Tripping the light fantastic

"This might make you jump a bit," warns Ian Cotton.

It is near pitch-black in the viewing room where we are standing; a soft red glow exuding from a warning light above the door barely cuts through the darkness.

Every day, millions of volts of electricity pass through the National Grid High Voltage Laboratory at the University of Manchester.

The hangar-like facility is packed with enormous pieces of equipment: transformers, generators and the odd huge aluminium sphere stand tall. A glass-fronted viewing room, where experiments can be safely watched, is adjacent.

It is one of the few places in the UK where scientists can work with huge voltages at first-hand.

Lightning tests

Ian Cotton, a senior lecturer at the University of Manchester's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, says: "We do a lot of lightning protection work here."

Electricity is taken straight from the mains, at the UK's standard 240 volts, but a towering impulse generator then ramps it up to a massive two million volts - creating a voltage that can be used to see how lightning attaches to objects.

But, according to Dr Cotton, this has a drawback: "If lightning hits [glass fibre], it would blow apart and incinerate - and you cannot have that on a plane.

"This means that they have to have special lightning protection - diverter strips that are often made from segmented pieces of metal.

"And we are able to test how well they can guide the lightning to a safe place in a lab like this."

Now the blades have a protection system built in, which is especially important as wind turbines can be placed offshore where repair is difficult.

Dr Cotton says: "We are constantly checking that these lightning protection systems work well and we are working on improving their resistance to lightning."

Buzzing power lines

This one boosts electricity to 800,000 volts - about double the voltage that power lines or substations carry.

"We use this generator to carry out experiments on all of the types of equipment that are used on the power system," Dr Cotton says.

"If you own lots of overhead lines and cables, you want to understand how they are working and when they will fail."

Of particular interest are insulators - the devices that resist the flow of electrical current to make electrical apparatus safe. You normally see these carrying the conductors on an overhead line.

The team feeds them with electricity to investigate where and when any strains and weaknesses appear.

In the lab, when the voltage is turned up, the insulators turn a gentle shade of blue as corona discharge - the buzzing noise you sometimes hear around power lines - begins to emit.

They then begin to spark violently as they reach the point at which an electrical breakdown occurs.

Ageing equipment

A decade after this life limit, some have expressed concerns of an impending electricity crisis should any equipment begin to fail.

However, regular tests carried out at this facility, and at other similar labs around the country, show that the equipment is continuing to function well and shows little decay.

Dr Cotton says: "The problem is, when a lot of this new kit was designed, no-one really knew how to predict its lifespan - 40 years was a pretty arbitrary number."

He adds that it is important to keep on testing the apparatus, a process known as condition monitoring - and this is really where high voltage labs come into their own.

He explains: "Electricity is important in our everyday lives; now people take it for granted - you switch on a light and you don't really think about how it gets from a power station to your house.

"But that process is a complex path of overhead lines, cables and substations, and all of them have to be working well virtually all of the time.

"You cannot make anything 100% perfect, but the better you can make it, the more chances you have of keeping the lights on."

We hope this researche find electricity source and applied as cheap and safe energy.

Q&A: The Carbon Trade

Carbon trading is a market mechanism intended to tackle global warming. Though it dates back to 1989 it only took off as a market after the Kyoto Protocol was signed.

Under the Kyoto treaty - which came into force in February 2005 - industrialised countries must reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by an average 5.2% compared with 1990 levels between 2008-2012.

The most important greenhouse gas contributing to global warming is carbon dioxide, which is mainly emitted by burning fossil fuels. Under Kyoto, each participating government has its own national target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

How big is the market today?

Exact figures are hard to come by because the market is still fairly new, since data is not easily available and since several different schemes exist, not all directly comparable.

The World Bank, one of the main players in carbon financing, estimates the value of carbon traded in 2005 to be about $10bn.

Financing carbon deals is big money


The Bank believes the carbon market has the potential to bring more than $25bn (£14bn) in new financing for sustainable development to the poorest countries and the developing world.

Trading firms, brokers and banks are among those expected to make money through commissions for organising carbon deals.

The Bank's own carbon finance fund has more than doubled from $415m in 2004 to $915m last year.

How is carbon traded?

