分）ごろ、推定マグニチュードは7.3、推定された震源地は北緯8.7度、東経91.2度であった。アメリカ地質調査所の発表では、地震がおきたのは15時42分5秒(UTC)、推定マグニチュードは7.2、震源地は北緯7.926度、東経92.142度。

米地震情報センターでは、太平洋岸に津波の心配はなく、震源地付近で小規模な地域的な津波の可能性はあるが、地震後1時間以内に津波が起こらなければ、今回の地震で津波がおこる可能性はまずない、とコメントした。

タイでは地震後警戒宣言が出され、一部地域で避難勧告が出された。タイのテレビ局MCOTは現地時間1時頃(UTC+7)「事態は秩序だっており、混乱はない」と報じた。現地時間1時25分にはタイ全国で警戒宣言が解除された。ニコバル諸島の行政最高責任者であるラム・カプセ氏は、ロイターに対し、島民に死者はなく、津波による被害もなかったと語った。


Trzęsienie ziemi o sile 7,2 stopni nieopodal Nikobarów

Nieopodal archipelagu Nikobarów i Andamanów (dokładne współrzędne to 7.926°N, 92.146°E) doszło to trzęsienia ziemi o sile od 7,0 do 7,3 stopni w skali Richtera, według różnych źródeł.

Ziemia zadrżała o godzinie 20:42:05 czasu lokalnego (15:42:05 UTC, 17:42:05 czasu środkowoeuropejskiego). Od razu potem, większość państw nakazała wszystkim mieszkańcom ewakuację na wyższe poziomy wysp, na których przebywali. Obawiano się powstania fali tsunami po uderzeniu tego trzęsienia, jednak większość wysp na Oceanie Indyjskim odwołało ostrzeżenia. "Wszystko jest w porządku. Nie słyszałem o żadnych szkodach," powiedział Samir Acharya, głowa Związku Andamanów i Nikobarów.

Obydwa archipelagi wchodzą w skład indyjskiego Związku Andamanów i Nikobarów. Znajdują się na Oceanie Indyjskim, między Zatoką Bengalską a Morzem Andamańskim. Nikobary Od Andamanów oddziela Kanał Dziesiątego Stopnia.

26 grudnia 2004 potężne tsunami wywołane przez trzęsienie ziemi o sile 9 stopni w skali Richera poważnie zniszczyło obydwa archipelagi. Liczba ofiar w tym rejonie wniosła 3 tysiące. Łącznie, całe tsunami zabrało życie ponad 200 000 osobom.


U.S. government proposes removing Yellowstone grizzlies from endangered species list

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that "The greater Yellowstone area population of grizzly bears ... is now recovered". They propose removing this population from the list of threatened and endangered species.

More than 600 grizzly bears now live in the greater Yellowstone area.  This area, which includes Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and several national forests covers 18 million acres.  Grizzlies occupy 68% of the suitable habitat within the area.  They have been spotted over 60 miles from what was once thought to be the outer limits of their range.  The bears' range and distribution has been increasing annually and is now 48% larger than when they were listed.

When Lewis and Clark crossed North America in 1804 there were more than 50,000 grizzlies in the west. By the 1970s there were less than 1,000 and they only covered 2% of their historic range.  In 1975, when the Grizzly Bear was listed as threatened, biologists estimated the Yellowstone ecosystem had between 220 and 320 bears.  Since then, various government agencies and private organizations worked on a conservation plan that involved education, conflict reduction, and monitoring programs.

Four other populations of Grizzly Bear in the lower 48 states will remain on the list.


US-Regierung schlägt vor, die Yellowstone-Grizzlybären von der Liste der bedrohten Arten zu nehmen

Washington D.C. (Vereinigte Staaten), 20.11.2005 – Der „United States Fish and Wildlife Service“ hat bekannt gegeben, dass „der größte Teil der Yellowstone-Grizzlybären […] wiederhergestellt ist.“ Er beabsichtigt daher, diese Art von der Liste der bedrohten und gefährdeten Tiere zu nehmen.

Mehr als 600 Grizzlybären leben momentan in der weiteren Umgebung von Yellowstone. Dieses Gebiet, das den Yellowstone-Nationalpark, den Grand-Teton-Nationalpark und einige nationale Wälder beinhaltet, deckt 18 Millionen Acre (rund 7300 Quadratkilometer) ab. Grizzlys leben auf 68 Prozent des nützlichen Lebensraums in diesem Gebiet. Sie wurden über 60 Meilen (etwa 100 Kilometer) von ihrem ursprünglich angenommenen äußersten Randgrenzgebieten beobachtet. Die Anzahl und Verbreitung der Bären hat sich jährlich vergrößert und ist heute 48 Prozent höher als zum Zeitpunkt der Eintragung in die Artenschutzliste.

Als Lewis und Clark 1804 Nordamerika durchquerten, gab es mehr als 50.000 Grizzlys im Westen. In den 70er Jahre waren es sogar weniger als 1.000, die nur in zwei Prozent ihrer bisherigen Lebensräume lebten. 1975, als der Grizzlybär als bedrohte Art galt, schätzten Experten die Zahl der Bären im Ökosystem von Yellowstone auf 220 bis 320. Seither arbeiteten verschiedene Regierungsinstitutionen und private Organisationen an Artenschutzprogrammen, die Bildung, Konfliktlösung und Überwachungsprogramme beinhalteten.

Vier andere Populationen von Grizzlybären in den übrigen 48 Staaten bleiben weiterhin auf der Liste.


Le gouvernement des États-Unis d'Amérique souhaite retirer le grizzly de la liste des espèces menacées


Yellowstone: i grizzly escono dalla lista delle specie in via d'estinzione

Quando è stato inaugurato il Parco Nazionale di Yellowstone, si pensava che l'apertura di quest'area fosse un'occasione per preservare alcune specie rare; un secolo dopo molte specie erano protette, perché in via d'estinzione.

Oggi però, facendo alcune statistiche, si è notato che l'incremento della fauna è un dato non da sottovalutare: per fare un esempio, dal 1975 ad oggi  i grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis), una specie famosa del parco, sono raddoppiati di numero.

È stato stimato infatti che ogni anno la popolazione di questi orsi cresce del 4-6%, tanto da permettere in 30 anni (dal 1975 sino ad oggi) una crescita da 300 grizzly, nel 1975, a più di 600 esemplari oggi.

