シンガポール、試験委員会が解答不能問題を数学で出題

シンガポールで、今年の学年末に行われた数学の試験問題に、不正確に書かれた解答不能の問題があった。このことについて試験委員会に苦情が寄せられていると、シンガポールのテレビ局チャンネル・ニュースアジアが12日伝えた。

初等学校卒業試験(PSLE)は、どの中学校に入るかを決定するため全国で行われている。中学校の格付けは、在籍する生徒のPSLE平均点によって行われる。シンガポールでは一般的に、この制度に基づき、どこの中学に入ったかにより生徒が「できる」「できない」といったことが判断される。

チャンネル・ニュースアジアにコメントを求められたある中学生は「こんなのばかげてるよね」と評している。

問題となったのは、数学の問13。長方形の2辺の長さと、その長方形に含まれる三角形A・Bの面積に基づき、やはりその長方形に含まれる別の長方形Cの面積を求める問題だった。しかし、三角形が含まれている長方形と2つの三角形の大きさには、矛盾があった。したがって与えられた条件に基づいてそのような図を作図することは数学的に不可能だったのである。

このため、すべての生徒に解答にかかわらず2点が与えられることになった。しかし親や生徒の中には依然不満を抱いているものもいる。

2点が与えられたことに満足している生徒もいる。「2点もらえたので、とてもとてもうれしいです」とある生徒はチャンネル・ニュースアジアに語った。

試験委員会の主張では、経験豊富な試験官により問題には少なくとも5回のチェックが行われた。また試験委員会は、親と生徒に対し、今後このような誤りを除くべく厳重にすべての試験問題をチェックすると約束した。

英語版ウィキニュースに基づきます。


Students compete in second international Neurosurgery Olympiad in Tyumen, Russia

The second International Student Olympiad in Neurosurgery for the prize of the Governor of Tyumen Oblast, Russia took place in the first week of April at the Federal Center for Neurosurgery in Tyumen. The competition was attended by 46 people from cities within Russia as well as from Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Wikinews attended the event, and talked to some of those involved.

This was the second consecutive student Olympiad in neurosurgery. Six of the country's eight federal district capitals were reportedly scheduled to send contestants. The winners are awarded free tuition at the academic department of Neurosurgery at First Moscow State Medical University (First MSMU), also called Sechenov University.

Madina Bizheva, in her fourth year at Kabardino-Balkarian State University, won this second Olympiad. The other two places at Sechenov University were awarded to Oleg Titov, fifth year at the First MSMU, and Irina Borovikova, fifth year at Ural State Medical University. Bizheva said: "I give my victory to my mother, who inspired me to study at a neurosurgeon. After she had a stroke, the dream of becoming a doctor began to turn into reality. I was seriously preparing for the Olympiad. One hand rocked the child, the other held a book on neurosurgery. If a person strives for and desires something, then everything will work out." ((ru))Russian: Свою победу я дарю маме, которая вдохновила меня пойти учится на нейрохирурга. После того, как у нее случился инсульт, мечта стать врачом стала превращаться в реальность. Я серьезно готовилась к олимпиаде. Одной рукой покачивала ребенка, другой держала книгу по нейрохирургии. Если человек к чему стремиться и чего-то очень желает, — все получится.

The chairman of the organizing committee of the Olympiad and the head physician of the center, Albert Sufianov, is also the head of the academic department of neurosurgery in the First MSMU. The three best performers in this contest are awarded the opportunity to study for free in his department in the residency of the Sechenov University.

The event was supported financially by Tyumen Oblast. The new governor of the region, Alexander Moor, during his message to the regional parliamentarians read out on November 22, just offered to diversify the economy, reducing the focus on oil and gas from the third Baku and cultivating medical tourism: "Now the annual volume of our exports — non-row materials and non-energy — has come close to a billion dollars. In the next year, this must be given priority. And here, too, non-standard approaches will be required, in which trends of various origins will organically merge across the traditional industry nomenclature. For example, it is time to perceive Tyumen medicine as a full-fledged export-oriented industry, while closely associated with the tourism business. Medical tourism is growing rapidly all over the world, and in terms of price and quality, Tyumen is more than competitive — if not on a global scale, then on a scale of the whole continent Eurasia exactly. Here the themes of several national projects intersect at once!" ((ru))Russian: Сейчас годовой объем нашего экспорта – несырьевого и неэнергетического – вплотную приблизился к миллиарду долларов. В следующем году этот вес надо взять. И тут тоже потребуются нестандартные подходы, в которых поверх традиционной отраслевой номенклатуры органично соединятся тренды различного происхождения. Скажем, тюменскую медицину уже пора воспринимать как полноценную экспортно-ориентированную отрасль, при этом тесно связанную с туристическим бизнесом. Медицинский туризм бурно растет во всем мире, а по параметрам цены и качества Тюмень более чем конкурентоспособна – если не в глобальном масштабе, то в масштабе всего евразийского континента точно. Здесь пересекаются тематики сразу нескольких национальных проектов!

According to Professor Sergey Dydykin, who is both co-chairman of the organizing committee and head of the academic department of operative surgery and topographic anatomy of the First MSMU, in the United States and Europe it is not customary to teach manual skills, such as manual surgical techniques, to undergraduates; conducting surgical competitions for students is a Russian practice.

During the Olympiad, students had to perform simulated practical tasks. For example, in the final part of the competition, the contestants had to mill away the shell of a raw egg without damaging the membranes beneath. This exercise simulates endoscopic drilling.

According to Sufianov, the Olympiad shows young people the "social elevators" available to them. He suggesnted student Ibrahim Salamov as an illustration of his words. A year ago, this native of the Dagestan village took first prize, and he is now one of the organizers of the Olympiad.

Regarding which part of the competition was most difficult for aspiring neurosurgeons, Sufianov said it was English language. From his view, this is a nationwide problem in Russia — there are many skilled surgeons in the country, but their knowledge of foreign languages is not very strong.  In his opinion, a specialist has almost no chance to become a very high level professional without knowledge of English.

Alexander Gagay of Yekaterinburg, who took third place last year, is currently a fourth year student at Ural State Medical University. This year, he said, he came to support his fellow Yekaterinburgers. In his opinion, the most difficult part was the theoretical tasks, and not English. In his view, the federal neurosurgery centers like Tyumen created within the framework of the national health project are on the same level with their foreign counterparts. In his view, there are strong opportunities to become a very good specialist without leaving Russia.

Several people returned to the Olympiad after attending last year. One is Denis Kovalchuk, a sixth year student at Buryat State University. He said he was interested in neurosurgery from the first year, but in his home region there are no suitably equipped facilities as there are in Tyumen. Kovalchuk also said that, after the first Olympiad, a community of young neurosurgeons emerged on social networks, numbering about 400 people. Students exchange professional literature in it and give each other tips for use in practical situations.

This year, the jury decided two participants in addition to the official winners performed at such a high level and Albert Sufianov provided them with his personal grant for residency training at First MSMU. These were Ivan Shelyagin and Valentina Sidorenko from Tyumen State Medical University.


Альберт Суфианов: самое сложное испытание для нейрохирургов – английский язык

В России второй год подряд проводится студенческая олимпиада по нейрохирургии. Приз — бесплатное обучение на кафедре нейрохирургии Первого МГМУ имени И. М. Сеченова.

II Международная студенческая олимпиада по нейрохирургии на приз губернатора Тюменской области состоялась 2-3 апреля 2019 года на базе Федерального центра нейрохирургии в Тюмени. В соревновании приняли участие 46 человек из 22 городов России, а также из казахстанского Актобе. Представлены 10 из 15 российских городов-миллионников и 6 из 8 столиц федеральных округов. Подробная география участников продемонстрирована на карте.

Председатель организационного комитета олимпиады, главный врач центра Альберт Суфианов одновременно является заведующим кафедры нейрохирургии Первого Московского государственного медицинского университета имени И. М. Сеченова. Поэтому три лучших участника получают возможность бесплатно обучаться на его кафедре в ординатуре Сеченовского университета.

Мероприятие профинансировано из бюджета Тюменской области и средств Ассоциации нейрохирургов Тюменской области. Новый губернатор региона Александр Моор во время своего первого послания областным парламентариям, зачитанного 22 ноября 2018 года, как раз предложил Архивная копия от 6 апреля 2019 на Wayback Machine разнообразить нефтегазовую повестку «третьего Баку» за счёт медицинского туризма:

У региона и правда есть определённые традиции в медицине. В тюменском Ожогино родился один из основоположников отечественной нейрохирургии Венимамин Угрюмов, здесь же проводил свои получившие в послевоенном СССР известность операции Юрий Беляев. Сейчас роль флагмана взял на себя Федеральный центр нейрохирургии. Его главврач, Альберт Суфианов, известен множеством профессиональных достижений, в том числе за рубежом. Так, в 2018 году он первым в России и одним из первых в мире сумел провести полноценную эндоскопическую операцию на эмбрионе. Помимо этого, Суфианов единственный из России, кто является активным членом Всемирной академии нейрохирургии (кроме него, звание почётного члена носит академик Александр Коновалов).

По словам сопредседателя оргкомитета, заведующего кафедрой оперативной хирургии и топографической анатомии Первого МГМУ им. И. М. Сеченова, профессора Сергея Дыдыкина, в США и странах Европы не принято обучать мануальным навыкам (ручным хирургическим приёмам) до момента получения диплома. Потому проведение хирургических олимпиад для студентов является российским know-how. При этом предметные олимпиады по профилю нейрохирургии ранее не проводились, Тюмень выступает здесь в качестве первопроходца.

Действительно, во время олимпиады студентам пришлось выполнять смоделированные практические задания. Например, в финальной части конкурсантам предстояло стачивать фрезой скорлупу сырого яйца, не повредив мешочек, чтобы не потёк белок. Это упражнение, которому главврач научился в Швейцарии, моделирует собой такой мануальный приём, как эндоскопический дриллинг.

Как считает Суфианов, олимпиада открывает перед молодёжью те самые «социальные лифты», о которых много сейчас говорится. Показательной иллюстрацией его слов выступает Ибрагим Саламов. Год назад этот выходец из дагестанского села занял первое место, а сейчас уже сам является одним из организаторов олимпиады. Под руководством Ибрагима студенты заполняли тест на знание теории.

На вопрос о том, какое испытание для будущих нейрохирургов является наиболее сложным, Суфианов ответил, что английский язык. С точки зрения главврача, это национальная проблема — в стране много «рукастых» хирургов, а со знанием ими иностранных языков не так хорошо. На взгляд Альберта Акрамовича, который сам неоднократно стажировался у мировых «светил» нейрохирургии в Германии, Японии, США, без знания английского языка у специалиста почти нет шансов вырасти в профессионала очень высокого уровня.

С председателем оргкомитета не согласен Александр Гагай из Екатеринбурга, занявший годом ранее 3-е место. Сейчас Александр учится на 4 курсе Уральского государственного медицинского университета, а летом ожидает зачисления на выигранное им место в Первом МГМУ имени И. М. Сеченова. В этот раз приехал морально поддержать земляков. Самыми сложными для бронзового призёра прошлого года оказались теоретические задания, а не английский язык, потому что варианты продолжения карьеры за рубежом его пока не привлекают. По его мнению, созданные в рамках нацпроекта «Здоровье» федеральные центры нейрохирургии вроде тюменского находятся на одном уровне с зарубежными. Тем самым, в России есть все возможности, чтобы стать очень хорошим специалистом.