There are two main ways to exchange carbon.

The first is what is called a cap-and-trade scheme whereby emissions are limited and can then be traded. Under Kyoto developed countries can trade between each other.

The second main way of trading carbon is through credits from projects that compensate for or "offset" emissions.

It sounds attractive - does it work as a way of dealing with climate change?

As important as what or who is included is what is not included.

Carbon dioxide represents only part - albeit a crucial part; more than 70% - of all greenhouse gases.

Furthermore, the US, the world's largest CO2 polluter, excluded itself by choosing not to ratify Kyoto.

And while the US is the biggest emitter today, China, which is projected to exceed the US in emissions by mid century, has no obligation to reduce emissions.

Critics say trading carbon condones the idea of "business as usual" and fails to emphasise the need to invest in renewable energies and move away from fossil fuels.

Trading, while it may acknowledge the threat posed by global warming, does not address the seriousness and scale of the problem, argue environmentalists.

For trading to work it would have to become much broader - perhaps even embracing personal carbon allowances for individuals, some say.

More and more scientists are saying that the carbon dioxide ceilings under the treaty are too high - perhaps far too high - to help avert serious climate change.

That's too bad, USA is one of big industry country doen't consistense with Kyoto Agreement.

Source :http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4919848.stm

US city to charge polluting firms

New rules have been passed in the San Francisco Bay Area that will require businesses to pay fees for the amount of carbon dioxide they emit.

The rules, due to come into effect on 1 July, could cost big emitters more than $50,000 (£25,000) a year, but most firms will pay less than $1 (50p).

The state's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed a landmark law designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change in 2006.

The California Air Resources Board is due to release its preliminary proposals to implement the law next month, with a final plan to be approved later this year.

Opposition

San Francisco's new fees, voted in by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and said to be the first of their kind in the US, will cover more than 2,500 businesses in nine counties.

Companies will have to measure and report their own emissions before being charged 4.4 cents (2.2p) per ton of carbon dioxide they release.

The biggest payers will be a handful of power plants and oil refineries in the region.

The charges are expected to generate some $1.1m in their first year, which will help pay for programmes to measure and control local greenhouse gas emissions.

"We believe it's premature for local air districts to design local programmes before we have state programmes," she said.

The Bay Area is home to some seven million people and is among the wealthiest regions of the US.

I think it's good idea as long as fund collected for combat climate change.

Source: BBC NEWS

Can The Planet Feed Us?

The proportion of hungry people is coming down
More of us are eating more and better than ever before.

World cereal consumption has more than doubled since 1970, and meat consumption has tripled since 1961.

The global fish catch grew more than six times from 1950 to 1997.

None of this happened by magic, though, but only by giving Nature a massive helping hand.

The World Resources Institute said in 1999 that half of all the commercial fertiliser ever produced had been applied since 1984.

So one question is whether the world can go on increasing its harvests at this rate - or even faster, to cater as well for the extra 75 million people born annually

Our recent achievements are impressive - while global population doubled to 6 billion people in the 40 years from 1960, global food production more than kept up.

Facts and figures on the challenge of feeding the world

The proportion of malnourished people fell in the three decades to the mid-1990s from 37% to 18%. But we may not be able to go on at this rate.

For a start, much of the world's best cropland is already in use, and farmers are having to turn to increasingly marginal land. And the good land is often taking a battering - soil degradation has already reduced global agricultural productivity by 13% in the last half-century.

Biotechnology, in principle, may offer the world a second Green Revolution, for example by producing drought-resistant plants or varieties that withstand pest attacks.



But it arouses deep unease, not least because of fears it may erode the genetic resources in thousands of traditional varieties grown in small communities across the world.

Nobody knows what the probable impacts of climate change will be on food supplies.

Too little space

Another question concerns the huge cost to other forms of life of all the progress we've made in securing our own food supply.

The amount of nitrogen available for uptake by plants is much higher than the natural level, and has more than doubled since the 1940s.



Globally, we have taken over about 26% of the planet's land area (roughly 3.3 billion hectares) for cropland and pasture, replacing a third of temperate and tropical forests and a quarter of natural grasslands.