Le autorità statunitensi stanno perciò avviando le procedure di riapertura per la caccia all'orso ed hanno già rimosso il grizzly dalla lista dell'Endangered Species Act, la legge che fa proteggere le specie animali che rischiano l'estinzione.

Molti ambientalisti sostengono che procedendo in questa maniera, fra pochi mesi il grizzly sarà nuovamente inserito nella lista degli animali che rischiano l'estinzione, perché in tutti i 3 Stati che comprendono il Parco (Montana, Idaho e Wyoming), il Governo è di comune accordo sulla riapertura della caccia e in tutti i 3 ci sono cacciatori pronti a mettere in bacheca un nuovo trofeo.


U.S. negotiator calls Kyoto Treaty "not based on science"

Buenos Aires — The 10th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 10) is being held in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires; signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have gathered to discuss issues involving global warming. Senior U.S. negotiator Dr. Harlan Watson came under fire for the United States' refusal to ratify the almost 10 year old Kyoto Treaty (AKA: Kyoto Protocol) which aims to reduce the emission of 6 greenhouse gases in the 55+ signatory nations and requires participating industrialized countries to give money and technology to developing countries.

Watson countered these complaints by arguing that, "Kyoto is a political agreement, it's not based on science." He also stated that the United States remains steadfast to its current position on global climate change.  Supporters of the Kyoto Treaty state the protocol's required actions are not sufficient to effect their claimed warming effects.


USA lehnen Kyoto-Protokoll weiter ab

Buenos Aires (Argentinien), 06.12.2004 – Die USA bekräftigten zum Auftakt der zehnten Welt-Klimakonferenz in Buenos Aires, die vom 6. Dezember 2004 bis zum 17. Dezember 2004 stattfindet, dass sie das Kyoto-Protokoll weiter ablehnen. Es ist die letzte Verhandlungsrunde, bevor das Kyoto-Protokoll im Februar 2005 in Kraft treten kann.

Ein Unterhändler sagte auf der Konferenz, man habe einen anderen Weg gewählt. Zwar hat George W. Bush in einem Interview mit der New York Times am 2. Dezember 2004 die schädliche Wirkung von Treibhausgasen eingeräumt, das hatte jedoch keinen Einfluss auf die Haltung der US-Regierung.

Obwohl die USA das Protokoll ablehnen, kann es am 16. Februar 2005 in Kraft treten. da Russland die Ratifizierung durchgeführt hat. Bisher haben 129 Staaten das Protokoll unterschrieben.

Im Anschluss an die offizielle Tagesordnung soll in Buenos Aires noch geklärt werden, mit welchen finanziellen Mitteln den betroffenen Ländern bei der Anpassung an den Klimawandel geholfen werden muss.

Nach wie vor bleibt Greenpeace der Meinung, ein wirksamer Klimaschutz sei ohne die USA nicht möglich. Alle Teilnehmer an der Konferenz sollten deshalb Druck auf das Land ausüben, damit es sich seiner Verantwortung bei der Abwendung der Klimakatastrophe stelle.


U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments on global warming

The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments this Wednesday to determine whether the Bush administration must regulate carbon dioxide emissions to deal with the global warming threat. The case is presented by a group of environmentalists and leaders of some large cities.

The coalition, led by Massachusetts, demanded to review the case and insisted that carbon-dioxide is harmful to the environment as much as lead and smog-causing elements. The Bush administration is expected to argue before the court that the EPA has lacked the power under the Clean Air Act to regulate CO2 as a pollutant.

Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly and others have argued that this case is very important from the point of view of the Environmental Protection Agency's statutory responsibilities to deal with the most pressing environmental problem.

The case comes just a few weeks after a federal government report concluded that far fewer polar bear cubs are surviving off Alaska's northern coast, something many environmentalists are blaming on global warming. Also earlier this month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that signs of warming continue in the Arctic with a decline in sea ice, an increase in shrubs growing on the tundra, and rising concerns about the Greenland ice sheet.


Suprema Corte dos EUA assiste à discussão sobre aquecimento global

Um grupo de ecologistas e líderes de algumas  grandes cidades vão se reunir na Suprema Corte dos Estados Unidos da América  esta semana para discutir se a Agência de Proteção Ambiental deve regular como matéria de saúde pública a quantia de gás carbônico proveniente dos  veículos. Um tribunal federal de apelações nitidamente dividido  decidiu a favor do governo em 2005. Todavia em junho último, a Suprema Corte decidiu retomar o caso.

A administração  Bush pretende argumentar antes do tribunal na quarta-feira que o Clean Air Act não concede à Agência de Proteção Ambiental poderes para tratar o gás carbônico como um poluente. A agência afirma que ainda que tivesse tal autoridade, agiria com discrição perante a lei no trato do problema sem impor medidas de controle de emissão.

Os ecologistas insistem que o Clean Air Act deixa claro que o gás carbônico é um contaminante que e que está sujeito à regulamentação porque ele representa uma ameaça para a saúde pública.

O caso vem só algumas semanas depois que um relatório do governo federal concluiu que cada vez menos filhotes de ursos polares  sobrevivem fora da costa do norte do Alasca. Muitos ecologistas  culpam o aquecimento global. Também ainda neste mês o NOAA disse que continuam haver  sinais de aquecimento no Ártico e que há um declínio na quantidade de mar congelado,  aumento de arbustos que crescem na tundra e preocupações a respeito da camada de gelo que cobre a Gronelândia.


UN report: climate change and food shortage major problems for Earth's future

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a comprehensive report on the current state of the global environment. Climate change, food and water shortage and a decline in biodiversity threaten humanity's survival, so urgent action is necessary, the report warns.

UNEP's Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4) report involved the work of about 390 experts in various fields from around the world.

While the GEO-4 report salutes some improvements, for example the increased public awareness of environmental issues and political interest, it also warns that "There are no major issues... for which the foreseeable trends are favourable." Although the report sets out a gloomy scenario, its main aim is to call for action.

The report finds that despite "visible and unequivocal" evidence of climate change caused by human activity, the global response is "woefully inadequate" and shows "a remarkable lack of urgency". It criticizes highly-polluting countries that refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and the industrial sectors that lobbied against it. Negotiations for a new Protocol to curb climate changes will start in December.

