Radar used to bust unauthorized basement construction in Beijing

BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Radar was used to detect unauthorized basement construction in Beijing as the city gets tough on the potentially dangerous practice.

The crackdown comes after a lawmaker built a basement in his courtyard that caused neighboring houses to collapse, local authorities said Friday.

Radar detection has been employed to monitor whether there are any hollowed areas under roads or houses.

According to the office in Xicheng District responsible for the crackdown, law enforcement can use radar to check renovated houses.

If any unauthorized basements are found, the owners will be ordered to fill in the basements or holes immediately, said Song Jiale, an official with the district government.

He said property ownership certificates will be granted after houses pass the check.

Previously, Li Baojun, a lawmaker from east China's Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, had built a 18-meter-deep basement in his courtyard in Xicheng District without permission, which caved in and caused the road and surrounding buildings to collapse on Jan. 24.

The incident has revealed the city's rampant illegal underground construction and caused a stir in the country.
  xinhuanet.com
7/2/15
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Fukushima rice tests ‘radiation free’ first time since disaster

For the first time since the 2011 disaster, all of the rice harvested in Fukushima Prefecture this year has passed radiation tests and now can be deemed safe for consumption, according to local officials.

Virtually all of the rice harvested in Fukushima in 2014 – or some 360,000 tonnes – has been checked for radiation and met the national standards of less than 100 Becquerel’s per kilogram, Reuters reports.
  "The fact that the amount of rice that does not pass our checks has steadily reduced in the last three years indicates that we're taking the right steps," said Fukushima official Tsuneaki Oonam, who heads the department that oversees Fukushima rice farming. 
Authorities began testing all rice grown in Fukushima prefecture in 2012, although the amounts harvested over the past years were insignificant. More 190 testing devices are used throughout the prefecture to ensure rice’s safety standards. 
For the last 2 years, some 10 million bags of rice were checked annually. In 2012, 71 bags were found to exceed the safety standards, while in 2013, 28 bags were over the standard, the Asahi Shimbun reports. Rice farmers, according to the newspaper, succeeded in changing the fertilizer used so that radioactive cesium is not absorbed by the rice plant. 
Rice that passes the Food Sanitation Law standards, is labeled as such. Those bags with radiation readings are destroyed. Despite the promise of getting a clean over-all reading, Fukushima prefecture plans to continue the radiation testing program. 
Japan exported its first rice following the disaster last August – a 300-kilogram batch was delivered to Singapore. Fruit exports to Malaysia also resumed last year, according to officials, while in 2012 Fukushima peaches and apples were exported to Thailand. 
 http://rt.com/news/219799-fukushima-rice-radiation-free/5/1/15-

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc makes road safety a priority in EU transport policy (EC - 16.11.14)

European Commission - Statement,  Brussels, 16 November 2014:
On the occasion of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Violeta Bulc, the EU's Transport Commissioner made the following statement:


"Road safety has been one of the great European success stories and our roads are much safer today than they were some twenty years ago. But our work cannot stop here! More than 26, 000 people still die on our roads every year, and many more suffer horrific road traffic injuries.
Behind these statistics are grieving parents, children, siblings, colleagues and friends. This is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility. Today my thoughts go out to every person who has lost someone dear to them, and to all those who have been physically or mentally affected by a road accident.
The World Day of Remembrance gives us a painful but necessary reminder that working towards improving road safety is a never ending process. It is clear that we have come a long way, but more needs to be done.
That is why I would like to take this opportunity to personally pledge to make road safety one of my top priorities as the European Transport Commissioner. I hope that I can count on you to work actively together with the European Commission, to help make our roads safer in Europe. Together we can save thousands of lives."

Background
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year in order to remember all those who are killed or injured in road traffic crashes every year. The World Day of Remembrance also calls attention to the suffering of the families and friends of the victims. The Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was first established in 1995 on the initiative of the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims. Since 2005 the World Day of Remembrance is endorsed by the United Nations and recognised and honoured on all continents.
 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-14-1761_en.htm?locale=en
16/11/14
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VIDEO: http://europa.eu/!NK36QK

US to pay for damaged reef (Philippine official)

The 87 million pesos (about $1.94 million) that the Philippines has been asking from the United States as payment for the damage caused by its Navy ship on a marine sanctuary is now on the "documentation stage," a senior government official said Saturday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the 87 million pesos were the amount of compensation that the Philippine government sought from the US after USS Guardian, a minesweeper ship of America, ran aground on the south atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs off western Philippine province of Palawan in January 2013.

"According to Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, the coordination of the two countries regarding the compensation for the damage caused to Tubbataha Reefs has been on documentation stage," he said.

Coloma said the Philippine government would just await for the documentation to be completed and for the finalization of the compensation.

USS Guardian damaged 2,345 square meters of coral in Tubbataha Reefs, which was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 1993.
Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
26/10/14
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Related:

• Philippines to pursue compensation from US on reef damage

Philippines to pursue compensation from US on reef damage

The Philippine government vowed Wednesday to continue seeking compensation from the United States for the damage caused by its navy ship to parts of a protected marine reserve.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a statement a day after the Supreme Court junked a petition by environmental groups for a writ of kalikasan (nature) against the minesweeper USS Guardian that ran aground in the Tubbataha Reef in January 2013.