Another 0.5 billion ha has gone for urban and built-up areas. Habitat loss from the conversion of natural ecosystems is the main reason why other species are being pushed closer to the brink of extinction.

Food security comes at a high price. In any case, it is a security many can only envy.

Increasing hunger

In the 1990s global poverty fell by 20%, but the number of hungry people rose by 18 million. In 2003, 842 million people did not have enough to eat, a third of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Food production has more than kept up with population growth
Hunger and malnutrition killed 10 million people a year, 25,000 a day - one life extinguished every five seconds.



The world does produce enough to feed everyone. But the food is often in the wrong place, or unaffordable, or can't be stored long enough. So making sure everyone has enough to eat is more about politics than science.

The developed countries have to take care of climate change, that is caused huge enrgy demand in developed countries, so many food lands reduce and change build factory, conservation, exploitation over the limit.

source: BBC NEWS

Biofuels ' Are Not A Magic Bullet'

Biofuels may play a role in curbing climate change, says Britain's Royal Society, but may create environmental problems unless implemented with care.

In a new report, the Society suggests current EU and UK policies are not guaranteed to reduce emissions.

Biofuels could play an important role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions from transport, both in Britain and globally," said Professor John Pickett from Rothamsted Research, who chaired the Royal Society's study.

Nature has provided countless potential solutions in organisms as diverse as cows and microbes

Dianna Bowles, York University
"But it would be disastrous if biofuel production made further inroads into biological diversity and natural ecosystems.

"We must not create new environmental or social problems in our efforts to deal with climate change."

Variable savings

Biofuels - principally ethanol and diesel made from plants - are one of the few viable options for replacing the liquid fuels derived from petroleum that are used in transport, the source of about one quarter of the human race's greenhouse gas emissions.

But a number of recent scientific studies have shown that the carbon savings from using biofuels compared with petrol and diesel vary hugely, depending on what crop is grown and where, how it is harvested and processed, and other factors.

EU to reconsider biofuels There are also concerns that widespread planting and use of biofuel crops would threaten natural ecosystems and raise food prices.

Launching the Royal Society report, Professor Pickett noted that current EU and US policies did not mandate that biofuels should achieve any carbon saving.

The report said that the UK government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which mandates that 5% of fuel sold on filling station forecourts by 2010 must come from renewable sources, suffers from the same flaw, though changes are being discussed in Whitehall.

As a result, the report concludes, these policies "will do more for economic development and energy security than combating climate change".

Next generation

On the UK policy front, the Society advocates:

extending carbon pricing to transport fuels
providing specific incentives for innovative approaches to fuels and vehicles
extending the RTFO to 2025

More generally, it says research into new biofuel technologies should be encouraged through financial incentives.

Of particular interest are ways of processing lignocellulose, the material which makes up the bulk of many plants and trees. Learning how to convert this easily and cheaply into ethanol or other biofuels would make refining much more efficient, and vastly expand the range of crops that could be used.

Biofuels: Next generation

"What we have to do is to undertake research and development in such a way that we can unlock the tremendous potential that nature has provided us with in terms of getting enzymes to degrade cellulose and make ethanol," said Professor Dianna Bowles from the University of York, another member of the Royal Society's study group.

"Nature has provided countless potential solutions in organisms as diverse as cows and microbes, and that offers tremendous hope."

He gave the example of African nations such as Tanzania, where various parties including the government, local entrepreneurs and multinational companies are exploring the potential of biofuel crops.

"Tanzania is quite likely to start indigenous biofuel production," he said, "and if they do it in a good way, they could improve food production and preserve biodiversity."

He suggested establishing some sort of certification scheme for biofuels, similar to ones already in existence for timber and fish, to show which are produced sustainably.

But, he said, there was a need to keep problems in perspective, particularly the idea that rainforest-destroying palm oil plantations were being established all over southeast Asia simply to provide biodiesel.

"Only about 0.7% of palm oil used in the EU is used for biofuel production," he said

.

Biofuel use thread ecosystem because many forests in the world will converse biofuel plant.

Source: BBC NEWS

Premature Babies 'Need Cuddles'

Even very premature babies benefit from skin to skin contact with their parents, research suggests.

A Canadian study found that cuddling babies born as early as 28 weeks reduced the stress of painful medical procedures which many must undergo.