Although the emission of ozone-layer damaging chemicals has decreased by 95 percent, the spring hole in the ozone layer is larger than ever. UNEP calls the way Europe and North America have dealt with the problem of acid rain "one of the success stories of recent decades", while the challenge remains in countries like China, India and Mexico.

As far as water is concerned, the report warns that "The escalating burden of water demand will become intolerable in water-scarce countries." Contaminated water and lack of sanitation services already affect 2.6 billion people, being the single leading cause of death in developing countries with 3 million deaths annually, mostly in children younger than five. Although agricultural efficacy has increased, up to a third of the global population is affected by soil erosion, nutrient depletion and water scarcity.

This is the first UNEP report which addresses specific problems in individual continents. In Africa, desertification and declining food production are key problems, while agricultural subsidies in developing countries decrease trade profits. Bushmeat trade is also mentioned, for example in the Congo Basin, where the trade is at six times its sustainable rate. In Asia, urban air quality, fresh water and increasing waste problems are among the priorities. The illegal traffic in electronic and hazardous waste worldwide is mentioned separately as an emerging challenge.

Overconsumption, high energy use and transport problems cause concern in Europe, while North America is, according to the report, struggling to address climate change. Urban growth is a particular concern in Latin America. 2007 is reported as being the first year in history when more than half of all people lived in cities. The Polar regions are already feeling the impact of climate change, ozone layer effacement and pollution.

Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary General of the U.N. and director of UNEP, said that "There continue to be 'persistent' and intractable problems unresolved and unaddressed. ... Meanwhile, institutions like UNEP, established to counter the root causes, remain under-resourced and weak."

"There have been enough wake-up calls ... I sincerely hope GEO-4 is the final one. The systematic destruction of the Earth's natural and nature-based resources has reached a point where the economic viability of economies is being challenged and where the bill we hand on to our children may prove impossible to pay," Mr Steiner warned.


Программа ООН по окружающей среде: человечество уничтожает само себя

Исследование Программы ООН по окружающей среде показало, что скорость использования ресурсов Земли за последние 20 лет поставила человечество на грань выживания.

Программа ООН по окружающей среде подготовила доклад "Глобальная экологическая перспектива: Окружающая среда для развития человека" (ГЕО-4) о состоянии окружающей среды на планете.

Согласно данным исследования, в котором принимали участие около 390 ведущих ученых мира, изменения климата, недостаток ресурсов и питьевой воды ставит человечество на грань выживания и требует принятия срочных мер.

В докладе отмечается, что в настоящее время для каждого человека требуется на треть больше ресурсов, чем может дать планета. За 20 лет население Земли выросло на 34%, в то время как 73 тысячи квадратных метров лесов ежегодно исчезают с лица Земли. Резко снизилось количество пресноводной рыбы – на 50%, а использование земель под сельскохозяйственные посевы возросло на 39%. Ежегодно каждая десятая крупнейшая в мире река пересыхает.

"ГЕО-4" является "призывом к действию" для государств, которые должны принять экстренные меры для решения вопросов экологии.
Сложность, масштабность и комплексность изменений окружающей среды не означают, что лидеры,
ответственные за принятие решений, стоят перед суровым выбором "делать все сразу во имя  комплексного подхода или не делать ничего из-за сложности задачи" говорится в докладе. Следует выявлять и решать существующие проблемы национальной и международной инфраструктуры, а также возможностей интеграции экологических вопросов и вопросов развития.

26 октября 2007 года


US officials flood Grand Canyon to restore ecosystem

United States federal officials flushed billion of gallons of water into the Grand Canyon on Wednesday, in an experimental effort to distribute sediment throughout the river and restore the ecosystem to a more natural state.

The water was released from two pipes in the Glen Canyon Dam, which blocks the Colorado River and creates the artificial reservoir Lake Powell. At a rate of more than 300,000 gallons of water per second, the flood could fill up the 102-story Empire State Building in 20 minutes, said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.

"This gives you a glimpse of what nature has been doing for millions of years, cutting through and creating this magnificent canyon," Kempthorne said after pulling the lever that released the water. The flood will continue for 60 hours, during which time the flow of water from the dam is expected to increase by four or five times.

After the dam was built in 1963, the seasonal floods that would spread sediment throughout the river were halted. This sediment was necessary for creating sandbars and beaches, which served as wildlife habitats. As a result, two fish species have become extinct, and two others have become endangered, including the humpback chub. Although the water level will only rise a few feet after the flood, officials are hoping it will be enough to restore eroded sandbars downstream.

Scientists will be conducting studies on how the flooding affects the native species and their habitats. "Our ultimate purpose is to learn whether or not this is a viable strategy for creating sandbars and habitats for native fish," said John Hamill, chief of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.

Similar experiments were conducted in 1996 and 2004, although Randall Peterson, an environmental manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, says, "Those conditions were markedly different." He says that tributaries below the dam have released high volumes of sediment in recent years, making conditions more favorable.

However, environmentalists from the Grand Canyon Trust, which has often criticized the government's management of the dam, say there is more that can be done. They assert that the floods must occur regularly if any real change is to be expected, and they accuse the government of conducting the experiment for show. "They're trying to make it appear that they're doing something beneficial when they're just doing it for appearances," said Nikolai Lash, senior program director for the Trust. "It's being manipulated to be a 'one and done,' even though we know that doesn't work."

Grand Canyon National Park superintendent Steve Martin also raised concerns about the project. He said that not following up with more floods soon could actually destroy habitats rather than restoring them. Though the federal plan calls for smaller annual flows in autumn, Martin says these were timed to serve the interests of hydroelectric power producers.

"The best time to get the most money for your hydropower is during peak energy demands, which is generally daytime hours and generally in the summer," Martin said. The U.S. Geological Survey acknowledged that the timing was partly designed in order to maximize electricity production during peak demand.

Meanwhile, others are simply unhappy with the arguing and indecision that have plagued the issue. Martha Hahn, science center director at the national park, said, "At some point we're going to have to draw a line in the sand and say this is the best way to manage the dam and manage resources in the Grand Canyon. We can't continue to go on and on just researching. We have to make a decision. We really are losing valuable resources."


