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[stuart14] 29/10/2009 08:11

Have these guys done much since they floated?

[ariane] 07/10/2009 05:38

Arctic seas turn to acid, putting vital food chain at riskWith the world's oceans absorbing six million tonnes of carbon a day, a leading oceanographer warns of eco disaster
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Robin McKie, science editor The Observer, Sunday 4 October 2009 Article history
A decision on classifying the polar bear as threatened is overdue. Juniors Bildarchiv/Alamy

Carbon-dioxide emissions are turning the waters of the Arctic Ocean into acid at an unprecedented rate, scientists have discovered. Research carried out in the archipelago of Svalbard has shown in many regions around the north pole seawater is likely to reach corrosive levels within 10 years. The water will then start to dissolve the shells of mussels and other shellfish and cause major disruption to the food chain. By the end of the century, the entire Arctic Ocean will be corrosively acidic.

"This is extremely worrying," Professor Jean-Pierre Gattuso, of France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, told an international oceanography conference last week. "We knew that the seas were getting more acidic and this would disrupt the ability of shellfish – like mussels – to grow their shells. But now we realise the situation is much worse. The water will become so acidic it will actually dissolve the shells of living shellfish."

Just as an acid descaler breaks apart limescale inside a kettle, so the shells that protect molluscs and other creatures will be dissolved. "This will affect the whole food chain, including the North Atlantic salmon, which feeds on molluscs," said Gattuso, speaking at a European commission conference, Oceans of Tomorrow, in Barcelona last week. The oceanographer told delegates that the problem of ocean acidification was worse in high latitudes, in the Arctic and around Antarctica, than it was nearer the equator.

"More carbon dioxide can dissolve in cold water than warm," he said. "Hence the problem of acidification is worse in the Arctic than in the tropics, though we have only recently got round to studying the problem in detail."

About a quarter of the carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere by factories, power stations and cars now ends up being absorbed by the oceans. That represents more than six million tonnes of carbon a day.

This carbon dioxide dissolves and is turned into carbonic acid, causing the oceans to become more acidic. "We knew the Arctic would be particularly badly affected when we started our studies but I did not anticipate the extent of the problem," said Gattuso.

His research suggests that 10% of the Arctic Ocean will be corrosively acidic by 2018; 50% by 2050; and 100% ocean by 2100. "Over the whole planet, there will be a threefold increase in the average acidity of the oceans, which is unprecedented during the past 20 million years. That level of acidification will cause immense damage to the ecosystem and the food chain, particularly in the Arctic," he added.

The tiny mollusc Limacina helicina, which is found in Arctic waters, will be particularly vulnerable, he said. The little shellfish is eaten by baleen whales, salmon, herring and various seabirds. Its disappearance would therefore have a major impact on the entire marine food chain. The deep-water coral Lophelia pertusa would also be extremely vulnerable to rising acidity. Reefs in high latitudes are constructed by only one or two types of coral – unlike tropical coral reefs which are built by a large variety of species. The loss of Lophelia pertusa would therefore devastate reefs off Norway and the coast of Scotland, removing underwater shelters that are exploited by dozens of species of fish and other creatures.

"Scientists have proposed all sorts of geo-engineering solutions to global warming," said Gattuso. "For instance, they have proposed spraying the upper atmosphere with aerosol particles that would reduce sunlight reaching the Earth, mitigating the warming caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide.

"But these ideas miss the point. They will still allow carbon dioxide emissions to continue to increase – and thus the oceans to become more and more acidic. There is only one way to stop the devastation the oceans are now facing and that is to limit carbon-dioxide emissions as a matter of urgency."

This was backed by other speakers at the conference. Daniel Conley, of Lund University, Sweden, said that increasing acidity levels, sea-level rises and temperature changes now threatened to bring about irreversible loss of biodiversity in the sea. Christoph Heinze, of Bergen University, Norway, said his studies, part of the EU CarboOcean project, had found that carbon from the atmosphere was being transported into the oceans' deeper waters far more rapidly than expected and was already having a corrosive effect on life forms there.

The oceans' vulnerability to climate change and rising carbon-dioxide levels has also been a key factor in the launching of the EU's Tara Ocean project at Barcelona. The expedition, on the sailing ship Tara, will take three years to circumnavigate the globe, culminating in a voyage through the icy Northwest Passage in Canada, and will make continual and detailed samplings of seawater to study its life forms.

A litre of seawater contains between 1bn and 10bn single-celled organisms called prokaryotes, between 10bn and 100bn viruses and a vast number of more complex, microscopic creatures known as zooplankton, said Chris Bowler, a marine biologist on Tara.

