Piece of satellite could fall on Sweden

UARS Satellite and its parts are falling to earth. Photo: Scanpix.

Sweden could be hit by pieces of a 20-year-old NASA satellite expected to hit the earth tonight Friday. But the risk is still small, reports Swedish Radio News.

The satellite was used for research on the ozone layer until 2005. It’s the size of a small bus and weighs six tonnes. However, only about 500 kilos of it is expected to reach the ground, or, as NASA hoped for, the sea. The risk zone in Sweden is from Goteborg and south.

Olle Norberg, director general of the Swedish National Space Board, told Swedish Radio News that friction from the satellite colliding with the atmosphere is so great that a large portion of the satellite will burn up. “It’s like a very long, drawn out falling star that will burn and glow for several minutes.”

Norberg said because a larger portion of the earth is made up of ocean and uninhabited areas, the risk that anyone could be harmed is relatively small.

(Source : Radio Sweden)

Particles can move faster than light, scientists say

According to Einstein's theories, nothing travels faster than light

After three years of testing, physicists say that they have recorded neutrinos breaking what was believed to be the fastest speed possible. If confirmed, the results would significantly contradict Einstein's theories.

 

On Thursday evening, a team of international physicists said they had recorded the movement of neutrinos, a sub-atomic particle, moving faster than light. If the result proves to be correct, this finding could fundamentally contradict one of Einstein's prime theories, which stipulates that nothing in the universe can travel faster than light. 

In a series of experiments conducted over three years between the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), in Switzerland, and another physics lab in Italy, scientists fired neutrinos the 730 kilometers (450 miles) between the two facilities. The team found that the neutrinos travelled 300,006 kilometers per second, which is about six kilometers per second faster than the speed of light. 

According to the AFP news agency, Antonio Ereditato, the team's spokesperson, said that his colleagues had spent half a year "checking, testing, controlling and rechecking everything."

"We have high confidence in our results," Ereditato, who is also a professor of physics at the University of Bern in Switzerland, in an interview with Reuters.

"We have checked and rechecked for anything that could have distorted our measurements but we found nothing," he noted. "We now want colleagues to check them independently." Read More

(Source : Deutsche Welle)

German upper house rejects disputed carbon capture law

Germany's upper house of parliament has rejected a controversial law on carbon capture and storage technology. Proponents say it could help curb greenhouse emissions. But critics argue it's too risky.

 

Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has struck down a law for testing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology amid strong resistance from some politicians.

The legislation, which is the German implementation of a European Union regulation, was meant to test the technology until 2017.

CCS refers to capturing carbon dioxide from fumes emitted by coal-fired factories and industrial plants before it escapes into the atmosphere, liquefying the pollutant and pumping it into underground storage sites.

The decision by the Bundesrat, which represents the interests of Germany's 16 states, could also throw into doubt the construction of a 250-megawatt testing plant by Swedish utility giant Vattenfall in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

CCS is seen as a promising technology by several German politicians and researchers who say it could help cut greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change and help Germany meet ambitious climate protection goals.  

The International Energy Agency estimates that the technology, if implemented successfully, could contribute nearly 20 percent to the reductions in CO2 emissions aimed for by 2050. Many companies also hope CCS technology will free them from having to buy expensive emissions certificates. Read More

(Source : Deutsche Welle)

New Zealand Rises Water Pollution Level

New Zealand's clean and green reputation is under threat from rising water pollution levels at a time when water pollution in other developed nations is falling.

A report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) described New Zealand's water quality as "good" compared with most OECD countries, but said it was deteriorating, according to an OECD official.

The deterioration was largely due to pollution from agriculture, Dr Kevin Parris, of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate in Paris, told the 15th International Conference of the International Water Association Diffuse Pollution Specialist Group (DIPCON) conference, in Rotorua Friday.

New Zealand's agriculture, a vital part of the country's economy, was exerting more pressure on its environmental systems as it expanded, said Harris.

Agriculture contributed to water pollution through excess nutrients, pesticides and other pollutants.

Agricultural nutrients were a major pressure on river, lake and marine water quality, and the OECD assessed the pressure through nutrient balances, said Parris, the plenary speaker at the conference.

"We look at all the nitrogen and phosphorus going into the system, mainly from livestock manure and fertilizers and calculate how much nutrients are used to grow crops and pasture," said Parris.