Potapa se Grand Canyon

Federalna vlada Sjedinjenih Američkih Država planira u srijedu 5. marta 2008 da ispuste milione litara vode u Grand Canyon, u eksperimentalnom projektu restauracije sedimentnog sloja riječnog korita te vraćanja ekosistema u prirodno stanje.

Voda je ispuštena iz dva otvora na kontroverznoj brani Glen Canyon koja blokira rijeku Colorado i od nje pravi akumulaciono jezero Powell. Količine vode koje se ispuštaju su oko 300.000 galona u sekundi (oko 1.135.623 litara), dovoljno da se popuni cijeli Empire State Building za 20 minuta, kaže sekretar vanjskih poslova Dirk Kempthorne.

Nakon što je brana izgrađena 1963, sezonske poplave koje su taložile sediment po koritu rijeke su prestale. Ovaj sloj sedimenta je bio neophodan da se obnavljaju pješčane naslage i plaže, koje su služile za habitat raznolikoj flori i fauni. Kao rezultat nedostatka sedimenata dvije riblje vrste su potpuno nestale, dok drugim dvijema prijeti izumiranje. Iako se predviđa da će se ovim eksperimentom postići rast nivoa vode za samo par stopa, naučnici se nadaju da će to biti dovoljno za restauraciju pješčanih nanosa nizvodno od brane.


US, five Asian nations announce climate change partnership

The United States, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia have formed a partnership aiming to cut the emissions of gasses that lead to global warming. The deal was signed after nearly a year of secret negotiations. The "Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate" deal does not - as yet - contain targets for reducing emissions.

Environmental groups have condemned the deal, claiming that, as it is not legally binding, it is no substitute for the Kyoto Protocol, which the US and Australia refuse to sign. China and India - along with some 140 other countries - have already ratified the Kyoto agreement, but did not have to set a target for reducing gas emissions due to their status as developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol has the firm target of reducing emissions by 5.2% on 1990 levels before 2010.

Answering critics, the Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said, "We are not trying to detract from Kyoto and the commitments that a number of countries have made under the Kyoto Protocol. This partnership will complement and not replace the Kyoto Protocol."

The Australian Prime Minister John Howard also said that his country should not pursue renewable technologies, but should instead concentrate in reducing emissions from the use of coal. Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal, and Howard said that "Australia [should not be] unreasonably penalising herself by saying, in effect, we're going to try to move away from the use of fuels in which Australia has a natural advantage."

However part of the deal includes setting up a fund to further research cleaner energy technologies, including more efficient use of fossil fuels as well as renewable technologies, and also methods of trapping and storing greenhouse gasses rather than releasing them to the atmosphere. It is hoped that this will aid China, India and other developing countries to adopt cleaner energy solutions.

The details will be worked out at a meeting between the six countries in November, shortly before the next UN summit on climate change.

The countries believe the deal is fairer and more effective than the Kyoto Protocol. However, a Greenpeace spokesperson said, "The suggested scheme is, unlike Kyoto, a voluntary scheme, and all evidence shows that voluntary schemes do not work. Skulking around making secretive, selective deals will not accomplish a reduction in emissions ."

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that global temperatures could rise by 1.4C to as much as 5.8C by 2100. The US and China are the two biggest producers of carbon dioxide (a major greenhouse gas) in the world.


EUA, Australia y cuatro países asiáticos firman un nuevo tratado climático

Los Estados Unidos, China, India, Japón, Corea del Sur y Australia han formado un grupo que busca reducir las emisiones de gases causantes del calentamiento global. El tratado fue suscrito luego de aproximadamente un año de negociaciones secretas. La creación de la Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate ("Asociación de Asia - Pacífico para el Desarrollo y un Ambiente Limpios") no contiene - por ahora - metas fijas de reducción de emisiones.

Varios grupos ambientalistas han condenado el tratado al afirmar que, al no ser vinculante, no sustituye al Protocolo de Kioto, al que Estados Unidos y Australia rehúsan adherirse. China e India, entre otros 140 países, ratificaron el tratado de Kioto, pero no han trazado metas de reducción de emisiones de gases por su estatus de países en desarrollo. En contraste, el Protocolo de Kioto, tiene la firme meta de reducir las emisiones un 5,2% de los niveles de 1990 antes de 2010.

Para responder las críticas, el canciller australiano Alexander Downer declaró: "No estamos intentando restarle méritos a Kioto y a los compromisos que un número de países ha hecho bajo el Protocolo de Kioto. Esta sociedad complementará mas no reemplazará el Protocolo de Kioto".

John Howard, primer ministro australiano, añadió que su país no buscará tecnologías renovables sino que se concentrará en la reducción de emisiones de gases del uso de hulla. Australia es el mayor exportador mundial de hulla, y Howard dijo que "Australia [no debería] castigarse irrazonablemente al decir, en efecto, que vamos a cambiar el uso de combustibles en los que Australia tiene una ventaja natural".

Sin embargo, parte del trato incluye la creación de un fondo para investigar tecnologías energéticas más limpias, incluyendo el uso más eficiente de los combustibles fósiles y de tecnologías renovables, así como métodos para atrapar y almacenar gases de efecto invernadero en lugar de enviarlos a la atmósfera. Se espera que esto ayude a China, India y otros países en desarrollo a adoptar soluciones energéticas más limpias.

Los detalles serán desarrollados en una reunión de los seis países firmantes en noviembre, poco antes de la próxima cumbre de la ONU sobre cambio climático.

Los países firmantes creen que el acuerdo es más justo y efectivo que el Protocolo de Kioto. No obstante, un vocero de Greenpeace declaró: "El esquema sugerido es, a diferencia del de Kioto, voluntario, y toda la evidencia muestra que los esquemas voluntarios no funcionan. Esconderse para realizar acuerdos secretos y selectivos no logrará una reducción de las emisiones".

El Panel Intergubernamental del Cambio Climático de las Naciones Unidas ha advertido que las temperaturas en todo el mundo podrían subir entre 1,4 y 5,8 grados centígrados para el año 2100. Estados Unidos y China son los mayores productores de dióxido de carbono (uno de los principales gases de invernadero) del mundo.