Несколько человек приехали на олимпиаду повторно, в надежде поймать птицу удачи со второй попытки. Один из них — Денис Ковальчук, студент 6 курса Бурятского государственного университета. Он интересуется нейрохирургией с первого курса, но в его родном регионе нет столь технически оснащённых лабораторий, как в Тюмени. Также Денис сообщил, что после первой олимпиады в соцсетях возникло сообщество молодых нейрохирургов, где состоит около 400 человек. Студенты обмениваются в нём профессиональной литературой, дают друг другу подсказки в практических ситуациях.

По итогам II олимпиады победительницей стала стала Мадина Бижева, студентка 4 курса Кабардино-Балкарского государственного университета. Право на ещё два бесплатных места в ординатуре Сеченовского университета выиграли Олег Титов, студент пятого курса Первого МГМУ им. Сеченова, и Ирина Боровикова, студентка 5 курса Уральского государственного медицинского университета. Всем запомнилась речь, которую произнесла победительница олимпиады Мадина Бижева в момент вручения ей сертификата:

Уровень ещё двоих участников оказался настолько высоким, что Альберт Суфианов посчитал правильным предоставить им свой личный грант на обучение в ординатуре Первого МГМУ. Это были Иван Шелягин и Валентина Сидоренко из Тюменского государственного медицинского университета.

5 апреля 2019 года


UK teachers strike in first national teachers strike in 21 years

The BBC has reported that 8000 schools have been fully or partially closed by today’s national UK teachers strike.

The majority of state schools in the city of Bristol are closing for the strike, although many of the schools for students age 16+ are expected to remain open.

Some schools that originally said they would be closed have made the decision not to close for the strike.

The Guardian reports that the strike, which is expected to take place on Thursday, will be the first national teachers' strike in 21 years.

Christine Blower from the National Union of Teachers, which is organising the strike, said:

Earlier this week, John Dunford from the Association of School and College Leaders told The Guardian that:


Première grève national des enseignants depuis 21 ans au Royaume-Uni


Lärarstrejk i Storbritannien

Publiceringar 24 april • april 2008 • kvartal 2 • vecka 17


US scientist creates 'artificial life'

American biologist Craig Venter has announced that he has created the first ever "artificial life form" on Earth at the J. Craig Venter Institute, a U.S. laboratory and research center.

The breakthrough is the culmination of fifteen years of research and builds upon earlier work, research which saw the creation of a synthetic bacterial genome and the transplant of a genome from one species of bacteria into a second. "Synthia", a nickname derived from synthetic lifeform, combines these two techniques to create a "new lifeform".

A genome was created using synthetic chromosomes made from bottles of chemicals, the chromosomes sequenced to create a genome using as a template an existing bacterium. A bacterium from different species then had its own genome removed and the synthetic one transplanted in its place. Venter's achievement is that the new genome switched on and the new cell was able to replicate. A process likened to the booting of a computer with a new operating system.

Venter's achievement has been dismissed by some as falling short of a true technological breakthrough, claiming that rather than creating a new genome, that he has merely recreated the genome of an existing bacterium: "a technical tour de force" but not breakthrough science, according to Caltech geneticist David Baltimore.

Amongst the possibilities of artificial bacteria talked about are bacteria tailored to solve climate change by taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and to develop new vaccines. More complex organisms could include algae which would both be a source of biofuels and a CO2 remover. This is not, however, the instant solution to the Earth's major problems. Although enough is now known to duplicate a genome, there is insufficient knowledge as to what the role of individual chromosomes within the genome do. Any advances in synthetic biology to design life forms would require a much greater understanding of how the creation of proteins are coded in a genome's chromosomes.


Bilim insanları sentetik bir hücre yarattılar

Amerikadaki özel J. Craig Venter Enstitüsünde çalışan araştırmacılar tamamen insan yapımı genetik komutlarla kontrol edilen sentetik bir hücre yaratarak biyolojide yeni bir çağın önünü açtıklarını açıkladılar.

Genetik biliminin öncülerinde Craig Venter, "Gerçek anlamda gerçek hücreler olan bu hücreleri sentetik hücreler olarak adlandırıyoruz" dedi. Bu deneysel tek hücreli organizmanın üretilmesi 40 milyon Amerikan Dolarına mal oldu.

Projenin içinde yer almayan ancak konuyu değerlendiren, Rutgers Üniveristesinden moleküler biyolojist Richard Ebright "Kelimenin tam anlamıyla bu doğa ile insanoğlunun ilişkisinde yeni bir dönüm noktası olmuştur" dedi ve " ilk kez olarak bir kişi, özellikleri tamamen önceden belirlenmiş tam bir yapay hücre geliştirmiş oldu" diyerek ekledi.

Boston Üniveristesinde biyomedikal mühendisi olan James Collins, "Bu durumu yeni bir yaşam formunun yaratılması olrak görmüyorum" dedi ve "bunu bir sentetik organizmadan ziyade bir genetiği sentetik olrak yazılmış bir organizma olarak görüyorum" diyerek eklemede bulundu.

Bu sentetik hücreyi yapmak için biyomühendis Daniel Gibson ve Craig Venter liderliğindeki 25 araştırmacı, Rockville - San Diego'daki labaratuvarlarda çalışarak bir bilgisayar kodunu yeni bir yaşam formuna dönüştürdüler. Bu işe bir çeşit bakteri olan Mycoplasma capricolu ile başlayıp  bakterinin genetik kodlarını tamamını kendi yazıkları kodlarla değiştirdiler ve onu tasarlanmış bir ikinci türe dönüştürdürerek adını da Mycoplasma mycoides koyduklarını ilan ettiler. Bilim insanları, bu yeni bakteriyi diğer doğal bakterilerden ayırmak için Dr Venter ve meslektaşları kendi adlarını organizmanın kimyasal DNA kodunun içine yadıklarını söylediler.


US scientist says he created first 'artificial life form'

According to reports, American biologist Craig Venter is going to announce that he has created the first ever "artificial life form" on Earth at the J. Craig Venter Institute, a U.S. laboratory and research center, using synthetic chromosomes made from chemicals.

The Guardian Unlimited reports that Venter may announce the discovery on Monday, but could publish the report within a few weeks.

"[This is] a very important philosophical step in the history of our species. We are going from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it. That gives us the hypothetical ability to do things never contemplated before," said Venter.

The discovery was made by 20 scientists on a team that was led by microbiologist Hamilton O. Smith which created the synthetic chromosome. The chromosome is filled with 580,000 'base pairs' of a genetic code, and is 381 genes in length. Using Mycoplasma genitalium bacteria, the scientists broke down the genetic coding of the bacterium and removed a fifth of it, making sure that only the essential genetic products exist to support life. They then inject the bacterium into a living bacterial cell, where the new life form takes over, creating an entirely new species of life.

At least one test has been reported to be successful when scientists used a genome of a natural bacterium and implanted it into another cell. That bacterium took over that cell, creating a new form of life, and Venter says that he is "100% confident" that the scientists will be able to get the same results when using the synthetic chromosome.

Despite the reports, a spokeswoman for the offices where Venter works states that the Guardian Unlimited "jumped the gun" in reporting the event.

"The Guardian is ahead of themselves on this. We have not achieved what some have speculated we have in synthetic life. When we do so there will be a scientific publication and we are likely months away from that," said Heather Kowalski, the office's spokeswoman.


"Il cromosoma è interamente artificiale": Craig Venter lancia la prima forma di vita completamente sintetica

Si chiamerà Mycoplasma laboratorium e sarà la prima specie completamente sintetica. Craig Venter, il controverso scienziato statunitense noto per aver sfidato il Progetto Genoma Umano nella corsa al sequenziamento del genoma, ha affidato alle pagine di The Guardian il suo ultimo annuncio shock. Il team di 20 uomini da lui coordinato avrebbe infatti realizzato il primo cromosoma completamente artificiale, ottenuto per completa sintesi chimica.

I dettagli del progetto non sono ancora stati presentati ufficialmente, nè sono stati per ora pubblicati su alcuna rivista scientifica. In ogni caso, Venter presenterà probabilmente già lunedì, nel corso dell'annuale incontro del suo centro di ricerca di San Diego, quello che lui stesso definisce un importante passo filosofico nella storia della nostra specie. Stiamo passando dalla capacità di leggere il nostro genetico a quella di scriverlo noi stessi. Questo ci apre a delle possibilità ipotetiche per fare cose che non avremmo nemmeno mai immaginato prima.

Ed è proprio sulle prospettive che si aprono che si è già scatenato il dibattito. Pat Mooney, direttore della ETC, una organizzazione canadese che si occupa di bioetica, ha definito il cromosoma sintetico di Venter con un telaio su cui è possibile costruire di tutto. Può essere un grande contributo all'umanità, come un nuovo farmaco, o una gigantesca minaccia per l'umanità, come un'arma biologica. Mooney sottolinea anche che i governi, e la società in generale, non riescono a stare dietro allo stato dell'arte. Questo annuncio è come una sveglia per tutti noi: cosa significa creare nuove forme di vita in provetta?

Venter puntualizza che la ricerca è stata portata avanti con grande attenzione per i problemi etici. Riteniamo che questa sia buona scienza, ha detto, e non abbiamo paura di portare avanti cose che sono importanti solo perché invitano a riflettere. Noi stiamo parlando di grandi idee: stiamo cercando di creare un nuovo sistema di valori per la vita. Quando si lavora a questo livello, non possiamo aspettarci che tutti siano entusiasti.

Lo scienziato statunitense, inserito tra i cento uomini più influenti del mondo secondo la rivista Time nel 2007, è infatti certo che la possibilità di scrivere genomi abbia incredibili potenzialità. Nel lungo termine, infatti, spera di poter utilizzare questa tecnologia per produrre forme di energia alternativa precedentemente impensabili. Sarà possibile, secondo lui, la realizzazione di batteri in grado di consumare tutta l'anidride carbonica responsabile del riscaldamento globale, o produrre carburanti (come butano o propano) prodotti esclusivamente a partire da zuccheri.


Wikimedia Commons celebrates first anniversary

One year ago today, September 7, 2004, the Wikimedia Commons project was presented to the public. Wikimedia Commons, or simply Commons, is a repository for multimedia files that include images, videos, computer animations, and music as well as spoken texts. They currently count more than 232,000 such files.

All of Commons content is published under a free licence, so the use of its files is permitted outside the project itself. Its main mission is to provide the international Wikipedias with images. Like Wikipedia, the Commons is based on a simple wiki principle that permits every user to contribute and change content. The project is organized into so-called gallery pages, and/or by adding files into categories organized in multiple topics that help facilitate the speedy location of desired files. Often it exists already a direct link from the Wikipedia page to the corresponding page in the Commons.

The Wikimedia Commons proposal was originated by the German Erik Möller, (Eloquence), in March 2004. Eloquence was until recently the Chief Research Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.  Up until the launch of Commons, it was time consuming to use material from one Wikipedia language project in a sister project of a different language. Each file had to be uploaded into each language edition of Wikipedia, and be described and licensed again. The goal was to reduce this redundant effort into one upload, which it can be said that this was successful.

The language in use on the project's Main Page is English because it is an international project, but many information pages exist in multiple languages. Judging by the experience of other Wikimedia Foundation projects, it is only a question of time before further localization occurs at Commons. This will make it easier for users with fewer skills in foreign languages to also contribute files.

The content in the Commons is growing at a rapid pace. Within the last month alone, the number of images and other files has grown by more than 43,000. This represents a 22,7 % increase in relation to the prior month. While the Wikipedia projects usually compare themselves with the more widely known encyclopedias like Britannica and Brockhaus, a competitor Commons would likely be considered the huge commercial photo archives like Getty Images and Corbis, who possess more than 70 million images each. In relation to them, the Commons is very small at the moment. However, most of the important buildings and landmarks world wide are already featured in its database.