"In most situations there is a surplus of nutrients to crop and pasture requirements, which places stress on the environment (soils, water and the air). In 2000, the average for New Zealand was around 35 kg of nitrogen per hectare. By 2008 it was about 45 kg per hectare. In 10 years it has gone up 10 kg."

In 2000, the average for the 34 OECD countries was 80 kg per hectare, but in 2008 it had dropped to 65 kg per hectare. Read More

(Source : China Radio International)

Climate migrants have no place to go

(Photo : ANP)

Radio Netherlands, 22 September 2011, Climate change: rising sea levels, an increase in the number of cyclones, tsunamis and other natural disasters. Yes, we know all about that now, but scientists still cannot agree about climate change. Some people are already victims of climate change but they have nowhere to turn because legally they do not exist.

An example
There are nomads in Ethiopia and Somali who are forced to cross man-made borders in their search for food for their herds. They don't see climate change as their biggest problem; it's the governments who deny them access to food and water sources and markets for their produce.

Bangladeshi climate negotiator Muniruzzaman is calling for a legal framework to protect climate change victims: “If we don’t do anything, these people will be stateless; they’ll have no legal status and no country will be obliged to do anything for them if something happens.”

According to legal expert Wybe Douma, hundreds of millions of people could be forced to flee: “We can argue about the precise number of people affected by climate change forever, but there is a problem and a solution to that problem has to be found.” He adds that climate change victims are sent from pillar to post at the moment.

A second example
In Malawi, some villagers are forced to choose between the dangers of flooding and a shortage of drinking water: they have to flee from the rising water levels but are then forced to return because they have no access to clean drinking water. www.rnw.nl/africa/article/malawis-climate-change-refugees)

Cotton farmers in Mali watch their crops dry out because the rains have failed. No rain means no food.

According to the United Nations, refugees are people who have been forced to flee their countries due to political considerations. Climate changes are not mentioned. The UN refugee agency UNHCR is not in favour of any expansion of the definition of refugee; they don’t have the money and the situation for climate migrants is different.

Internally displaced
It is possible that existing regional and international guidelines governing aid to victims of natural disasters and the protection for people in emergency situations will be of use to this new type of refugee. Alex Flavell from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM): if the existing rules are properly applied, then that will go a long way.”

A third example
Bangladeshis forced by flooding ever closer to the Indian border? Experts predict about 20% of the country will be flooded if sea levels continue to rise. This will force between 30 and 35 million people to flee their homes.

The final communiqué issued by the Cancun climate conference in 2010 offered a tiny opening: countries were invited to increase cooperation in cases of 'climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation'. In July of this year, the UN Security Council acknowledged that climate change could 'lead to conflicts'.

But what is cause and what is effect? Water shortages and other climate problems frequently go hand-in-hand with conflict and migration. The IOM’s Alex Flavell: "It’s always far more complex than scarcity equals conflict equals migration.”

Small steps
In short, it’s very complicated problem. However, small steps towards solving this complicated issue are being taken. The UNHCR, but doesn’t want to be responsible for climate migrants, is working on guidelines for cross-border displacement caused by natural disasters.

Ingrid Boas, who is writing her dissertation on the issue, says a structural solution is necessary because it’s a structural problem:

“At the moment it’s all ad hoc; something happens and organisations respond. That’s why it would be good if there was a structural plan and people could work to prevent things getting out of hand. At the moment, there’s too much talking and too much arguing and not enough helping the victims. And that is absolutely not fair.”

(Source : Radio Netherlands Worldwide)

Fiji's FBC helps save turtle

The Fiji Broadcasting Corporation has been hailed for helping save a turtle in waters off Vatoa Island. 

At an awareness workshop on Vatoa Island, the environmental conservation organisation WWF heard that the turtle had been spared as a result of a radio show on Radio Fiji One and a message on the turtle's satellite tag.

The radio show had reported that the turtle had been satellite tagged in French Polynesia and was travelling towards Fiji.

The turtle was captured by villagers. However, they had heard the radio reports. This, combined with the message reading "Save me, don't eat me", prompted them to release the turtle and leave the tag in place.