Patto segreto anti Protocollo di Kyoto

Durante la Conferenza sulla sicurezza asiatica in svolgimento a Vientiane (Laos), è stata annunciata la creazione della "Nuova partnership dell'Asia e del Pacifico per lo sviluppo pulito e per il clima".
Il patto, tenuto segreto fino ad ora e preannunciato dal quotidiano Australian, vede come partecipanti gli Stati Uniti d'America, la Cina, l'India, l'Australia e la Corea del Sud. A questi stati, si è aggiunto anche il Giappone, che vi ha aderito formalmente solo ieri.

Diversamente dal Protocollo di Kyoto, l'accordo non è vincolante e non fissa parametri che portino all'abbassamento dell'emissione di gas ad effetto serra.
Il tutto si basa sull'indicazione di nuove tecnologie su cui puntare, per poter comunque continuare il rafforzamento dell'economia. Tra queste innovazioni, il "carbone pulito", le energie derivanti dal nucleare, dal sole e dai venti, lo sviluppo dei motori ad idrogeno, ecc. Gli USA si sono impegnati per rendere disponibili a tutti queste nuove tecnologie, ovviamente a pagamento.
Robert Zoellick (sottosegretario esteri USA) e Alex Downer (ministro esteri Australia) hanno definito questo patto complementare a Kyoto, sforzandosi di non farlo sembrare antagonista a questo.

Le assicurazioni di USA e Australia, non hanno certamente convinto l'Unione Europea e i movimenti ambientalisti.
Il portavoce del Commissario dell'Ecologia UE Stavros Dimas ha così commentato «la partnership non può rappresentare un'alternativa», riferendosi al Protocollo di Kyoto, e ha posto seri dubbi che possa avere «un impatto significativo sull'effetto serra».
Greepeace ha definito il patto un tentativo per far deragliare il Protocollo di Kyoto.

Il nuovo patto non convince nemmeno i paesi asiatici, in testa a tutti l'Indonesia.
Anche in Australia la notizia non è vista di buon grado dai media, dove il premier John Howard e il presidente Bush sono stati criticati come "grandi inquinatori".

I sottoscrittori del patto rappresentano il 48% dell'emissione mondiale di gas ad effetto serra e dei consumatori di energia mondiale oltre al 45% della popolazione della terra.
Il primo incontro tra i sei paesi firmatari avverrà ad Adelaide nel mese di ottobre.


日米含む6カ国が地球温暖化防止のため地域協定

アメリカ合衆国、インド、オーストラリア、韓国、中国、日本の6カ国が、地球温暖化につながるガス排気量を制限することを目的とする地域協定を結んだとAFP通信が29日報道した。ほぼ1年にわたる非公開の交渉の結果。新協定「クリーンな開発と気候のためのアジア太平洋パートナーシップ」 は現在のところ、排気量削減を目標に含めていない。

環境保護団体はこの協定に対し、法的な枠組みを伴わず、京都議定書の代わりにはならないと非難している。アメリカとオーストラリアは京都議定書の受け入れを拒んでいる。中国とインドは京都議定書を批准しているが、開発途上国であるため、ガス排気量の削減目標を設定する義務を負わず、目標値を設定していなかった。一方、京都議定書では、ガス排気量を2010年までに5.2%削減し、1990年のレベルに戻すという固定目標が設定されている。

批判に対して、ダウナー豪外相は「京都議定書やそのための各国の取り組みを否定するつもりはない。地域協定は京都議定書を尊重しており、それに変わるものではない」と述べた。

ジョン・ハワード豪首相は、「オーストラリアは代替エネルギー技術を追求するべきではなく、むしろ石炭使用による排気ガスの削減に傾注すべきだ」と述べた。同国は世界最大の石炭輸出国である。また、ハワード首相は「オーストラリアは不合理にも自身を罰する（べきではない）。実際にわれわれは、自国で産出される天然資源の、燃料としての使用を減らしつつある」とも述べた。

しかしながら協定は、クリーンエネルギー技術のための基金の創設を含んでいる。この技術には天然ガスと新エネルギーのより効果的な使用、温室効果ガスを大気に放出する代りに回収し貯蓄するための方法が含まれる。中国、インド、他の開発途上国がクリーンエネルギーを採用することを助けることが、こうした技術には期待されている。

協定の詳細は、11月に行われる6カ国協議の後、決定される。この協議は気候変動に関する次回の国連サミットの直前に行われる。

6カ国は地域協定が京都議定書より公平でかつより効果的であると信じているが、環境保護団体からは批判が出ている。環境保護団体グリーンピースのスポークスマンは次のように述べた。「提案された枠組みは、京都議定書とは異なり、任意のものである。そしてあらゆる証拠は任意による枠組みが機能しないことを示している。こそこそ動き回ることは秘密主義につながり、秘密主義に基づく協定では排出量削減は達成できない」

気候変動に関する国連の委員会は、2100年には地球の平均気温が1.4度上昇し5.8度になるとの報告を受け取っている。アメリカ合衆国と中国は、代表的な温室効果ガスである二酸化炭素の排出量で世界第1位および第2位を占めている。

英語版ウィキニュースからの翻訳を含みます。


EUA, Austrália e 4 países asiáticos firmam um novo tratado climático

Os Estados Unidos da América, China, Índia, Japão, Coréia do Sul e Austrália criaram o grupo Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, cujo objetivo declarado é procurar reduzir as emissões de gases causadores do aquecimento global.

O tratado foi assinado depois de  aproximadamente um ano de negociações secretas. O tratado não contém por ora metas fixas para a  redução de emissões de poluentes.


USA under pressure at climate talks

The European Union, Canada, Indonesia and other nations at the United Nations' climate talks in Montreal have put pressure on the United States. Participants at the meeting want the US to join the global Kyoto pact to limit greenhouse gas emissions, to curb extreme weather predictions from global warming.

Environment ministers from over 90 countries are meeting to break a deadlock over how to entice the United States, and other large developing nations such as India and China, to cut production of greenhouse gases. Washington has rejected the pact, saying mandatory emissions cuts would harm its economy.

The United States defended its policy of investing billions of dollars in cleaner technology to reduce emissions, brushing aside calls for it to commit to U.N. discussions on slowing climate change.

At the heart of the Montreal meeting is how to cut emissions after 2012, when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol climate change pact ends.