Like other Wikimedia Foundation projects, the Commons face certain challenges and problems. Sometimes people upload offensive images. The community has had to establish clear criteria about which content is acceptable, and which is not. There should not be unfair censorship. Obvious transgressions can be pointed out by anybody, and they are usually deleted rapidly by the administrators.

A sensitive topic is copyrights, and the rights of the owner of the pictured images. International rules have not yet been made compatible. In certain ways, the Wikimedia Foundation opens new territory in the area of intellectual property. Before Commons, it was almost exclusively a domain of professionals to publish images who were well aware of the legal issues. Now it is possible for huge numbers of photo amateurs to publish. Like with offensive content, obvious violations of copyright are deleted the moment they are brought to notice of the administrators. However, it is quite possible there will be an upcoming international debate if the free publication of certain content, e.g. images of national heritage objects, is in the overwhelming public interest. In cases such as this, private interests which might prevent publication are of lesser importance.

The contribution of Wikimedia Commons to a wide array of issues in research, reporting, education, tourism or others, at a global scale, is difficult to fathom at the moment. Most likely though the impact will be gigantic.


Wikimedia Commons feiern einjähriges Bestehen


Wikimedia Foundation addresses controversial content conflict

The Wikimedia Foundation has taken action in response to last month's image controversy on their Commons project, requesting Executive Director Sue Gardner to examine the issue, and communicating with the wider community about their concerns.

Ms Gardner has hired fellow journalist and former broadcasting executive Robert Harris to carry out this study.  Ms Gardner and Mr Harris worked together for seventeen years at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

In early May Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales deleted scores of images which were targeted as possible pornography, despite community resistance to the campaign. Wales eventually surrendered his rights to delete files, but the controversy over the perceived censorship caused many long-term contributors to rethink their involvement - some have curtailed the time they invest in the site while others have left the project entirely.

Commons Administrator Adam Cuerden expressed his frustration over the deletions when he spoke to Wikinews last month. "He [Wales] basically lied to us from the start. First, by acting as if this was for legal reasons. Second, by pretending he was listening to us, right up to his art deletion." The community irritation led to current efforts to draft a policy regarding sexual content for the site which hosts millions of openly-licensed media.

The Foundation's response is a measured one, according to Foundation Board of Trustees member Jan-Bart de Vreede. "The board thinks that this is an important issue," he told Wikinews yesterday, "we realise that there are many point of view on this. The one thing we don't want to do is draw hasty conclusions. We have therefore asked Sue to do more research into the matter. Our aim would be to get a complete picture of all the aspects and then see if we need next steps. If there are to be next steps, we will take these together with the community."


Nadace Wikimedia se zabývá sporem o kontroverzní obsah

Nadace Wikimedia zareagovala na spory z minulého měsíce, které vypukly na projektu Commons, jehož cílem je shromažďovat multimediální materiál. Výsledkem rozhodnutí rady (8 pro, 0 proti, 2 se zdrželi) je pověření výkonné ředitelky Sue Gardnerové, aby záležitost prozkoumala a projednala se širší komunitou přispěvatelů, co je na záležitosti trápí.

Začátkem května Jimmy Wales, spoluzakladatel Wikipedie, inicioval rozsáhlé kontroverzní mazání, na kterém se sám do značné míry přímo podílel. Protože s touto jeho činností, která byla zdůvodňována snahou odstranit materiál klasifikovatelný jako pornografický, značná část komunita nesouhlasila, vzdal se Wales posléze svých zvláštních práv. Kontroverznost otázky tím ovšem neskončila a někteří dlouhodobí přispěvatelé přehodnotili míru, do jaké se chtějí na projektu podílet — někteří úplně odešli a jiní mu začali věnovat méně času.

Člen rady nadace Jan-Bart de Vreede řekl v rozhovoru na IRC, že „rada problém pokládá za závažný a je si vědoma toho, že něj může být mnoho různých náhledů. Rozhodně se chce vyhnout dělání ukvapených závěrů. Proto jsme požádali Sue, aby záležitost blíže prozkoumala. Naším cílem je získat celý obraz včetně všech aspektů a až pak se rozhodnout, jsou-li potřebné další kroky. Pokud budou další kroky potřeba, uděláme je společně s komunitou.“

Tato zpráva byla založena zčásti nebo zcela překladem zprávy Wikimedia Foundation addresses controversial content conflict na anglických Wikizprávách.


Wikinews interviews English mathematician Marcus du Sautoy

Marcus du Sautoy is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He is not only a researcher; he had great success with the popular book The Music of the Primes. His last book Finding Moonshine will be published in English in February 2008. It has already been published in Italian with the title Il disordine perfetto ("The perfect disorder").

In September 2007 he was in Levico Terme (Trento, Italy) for a conference. He was interviewed for Wikinews.

What are you doing here in Levico? Are you going to talk?

As a mathematician you are dedicating yourself not only to research but also to popularization. Why?

What about your experiences on radio and television?

How do you explain the success of your book The Music of the Primes?

And what about your last book Finding Moonshine?

What do you think of the Italian title, Il disordine perfetto ("The perfect disorder")?

Do you know Wikipedia? What do you think of it?

This is the article about you on the English Wikipedia. What do you think of it?

This is the article about your book The Music of the Primes...


Intervista a Marcus du Sautoy

Maglietta verde, pantaloni a tre quarti, forse vedendolo non si direbbe ma Marcus du Sautoy è professore di matematica all'Università di Oxford. Non è solo un ricercatore, ma anche un divulgatore: il suo libro L'enigma dei numeri primi ha avuto un grande successo. Il suo ultimo libro Il disordine perfetto ("Finding Moonshine"), pubblicato in Italia da Rizzoli, è stato presentato al Festivaletteratura di Mantova.

Alcuni giorni fa è stato a Levico Terme in Provincia di Trento per un convegno. Wikinews lo ha intervistato.

Cosa farà qua a Levico? Parlerà?

Come matematico non si è dedicato solo alla ricerca, ma anche alla divulgazione. Perché?

Cosa ci può dire della sua esperienza alla radio e alla televisione?

Come si spiega il successo del suo libro L'enigma dei numeri primi?

Cosa ci dice del suo ultimo libro Finding Moonshine?

Cosa ne pensa del titolo italiano Il disordine perfetto?

Conosce Wikipedia? Cosa ne pensa?

Questa è la voce che la riguarda sulla Wikipedia in lingua inglese. Cosa ne pensa?

Questo è l'articolo sul suo libro L'enigma dei numeri primi...


Wikinews interviews Israeli mathematician and writer Aner Shalev

Aner Shalev is an Israeli mathematician and writer born in 1958 in Kibbutz Kinneret, Tiberias. Currently Shalev is a Professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Einstein Institute of Mathematics.

At the moment Shalev is in Levico Terme, Trento, Italy for a conference. He was interviewed by Wikinews.

What are you going to talk about here in Levico?

Why did you choose to study mathematics?

Many people, and many students, dislike math. Why do you think it is so?

You're not only a mathematician. You also wrote two collections of short stories and a novel. Why did you begin to write?

Why did you choose this particular structure?

Why Adam and Eva?

In Italian the book was renamed Dove finisce New York (Where New York ends). Do you like that title?

The novel was published in Hebrew in 2004 but takes place before September 11th because the Twin Towers are still there. Why? Is there a particular reason?

Do you have other literary project for the future?

You are professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. How's life there?

Do you know Wikipedia?


Intervista al matematico e scrittore israeliano Aner Shalev

Aner Shalev è un matematico e scrittore israeliano, nato nel 1958 nel Kibbutz Kinneret in Israele. Attualmente è professore all'Università Ebraica di Gerusalemme. Il suo ultimo libro è Dove finisce New York

In questi giorni si trova a Levico Terme, in Provincia di Trento per una conferenza. È stato intervistato per Wikinews.

Di cosa parlerà qui a Levico?

Perché ha scelto di studiare matematica?

A molte persone, e a molti studenti, non piace la matematica. Perché secondo lei?

Lei non è solo un matematico. Ha anche scritto due due raccolte di racconti e un romanzo. Come mai ha cominciato a scrivere?

Perché ha scelto questa particolare struttura?

Perché Adam e Eva?

In italiano il libro è stato rinominato Dove finisce New York. Le piace questo titolo?

Il romanzo è stato pubblicato in ebraico nel 2004 ma è ambientato prima dell'11 settembre, perché le Torri Gemelle ci sono ancora. Come mai? C'è una ragione particolare?

Ha altri progetti letterari per il futuro?

Lei è professore all'Università Ebraica di Gerusalemme. Com'è la vita là?

Conosce Wikipedia?


Wikipedia features Encyclopædia Britannica on its main page

The Encyclopædia Britannica today appeared on the main page of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia as it became the day's featured article. Encyclopædia Britannica has recently been critical of Wikipedia in terms of the website's openness and accuracy as an encyclopedia.

The Encyclopædia Britannica, first published in Scotland in 1768, has been critical about  Wikipedia in the past due to the way it is written. Whilst the Encyclopædia Britannica is written by a team of identified contributors, 19 full-time editors and over 4,000 expert contributors, Wikipedia can be written by anyone who has access to an internet connection. The Encyclopædia Britannica claims that the differences between Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannicas editorial policies make Encyclopedia Britannica more accurate than Wikipedia.

One study carried out by the news department of the scientific journal Nature, a study of 42 selected science articles showed that Wikipedia had 162 errors, whilst the Encyclopædia Britannica had 123. The Encyclopædia Britannica responded by saying that the study was misleading because certain articles were not taken from the Encyclopædia, some articles were combinations of several articles, others were simply excerpts.

Wikipedia's featured articles are to be examples of the site's finest work. Out of over 1.9 million articles that exist as of writing, there are only 1,535 featured articles. These are indicated with a bronze star in the top-right hand corner of the article.


Insolite : Britannica en première page de Wikipédia

Cet article mentionne la Wikimedia Foundation ou un de ses projets. Notez que Wikinews est un projet de la Wikimedia Foundation.

Publié le 8 août 2007

L'Encyclopædia Britannica est apparue aujourd'hui comme article du jour sur l'encyclopédie en ligne Wikipédia (dans sa version anglophone). Ce clin d'œil peut être considéré comme ironique, Britannica ayant été récemment très critique envers Wikipédia sur ses principes d'ouvertures et sur sa fiabilité.
L'Encyclopædia Britannica, publiée pour la première fois en Écosse en 1768, a attaqué Wikipédia dans le passé en raison de son mode d'écriture. Alors que Britannica est écrite par une équipe de rédacteurs identifiés, Wikipédia peut être rédigée par toute personne ayant accès à internet. Britannica prend prétexte de cette ouverture pour prétendre être plus fiable.
Cependant, selon une étude publiée dans le journal scientifique Nature, une comparaison aléatoire de 42 articles a montré 162 erreurs de la part de Wikipédia, alors que dans le même temps l’Encyclopædia Britannica en faisait 123, soit un taux comparable. Britannica a répliqué en disqualifiant l'étude en indiquant que certains articles n'étaient pas pris dans l'Encyclopædia Britannica, certains sont des combinaisons d'articles, d'autres ayant tout simplement été exclus.

Les featured articles de la Wikipédia anglophone (qui correspondent aux articles de qualité dans Wikipédia francophone) sont censés être des exemples du meilleur de l'encyclopédie en ligne. Sur la version anglophone, ils sont seulement 1 535 sur un total dépassant 1,9 million d'articles. Ils sont signalés par une étoile de couleur bronze dans le coin supérieur droit d'un article.