UK neonatal units do not always encourage skin to skin contact, said a London-based expert studying the issue.

There is already some evidence that regular cuddling can help babies, even those dependent on incubators, not only by promoting their health, but by encouraging a parental bond which could be important to their progress in months to come.

Neonatal units can be very intimidating places, and parents often do not know the best way to get involved

Professor Linda Franck Institute of Child Health This study is the first to look at extremely premature babies, born between 28 and 31 weeks.

It was previously thought by some experts that such young babies were not developed enough to benefit from human touch.

The McGill researchers carried out the test on some babies who were being actively cuddled, skin to skin, measuring facial expressions, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to assess the amount of pain suffered.

Pain scores after 90 seconds for the cuddled babies were much lower than for those who were not cuddled.

Half the cuddled babies did not show any facial expression of pain when undergoing a heel prick test.

Lead researcher Celeste Johnston said that the shorter recovery time could help maintain the baby's health.

"The pain response in very preterm neonates appears to be reduced by skin-to-skin maternal contact," she said

Parent Pressure

Professor Linda Franck, from the Institute of Child Health in London, said that parents were often not encouraged to have skin to skin contact with their premature babies in UK neonatal units, despite growing evidence that it could help.

She said: "Neonatal units can be very intimidating places, and parents often do not know the best way to get involved

"Parents want to do the right thing, but the message is difficult to get out there.

"This study suggests that, even for the very youngest premature babies, skin to skin contact can reduce the stress response."

As we know, parent seldom contact her babybecause they are worry baby is influenced desease, so this research will give motivation for parent.

Source:BBC NEWS

Orangutan

The orangutans are two species of great apes known for their intelligence, long arms and reddish-brown hair. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, they are currently found only in rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, though fossils have been found in Java, Vietnam and China. They are the only surviving species in the genus Pongo and the subfamily Ponginae (which also includes the extinct genera Gigantopithecus and Sivapithecus). Their name derives from the Malay and Indonesian phrase orang hutan, meaning "man of the forest".[2][3] The orangutan is an official state animal of Sabah in Malaysia.

Etymology

The word orangutan (also written orang-utan, orang utan and orangutang) is derived from the Malay and Indonesian words orang meaning "man" and hutan meaning "forest",[4] thus "person of the forest". Orang Hutan is the common term in these two national languages, although local peoples may also refer to them by local languages. Maias and mawas are also used in Malay, but it is unclear if those words refer only to orangutans, or to all apes in general.

Ecology and Appearance

Orangutans are the most arboreal of the great apes, spending nearly all of their time in the trees. Every night they fashion nests, in which they sleep, from branches and foliage. They are more solitary than the other apes, with males and females generally coming together only to mate. Mothers stay with their babies until the offspring reach an age of six or seven years. There is significant sexual dimorphism between females and males: females can grow to around 4 ft 2 in or 127 centimetres and weigh around 100 lbs or 45 kg, while flanged adult males can reach 5 ft 9 in or 175 centimetres in height and weigh over 260 lbs or 118 kg.[7]

The arms of an orangutan are twice as long as their legs. Much of the arm's length has to do with the length of the radius and the ulna rather than the humerus. Their fingers and toes are curved, allowing them to better grip onto branches. Orangutans have less restriction in the movements of their legs unlike humans and other primates, due to the lack of a hip joint ligament which keeps the femur held into the pelvis. Unlike gorillas and chimpanzees, orangutans are not true knuckle-walkers, and walk on the ground by shuffling on their palms with their fingers curved inwards.[8]

Bimodal male development

Adult male orangutans exhibit two modes of physical development, flanged and unflanged. Flanged adult males have a variety of secondary sexual characteristics, including cheek pads (called "flanges"), throat pouch, and long fur, that are absent from both adult females and from unflanged males. Flanged males establish and protect territories that do not overlap with other flanged males' territories. Adult females, juveniles, and unflanged males do not have established territories. A flanged male's mating strategy involves establishing and protecting a territory, advertising his presence, and waiting for receptive females to find him. Unflanged males are also able to reproduce; their mating strategy involving finding females in estrus and forcing copulation. Males appear to remain in the unflanged state until they are able to establish and defend a territory, at which point they can make the transition from unflanged to flanged within a few months.[9] The two reproductive strategies, referred to as "call-and-wait" for flanged male and "sneak-and-rape" for the unflanged male, were found to be approximately equally effective in one study group in Sumatra,[10] though this observation did occur during a period of instability in flanged male rank and unflanged male mating success may be lower in Borneo.