USA stehen bei den Klimagesprächen unter Zugzwang

Montreal (Kanada), 09.12.2005 – Die Europäische Union, Kanada, Indonesien und andere Nationen haben bei der UN-Klimakonferenz in Montreal Druck auf die USA ausgeübt. Die Teilnehmer des Treffens möchten, dass die USA dem Kyoto-Abkommen beitreten, um die Treibhausgasemissionen einzuschränken, um den außerordentlichen Wettervorhersagen auf Grund der globalen Erwärmung Einhalt zu gebieten.

Die Umweltminister von über 90 Ländern treffen sich, um den toten Punkt in der Frage zu überwinden, wie man die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und andere große Entwicklungsnationen wie Indien und China dazu bewegen könnte, den Ausstoß an Treibhausgasen zu reduzieren. Washington hat das Abkommen mit der Begründung zurückgewiesen, dass eine verpflichtende Reduzierung von Emissionen seine Wirtschaft schwächen würde.

Die USA bekräftigten ihre Politik, Milliarden von Dollar in sauberere Technologien zur Reduzierung von Emissionen zu investieren, während sie Aufrufe ihnen gegenüber beiseite schoben, sich den Diskussionen der Vereinten Nationen über die Verlangsamung des Klimawandels zu verpflichten.

Im Zentrum der Konferenz in Montreal steht die Frage, wie die Emissionen nach 2012 reduziert werden können, wenn die erste Phase des Kyotoprotokolls zum Abkommen des Klimawandels endet.


Voracious fish defend coral reefs against warming, say scientists

In findings published on Wednesday in Science Advances, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) and University of South Carolina Beaufort, both in the United States, reported warming seas appear to decrease the efficacy of the chemical compounds that corals release into the water to defend themselves from bacteria and encroaching seaweed, but these losses may be mitigated if there are large numbers of hungry fish around.

The research was led by Mark Hay, a marine ecologist and Regents Professor at GT, who said "There is a lot of argument now about whether local management can help in the face of global stresses — whether what a Fijian village does matters when people in London and Los Angeles burn fossil fuels to drive to work". Hay added, "Our work indicates that local management provides a degree of insurance against global stresses, but there are likely higher temperatures that render the insurance ineffective."

The researchers examined three types of coral in reefs off the coast of Fiji, Acropora millepora, Porites cylindrica, and Pocillopora damicornis.  Some of these reefs were in areas where fishing was prohibited and some were not.  The researchers found when fish were plentiful, they would eat algae and seaweed off the corals, which appeared to leave them more resistant to the bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus, a bacterium associated with bleaching.

The researchers suggested the algae, like warming temperatures, might render the corals' chemical defenses less effective, and the fish were protecting the coral by removing the algae.  They reported, "Macroalgae are suggested to disrupt coral microbiomes via transfer of allelochemicals or microbes or release of dissolved organic carbon that affects microbial growth".

P. cyclindrica and P. damicornis are known to be function under conditions that damage other corals and A. millepora is not.

Each reef-building coral unit is a collection of polyps living in symbiotic partnership with zooxanthellae algae.  The polyp, a cnidarian as are jellyfish, provides stinging protection and secretes a calcium shell, and the algae performs photosynthesis, produces oxygen and gives the coral its color.  Changing ocean environments have led to a phenomenon called coral bleaching when warmer waters cause the cnidarian to expel the algae from its body, which turns the coral reefs white.  This does not kill the cnidarian partner but does leave it badly weakened and vulnerable to disease.


Naukowcy twierdzą, że żarłoczne ryby chronią rafy koralowe przed ociepleniem

W ustaleniach opublikowanych w środę w czasopiśmie Science Advances naukowcy z amerykańskiego Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) i University of South Carolina Beaufort podali, że ocieplenie wód wydaje się zmniejszać skuteczność związków chemicznych, uwalnianych przez koralowce do wody w celu obrony przed bakteriami. Ten negatywny skutek ocieplenia klimatu mógłby jednak zostać zniwelowany, jeśli w pobliżu koralowca znalazłaby się duża liczba głodnych ryb.

Badania prowadził Mark Hay, ekolog morski i profesor w Georgia Institute of Technology, który powiedział: „Obecnie toczy się wiele sporów na temat tego, czy lokalne zarządzanie może pomóc w obliczu globalnych problemów – czy to, co dzieje się w wiosce na Fidżi ma znaczenie, kiedy w Londynie i w Los Angeles ludzie spalają paliwa kopalne, aby dojechać do pracy”. Dodał: „nasza praca wskazuje, że lokalne zarządzanie zapewnia pewien poziom ochrony przed globalnymi problemami, ale podwyższona temperatura jest prawdopodobnie przyczyną nieskuteczności tej ochrony”.

Naukowcy zbadali trzy rodzaje koralowców na rafach u wybrzeży Fidżi: Acropora millepora, Porites cylindrica i Pocillopora damicornis. Niektóre z tych raf znajdowały się na obszarach, na których połowy były zabronione. Naukowcy odkryli, że gdy w pobliżu znajdzie się większa ławica ryb, zjadają one glony i wodorosty z koralowców, co wydaje się zwiększać odporność koralowców na bakterię Vibrio coralliilyticus.

Naukowcy zasugerowali, że glony, podobnie jak podwyższona temperatura wody wynikająca z globalnego ocieplenia, mogą sprawić, że ochrona koralowców będzie mniej skuteczna, natomiast ryby chronią koralowiec, usuwając glony. Jak stwierdzili, „sugeruje się, że makroglony zaburzają mikrobiomy koralowców poprzez przenoszenie allelochemikaliów lub mikroorganizmów lub uwalnianie rozpuszczonego węgla organicznego, który wpływa na wzrost mikroorganizmów”.


Warmest global winter on record according to NOAA

Although the United States experienced average temperatures for the December, 2006 to February, 2007 period, overall world temperatures were the warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In a March 15, 2007 report, the NOAA indicated that a record warm January helped push the combined global land and ocean surface temperature for the past winter to its highest value since records began in 1880.

The ocean-atmosphere system, El Niño, played a part in the season’s record warmth, according to the report's authors, but its effects did not last long, as ocean temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific cooled more than 0.3 degrees C in February and were near average for the month.

The global land-surface temperature was the warmest on record, while the ocean-surface temperature tied for second warmest in the past 128 year period, approximately 0.06 degrees C cooler than the record established during the strong El Niño episode of 1997-1998.