"Bali Roadmap" agreed on, applauded

2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference

After the United States agreed to the changes proposed by India this morning, the so called Bali Roadmap has been agreed on, to applause from all parties. The decision was made at this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali. The Roadmap establishes a time frame and scope for reaching a post-2012 climate change agreement. This includes setting, for industrialized nations, targets for reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Numerous observers and parties had voiced that they see this as being of great importance prior to and during the conference.

Following the reopening of the plenary at midday, India reiterated its position that part of a paragraph needed to be reformulated. The EU went on to state that in the spirit of negotiations, they agreed with the proposed changes. After some further statements by other nations, the US said that they can not accept the changes, as they would considerably change the balance of the text. This was met with loudly audible booing in the plenary. Some time later, after a number of other nations voiced their opinions and the American delegation could be seen busily debating and writing, the US said they would agree to the consensus position after all. Standing ovations and cheers welcomed this change in position, which allowed the President of the Conference soon thereafter to declare the document decided.

India this morning had raised objections on one of the central documents of what constitutes the Roadmap. This had made a decision impossible for the time being, as the conference can only pass items unanimously. The objection regarded the phrasing of how nations with developing industries are to take action to slow and reduce their GHG emissions. The President of the Conference, the Indonesian Environmental Minister, had declined the request, stating that the proposal he had made was very finely balanced. The President had then suspended the session so that further consultations could be made.

No progress was made when the meeting was reopened about an hour later, with China stating that negotiations of the so called Group of 77 and China with the Indonesian Minister of Finance were still ongoing. China then accused the UNFCCC secretariat of deliberately opening the plenary session at a time it knew that their Ministers were in talks. The Chinese delegate went on to demand an apology by the secretariat, and the meeting was again suspended.

Ministerial negotiations had continued through the night until the early morning hours yesterday and the climate conference had been scheduled to decide on the last outstanding items this morning.

Yesterday evening Yvo de Boer of the UNFCCC had said that the parties were "on the brink of agreement", when he was asked where negotiations currently stand. With almost all open matters having been agreed on by a group of 40 ministers, one of the last outstanding points then was still the question of guideline numbers for GHG cuts.

Some of the issues that had still been open the day before yesterday (for example how deforestation was to be addressed and the matter of financial support for developing countries to send and support negotiators to the UN climate conferences), had apparently been addressed to everyones satisfaction during yesterdays informal talks. But the talks were still on with regard to preambular text of a document that states how further action to mitigate climate change is to be taken, the inclusion of a 25-40% range for reductions in GHG emissions for industrialized nations by 2020 from 1990 levels being contested.

The draft decision proposed by the President of the Conference today however, no longer included the numbers, but did make reference to the latest report by the international body of scientists that is charged with assessing the current state of knowledge on climate change. This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had presented its Synthesis report earlier this year.


Klimagipfel auf Bali endet mit Verhandlungsauftrag

Nusa Dua (Indonesien), 15.12.2007 – Nach einer an Dramatik nicht mehr zu überbietenden Schlusssitzung der Delegierten der internationalen Klimakonferenz auf Bali einigten sich die Verhandlungsteilnehmer auf einen Fahrplan zu einem neuen Weltklimaschutzvertrag, der die Nachfolge des auslaufenden Kyoto-Vertrages übernehmen soll. Die Verhandlungen sollen bis 2009 zum Abschluss gebracht werden. Die vor allem von der EU geforderten konkreten Festlegungen auf eine prozentuale Reduzierung von Treibhausgasen scheiterten insbesondere am Widerstand der Verhandlungsdelegation aus den Vereinigten Staaten. Trotzdem zeigte sich der deutsche Umweltminister Sigmar Gabriel zufrieden. Es sei „mehr erreicht worden, als angesichts der Interessenlagen zu erwarten“ gewesen sei.

In der Erklärung von Bali werden unter anderem die folgenden Ziele angepeilt:

Außerdem enthält das Dokument Verweise auf die Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, wie sie im „4. Weltklimabericht“ niedergelegt sind.

Die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) wertete die Übereinkunft von Bali als „großen Erfolg“. Das Mandat von Bali werde sich „schon bald als wegweisend und weichenstellend erweisen“. Kritik wird vor allem von Umweltschützern geäußert. Insbesondere die kompromisslose Verhandlungsführung der US-Delegation wurde für ein mageres Ergebnis der Konferenz verantwortlich gemacht. „Die internationale Staatengemeinschaft hatte bis zur letzten Minute die Vereinigten Staaten als Klotz am Bein, deshalb ist man leider nicht weitergekommen“, so ein Greenpeace-Vertreter.


Balin ilmastokokouksessa sovittiin "tiekartasta"

Yhdistyneiden kansakuntien Balin ilmastokokouksessa (United Nations Climate Change Conference 2007) päästiin 14.12 sopimukseen "tiekartasta" ilmastonmuutosta vastaan. Tiekartalla on tarkoitus saada sovittua jatko Kioton ilmastosopimukselle, ja sen mukaiset jatkoneuvottelut on tarkoitus saada päätökseen vuonna 2009 Köpenhaminan kokouksessa sekä ratifioiduksi ennen Kioton sopimuksen päättymistä 2012.

Ilmastokokouksen saavutuksia oli saada kaikki 190 maata neuvottelemaan Kioton sopimuksen jatkosta ja sopia periaatepäätös metsien säästämisen kompensoinnista kehitysmaille. Kritiikkiä kokous on saanut siitä, ettei se kyennyt sopimaan mitään selkeitä ja sitovia päästörajoitustavoitteita, mikä haittaa jatkoneuvotteluita sekä hidastaa päästöjen vähentämisen aloittamista.

Sopuun kokouksessa päästiin vasta virallisen kokousajan jälkeen, kun YK:n pääsihteeri Ban Ki-moon ja Indonesian presidentti Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono olivat ilmaisseet pettymyksensä neuvottelijoihin. Yksi viimeisistä neuvottelujen kiistakohdista oli muun muassa Yhdysvaltojen vaatimus ”raportoitavissa olevista, mitattavista ja todennettavista” toimista kehittyviltä mailta ilmastonmuutoksen hillitsemiseksi. Kiina ja muut väkirikkaat Aasian maat vastustivat tätä perusteenaan, että vaikka ne ovat maailman suurimpia kasvihuonepäästöjen tuottajia, niin niiden asukasta kohden tuottamat kasvihuonepäästöt ovat paljon pienempiä kuin länsimaiden. Lopulta valtavan arvosteluryöpyn jälkeen Yhdysvallat ilmoitti hyväksyvänsä sopimuksen.

Ympäristöministeri Kimmo Tiilikainen (kesk) sanoi olevansa tyytyväinen lopputulokseen. Hallituksen ilmastopoliittinen asiantuntija Oras Tynkkynen (vihr) piti kompromissia tärkeämpänä sitä, että löytyi jokin sopu, josta jatkaa tulevaisuudessa. Kansanedustaja Sanna Perkiön (kok) mukaan ilmastokokous päättyi lievään pettymykseen, koska siellä ei saatu sovituksi sitovia päästörajoja. Hänen mielestään on ilmeistä, että tulevia ilmastokokouksia jatketaan YK:n lisäksi Bushin ilmastoaloitteiden pohjalta WTO:ssa ja G8-kokouksissa.


100 icebergs heading for New Zealand

About 100 icebergs are heading for New Zealand and a warning has been issued for ships in the Southern Ocean. The icebergs were spotted off the South Island of New Zealand by plane, Orion. However they are likely to melt before reaching New Zealand, but they may be visible from Stewart Island.

An Orion, a Royal New Zealand Air force plane, spotted the icebergs heading towards New Zealand when it was doing a routine fisheries patrol, south of the Auckland Islands, about 260 km away from Southland.

One of the longest of the hundred icebergs is said to be about 2 km long, 1.3 km wide and 120 m high. But seeing as most of the iceberg is underwater it is more likely around 1.2 km high.

Andy Nielsen, Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron leader, said that they "were surprised by the number of them and by how far north they were. We came across approximately 80 to 100 icebergs...what's unusual about this is we located them about 130 nautical miles south of Stewart Island...we would expect to find the number we found around 600 nautical miles south of Stewart Island. They pose a significant maritime threat (as they are near a major shipping lane). The weather down there is deteriorating, visibility is low tonight in the majority of the southern area."

The last time that an iceberg had been seen from the Mainland was in 1931 at Dunedin, even though icebergs do occasionally break away from Antarctica and head into the Southern Ocean. Mike Williams, physical oceanographer for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said: "The latest sighting may be seen from the Mainland if it gets a bit further north and comes closer in shore. The currents and the wind are likely to drive it north along the Southland and Otago coast."

The icebergs are not being blamed on global warming or global cooling. Mr Williams said: "It has made it all the way to New Zealand is a fantastic rare event, but I don't think we can draw any conclusions about changes in climate."


100 Eisberge auf dem Weg nach Neuseeland

Wellington (Neuseeland), 04.11.2006 – Etwa 100 Eisberge befinden sich auf dem Weg nach Neuseeland. Grund genug, nun eine Warnung für Schiffe im Südlichen Ozean herauszugeben. Die Eisberge wurden unweit der Südinsel Neuseelands von einem Flugzeug der Königlich-neuseeländischen Luftwaffe vom Typ „Orion“ entdeckt. Jedoch werden sie wahrscheinlich vor Erreichen Neuseelands abschmelzen, aber von Stewart Island aus zu sehen sein. Die Piloten des Flugzeugs entdeckten die Eisberge, als sie auf einer Routine-Fischerei-Patrouille südlich der Auckland-Inseln, zirka 260 Kilometer von Southland entfernt, unterwegs waren.

Einer der größten gesichteten Eisberge soll zwei Kilometer lang, 1,3 Kilometer breit und 120 Meter hoch sein. Aber in Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass sich der größte Teil des Eisberges unter Wasser befindet, ist er in Wirklichkeit eher 1,2 Kilometer hoch.

Andy Nielsen, Leiter der Königlich-neuseeländischen Luftwaffenstaffel, sagte, dass sie „überrascht gewesen sind, wie viele es waren und wie weit im Norden sie sich befanden. Wir trafen auf ungefähr 80 bis 100 Eisberge… Was ungewöhnlich ist, ist, dass wir sie ungefähr 130 Seemeilen südlich von Stewart Island ausfindig gemacht haben… Wir hätten erwartet, diese Anzahl, die wir gefunden haben, ungefähr 600 Seemeilen südlich von Stewart Island zu finden. Sie stellen eine signifikante maritime Bedrohung dar (weil sie in der Nähe einer Haupt-Schifffahrtslinie gefunden wurden). Das Wetter dort unten verschlechtert sich, die Sicht ist heute Nacht im größten Teil der südlichen Gebiete schlecht.“

Das letzte Mal, dass ein Eisberg vom Festland aus gesehen wurde, war 1931 in Dunedin, obwohl Eisberge von Zeit zu Zeit von Antarktika wegbrechen und sich in den Südlichen Ozean bewegen. Mike Williams, physikalischer Ozeanograph beim Nationalinstitut für Wasser- und Luftforschung, sagte: „Zuletzt kann man ihn vom Festland aus sehen, wenn er ein bisschen weiter nach Norden und näher an die Küste kommt. Die Strömungen und der Wind werden ihn vermutlich nach Norden an der Southland- und Otagoküste vorbeitreiben.“

Die Eisberge sind keine Folge der globalen Erwärmung. Williams sagte: „Dass er es den ganzen Weg bis Neuseeland geschafft hat, ist ein fantastisches, seltenes Ereignis, aber ich glaube nicht, dass wir daraus irgendwelche Schlüsse über Veränderungen des Klimas ziehen können.“


100 айсбергов движутся к Новой Зеландии

Приблизительно 100 айсбергов движутся в сторону Новой Зеландии. Это достаточно опасно для судов, находящихся в этом районе. Эти движущиеся айсберги были обнаружены с самолёта военно-воздушных сил Новой Зеландии, на расстоянии около 260 км южнее южного острова Стюарта. Предполагают, что айсберги растают, не дойдя до Новой Зеландии. Но, с самого южного острова архипелага, айсберги видны.