 

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

Ideal Conditions For Solar

Cooler Planet, 21 September 2011, There is a lot of information circulating about the best location, climate and structure conditions for a solar panel system. Many people assume that a sunny location is all you need. If that’s true, why is Germany (with 9,785 MW of solar energy in 2010) the country with the most solar installations? And how come New Jersey (with 293 MW of solar energy in 2010) is one of the U.S. states with the highest number of solar arrays? Germany and New Jersey aren’t known for their sunny weather, showing that geographic location isn’t the most important factor when considering a solar system. What is important in determining the feasibility and efficiency of a system is the orientation of the roof, amount of sun exposure on the home, and amount of space available for the installation.

Even if you don’t live in sunny California, your home may be in a position that is perfect for PV panels. Listed below are the things you should consider when evaluating whether or not your home is a good candidate for a solar PV system.

Southern Facing Roof

The orientation of your roof is very important when considering the possibility of installing a solar PV system. A southern facing roof is ideal for a solar panel installation, however east and west facing roofs will also work. The southern facing portion will receive the most hours of direct sunlight throughout the day, making the system as efficient as possible. A pitched roof is optimal in order to receive southern facing exposure but a flat roof will also work. If the roof is flat, the installer will attach the panels to a frame that is tilted at the optimal angle. Read More

(Source : coolerplanet)

Bali boat sinks, 11 dead

An upturned boat. Eleven people have been killed in an Indonesian boating accident. [ABC]

Indonesian authorities say 11 people drowned, and 14 are missing, after a traditional boat sank off Bali.

Search and rescue saved 11 people from the boat, which sank on Tuesday, late in the afternoon.

The boat, which was carrying 36 passengers and crew members, left Nusa Lembongan Island and was bound for Nusa Penida Island, both southeast of Bali.

(Source : Radio Australia News)

Japanese flee as Typhoon Roke strikes

A man looks at a flooded street with submerged vehicles in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, in central Japan, as Typhoon Roke approached on September 20, 2011. [AFP]

Radio Australia News, 21 September 2011, Four people have been killed by Typhoon Roke after it made landfall in Hamamatsu in central Japan, before moving through the major island, Honshu.

Two more people are also missing, including a young boy who disappeared on his way home from school.

Authorities in Nagoya in central Japan have urged more than 1.3 million residents to leave their homes, fearing that heavy rain from Typhoon Roke will cause two rivers to burst their banks.

The typhoon is packing winds of more than 140-kilometres an hour, and it dumped a-metre of rain on one community on the southern island of Kyushu.

The storm has forced the suspension of train services in the capital and the grounding of hundreds of aircraft, with 45-thousand passengers left stranded.

The typhoon is expected to pass the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, with workers at the site rushing to cover shattered reactor buildings with tarpaulins.

There are fears heavy rainfall could inundate the crippled plant, contaminating flood water with radiation. Read More

(Source : Radio Australia News)

Typhoon Roke makes landfall in central Japan

NHK World, 21 September 2011, Typhoon Roke is moving northeast after making landfall on the Pacific coast of central Japan. The Meteorological Agency is calling for maximum caution against possible mudslides, floods, strong winds and high waves.

The agency says that after making landfall near Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, at around 2 PM, the typhoon was apparently near Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture at 6 PM, heading northeast at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour.

The storm has an atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals and is packing winds of up to 144 kilometers per hour.

Maximum instantaneous winds of up to 155 kilometers per hour were observed in Hachioji City, Tokyo, 151 kilometers per hour on Izu-oshima Island, south of Tokyo 125 kilometers in Yokohama City at about 4 PM.

Between 4 PM and 5 PM, 52 millimeters of rain fell in Gotenba City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 44 millimeters in Yamanakako Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, and 43 millimeters in Okunikko, Tochigi Prefecture and 31 millimeters in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. The meteorological agency says that 90 millimeters of rain apparently fell in Fujiyoyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture.

During the past 24 hours, more than 400 millimeters of rain has fallen in Tokai region and Yamanashi Prefecture and more than 200 millimeters of rain fell in northeastern Japan.

The typhoon has left 4 people dead and 3 others missing. 28 people have been injured across the country.

As of 3 PM on Wednesday, more than 1,000 homes in 30 prefectures have been inundated by heavy rain. More than 89,000 households in 13 prefectures have lost power.

Evacuation orders or advisories have been issued for about 177,000 households, or 450,000 people, mainly in western and central Japan.

The typhoon has also disrupted the country's air and shinkansen bullet train services.

(Source : NHK World English)