During the past century, global surface temperatures have increased approximately 0.06 degrees C per decade, but since 1976 the rate of increase has been about 0.18 degrees C per decade. The greatest temperature increase occurred in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

In an interview with Reuters, Jay Lawrimore of NOAA suggested that the data does not show greenhouse gases had an influence on the recent temperature increases, but acknowledges that by "looking at long-term trends and long-term changes, we are able to better understand natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change."

A U.S. Commerce Department agency based in Washington, D.C., the NOAA conducts research and gathers data on oceans and atmosphere. The NOAA is a participant in the Group on Earth Observations, GEO, an intergovernmental effort to coordinate the collection of Earth observations worldwide.


Tegoroczna ciepła zima efektem działalności człowieka

Tegoroczna zima była najcieplejszą od 1890 roku, kiedy to zaczęto regularne pomiary temperatury powietrza – poinformowała Krajowa Agencja ds. Oceanów i Atmosfery (NOAA).

Jeden z naukowców, Jay Lawrimore, stwierdził, że jest to efekt zjawiska cieplarnianego, powodowanego przez człowieka. Zgadza się z nim również wielu badaczy z różnych krajów. Ocieplenie nie podlega dyskusji. Z eksperymentów wynika, że co dziesięć lat średnia temperatura powietrza wzrasta o 0,2 stopnia Celsjusza. Jeśli ta tendencja się utrzyma, w ciągu najbliższych 200 lat wzrośnie więc o 4 stopnie.

Podczas upływającej zimy najwyższe temperatury zanotowano w Europie, Azji, zachodniej Afryce, południowo-wschodniej Brazylii i północno-wschodnich Stanach Zjednoczonych.


Warning in Colombia about possible volcanic eruption

The Galeras volcano could have an eruption at any moment according to Julian Villaruel, director of the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mines (Ingeominas).

The spokesman for the Volcanoes and Seismologic Observatory of Pasto [1], Colombia, explained that the Galeras volcano has registered a level two activity in a scale of 1 to 4, which means that an eruption is likely to happen in days or weeks.

He declared that some of the measurements taken have been analyzed by scientific institutions in the US that have confirmed the likelihood of an eruption.

The observatory and the local committee for the prevention and reduction of disasters (CREPAD) will continue to keep a watchful eye on the behavior of the volcano in order to instruct the residents about the risks and the evacuation routes in case of eruption.

The Galeras summit is 4276 meters (14,028 feet) above sea level. The last time it registered some activity was in 2004. Pasto, at its base, is a city of about 400 thousand people. There are 5 other towns around the Galeras skirts. 60,000 people live around the influence zone and about 9,000 live in the area of highest risk.


Ordenan evacuación de zona cercana al volcán Galeras

Las autoridades del departamento de Nariño, al sur de Colombia, han pedido la evacuación inmediata y preventiva de 9.400 personas que residen cerca del volcán Galeras, en la ciudad de Pasto (barrios Briceño y Briceño Alto y corregimiento de Genoy) y las poblaciones de Nariño y La Florida. Sin embargo, Fabio Trujillo Benavides, gobernador encargado de Nariño, mostró su preocupación ante los informes de los comités de emergencia, que afirman que nadie ha salido de la zona.

La tarde del martes se reunía un Comité Nacional de Prevención en Bogotá, que tomó la decisión de ordenar una evacuación obligatoria y de declarar el área como zona de desastre, lo que permite en teoría el desembolso de $381.500 (142 euros o 167 dólares estadounidenses) para cada familia que evacue, además del acondicionamiento de 47 albergues especiales.

Según el Instituto Colombiano de Geología y Minas (Ingeominas), el volcán reinició su actividad la semana anterior. Voceros del Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Pasto, perteneciente a Ingeominas, afirmaron que la actividad del Galeras "corresponde al nivel dos en la escala vulcanológica de uno a cuatro, es decir, de erupción probable en términos de días o semanas".

El Galeras, a 4276 metros sobre el nivel del mar y a 9 kilómetros de la ciudad de Pasto, registró actividad por última vez en 2004.


Wikinews interviews British scientist Dr Paul Dolman about proposal to cull deer population

Wednesday, a team of researchers at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom published a study of the increasing deer population in the United Kingdom, in the Journal of Wildlife Management.  They proposed to cull about half each year out of the estimated 1.5 million deer population.

Wikinews interviewed senior lecturer in ecology Dr. Paul Dolman, the lead author of the study, about the problems being faced from the increase in deer population.

((WN))  What prompted your research into the effect of the deer population on other wildlife?

((WN))  What sort of problems are arising from the continuing increase in the deer population?

((WN))  Which species of deer had the most severe impact on other animals and wildlife?

((WN))  Is there an absence in the number of natural predators of the deer, which would otherwise control population?


Интервью с британским экологом Полом Долманом о предотвращении роста популяции оленей в Великобритании

В журнале Journal of Wildlife Management 6 марта исследователи из университета Восточной Англии (Норидж, Норфолк, Великобритания) опубликовали исследование о растущей популяции оленей в Великобритании. Из примерно полутора миллиона оленей они предложили отстреливать по половине ежегодно.

8 марта Викиновости провели интервью со старшим преподавателем экологии доктором Полом Долманом (Paul Dolman), ведущим автором исследования, о проблемах, вызываемых ростом популяции.

Викиновости Почему Вы заинтересовались вопросом влияния роста популяции на живую природу?

ВН Какие проблемы встают вследствие постоянного роста популяции оленей?

ВН Какие виды оленей имеют наиболее выраженное влияние на других животных и природу?

ВН Присутствуют ли естественные хищники, которые могли бы контролировать популяцию оленей?

11 марта 2013 года


Wikinews Shorts: November 7, 2008

A compilation of brief news reports for Friday, November 7, 2008 .

Friday, November 7, 2008

Labour Party candidate Lindsay Roy defeated the Scottish Nationalist candidate by 6,737 votes, to win the UK parliamentary seat for Glenrothes in Scotland.
Opinion polls had predicted a close race, but personal campaigning by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and a high turnout of 52% in Thursday's vote, secured a high margin for the UK's governing party.

Friday, November 7, 2008

28 people were wounded and at least 11 are dead after an explosion in the centre of Vladikavkaz, capital of the North Ossetia region of Russia.
Local authorities suspect that Thursday's explosion was caused by a female suicide bomber.