Размеры наибольшего из обнаруженных айсбергов составляют: длина — 2 км, ширина — 120 метров. Если учитывать, что большая часть айсберга скрыта под водой, можно предположить, что высота такого айсберга —  1,2 км.

Это удивительно, что появилось одновременно столько много и так далеко на север продвинувшихся айсбергов.

Последний раз, видимый с островов Новой Зеландии, айсберг был обнаружен в 1931 году.

Появление айсбергов не связано с глобальным потеплением, сказал океанограф Майк Уильямс (Mike Williams) из Национального исследовательского института океанов и атмосферы. Айсберг, который преодолевает огромное расстояние от Антарктиды да Новой Зеландии — фантастически редкое явление, но мы не находим связи между этим событием и изменением климата, добавил Майк Уильямс.

4 ноября 2006 года


14,000-acre Southern California 'Crown Fire' at 82% containment, evacuation orders lifted

Antelope Valley, California —
The Crown Fire that has burned through 13,980 acres in the High Desert of Southern California since 2:32 pm (2232 UTC) Thursday was at 82% containment Saturday evening, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

On Friday high winds caused the fire to jump the California Aqueduct and spread into the city of Palmdale.  Over 2,000 residents of Leona Valley, Ana Verde, and Rancho Vista were given mandatory evacuation orders.  The sky was blanketed with thick orange pyrocumulus clouds and falling ash, making the air hard to breathe.

State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in Palmdale on Friday to survey the burned areas. "We were very fortunate to not have fires for quite some time because the air temperature was cool and we didn't have the experiencing of dry weather and all the winds and so on, but all of a sudden the fire season kicked in as if, 'Here we are,'" Schwarzenegger said during a press conference. "But we are ready and we have luckily distributed resources all over the state of California, so we are ready at any given time."

The fire has so far destroyed one house and three mobile homes, damaging the roof of another and burning car garages, horse stables, and other outbuildings.  Most of the more seriously threatened homes were constructed recently from fire-proof materials, with walls coated in stucco, and fire-resistant plants in the yards.  Although some roads are still closed to all traffic, all existing evacuation orders were lifted late Friday night and 500 residents of Rancho Vista were told to "shelter in place" until further notice.  Despite the absence of mandatory evacuation orders, over 2,000 houses, 60 commercial buildings, and 100 outbuildings are still under threat.

Throughout the night, fire crews have been battling the wildfire, assisted by cooler temperatures and lighter-than-expected winds which have enabled them to establish containment lines. "Crews went out [Friday] night and did some great work trying to complete more lines and also trying to take care of what we call 'cat eyes' which are embers within the perimeter of the fire, so there will be much more work being done there today," said LACFD Captain Roland Sprewell. "But of course we're not going to rest on our laurels today...we're going to be vigilantly watching the winds, especially in the ridge and down in the valleys."

At the height of the fire, 1,700 firefighters from all over California were battling the flames, although as of 12:00 pm Saturday afternoon, it has been reduced to around 1,350 personnel. 16 fire camp crew have also assisted. 250 fire engines and four bulldozers have been used. In the air, 4 Boeing 747 supertankers, 1 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 tanker, and 6 modified Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters known as "Firehawks" have been dropping water and red Phos-Chek slurry. The Los Angeles Sheriffs Department also increased its presence in the Antelope Valley by bringing in response teams from stations outside the AV. This afternoon, the deployment has been scaled back to three teams as the fire stabilizes and further evacuation orders become unlikely.

Three firefighters have been injured battling the fire, although all injuries are minor. One sheriff deputy was also hospitalized for smoke inhalation but has since been released.


El incendio "Crown Fire" declarado en California fue contenido al 82% y cesan las ordenes de evacuación

2 de agosto de 2010Antellope Valley, California —

El incendio denominado "Crown Fire" de 14000 acres que se declaro en el Alto Desierto de California a las 2:32 pm (2232UTC) del jueves está controlado a un 82% de acuerdo al departamento de bomberos de Los Angeles.

Los fuertes vientos del viernes provocaron que el fuego saltara el acueducto de California y afectara la ciudad de Palmdale. Tuvieron que ser evacuadas 2000 personas del Valle Leona, Ana Verde y Rancho Vista. El cielo se cubrió con espesas nubes pyrocumulus y lluvia de cenizas haciendo el aire díficil de respirar.

El gobernador Arnold Scwarzzeneger superviso el area afectada el viernes por la noche y declaro: "Fuimos muy afortunados de no tener incendios por mucho tiempo más porque el aire está fresco y no tenemos que experimentar clima seco, vientos, etc. pero el golpe fue lo sorpresivo del incendio" y agregó que por suerte se tienen distribuidos recursos a lo largo de todo el estado de California y podemos estar listos en cualquier momento"

Una casa y otras 3 casas rodantes fueron quemadas por completo, además de afectar techos de otras, garages, caballerizas y otras edificaciones externas. La mayoría de las viviendas amenazadas fueron construidas recientemente con materiales a prueba de fuego, paredes recubiertas de estuco y plantas resistentes al fuego en las vallas.

Algunos caminos están aún cortados al tránsito aunque todas las ordenes de evacuación cesaron el viernes por la noche y 500 residentes de Rancho Vista y les pidieron que se refugien en el lugar hasta nuevo aviso. A pesar de no haber más ordenes de evacuación, cerca de 2000 casas, 60 edificios comerciales y otras 100 dependencias están aún bajo amenaza.

A lo largo de la noche, los bomberos han seguido con su tarea, ayudos por las temperaturas frescas y los vientos suaves que les ha permitido establecer líneas de contención. 1700 bomberos trabajaron cuando el incendio tuvo su mayor amplitud, pero a las 12:00 pm del sabado solamente continuaban 1350 personas.

Dieciséis ayudantes asistieron en la tarea, se usaron 250 autobombas y 4 excavadoras. También se combatió al fuego desde el aire con 4 supertanques Boeing 747, 1 tanque DC-10 y 6 helicopteros Sikorsky UH-60 modificados y conocidos como "Firehawks" que arrojaban agua y un retardante de incendios color rojo de marca Pos-Chek.

El Departamento del Alguacil del estado trajo refuerzos de estaciones externas al Antellope Valley para reforzar los equipos de respuesta. Esta tarde (la del 1 de agosto) los refuerzos se redujeron a tres equipos porque ya eran pocos comunes las evacuaciones.

Hay tres bomberos heridos con lesiones menores y un alguacil tuvo que ser internado por inhalación de humo aunque su situación es estable.

«Un incendio forestal obligó a los residentes en California a evacuar sus casas » — Wikinoticias, 1 de agosto de 2010.


Al Gore and Climate Panel awarded Nobel Peace prize 2007

The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today to former U.S. Vice President Albert Arnold Gore Jr. and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The Nobel committee cited "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change" as the reasons for awarding the prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.
The other prizes are given out in Sweden, in different categories, but the Peace prize is given out by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo, Norway. Last Year Muhammad Yunus and The Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Peace Prize is awarded annually in Oslo, the capital of Norway. The actual prize always is presented on the 10th of December, the anniversary of the death of Nobel. The Norwegian king is in attendance. For the past decade, the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony at the Oslo City Hall has been followed the next day by the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which is broadcast to over 150 countries and more than 450 million households around the world. The Concert has received worldwide fame and the participation of top celebrity hosts and performers.

By the provisions of Nobel's will, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

The Committee's five members are entrusted with researching and adjudicating the Prize as well as awarding it. Although appointed by the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), they are independent and answer to no legislative authority. Members of the Norwegian government are not permitted to sit on the Committee.
Nominations for the Prize may be made by a broad array of qualified individuals, including former recipients, members of national assemblies and congresses, university professors (in certain disciplines), international judges, and special advisors to the Prize Committee.


Friedensnobelpreis für Al Gore und den UN-Klimarat

Oslo (Norwegen), 12.10.2007 – Der ehemalige Vize-Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten Al Gore und der UN-Klimarat (IPCC) erhalten für ihren Einsatz im Kampf gegen den globalen Klimawandel den mit 1,1 Millionen Euro dotierten Friedensnobelpreis des Jahres 2007 zu gleichen Teilen. Der Vorsitzende des Nobelpreiskomitees, Ole Danbolt Mjøs, begründete die Entscheidung für Al Gore mit den herausragenden persönlichen Verdiensten Gores für die Aufklärung der Menschen über die Folgen des Klimawandels: „Gore hat wie kein anderer Mensch als Einzelner zur Schaffung eines breiten Bewusstseins für die Maßnahmen beigetragen, die nun nötig sind.“ Gore war für seinen Dokumentarfilm „Eine unbequeme Wahrheit“ dieses Jahr bereits mit einem Oscar ausgezeichnet worden. CNN berichtete, Gore werde sein Preisgeld für die von ihm gegründete Organisation „Alliance for Climate Protection“ spenden, die sich dem Kampf für eine andere Politik als Reaktion auf den Klimawandel verschrieben hat.

Gore selbst freute sich besonders über die Tatsache der geteilten Preisverleihung an ihn und den UN-Klimarat, den er als ein Gremium bezeichnete, dessen Mitglieder sich seit Jahren unermüdlich dafür eingesetzt hätten, dass die Menschheit den Klimawandel besser verstehe.

Der aus Indien stammende Vorsitzende des IPCC zeigte sich „völlig überwältigt“ von der Preisverleihung. Der UN-Klimarat sammelt seit 1988 weltweite Daten zum Klimawandel. An dieser Arbeit sind weltweit 10.000 Wissenschaftler beteiligt.

Ein Sprecher des Weißen Hauses in Washington D.C. begrüßte die Preisverleihung an Al Gore. Auf eine entsprechende Nachfrage erklärte der Sprecher, die Preisverleihung werde zu keiner Änderung der Klimapolitik der Vereinigten Staaten führen. Bei den Präsidentschaftswahlen im Jahr 2000 war Gore gegen den amtierenden Präsidenten George W. Bush angetreten. Dessen Klimapolitik hatte er scharf angegriffen. Von 1993 bis 2001 war Gore Vizepräsident während der Präsidentschaft Bill Clintons.

UN-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon würdigte den hohen persönlichen Einsatz Gores für den Schutz des Weltklimas. Sein Engagement zeige, dass jeder Einzelne bei der Bewältigung der globalen Probleme eine wichtige Rolle spielen könne.

Gratulationen kamen auch von deutschen Politikern wie Umweltminister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) und den Grünen-Politikern Renate Künast und Fritz Kuhn.

Kritik an der Verleihung des Nobelpreises an Al Gore kam aus Tschechien. Václav Klaus sagte, der Zusammenhang zwischen den Aktivitäten Gores und dem Weltfrieden sei nicht deutlich. Der tschechische Präsident hatte die Thesen Gores mehrfach öffentlich zurück gewiesen.


Al Gore y Panel Climático son galardonados con el Premio Nobel de la Paz

12 de octubre de 2007Oslo, Noruega —

Este viernes, el ex vicepresidente de los Estados Unidos, Al Gore, y el Panel Intergubernamental del Cambio Climático (IPCC por sus siglas en inglés), cuyo presidente es Rajendra Pachauri, obtuvieron el Premio Nobel de la Paz, por su trabajo de concientización sobre el calentamiento global. El premio de US$1,5 millones será compartido entre los dos ganadores.