"People think they are just swimming in water when they go for a dip in the sea," he said. "In fact, they are bathing in a plankton soup."

That plankton soup is of crucial importance to the planet, he added. "As much carbon dioxide is absorbed by plankton as is absorbed by tropical rainforests. Its health is therefore of crucial importance to us all."

However, only 1% of the life forms found in the sea have been properly identified and studied, said Bowler. "The aim of the Tara project is to correct some of that ignorance and identify many more of these organisms while we still have the chance. Issues like ocean acidification, rising sea levels and global warming will not be concerns at the back of our minds. They will be a key focus for the work that we do while we are on our expedition."

The toll by 2100
■ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecast in 2007 that sea levels would rise by 20cm to 60cm by 2100 thanks to global warming caused by man-made carbon-dioxide emissions. This is now thought to be an underestimate, however, with most scientific bodies warning that sea levels could rise by a metre or even higher. Major inundations of vulnerable regions such as Bangladesh would ensue.

■ The planet will be hotter by 3C by 2100, most scientists now expect, though rises of 4.5C to 5C could be experienced. Deserts will spread and heatwaves will become more prevalent. Ice-caps will melt and cyclones are also likely to be triggered.

■ Weather patterns across the globe will become more unstable, numbers of devastating storms will increase dramatically while snow will disappear from all but the highest mountains.

[waldron] 29/9/2009 05:50

Four degrees of warming 'likely'
By David Shukman
Environment correspondent, BBC News

In a dramatic acceleration of forecasts for global warming, UK scientists say the global average temperature could rise by 4C (7.2F) as early as 2060.

The Met Office study used projections of fossil fuel use that reflect the trend seen over the last 20 years.

Their computer models also factored in new findings on how carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans and forests.

The finding was presented at an Oxford University conference exploring the implications of a 4C rise.

The results show a "best estimate" of 4C being reached by 2070, with a possibility that it will come as early as 2060.

" Previously we haven't looked at the impact of burning fossil fuels so intensely "
Richard Betts
Richard Betts of the Met Office Hadley Centre described himself as "shocked" that so much warming could occur within the lifetimes of people alive today.

"If greenhouse gas emissions are not cut soon then we could see major climate changes within our own lifetimes," he said.

"Four degrees of warming averaged over the globe translates into even greater warming in many regions, along with major changes in rainfall."

Big burn

The model finds wide variations, with the Arctic possibly seeing a rise of up to 15C (27F) by the end of the century.

Western and southern parts of Africa could warm by up to 10C, with other land areas seeing a rise of 7C or more.

In its 2007 assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the average warming by the end of the century would probably lie between 1.8C and 4C (3.2-7.2F), though it did not rule out the possibility of larger rises.

Key to the Met Office calculations was the use of projections showing fossil fuel use continuing to increase as it has done for the last couple of decades.

"Previously we haven't looked at the impact of burning fossil fuels so intensely," said Dr Betts.

"But it's quite plausible we could get a rise of 4C by 2070 or even 2060."

Dr Betts and his colleagues emphasise the uncertainties inherent in the modelling, particularly the role of the carbon cycle.

But he said he was confident the findings were significant and would serve as a useful guide to policymakers.

The presentation at Oxford's Environmental Change Institute came as negotiators from 192 countries were gathering in Bangkok for the latest set of prepatory talks in the run-up to December's UN climate summit.

Major governments of developing and industrialised nations are committed to a deal that would keep the global temperature rise to 2C, which many regard as a threshold for "dangerous" climate change.

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2009/09/28 19:04:37 GMT

[lbo] 20/9/2009 11:56

Another Latvia wobble



Latvia's parliament failed to pass a critical property tax hike plan on Thursday which was closely connected to conditions agreed with the European Union and International Monetary Fund for its €7.5bn bailout.

Analysts are now worried the vote's failure could reflect a major crack in the government coalition, threatening Latvia's defence of its euro peg. As can be seen in the Finance Ministry's letter of intent, there's still an extensive list of measures and conditions Latvia has to meet to qualify for financing.

[lbo] 03/9/2009 10:48

Rietumu Banka, the Latvia-based financial institution in which financier Dermot Desmond has a 33pc stake, has reported a 37pc slide in pre-tax profits to Lat8.67m (€12.3m) for the six months to the end of June.

[waldron] 13/8/2009 18:07

'Many hurricanes' in modern times
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

Hurricanes in the Atlantic are more frequent than at any time in the last 1,000 years, according to research just published in the journal Nature.