Friday, November 7, 2008

At 0719 UTC (6.19 on Friday evening local time) a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 120 kilometres (75 miles) north east of the South Pacific island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
It was followed by several less powerful aftershocks. Reports from the US geological service placed the focus of the quakes at a depth of 35 km.
Press reports say that no tsunami warnings were issued.

Vanuatu experienced a similar earthquake on Wednesday, near the island of Efate.  That event had a magnitude of 6.3.

Friday, November 7, 2008   17:46:00

American car manufacturer General Motors has lost 2.5 billion US dollars in its third quarter of 2008. The hemorrhage of cash has prompted GM to suspend talks of a "strategic acquisition" that some business analysts say may be referring to a possible buyout of Chrysler. Revenue has fallen nearly 5.8 billion dollars, greatly due to the recent global economic crisis which has caused consumers to sharply cut back on spending. The report indicates that GM could go bankrupt in 2009 without government assistance.

Friday, November 7, 2008

World stock markets posted another drop at close of trading yesterday.
Blue chip indices showed losses of 3.55% in Tokyo and 6.84% in Frankfurt.
Oil prices echoed the trend, falling to $60.77 per barrel, down 6.94%.


Crise financière : nouveaux replis des places boursières le 6 novembre 2008

Les principales financières mondiales ont enregistré un nouveau repli de leur valeurs boursières, hier à la clôture des marchés. Ces baisses ont été de l'ordre de 3,55 % à Tokyo, à 6,84 % à Francfort. Le cour du baril de pétrole, a suivi le même mouvement en se positionnant à 60,77 $, cèdant 6,94 %.


World's biggest polluters won't cut back on fossil fuel

Six of the world's major polluters, who participated in this week's Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6 or APPCDC), have launched a multi-million dollar fund to develop clean-energy, but stressed they will be heavily reliant on polluting fossil-fuels for generations to come.

Green groups, labelling the talks a sham, have condemned the climate talks which were held in Sydney, Australia as a "coal and nuclear pact" between the big polluters and fossil-fuel firms. Australian climate change observers have attacked the AP6 outcomes as grossly irresponsible, saying the Federal Government is willing to accept the reality of runaway climate change.

A communique released by the AP6 states: "We recognise that fossil fuels underpin our economies, and will be an enduring reality for our lifetimes and beyond" - the document said. Green groups say the pact has missed a vital opportunity to commit to renewable energy sources. They say the two-day meeting failed to make any serious commitments in combatting global warming.

Combined, the United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea and Australia, account for around half the globe's greenhouse gases. The six countries set up the summit as an ulterior method of tackling global warming outside the Kyoto Protocol by, they say, focussing on "clean-energy technology."

Nuclear Power, clean coal technologies, geosequestration and industry-driven environment funds were some of the proposals raised at the summit. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol the six nations have not set any targets to cut greenhouse gases.

Climate change observers have broadly criticised the AP6 as a waste of time. Australian Climate Institute's Clive Hamilton says the meeting did little to cut greenhouse gas emissions. "I think really this conference is about trying to protect the long-term future of the coal industry," he said. "If you look at the sort of business people who have a seat at the table at the conference in Sydney, they overwhelmingly represent the polluting industries rather than those that will at some time in the future replace them - the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries."

CSIRO chief scientist Dr David Brockway says the technology required to reduce greenhouse emissions is not viable for industry.

"It has to be borne in mind that anything we are going to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and intensity from the Australian economy will come at a cost," he said. "What we are doing at the moment is doing research to try and reduce the size of that additional cost. I would say in a five to 10 year timeframe a number of these technologies will become viable."

An AP6 communique issued at the end of the conference said reductions in greenhouse gases must be achieved without hindering economic growth - "the partnership aims to mobilise domestic and foreign investment into clean and low-emission technology by fostering the best possible enabling environments," it states. Some of the world's big mining and energy firms attended the talks and pledged to improve efficiency.

Green groups, who were left out of the conference, say the talks were aimed at subverting Kyoto - which obligates some 40 developed countries to cut greenhouse emissions by 5 percent below 1990 levels during 2008-2012. "Basically, they haven't agreed to do anything in terms of serious commitment," said Monash University climate change expert Professor Amanda Lynch. The United States and Australia refuse to sign Kyoto claiming its mandatory greenhouse gas cuts would threaten economic growth.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said, "experience has taught us that seeking arbitrary targets doesn't result in achieving practical solutions to global climate change." Mr Howard stressed the importance of maintaining economic growth to alleviate poverty, while cutting greenhouse emissions.

He said the summit had injected "an overdue dose of realism into the debate about climate change. We believe it is possible to tackle issues of greenhouse gas emissions and the challenge of climate change without reducing living standards," he said. "The world will go on using fossil fuels for many years into the future because it's more economic to do so. So therefore it's elementary commonsense that you should try and make the use of fossil fuels more greenhouse gas sensitive, you should try and clean up the use of fossil fuel," he said.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have dismissed Mr Howard's comments as misleading and irresponsible. The WWF's chief executive Greg Bourne said, "in my whole business career, I have never seen a more misleading public statement as that... If the statements made today become a reality, this will lock us in to a four-degree rise in global average temperatures, when two-degrees is considered extremely dangerous," he said. "There couldn't be anything more irresponsible than to knowingly embark on a path towards massive increases in emissions and runaway global warming."

The AP6 nations said in the final communique that the eight public/private partnership taskforces created at the conference, will draw up action plans by the middle of 2006 on issues including renewable energy, power generation, cleaner fossil fuels and coal mining.

Environmentalists said the Sydney pact was doomed to fail because it did not impose targets on its members which comprise nearly half of humanity. The New South Wales Nature Conservation Council said the group's voluntary approach was a "licence for government and business to do nothing". "Without any incentives or penalties there is no reason for industry to move away from burning polluting coal and oil," said the council's Cate Faehrmann.

The AP6 countries encompass: 49 per cent of world GDP; 48 per cent of the world energy consumption; 48 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions; and 45 per cent of the world's population.

Many scientists say global warming is melting glaciers, raising sea levels and will cause more intense storms, droughts and floods. Current levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are higher now than at any time in the past 650,000 years, research from Antarctic ice cores shows.