Al Gore nació el 31 de marzo de 1948; fue electo vicepresidente bajo el mandato de Bill Clinton en 1992. Según la decisión del comité, Al Gore "Es probablemente el individuo que más ha hecho por fomentar una mayor comprensión a nivel mundial de las medidas que se deben adoptar". Recientemente, Gore ha sido objeto de peticiones para postularse en la campaña presidencial de 2008 próximo.

El Grupo Intergubernamental sobre el Cambio Climático fue establecido en 1988 con el fin de estudiar el cambio climático. En base a sus informes y conclusiones publicadas en 1991 sobre el calentamiento global, se impulsaron en 1992 la aprobación de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático y de igual manera las negociaciones para la creación del Protocolo de Kioto.

"Miles de científicos y funcionarios de más de cien países han colaborado para conocer con mayor certeza la escala del calentamiento", declaró el Comité Nobel.

El Premio Nobel de la Paz (en sueco y noruego, Nobels fredspris) es el nombre de uno de los cinco Premios Nobel legados del inventor e industrialista sueco Alfred Nobel. Los otros premios, de otras categorías, son entregados en Suecia, pero el Nobel de la Paz es entregado por el Comité del Premio Nobel noruego en Oslo, Noruega.

El Premio, junto con el resto, es presentando el 10 de diciembre en el aniversario de muerte del Sr. Nobel en una ceremonia a la cual el Rey de Noruega asiste. Durante la última década, la ceremonia se hace en el Ayuntamiento de Oslo y es seguido al día siguiente por el Concierto del Premio Nobel de la Paz, que es transmitido en más de 150 países y más de 450 millones de hogares en el mundo.


2007年ノーベル平和賞、米元副大統領アル・ゴア氏とIPCCへ

2007年のノーベル平和賞は、元アメリカ合衆国副大統領アル・ゴア氏と、気候変動に関する政府間パネル (IPCC) に授与されることになった。ノルウェーノーベル委員会が決定した。委員会は、授賞理由として、「彼らの努力で、人の手による気候の変化についての知識を広め、その変化を止めるための対策を講じる礎を築いたため」としている。

東京新聞や朝日新聞によると、ゴア氏は1993年-2001年にアメリカ副大統領を務めた。2000年には大統領選挙に立候補。現大統領ジョージ・W・ブッシュ氏に接戦の末破れたが、その後も温暖化問題についての講演活動などを行っている。2006年にはこれに関連した映画「不都合な真実」に出演。同映画は今年、第79回アカデミー賞で長編ドキュメンタリー映画賞を受賞している。

朝日によれば、賞金は1,000万スウェーデン・クローナ（約1億8,000万円）で、ゴア氏とIPCCで分けられる。ゴア氏は、賞金の全額を、温暖化問題に取り組む、自らが理事長を務める非営利団体に寄付するという。授賞式はアルフレッド・ノーベルの命日、12月10日に、ノルウェーのオスロで行われることになっている。

この記事は一部英語版からの翻訳を含みます。


Gore e grupo da ONU dividem Nobel da Paz

O ex-candidato a presidente dos Estados Unidos, Al Gore, e uma organização internacional vinculada a ONU, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), dividem o prêmio Nobel da Paz. Gore afirmou que está honrado em receber o prêmio. Ele disse que vai doar metade do prêmio, a que tem direito, com a instituição de pesquisa Aliança para a Proteção Climática em ações e campanhas para a conscientização do impacto do aquecimento global nos Estados Unidos.[1][2]


Amazon deforestation accelerating

Figures released by the Brazilian government have shown that the rate of deforestation in the Amazon has increased.

In the period August 2003 to August 2004, 26,000 square kilometres of the rainforest was felled. This number is up 6% from the 12 month period prior to August 2003. The total proportion of felled Amazon now stands at 17.3%, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This has led many environmentalists to worry that the cattle and soy trade are being put above the environment.

The 2003–2004 period saw the second largest tree felling, per area, in the Amazon's history. The worst was 1994–1995. The year prior to August 2003 had been another bad year for deforestation, it now being the third worst in history.

That previous 2002–2003 period led Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government to adopt an action plan to target deforestation. This included creating some of the largest reserves on earth and making closer satellite surveillance of threatened areas.

"This number is a tragedy and shows that deforestation is not a priority for the Lula government and that its plan [to fight destruction] is not working," said Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Amazon coordinator.

Much of the damage has been done in clearing trees to make space for crop land, especially in the worst hit state of Mato Grosso, where almost half of last year's deforestation occurred. This has led Greenpeace to condemn the governor of the state, a soya business man himself, as "king of deforestation". Much of this crop is exported to Europe and China, which last year led Brazil to declare a trade surplus.

The clearing endangers the world's largest home of wildlife, which claims almost 30% of all animal and plant species.

There are also implications for the carbon cycle and hence for global warming. The respiration of trees involves the intake of carbon dioxide, and produces oxygen as a byproduct. With fewer trees a balance of CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere is harder to maintain. Increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide could result in global warming.


Abholzung des Amazonas-Regenwalds nimmt zu

Brasília (Brasilien), 19.05.2005 - Von der brasilianischen Regierung veröffentlichte Statistiken zeigen, dass sich das Ausmaß der Abholzung der Wälder im Amazonasbecken vergrößert hat. Die Statistiken beruhen auf Satellitendaten der brasilianischen Weltraumbehörde INPE.

Im Zeitraum zwischen August 2003 und August 2004 wurde eine Fläche von 26.000 km² Wald gefällt, was einer Fläche entspricht, die etwa halb so groß ist wie die Schweiz. Dies entspricht einer Zunahme von sechs Prozent im Vergleich zu der zwölfmonatigen Periode bis August 2003.

Nach Angaben der Naturschutzorganisation WWF wurden bisher 17,3 Prozent des Regenwalds abgeholzt. Umweltschützer argwöhnen, dass der brasilianischen Regierung der Handel mit Fleisch und Soja wichtiger sei als der Schutz des Amazonas-Regenwalds.

Das Ausmaß der Abholzung im vergangenem Jahr war das zweithöchste seit Beginn der Berechnungen. Im Jahr zuvor verlor das Gebiet rund 23.000 km² an Wäldern.

Aufgrund der alarmierenden Zahlen hat die Regierung von Präsident Luis Inacion Lula da Silva das „Amazon Protected Areas Program“ (ARPA) initiiert. Im Zuge des Programms wurden die größten Naturschutzgebiete der Welt geschaffen sowie die Satellitenüberwachung der betroffenen Gebiete verstärkt.

Paulo Adario, ein lokaler Greenpeace-Koordinator, vertritt die Meinung, dass die Zahlen eine Tragödie seien, die zeigten, dass die Eindämmung der Abholzung bei der Regierung keine Priorität genieße.

Ein großer Teil der Wälder wurde gerodet oder abgeholzt, um Raum für landwirtschaftlich nutzbares Land zu gewinnen. Besonders betroffen ist der Bundesstaat Mato Grosso, wo im letzten Jahr beinahe die Hälfte der 26.000 km² Regenwald abgeholzt wurde. Greenpeace erhebt daher schwere Vorwürfe gegen den Gouverneur des Bundesstaates, der selbst ein Soja-Geschäftsmann ist.

Die Abholzung gefährdet einen der größten Lebensräume der Erde, in dem 40-60 Prozent aller auf der Erde lebenden Arten leben. Zudem werden Einflüsse auf die Erderwärmung befürchtet.


American botanist Lou Jost discovers world's smallest orchid

American botanist Lou Jost, one of the world's leading orchid hunters, has discovered the smallest orchid in the world among the roots of a larger plant in a nature reserve in Bolivia, South America. The 2.1mm wide flowers have transparent petals, which are only one cell thick. The finding tops the previous record of Platystele jungermannioides with 2.5mm flowers.

Lou Jost discovered the new species accidentally, looking at a bigger plant from the Cerro Candelaria reserve in the eastern Andes. The reserve was created by a British organisation World Land Trust in partnership with Fundacion EcoMinga, for which the discoverer works. In fact, Ecuador is the place of discovery of more than 1,000 new species of orchids in the past century.

"I found it among the roots of another plant that I had collected, another small orchid which I took back to grow in my greenhouse to get it to flower. A few months later I saw that down among the roots was a tiny little plant that I realised was more interesting than the bigger orchid. Looking at the flower is often the best way to be able to identify which species of orchid you've got hold of – and can tell you whether you're looking at an unknown species or not." he said.

The finding was identified as belonging to genus Platystele, like the previous record holder, and is the 60th new species of orchid that Dr Jost had discovered in the past decade.


Botânico americano Lou Jost descobre a menor orquídea do mundo

O botânico americano Lou Jost, um dos maiores caçadores de orquídeas do mundo, descobriu uma minúscula orquídea entre grandes plantas, numa reserva natural na Bolívia. Os 2,1 milímetros de largura das flores têm pétalas transparentes, que são apenas uma célula de espessura. A constatação está à frente do recorde anterior da Platystele jungermannioides com flores de 2,5 milímetros.

Jost descobriu a nova espécie acidentalmente, olhando para uma planta maior na reserva de Cerro Candelaria, nos Andes. A reserva foi criada pela ONG britânica World Land Trust em parceria com a Fundação EcoMinga. Esta é a 60.ª espécie de orquídea encontrada por Jost na última década.


Annual Perseids meteor shower visible in northern hemisphere

The peak of the Perseids meteor shower occurred last night during the new moon, bringing both amateur and professional astronomers out in full force. Low moonlight on Saturday and none at all on Sunday night made this year a brilliant opportunity for astronomers and stargazers. An added bonus was the presence of Mars, which shone bright red near the constellation Taurus.

The show started between 9:00 and 10:00 Sunday night. Sightings grew more frequent until the peak just before sunrise when as many as 80 meteors per minute could be seen in clear skies.

Perseids, which gets its name due to its appearance close to the constellation Perseus, a major feature of the night sky, occurs every year and is one of the most reliable meteor showers to watch in the northern hemisphere.

A meteor shower occurs when the Earth's orbit intersects debris in the tail of a comet. Every meteor shower has an associated comet. In the case of the Perseids meteor shower, the associated comet is Swift-Tuttle.


La pluie annuelle de météores des Perséides visible dans l'hémisphère nord

Le pic d'intensité de la pluie de météores des Perséides a été atteint la nuit dernière pendant la nouvelle lune, apportant aux astronomes amateurs et professionnels un spectacle très apprécié. La faible lueur lunaire de samedi et son absence dimanche soir ont fait de cette année une occasion exceptionnel d'observation pour les astronomes et les chasseurs d'étoiles. « Cadeau » supplémentaire, Mars était visible, brillant de sa lueur rouge à proximité de la constellation du Taureau.
Le spectacle a commencé entre 9h00 et 10h00 dimanche soir. Les étoiles filantes se sont faites de plus en plus fréquentes jusqu'au pic observé juste avant l'aube avec jusqu'à 80 météores par minute pouvant être observées dans un ciel clair.
Les Perséides, qui tiennent leur nom de leur apparente proximité de la constellation de Persée, une des plus visibles dans le ciel nocturne estival, procurent chaque année un des spectacles de pluies de météorites les plus réguliers à observer de l'hémisphère nord. Ce phénomène se produit lorsque l'orbite terrestre croise les débris issus de la queue d'une comète. Chaque pluie de météore est liée à une comète. Dans le cas de la pluie des Perséides, la comète associée est la comète de Swift-Tuttle.


