Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category
Monday, March 17th, 2008 |
With global glaciers – a vital water source for millions, or even billions, of people worldwide – melting at a record rate, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) urged countries to agree on a new emissions reduction pact.
According to the UNEP-backed World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), data from nearly 30 reference glaciers in nine mountain ranges indicate that between the years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled.
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Thursday, March 13th, 2008 |
Cotter Corp., headquartered in Denver, Colo., pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado for its role in the poisoning deaths of migratory birds at its uranium processing facility near Canon City, Colo., the Justice Department announced.
Cotter Corp. pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, in connection with a spill of approximately 4,500 gallons of organic solvent on Oct. 21, 2005, which escaped from a building at the processing facility and flowed into a catchment pond. Approximately 40 geese and ducks were killed after coming into contact with the solvent in
the pond, which was removed by Cotter employees within a few days of the spill.
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Monday, February 25th, 2008 |
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on Asia to play a leadership role in driving the aviation industry towards carbon neutral growth leading to a zero-emission industry.
“By 2010 Asia will be the largest single market for aviation. With size comes leadership responsibility. And that includes environment issues,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a keynote address at the Greener Skies for Asia 2008 conference in Hong Kong.
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Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 |
Airbus has successfully tested a fuel cells system in flight. For the first time on a civil aircraft this innovative energy source powered the aircraft’s back-up hydraulic and electric power systems. The test conducted in February is part of Airbus’ overall plans for an eco-efficient aviation industry. It supports the on-going research to evaluate the potential use and environmental benefits of fuel cell technology and zero emissions power generation in civil aviation.
During the test, the hydrogen and oxygen based fuel cell system generated up to 20 Kilo Watts (kW) of electrical power. The emission free fuel cell system generates water as a “waste” product. The fuel cell system powered the aircraft’s electric motor pump and the back-up hydraulic circuit and also operated the aircraft’s ailerons. The system’s robustness was confirmed at high gravity loads (“g” loads) during turns and zero gravity aircraft manoeuvres. During the flight test, the fuel cells produced around 10 litres of pure water.
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Saturday, February 9th, 2008 |
Abu Dhabi today broke ground on Masdar City, the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car- free city. Masdar CEO Dr. Sultan Al Jaber announced a total development budget for the city of $22 billion. Of that investment total, Masdar (”the source” in Arabic) will contribute $4 billion to develop the city’s infrastructure. The remaining $18 billion will come through direct investments. The development of the city will be also enabled with carbon finance. Carbon emissions reduced by Masdar City will be monetized under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.
In addition to full-time residents, Masdar City will seek to attract and encourage collaboration between experts in sustainable transportation; waste management; water and wastewater conservation; green construction, buildings and industrial materials; recycling; biodiversity; climate change, renewable energy and green financial institutions. Masdar will maximize the benefits of sustainable technologies, such as photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar power, through an integrated planning and design approach.
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Thursday, February 7th, 2008 |
A U.S. District Court in Washington granted a preliminary injunction against the U.S. Navy that will restrict the use of Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar during testing and training operations. The decision, issued by Judge Elizabeth Laporte of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, orders all parties to negotiate the specific terms of the injunction, which will offer some relief to marine mammals from potentially lethal underwater sound blasts by prohibiting LFA sonar use in areas of the ocean identified as critical marine mammal habitat.
This decision marks the second defeat this week for the US Navy. On Monday, February 4, U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper rejected a waiver by the Bush Administration that attempted to override protections for marine mammals from high-intensity Mid Frequency Active (MFA) sonar naval training, which she had found violated the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
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Friday, February 1st, 2008 |
An Airbus A380 aircraft has successfully completed the world’s first ever flight by a commercial aircraft using a liquid fuel processed from gas (Gas to Liquids - GTL) in the first stage of a test flight programme to evaluate the environmental impact of alternative fuels in the airline market. The flight from Filton, UK to Toulouse, France, lasted three hours. The flight was piloted by Hugues van-der-Stichel and Frank Chapman.
The A380, today’s most fuel efficient airliner, is powered by Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines. Shell International Petroleum provided the Shell GTL Jet Fuel. The tests are running in parallel to the agreement signed in November 2007 with the Qatar GTL consortium partners and the results will be shared.
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Friday, February 1st, 2008 |
Greenbelt Resources Corporation, a leading innovator in the development of effective and economical alternative energy technologies, announced today that Master Recycling Center, Inc., has increased its earlier order of 2 million gallons, to 5 million gallons of ethanol per year. Diversified Ethanol Corporation(TM), a subsidiary of Greenbelt Resources Corporation will begin construction of the new facility in Pomona, California with completion planned for late spring/early summer of 2008.
“Our 100% owned subsidiary, Diversified Ethanol Corporation, is focused on producing valuable renewable energy from substances that presently are considered waste - in this case converting energy produced by breweries and soft drink manufacturers among others.” said Robert Johnson, chairman and CEO of Greenbelt Resources. “This development is exciting for both companies,”
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Posted in Commodity And Energy, Environment | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 |
Sinclair Oil Corp. will pay a $2.45 million civil penalty and spend more than $72 million for new
and upgraded pollution controls to reduce air pollution from the company’s three refineries, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The settlement resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at the company’s facilities in Casper and Sinclair, Wyo., and in Tulsa, Okla.
“The emissions reductions required by this settlement will lead to cleaner air and significant environmental and public health benefits for the communities in Wyoming and Oklahoma,” said Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department remains committed to working with EPA and states to bring industries such as the refining industry into compliance with the nation’s environmental laws.”
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Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 |
With wind speeds at 145 KmPH, and ambient temperatures plummeting to minus 55 degrees Celsius at night due to the wind-chill factor, the rank and file of the Indian Army; on the Saltro Ridge’s extreme high altitude (EHH) out posts located at altitudes over 6000 meters; think of nothing much else except keeping warm and their body and souls together in the sub-arctic conditions, when not beating back the enemy in their repeated assaults. Despite the now Cease Fire; which is now holding on the LoC; their commanders; however, have much to fret about, not the least of which is the living conditions of their troops.
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Monday, January 14th, 2008 |
The Boeing Company today released a 53-page study prepared by Conklin & de Decker Aviation Information showing that a commercial 767 airplane is substantially more fuel efficient than the larger Airbus 330.
The study conducted by the independent aviation research company, and funded by Boeing, used published data to calculate the fuel consumption of flying a fleet of 179 767-200ER and Airbus 330-200 airplanes over a 40-year service life. The purpose of the analysis was to provide a clear comparison between the KC-767 Advanced Tanker (AT), based on the 767, and its major competitor in the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 Tanker Replacement Program. The winner of the KC-X competition will begin recapitalizing the service’s aging refueling inventory by building 179 next-generation tankers.
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