Scientists examined sediments left by hurricanes that crossed the coast in North America and the Caribbean.

The record suggests modern hurricane activity is unusual - though it might have been even higher 1,000 years ago.

The possible influence of climate change on hurricanes has been a controversial topic for several years.

Study leader Michael Mann from Penn State University believes that while not providing a definitive answer, this work does add a useful piece to the puzzle.

" The levels we're seeing at the moment are within the bounds of uncertainty. "
Julian Heming, UK Met Office
"It's been hotly debated, and various teams using different computer models have come up with different answers," he told BBC News.

"I would argue that this study presents some useful palaeoclimatic data points."

Washing over

Hurricanes strike land with winds blowing at up to 300km per hour - strong enough to pick up sand and earth from the shore and carry it inland.

In places where there is a lagoon behind the shoreline, this leads to "overwash" - material from the shore being deposited in the lagoon, where it forms a layer in the sediment.

Researchers have studied eight such lagoons on shores where Atlantic hurricanes regularly make landfall - seven around the US mainland and one in Puerto Rico.

Over time, Dr Mann's team believes, the number of hurricanes making landfall on these sites will be approximately proportional to the total number of hurricanes formed - so these zones provide a long-term record of how hurricane frequency has changed over the centuries.

The last decade has seen an average of 17 hurricanes and tropical storms in the Atlantic - earlier in the century, half that number were recorded.

But current levels were matched and perhaps exceeded during the Mediaeval Climate Anomaly (also known as the Mediaeval Warm Period) about 1,000 years ago.

"I think if there's one standout result (from this study), it's that the high storm counts we've seen in the last 10 to 15 years could have been matched or even exceeded in past periods," commented Julian Heming, a tropical storm specialist from the UK Met Office who was not involved in the new research.

"So it's worth feeding into the debate about whether what we're seeing now is exceptional or something related to multi-decadal or even multi-centennial variability; and it does tell us that the levels we're seeing at the moment are within the bounds of uncertainty."

Different strokes

Dr Mann's team also used a pre-existing computer model of hurricane generation to estimate activity over the same 1,500-year period.

The model includes three factors known to be important in determining hurricane formation: sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the El Nino/La Nina cycle in the eastern Pacific, and another natural climatic cycle, the North Atlantic Oscillation.

This analysis suggests, Dr Mann argues, that the hurricane peak 1,000 years ago and the current high activity are not produced by identical sets of circumstances.

Then, he says, an extended period of La Nina conditions in the Pacific - which aid hurricane formation - co-incided with relatively warm conditions in the Atlantic.

Now, the high number is simply driven by warming waters in the Atlantic - which is projected to increase in the coming decades.

"Even though the levels of activity are similar (between 1,000 years ago and now), the factors behind that are different," said Dr Mann.

"The implication is that if everything else is equal - and we don't know that about El Nino - then warming of the tropical Atlantic should lead to increasing levels of Atlantic tropical cyclone activity."

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Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2009/08/13 10:51:35 GMT

[lbo] 10/7/2009 10:16

10 east European nations seek IMF help

[lbo] 02/6/2009 22:07

Latvia's currency peg


Latvian officials insist they will not devalue the currency. If only the market believed them. Jitters began when Sweden's central bank last week bolstered its foreign currency reserve by borrowing SKr100bn from the Swedish debt agency. That was seen as a buffer to support Swedish banks – which have $75bn exposure to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – should the Baltic states lose their battle to keep their currencies pegged to the euro. Meanwhile, Latvian officials warned its economy could shrink by a shocking 18 per cent this year. That would mean the budget deficit exceeding the limit agreed in an international bail-out in December – requiring more belt-tightening.

[lbo] 27/5/2009 22:07

The State of Real Estate Around the World: No Signs of Stabilization?

[lbo] 26/5/2009 14:49

Latvia Races to Cut Deficit to Keep to Its Bailout Deal

[lbo] 11/5/2009 13:40

Latvia's economy shrank by almost 30%

[lbo] 04/5/2009 17:22

EU economies may fall 4 percent this year


The European Commission has revised its economic forecasts for this year. The EC expects the economies of the 27 European Union countries to decline by an average of four percent. This is double the two percent drop forecast in January.

The Irish economy is expected to fall by nine percent and the Latvian by around 13 percent. Germany, which is Europe's largest economy, is facing a decline in economic activity of 5.4 percent.