Ash and steam reported over Mount St. Helens

Portland, Oregon – A cloud of white steam and ash rose as high as 36,000 feet from Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington at 5:27 p.m. PST today. The eruption was visible from the Portland metropolitan area in the neighbouring state of Oregon, causing traffic slowdowns as commuters slowed to watch the spectacle. News helicopters have shown photos of lava emerging inside the crater. Although the eruption was mostly over by 6:07 p.m. PST, an ashfall advisory until 9:00 p.m. PST has been announced for communities around the mountain.

The volcano has been building a new dome in its crater in recent months and causing tremors. It seems to have done enough damage to knock out at least two of the seismometers operated on its dome by the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network, although this could be the result of either damage to the seismometers themselves, or their telemetry equipment.

The volcano is most famous for its dramatic eruption in 1980 which killed 57 people and blew the top off the mountain.


Cinza e vapor no Monte St. Helens

Portland, Oregon • 9 de março  de 2005

Uma nuvem de vapor branco e cinza emergiu do Monte St. Helens  e subiu até a altura aproximada de 11 mil metros, no estado norte-americano de Washington às 17:27. A erupção pode ser vista desde a área metropolitana de Portland, no estado vizinho de Oregon, segundo  um correspondente da edição inglesa do  Wikinotícias.

O tráfego na região ficou lento,  visto que os motoristas reduziram a velocidade para poder observar melhor o espetáculo. Helicópteros dos canais de notícias mostraram fotos de lava que começaram  a surgir do interior da cratera.

Embora a erupção tenha acabado em sua maior parte por volta de 18:07, foi emitido um aviso  para as comunidades que vivem ao redor da montanha, sobre a possibilidade da continuidade da chuva de cinzas até as 21:00.

O vulcão esteve a construir uma nova cúpula em sua cratera nos meses recentes,  o que causou tremores .


2005/03/09: Vulkanen Mount St Helens spyr ut aska

Portland, Oregon –
Aska och ånga steg omkring 12 kilometer från Mount Saint Helens i den amerikanska delstaten Washington på morgonen lokal tid. Utbrottet syntes från Porland och orsakade trafikstockning då bilister saktade farten för att beskåda spektaklet. Nyhetsbilder har visat att lava har hittat upp till ytan i vulkanens krater. Trots att utbrottet var över efter en halvtimme har allmänheten varnats för nedfallande aska.

Vulkanen har varit aktiv de senaste månaderna och orsakat skalv. Två av de seismologiska mätinstrumenten som bevakar vulkanen har slagits ut.

Vulkanen är mest känd för sitt utbrott på 80-talet då 57 människor omkom och vulkanens topp sprängdes bort.


Australia records hottest year on record

Australia has officially recorded its warmest year on record. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, (BOM) 2005 was the hottest year since reliable, widespread temperature observations became available in 1910. Data collected by the Bureau  show Australia's annual mean temperature for 2005 was 1.09°C above the standard 1961-90 average.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the result is more evidence of climate change.

The Bureau's Blair Trewin said: "We've seen things like the general retreat of the winter snow line. We've seen a marked decrease in the frequency of frost, especially in inland Queensland," Dr Trewin said. "We've seen an increase in the number of extreme hot days."

And the warming trend is likely to continue. "All the projections we have from climate models we would expect to see continued warming through the 21st century," he said. "Numbers like this ... are another piece of evidence that climate change is real and it's a real issue."

Despite unseasonably cool weather in the South West of Western Australia, 2005 was a hot year over most of the nation, with the Northern Territory (NT) bearing the brunt. The NT area-average maximum temperature was 1.45°C above the long-term mean, the largest anomaly of any state or territory.

The previous record of +0.84°C was set in 1998. The Bureau says that while these temperature departures may seem relatively small, a 1°C increase in mean temperatures is equivalent to many southern Australian towns shifting northward by about 100km.

All States and Territories, apart from Victoria and Tasmania, recorded 2005 mean temperatures amongst their top two warmest years on record. The only region recording a cooler than normal year was a coastal strip of Western Australia extending from Cape Leeuwin to Carnarvon.

Australia's previous warmest years on record were influenced by significant El Niño events, say the Bureau. However, no such event occurred in 2005, making the record warmth even more unusual. Since 1979, all but four years have been warmer than average in Australia.

Australian temperatures have increased by approximately 0.9ºC since 1910 - consistent with global warming trends. Scientific studies have linked global and Australian temperature increases to the enhanced greenhouse effect.

The early months of 2005 were also very dry over much of Australia with the January-May period being the 2nd driest on record. Australia's area-averaged rainfall is calculated from a network of around 5000 rainfall stations. Observations from this network reveal that, when compared to historical records, Tasmania was the wettest State in 2005, while Queensland and Western Australia were the driest.

Over the New Year bushfires have caused havoc in many parts of Australia, with houses, farm stock devastated. Thousands of hectares of bushland and farmland have been burnt out.

Environmentalists say the weather is a precursor of things to come: "2005 gave us a little taste of what life will be like if we fail to tackle climate change," Greenpeace's Catherine Fitzpatrick said. "The extreme heat and bushfires of New Year's Day 2006 showed that it isn't going to be fun. If action isn't taken soon to avoid catastrophic climate change, Australians will have John Howard to blame for failing to act when he had the chance."

Ms Fitzpatrick said the Federal Government was as beholden to the coal and aluminium industries as the Japanese government was to whaling companies, and with far more devastating impacts. "Today's figures should spur our Environment Minister ... to real action – ratify Kyoto, quit coal and move towards clean, renewable energy," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

The Howard government claims it is taking appropriate action. Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell said he recognised climate change was the biggest modern-day environmental challenge. "I think that climate change is alarming," he said on ABC radio. "I regard climate change as the number one environmental challenge ... It is a huge and serious challenge. These figures add to the weight of evidence that climate change is real and it's a problem that the world needs to work together to seek to solve."

Australia and the United States are the only developed nations to have refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, which calls on countries to cut greenhouse emissions by 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012.

The Government argues Kyoto will not work because it does not commit developing nations to reducing emissions. "Kyoto excludes most of the emissions in the world. It only covers just over a third of the countries of the world and ... we need something that includes all countries of the world," said Senator Campbell.

Many regions across the globe also reported an exceptionally warm year. According to a preliminary estimate released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global mean temperature for 2005 was about 0.48°C above normal, putting 2005 amongst the four warmest years globally since records commenced in 1861.


2005 est l'année la plus chaude jamais enregistrée en Australie

Selon le Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) australien, l'année 2005 a été l'année la plus chaude depuis 1910, date à laquelle la mesure des températures s'est généralisée. Les données montrent que la température moyenne a été 1.09°C au dessus de la température moyenne standard étalon 1961-90.

Le Bureau of Meteorology a déclaré que c'était une preuve de plus du changement de climat.

Blair Trewin, du Bureau of Meteorology, a indiqué que « nous avons vu le retrait complet de la ligne de neige hivernale. Nous avons vu la fréquence de verglas diminuer, surtout dans le Queensland, et le nombre de jours extrêmement chauds augmenter ».

« Toutes les projections selon nos modèles climatiques prévoient un réchauffement continue tout le XXIe siècle.  De tels chiffres... sont d'autres preuves que le changement du climat est réel et que c'est un problème réel ».

Le précédent record daté de 1998 avec un +0.84°C au dessus de la moyenne.

Alors que les années chaudes précédentes avaient été influencées par El Niño, ce n'est pas le cas pour 2005.
Depuis 1910 les températures ont gagné 0.9ºC.


באוסטרליה מתעדים את השנה החמה ביותר שתועדה ביבשת אי פעם

אוסטרליה מתעדת את השנה החמה ביותר שתועדה ביבשת האוסטרלית מעולם. על פי לשכת המטאורולוגיה האוסטרלית שנת 2005 הייתה השנה החמה ביותר מאז שהתפשטו האמצעים המדוייקים למדידת טמפרטורות בשנת 1910.

על פי המידע שנאסף על ידי הלשכה המטאורולוגית, הטמפרטורה העונתית הממוצעת באוסטרליה בשנת 2005 הייתה גבוהה ב-1.09°C מעל הטמפרטורה הממוצעת בין השנים 1961 - 1990, והדבר מאשש עוד יותר את העדות להתחממות כדור הארץ ולשינויים באקלים הגלובלי.

מקורות בלשכה טוענים ישנם עדויות לנסיגת קו השלג בחורף, עליה ב"קרה" פתאומית, ועליה בימים החמים ברמה קיצונית. מומחים צופים כי המגמה תמשיך, וכל המודלים מראים עליה בטמפרטורות לאורך כל המאה ה-21.

העליה הממוצעת הקודמת של 0.84°C נמדדה בשנת 1998, ולמרות שהעליות נראות קטנות יחסית, כל עליה של 1°C בטמפרטורה הממוצעת שוות ערך לנדידה ב-100 ק"מ צפונה של עיירות באוסטרליה הדרומית.

מאז שנת 1979, מלבד 4 שנים, בכל שנה נרשמה טמפרטורה גבוהה מהטמפרטורה הממוצעת. הטמפרטורה של המדינה כולה עלתה ב-0.9°C מאז 1910 - בהתאמה מלאה עם ההתחממות הגלובלית של כדור הארץ. ומחקרים מדעיים קישרו את ההתחממות כדור הארץ וההתחממות האוסטרלית לאפקט החממה שנובע מגזים שונים בנמצאים באטמוספירה העוטפת של כדור הארץ ולא מאפשרים לחום הנפלט מהאדמה לצאת לחלל החיצון.

4 בינואר 2006


Australia's "most powerful" windfarm approved

The government of Victoria has announced plans to build what it says will be Australia's "most powerful wind farm." Planning Minister Rob Hulls has given the go ahead to a new $380 million wind farm at Mount Gellibrand in the state's south-west.

"I'm pleased to announce that I have approved Australia's most powerful and Victoria's largest wind farm to date," Mr Hulls said. "This project is expected to create anywhere between 110 and 120 jobs during construction and up to 25 full time positions during the life of the wind farm," he said.

The massive wind farm will be located 120 km west of Melbourne, close to the regional centre of Colac. The wind farm comprises 116 turbines of the 2 MW class - with an overall capacity of 232 MW. The wind farm will produce over 700,000 MWh annually of clean energy which is enough to supply approximately 132,000 Victorian households. German company Pro Ventum International is undertaking the project

Minister Hulls said only nine objections had been lodged against the project. Local landowner Tim Gore, who plans to have 32 turbines on his property, said he was not concerned about potential noise from the turbines. Pro Ventum International say they will commence work on an Environmental Management report the next few weeks.

Wind farm critic Tim Le Roy said there was no environmental benefit from the project at all and the Victorian government would better spend its money on geo-thermal energy.

The turbines, each 125 metres tall, will be visible from the Princes Highway between Geelong and Colac, sited at the foot of Mount Gellibrand.

In October last year, Colac Otway council's chief executive officer, Tracey Slatter, said the proposal would benefit the shire: "...we're looking at reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and with the demand of energy set to increase it is important that we do consider these renewable energy sources," she said.


Największa elektrownia wiatrowa powstanie w Australii

Rząd Wiktorii przedstawił plany budowlane największej australijskiej elektrowni wiatrowej. Minister planowania przestrzennego Rob Hulls przeznaczył na początek 380 milinów dolarów na inwestycje. „Jestem zadowolony z projektu. Da on prace od 110 do 120 budowlańcom, a później zapewni 25 stałych miejsc pracy” – powiedział Hull.