Behaviour and language

Like the other great apes, orangutans are remarkably intelligent. Although tool use among chimpanzees was documented by Jane Goodall in the 1960s, it was not until the mid-1990s that one population of orangutans was found to use feeding tools regularly. A 2003 paper in the journal Science described the evidence for distinct orangutan cultures.[14]

A two year study of orangutan symbolic capability was conducted from 1973-1975 by Gary L. Shapiro with Aazk, a juvenile female orangutan at the Fresno City Zoo (now Chaffee Zoo) in Fresno, California. The study employed the techniques of David Premack who used plastic tokens to teach the chimpanzee, Sarah, linguistic skills. Shapiro continued to examine the linguistic and learning abilities of ex-captive orangutans in Tanjung Puting National Park, in Indonesian Borneo, between 1978 and 1980. During that time, Shapiro instructed ex-captive orangutans in the acquisition and use of signs following the techniques of R. Allen and Beatrix Gardner who taught the chimpanzee, Washoe, in the late-1960s. In the only signing study ever conducted in a great ape's natural environment, Shapiro home-reared Princess, a juvenile female who learned nearly 40 signs (according to the criteria of sign acquisition used by Francine Patterson with Koko, the gorilla) and trained Rinnie, a free-ranging adult female orangutan who learned nearly 30 signs over a two year period. For his dissertation study, Shapiro examined the factors influencing sign learning by four juvenile orangutans over a 15-month period.[15]

Zoo Atlanta has a touch screen computer where their two Sumatran Orangutans play games. Scientists hope that the data they collect from this will help researchers learn about socializing patterns, such as whether they mimic others or learn behavior from trial and error, and hope the data can point to new conservation strategies. [17]

Although orangutans are generally passive, aggression toward other orangutans is very common; they are solitary animals and can be fiercely territorial. Immature males will try to mate with any female, and may succeed in forcibly copulating with her if she is also immature and not strong enough to fend him off. Mature females easily fend off their immature suitors, preferring to mate with a mature male.

Orangutans have even shown laughter-like vocalizations in response to physical contact, such as wrestling, play chasing, or tickling

Species

Genus Pongo [1]
Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus - northwest populations
Pongo pygmaeus morio - east populations
Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii - southwest populations
Sumatran Orangutan (P. abelii)

Conservation status

The Sumatran species is critically endangered[18] and the bornean species of orangutans is endangered[19] according to the IUCN Red List of mammals, and both are listed on Appendix I of CITES. The total number of Bornean orangutans is estimated to be less than 14% of what it was in the recent past (from around 10,000 years ago until the middle of the twentieth century) and this sharp decline has occurred mostly over the past few decades due to human activities and development.[19] Species distribution is now highly patchy throughout Borneo: it is apparently absent or uncommon in the south-east of the island, as well as in the forests between the Rejang River in central Sarawak and the Padas River in western Sabah (including the Sultanate of Brunei).[19] A similar development have been observed for the Sumatran orangutans.[18]

Major conservation centres in Indonesia include those at Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, Kutai in East Kalimantan, Gunung Palung National Park in West Kalimantan, and Bukit Lawang in the Gunung Leuser National Park on the border of Aceh and North Sumatra. In Malaysia, conservation areas include Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Sarawak and Matang Wildlife Centre also in Sarawak, and the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary near Sandakan in Sabah.

Orangutan is seldom apes speciaes in the world. They only live in Boreneo and Sumatra island. The habitat has destroyed by illegel logging,mining, forest fires, and the conversion of vast areas of tropical forest to oil palm plantations in response to international demand (the palm oil is used for cooking, cosmetics, mechanics, and more recently as source of biodiesel. We must protect orangutan by build many conservation centre.