[lbo] 16/4/2009 22:48

Crisis-Hit Latvia Says It Must Slash Budget Or Miss EU Loan

RIGA (AFP)--Recession casualty Latvia may fail to receive payment of 1.7 billion euros from the European Union, part of an international bailout, unless it slashes its budget by 40%, the Baltic country's Finance Ministry warned Thursday.

"We must cut public spending on average by 40% to comply with the budget deficit framework" set down in a rescue package approved in December under the auspices of the International Monetary Fund, ministry spokeswoman Diana Berzina told AFP.

"In the event Latvia doesn't carry out structural reforms and doesn't cut public spending, there is a possibility that Latvia will not receive the international loan," she said.

In an interview published Thursday in the economic daily Bizness i Baltia, Finance Minister Einars Repse was quoted as saying "everything is pointing" to Latvia missing out on the crucial cash, which is due in June.

"We should take this reality very seriously. We are preparing for this scenario," he said.

Latvia has already received some EUR1.6 billion from the total EUR7.5 billion bailout, but two weeks ago it failed to get a EUR200 million tranche from the IMF.

The delay came after Riga was deemed not to have done enough in time to cut its budget, one of the conditions of the bailout.

The Latvian government had already slashed spending in December - sparking street protests over public sector wage cuts - and is now trying to make still deeper cuts.

As part of the bailout deal, Latvia pledged not to run a public deficit in excess of 5% of gross domestic product for 2009 but has been struggling to meet that goal.

Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has warned Riga could face bankruptcy by June if it doesn't get the funds. Berzina said there was enough money in state coffers to last until July but that Latvia would thereafter have to rely on the rescue package funds.

The economy of the country of 2.3 million people grew 11.9% in 2006 and 10.2% in 2007. But output fell 4.6% in 2008 and the government forecasts GDP will shrink by 13% this year.

[lbo] 04/2/2009 11:37

PRESS RELEASE: Fitch Downgrades Russia To BBB

[waldron] 03/2/2009 12:06

Google Earth dives under the sea
Google has lifted the lid on its first major upgrade to its global mapping software, Google Earth.

Google Ocean expands this map to include large swathes of the ocean floor and abyssal plain.

Users can dive beneath a dynamic water surface to explore the 3D sea floor terrain.

The map also includes 20 content layers, containing information from the world's leading scientists, researchers, and ocean explorers.

Al Gore was at the launch event in San Francisco which, Google hopes, will take its mapping software a step closer to total coverage of the entire globe.

In a statement, Mr Gore said that the update would make Google Earth a "magical experience".

"You can not only zoom into whatever part of our planet's surface you wish to examine in closer detail, you can now dive into the world's ocean that covers almost three-quarters of the planet and discover new wonders that had not been accessible in previous versions."

Approximately 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, which contains nearly 80% of all life - yet less than 5% of it has actually been explored.

Google Ocean aims to let users visit some of the more interesting locations, including underwater volcanoes, as well as running videos on marine life, shipwrecks and clips of favourite surf and dive spots.

Conservation organisations hope the tool will improve awareness of issues facing undersea life.

"With this, everybody can see the unbelievable beauty of our marine life and how incredibly threatened it is," said Carl Gustaf Lundin, head of the global marine programme at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"We hope this major technological innovation will get the public more involved in marine conservation and encourage governments and businesses to stop driving ocean species to extinction."

Coloured worlds

The new features were developed in close collaboration with oceanographer Sylvia Earle and an advisory council of more than 25 ocean advocates and scientists.

Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society's explorer in residence, said the new features would bring the blue planet to life.

"I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new ocean in Google Earth.

"For the first time, everyone from curious kids to serious researchers can see the world, the whole world, with new eyes," she added.

There are also updates on the terrestrial side, including GPS tracking, virtual time travel (where users can observe changes in satellite images, such as the 2006 World Cup stadium or the desertification of Africa's Lake Chad) and narrated tours of imagery and content in Google Earth.

There are also updates to the Mars 3D section, so if users have had enough of the blue planet, they can always look at the red one.


Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2009/02/02 17:34:38 GMT

[lbo] 20/1/2009 13:35

Moody's:Romania, One Of The Most Vulnerable Countries To Economic Crisis

[lbo] 23/12/2008 09:58

Latvia secures €7.5bn rescue deal

[djalan] 18/11/2008 20:59

Pillion
You are quite correct re chart

imho, dyor

[pillion] 10/11/2008 13:44

This chart depicts a journey to the very gates of hell !!



No advice intended

[lbo] 10/11/2008 10:55

Latvian govt takes over 2nd largest bank