Potężna elektrownia zostanie wybudowana 120 km na zachód od Melbourne, w pobliżu Colac. Składać się będzie z 116 turbin (o wysokości 125 m) o mocy 2 MW każda, co da łączną moc 232 MW. Umożliwi to produkcję 700 000 MWh energii. Umożliwi to zasilenie 132 tysięcy wiktoriańskich gospodarstw domowych. Projektu podjęło się niemieckie przedsiębiorstwo „Pro Ventum”.


Australian government says technology could reduce emissions three times more than Kyoto

Less than one week out from the inaugural Asia-Pacific Clean Development and Climate Partnership meeting in Sydney, the Australian government has claimed that technology could be used to cut emissions three times more than the Kyoto Protocol.

Ian Macfarlane, Minister for Industry said that the six countries at next week's meeting will discuss ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to produce large amounts of energy.

"While Kyoto puddles on, to put it nicely, the real reductions will come from technology" Mr Macfarlane said. "This is not a diplomatic love-in. It's a hard-edged business plan with targets and reporting duties."

The members of the partnership - Australia, the United States, China, India, Japan and South Korea produce around half of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Of the world's developed nations only Australia and the United States have refused to ratify Kyoto.

The pact will not set binding targets upon its members, but will monitor its results.

It is believed that the meeting will discuss nuclear energy generation, geothermal energy and capturing and storing gases underground.

The federal opposition is calling on the Australian government to ratify Kyoto. Environment spokesman, Anthony Albanese, said "The Kyoto Protocol is the main game, with mandatory fixed targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions over an extended timetable, with economic instruments driving the policy outcomes".


לטענת האוסטרלים הטכנולוגיה תחליף את פרוטוקול קיוטו

פחות משבוע מפגישת "שותפות האקלים והפיתוח הכלכלי הנקי של אסיה והפסיפיק", הודיעה ממשלת אוסטרליה כי טכנולוגיה תוכל לעזור בהקטנת פליטת גזי החממה יותר מאשר פרוטוקול קיוטו.

פרוטוקול קיוטו הינו הסכם משפטי המחייב מדינות מתועשות להפחית את הפליטה המשותפת של גזי חממה בשיעור של 5.2% יחסית לשיעור שנמדד בשנת 1990. ב-18 בנובמבר 2004, רוסיה חתמה על האמנה ובכך הושג הרוב הדרוש כדי להכניסה לפועל וההסכם נכנס לתוקף ב-16 בפברואר 2005.

ואולם המדינות המתועשות הגדולות כמו ארצות הברית ואוסטרליה הכריזו כי לא יאשרו את האמנה משום שביצועה יקר ומשום שמדינות מתפתחות כמו סין אינן מחוייבות ליישם אותה.

שש המדינות שמקיימות דיונים בסידני - ארצות הברית, אוסטרליה, סין, הודו, יפן, ודרום קוריאה מייצרות כמחצית מגזי החממה בעולם. ומתוך המדינות המפותחות רק ארה"ב ואוסטרליה סרבו לאשר את אמנת קיוטו.

שר התעשייה האוסטרלי הודיע כי בשיחות שנערכות בסידני, שש המדינות החברות בשותפות ימשכו לדון בשבועות הקרובים על דרכים להקטנת פליטת הגזים שגורמים לאפקט החממה תוך כדי המשך יצור אנרגייה בכמויות גדולות.

הדעה הרווחת היא שבפגישות ידונו על אנרגיות חלופיות כמו אנרגיה אטומית ואנרגיה גאו-טרמית וכן על דרכים לאכסון גזי החממה מתחת לאדמה.

האופוזיציה הפדרלית באוסטרליה וקוראת לממשלה לאשר את פרוטוקול קיוטו, ומומחים לאקולוגיה רואים בתוכניות השונות דרכים להתחמק מיישום האמור בפרוטוקול ומזהירים את הממשלה כי פרוטוקול קיוטו הינו הדרך הטובה והאפקטיבית ביותר לצמצום הגזי החממה וכי לפרוטוקול יש תוכנית פעולה ידועה מראש וכלים ברורים להשגת המטרה.

7 בינואר 2006


Australien regering: "Teknik kan reducera utsläppen tre gånger mer än Kyoto"

7 januari 2006 Med mindre än en vecka kvar till miljömötet i Sydney mellan Australien, USA, Kina, Indien, Japan och Sykorea, hävdar den federala australiensiska regeringen att teknologi kan minska utsläppen av växthus gaser tre gånger mer än Kyotoavtalet.

Australiens industriminister, Ian Macfarlane, sa att de sex länderna i nästa vecka kommer att diskutera sätt att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser samtidigt som man fortsätter att producera lika mycket energi.

"Samtidgt som Kyoto puttrar på, för att uttrycka det snällt, kommer tekniken att erbjuda den verkliga minskningen", sa Macfarlane. "Detta är inte något diplomatiskt önsketänkande utan en konkret affärsplan med målsättningar och redovisningsplikt".

Medlemmarna i det aktuella miljösamarbetet producerar tillsamman omkring hälften av världens växthusgaser. Samarbetet inkluderar inte bindande krav på medlemmarna utan syftar bara till att övervaka nivåerna. Under mötet kommer man förmodligen bara att ta upp kärnkraft, geotermisk energi och olika sätt att lagra gas under jord.

Alla världens länder har undertecknat Kyotoprotokollet, utom Australien och USA.

Den australiensiska oppositionen har krävt att Australien ska ratificera Kyotoprotokollet. En miljötalesman, Anthony Albanese, sa: "Kyotoprotokollet är den viktiga frågan. Det innehåller en tidtabell med bestämda, bindande mål för minskning av växtgasutsläppen och de ekonomiska vektyg som behövs för att påverka resultatet".


Brazilian President: not continuing to use biofuels would be a 'crime against humanity'

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, said on Wednesday that not continuing to use biofuels would be a "crime against humanity."

"Don't tell me, for the love of God, that food is expensive because of biodiesel," said Lula, when talking to reporters.

Lula also stated that he was ready for a debate on biofuels. "Brazil is prepared for this debate. I and my government are ready to travel around the world," he said.

This move comes soon after a press release was made available by the European Parliament saying that "in the last year scientific evidence, though disputed, has indicated that biofuels may not be as good for the environment as was once thought."


Lula da Silva afirma que no continuar usando biodiesel sería un 'crimen contra la humanidad'

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, presidente de Brasil, dijo el miércoles que no continuar usando biodiésel sería un "crimen contra la humanidad". Fue en la inauguración del encuentro latinoamericano de la FAO, rechazando las acusaciones de Jean Ziegler, quien había calificado al biodiésel de "crimen contra la humanidad".

“No me digan, por el amor de Dios, que la comida es cara por culpa del biodiésel. Los alimentos son caros porque el mundo no estaba preparado para que comieran millones de chinos, indios, africanos, brasileños y latinoamericanos” afirmó Lula da Silva cuando hablaba con los reporteros.

También indicó que estaba listo para un debate: “Brasil está preparado para este debate. Yo y mi Gobierno estamos listos para viajar por todo el mundo”.


Brasil vai transferir tecnologia a Gana para produção de etanol e biodiesel

Agência Brasil

18 de abril de  2008

Brasil e Gana atuarão em conjunto no desenvolvimento de bionenergia no país africano. O acordo que prevê  a transferência de tecnologia brasileira para produção de etanol e biodiesel será firmado durante visita do presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a Gana, de amanhã (19) a segunda-feira.

De acordo com o embaixador de Gana no Brasil, Samuel Kofi Dadey, também serão firmados outros três acordos de cooperação nas áreas de combate e prevenção ao HIV/aids, biotecnologia da mandioca e plantação de florestas.

A energia é tema prioritário na agenda do governo ganense. Grande parte da energia utilizada vem do carvão vegetal e da madeira, o que está acabando com a florestas. Além disso, o petróleo é um dos principais itens da pauta de importações do país africano.  Em dezembro de 2006, o presidente de Gana chegou a pedir ao presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva que o Brasil ajude seu país a encontrar uma solução de longo prazo para a crise energética. A partir daí, segundo o embaixador africano, empresas brasileiras vêm analisando possibilidades de investimentos em Gana.

“Sem dúvida, eles precisam da nossa ajuda para resolver esse gargalo energético que tanto os penaliza, faltam megawatts neste país para que ele possa crescer mais e o Brasil tem proposto algumas soluções”, conta o embaixador do Brasil em Gana, Luis Fernando Serra. Entre os projetos em análise, segundo ele, estão a construção de hidrelétricas,  de usinas de etanol e de depósitos de combustíveis.

A brasileira Constran, por exemplo, estuda a viabilidade de duas pequenas usinas hidrelétricas, de 90 megawatts cada. A mesma empresa participaria da construção da usina de etanol ede tanques de combustível – projetos privados, de acordo com o embaixador.

Também há perspectiva de construção de uma termelétrica com capacidade de 300 megawatts por um consórcio das empresas brasileiras Cobrapar e Thermes. A finlandesa Wärtsilä, líder mundial na  fabricação de equipamentos para geração de energia termelétrica, forneceria os equipamentos. A Finlândia também financiaria parte dos equipamentos. “O consórcio está aqui, começou as conversações com o lado ganense e vamos ver se se materializam”, diz o embaixador.


Bush calls for US offshore oil exploration

United States President George W. Bush delivered a speech Wednesday in which he urged the United States Congress to end a ban on oil exploration off of US shores. Currently there is both an executive order and a Congressional moratorium against such exploration.

The Congress issued its moratorium in 1981. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush issued an executive order in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

President Bush said that "we should expand American oil production by increasing access to the Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS. Experts believe that the OCS could produce about 18 billion barrels of oil. That would be enough to match America's current oil production for almost ten years."

"I know the Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the past," President Bush said. "Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record levels, I ask them to reconsider their positions. If Congressional leaders leave for the Fourth of July recess without taking action, they will need to explain why $4-a-gallon gasoline is not enough incentive for them to act."

Senator John McCain, who is the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, said on Tuesday that he favors offshore drilling.

Senator Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader from the Democratic Party, said: "This week’s flip-flop on offshore oil drilling by President Bush and Senator John McCain is nothing more than a cynical campaign ploy that will do nothing to lower energy prices, and represents another big giveaway to oil companies already making billions in profits."

"It's cynical to say that we can drill our way out of this mess," said Athan Manuel, of the environmental group Sierra Club. "The solution to $4 gas is not off our coast."

A recent poll conducted by Reuters/Zogby showed that about 60% of Americans support more oil drilling and refinery construction, yet nearly the same percentage also say they are in favor of conservation.

"We will take pressure off gas prices over time by expanding the amount of American-made oil and gasoline. We will strengthen our national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil. We will benefit American workers by keeping our nation competitive in the global economy — and by creating good jobs in construction, and engineering, and refining, maintenance, and many other areas," said Bush in his speech.


布殊要求取消石油禁令

美國總統布殊於18日(周三)呼籲國會，解除施行27年的海上石油鑽井禁令。

布殊指，限制近海鑽探石油的措施已經過時，國會應該廢除油頁岩鑽探禁令，他又提出他一貫主張，要求開放鑽探阿拉斯加的北極國家野生動物保護區。

布殊說，油價不斷上升，取消石油禁令可以提高石油產量，穩定油價，幫助駕駛人士壓抑油價。

民主黨總統候選人奧巴馬則反對取消取消該禁令。而民主黨兼眾院能源獨立及地球暖化特別委員會主席馬基表示，對於布殊只懂石油業者利益，不顧下一代的生態環境，表示遺憾。

共和黨總統候選人麥凱恩則支持解禁，他於周二在休斯敦呼籲，為減少美國依賴外國石油，應該取消該禁令，但他反對開放阿拉斯加野生動物保護區的石油鑽探。