Source:wikipedia.org

Baby Bottles: They May Contain Deadly Chemicals, But The FDA is Keeping Quiet

Plastics used in baby bottle feeders may cause cancer and diabetes - and America's health regulator has been suspected of sitting on the data. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be subpoenaed to release records about the safety of the bottles and infant formula liners.
The FDA has claimed the products – which contain the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) – are safe, but critics claim this is based on just two studies, which were both funded by the American Plastics Council. Only one of these was ever published and peer reviewed.

Independent studies into BPA have linked the chemical to cancer, diabetes and obesity. Bart Stupak, a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that is considering the subpoena, said: “While many scientists have raised concerns about the safety of bisphenol A, the FDA seems to have relied only upon science paid for by the plastics industry’s lobbying group.

(Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008; 299: 2141).

The goverment authority act quickly before many babies suffered is caused dead bottle.

Source : healthy.net

Herbal Treatment of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes

The plant kingdom has many hypoglycemic plants. They have much to contribute to a comprehensive management program of non-insulin dependent diabetes. Insulin dependent will rarely respond well to hypoglycemics, as the Islets of Langerhans are largely incapable of working. Herbs will not replace insulin therapy where it is necessary. Laboratory screenings, similar to those for cytotoxic plants, have demonstrated the reality of plant hypoglycemics. Many hundreds have been documented. Examples from Europe include :

Bilberry (Vaccinium mytillus)

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Goat's Rue (Galega officinalis)

Mulberry Leaves (Morus nigra)

Olive Leaves (Olea europaea)

Interestingly Goat's Rue is also an effective galactagogue, hinting at a possible pituitary or hypothalamus activity. Remember that gentle endocrine stimulation is one of the properties of the bitters, and in some people they can be dramatically effective in lowering blood sugar.

Many plants well known to students of this course have been shown to have experimental hypoglycemic effects to a greater or lesser degree. The mechanisms are not always clear. Listed here are some examples cited in:

Lewis and Elvin-Lewis, (1977). Medical
Botany. John Wiley & Sons, New York

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga
racemosa)

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Cayenne (Capsicum minimum)

Celery (Apium graveolens)

Dandelion (Taraxacum
officinale)

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Ginseng (Panax ginseng)

Golden Seal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Gravel Root (Eupatorium
purpureum)

Oats (Avena sativa)

Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)

Pill bearing Spurge (Euphorbia
pilulifera)

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

The challenge for the practitioner is the appropriate application of the hypoglycemics. Such remedies can sometimes have a rapid impact on blood sugar levels, but one that varies from patient to patient. Their safe use can only occur when part of a comprehensive diabetes management program that is suitable for that individual. It is essential that very close observation be kept on urine and blood signs. This necessitates skilled practitioner straining the patient. The practicalities of this are beyond what can be adequately covered in this here, and so no protocols involving
hypoglycemics will be given.

Herbal preventive work to avoid the various long-term complications maybe undertaken quite safely, even if no attempt is made to deal with insulin levels. Attention should be given to the cardio-vascular system for the reasons discussed above. Heart and vascular tonics are appropriate for long-term use, especially Crataegus spp., Ginkgo
biloba, Vacciniummyrtillus.

Herbal treatment is more effisien and effective than non herbal treatment. Material herbal medicineis abundance in this planet so it can reduce production cost of herbal medicine.

Source : healthy.net

Pacific Islands Act to Save Tuna

Pacific Ocean — Finally, some good news for tuna stocks and a first step towards protecting the Pacific Commons for future generations! Eight Pacific island countries have taken the most significant action ever to combat overfishing in the region. For years fishing fleets from distant countries have plundered the Pacific's tuna, riding roughshod over legitimate concerns of Pacific island countries. In December last year, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and mainland China all blocked conservation measures at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting. And as we have witnessed over the past two months at sea in the Pacific Commons - their fleets are continuing to decimate the tuna stocks and threaten the future of Pacific livelihoods.

New rules

With this new agreement, foreign fishing vessels licensed to fish in the waters of eight Pacific island countries will be banned from fishing in two regions of the Pacific Commons adjacent to these countries. This is a giant stride towards these areas becoming marine reserves and towards the protection of Pacific tuna. This is exactly what we have been pushing for since 2005.The eight countries (Parties to the Nauru Agreement) include the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Most of the tuna stocks
from the Pacific, valued at US$ 3 billion a year, come from the waters of these countries.

No more throwing back the low-value fish

Foreign fishing vessels will also be required to retain their full catches. This will cut the time fishing boats spend at sea and the amount of tuna they catch. At present they throw away non-tuna species to make room in their holds for the more valuable catch. It
will also be compulsory to carry fisheries observers on board at all times. The use of fish aggregation devices (used to attract juvenile bigeye and yellowfin tuna) will be banned in these countries' waters for three months of the year. This is a conservation measure designed to discourage harvesting of these highly migratory species. These new rules will take effect on 15 June, 2008. Our ship Esperanza has been in these areas for the last seven weeks highlighting this issue. During this time we have taken action against fishing fleets from Taiwan, Korea, the US and the Philippines. We are calling for the these areas to become no-take marine reserves and - politicians willing - that will become a reality before the year is out. Will we see similar protection of other tuna fisheries? We're working on it. Our ship Arctic Sunrise is on a three-month tour of the Mediterranean demanding protection for the tuna fisheries there as well -- and marine reserves are the answer again.

First step towards healthy oceans for a healthy planet

Protecting the Pacific Commons would be the first step toward achieving our overall campaign goal: to protect 40 percent of our oceans with a global network of marine reserves. Keeping the oceans alive is essential to keeping our planet alive. As global warming takes its toll on our already stressed marine ecosystems, we need to protect the most vulnerable areas so they stand a better chance of survival. In order to ensure the world has fish in the future, we need marine reserves now.

All countries of the world must responsibility for save marine ecosystem this planet, especially in Pacific area so people live there can be able survive forever.

Source: GREENPEACE

Blue Energy Technology

The Blue Energy ocean turbine acts as a highly efficient
underwater vertical-axis windmill and has several remarkable advantages
conferred upon it arising from the following basic science: Sea water is 832
times more dense than air, and it is a non-compressible medium, therefore an 8-knot tidal current provides the equivalent force of a 390 km/hr wind (approximately). Developed by veteran aerospace engineer Barry Davis, the Blue
Energy vertical-axis turbine represents two decades of Canadian research and development. Four fixed hydrofoil blades of the turbine are connected to a rotor that drives an integrated gearbox and electrical generator assembly. The turbine is mounted in a durable concrete marine caisson which anchors the unit to the ocean floor, directs flow through the turbine further concentrating the resource supporting the coupler, gearbox, and generator above it. These sit above the surface of the water and are readily accessible for maintenance and repair. The hydrofoil blades employ a hydrodynamic lift principal that causes the turbine foils to move proportionately faster than the speed of the surrounding water. Computer optimized cross-flow design ensures that the rotation of the turbine is unidirectional on both the ebb and the flow of the tide.

The design of the Blue Energy Ocean Turbine requires no new construction methodology, it is structurally and mechanically straightforward. The transmission and electrical systems are similar to thousands of existing hydroelectric installations. Power
transmission is by submersible kV DC cabling and safely buried in the ocean sediments with power drop points for coastal cities and connections to the continental power grid. A standardized high production design makes the system economic to build, install and maintain. The Blue Energy Ocean Turbine can be arranged in four distinct and flexible platforms:

Micro Power System - This is a 5 to 25kW assembly to service the remote domestic consumer.

Midrange Power System - Using two 250kW Blue Energy ocean turbines, this unit will be off-grid competitive initially, and grid competitive within three to four years time. Suitable for use in remote communities, industrial sites, and resorts in regions with net metering policies or dependence on costly and polluting diesel generation.

Blue Energy Power System - For large scale power production, multiple turbines are linked in series to create a tidal fence across an ocean passage or inlet. These are large scale, site specific, custom engineered energy installations which will vary in size and output by location. These structures have the added benefit as a transportation solution.

Mega Power System - A scaled-up version of the Blue Energy Power System, the mega class is a tidal fence capable of producing thousands of megawatts of power. These tidal fences can be many kilometers long and can
operate in depths of up to 70 metres

Amazing invention of energy technologi will change world ecomomy shaking

Source : Blue Energy Canada Inc.