"We will continue our ongoing discussions with the US government on the matter of securing full compensation for the damage caused to the Tubbataha Reef, and will be guided by the Supreme Court decision and the advice of the Office of the Solicitor General," the DFA said.

The department said it will also continue to work with other government agencies to enhance navigational safety in the protected marine sanctuary and preserve the reef and its marine environment.

The SC ruled that it has no jurisdiction over the petition filed by several groups calling on the court for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan for possible criminal, civil and administrative prosecution of American Navy officials responsible for the grounding incident.

The high court instead deferred to the executive branch the matter of seeking compensation and rehabilitation of the damaged area of Tubbataha Reef from the US.
Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
17/9/14
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China to close over 2,000 coal mines by 2015 (those that do not meet safety standards)

China plans to shut down over 2,000 small-scale coal mines by 2015 in an effort to eliminate outdated capacity and improve work safety, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.

Coal mines in the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as Chongqing municipality, will be major targets, the administration said.

It will gradually weed out coal mines with an annual output at or below 90,000 tonnes, and shut down those that do not meet safety standards.

China's mines are among the deadliest in the world, with fatal accidents occurring frequently due to poor safety regulations and a lack of safety awareness. 
Source:Xinhua Published: 2014-5-31 11:40:52 

[globaltimes.cn ]
31/5/14
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Related:

• Air pollution champion: China burns more coal than rest of world combined

• China will destroy 5,000,000 cars this year to battle air pollution (Polluting vehicles to be scrapped)

• Measures taken to tackle heavy air pollution in N. China

Scientists Warn NASA on Ethics of Space Travel

The US space agency NASA plans to send humans to an asteroid and Mars, eventually. But a group of prominent U.S. scientists says right now, any deep space mission will be too dangerous, based on NASA's minimum safety requirements. And engineering capabilities and understanding of the effects of long-term cosmic radiation exposure will not advance sufficiently within the next five years to change that assessment.
After a study of long-duration space travel, sponsored by NASA, the panel of scientists from the National Academy of Sciences says the space agency should consider ethics while designing standards for future long missions.

In an open letter, they say NASA should not send humans on trips outside low Earth orbit lasting longer than 30 days without strict adherence to the existing health standards and that the rule should be broken only in rare and extenuating circumstances.
They present six principles upon which the ethics of deep-space travel should be based.
First among them, preventing any harm to astronauts, from vision impairments, loss of bone minerals, radiation exposure and the psychological impact of extended space travel.
Also, the missions should benefit society while balancing those potential benefits with the risk of harm.

Astronauts should be able to decide whether they want to participate in the planned missions with full equality of opportunity, and NASA should take full responsibility for the astronauts' health care during missions and for the rest of their lives.
The scientists say that NASA's health standards should be based upon the most relevant and up-to-date evidence. 
The National Academy of Sciences comprises four national science academies, which provide the policymakers, public and the private sector with independent and objective, evidence-based advice. 

[voanews.com]
3/4/14

Turkey wants nuclear plant in Armenia to be shut down

The Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia is outdated and should be urgently closed down, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has said, re-voicing concerns about the safety of the plant.   

Speaking with reporters during a visit to the Turkish province of Iğdır near Turkey’s eastern border on March 21, Yıldız said Turkey had sent an official appeal to the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning the shutdown of the plant.

“The nuclear plant, which was put online in 1980, has had a lifespan of 30 years. This plant has expired and should be immediately closed,” Yıldız said.

He stressed Metsamor is just 16 kms away from Turkey’s border, and it was necessary to bring the issue to international attention and obtain support for the plant’s closure.

Turkey itself is also building up its energy future on nuclear power to reduce its soaring energy needs, defying safety risk concerns voiced by a number of groups at home.

The Metsamor nuclear power plant produces about 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity, but Turkey and Azerbaijan object to its existence as they believe it does not meet international safety standards. 
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-wants-nuclear-plant-in-armenia-to-be-shut-down------.aspx?pageID=238&nID=63928&NewsCatID=348
21/3/14

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ statement following today’s EU General Affairs Council (Brussels, 11 February 2014). -Genetically modified organisms

MFA, Tuesday, 11 February 2014

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E. VENIZELOS: In the name of the Hellenic Presidency, I want to express warm thanks to Commissioner Sefcovic and all the member states who took the floor to welcome and support the Hellenic Presidency’s priorities. I also want to express thanks for the warm welcome of the practical results presented by the Hellenic Presidency after five weeks of exercising its duties.

I also want to thank the Council and the Commission for the solidarity they showed in the natural disaster that, unfortunately, is continuing to unfold with the ongoing earthquakes in Kefalonia. It is very important to the Hellenic Presidency, as well as to the Greek government, that the community mechanisms be mobilized – particularly the Solidarity Fund. And the same holds true, naturally, for the very serious natural disaster in Slovenia and on the border between Slovenia and Croatia.

Finally, allow me to clarify – speaking not as the Presidency of the Council, but as the Greek Foreign Minister – that on the issue of genetically modified organisms, and in this case, maize, the Greek position is absolutely opposed to granting permission and, even further, absolutely opposed to the potential for the cultivation of genetically modified organisms.

mfa.gr

12/2/14

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Related:

• EU allows cultivation of new US genetically modified corn

EU allows cultivation of new US genetically modified corn

BRUSSELS: EU ministers allowed the controversial cultivation of a new genetically modified crop, US firm Pioneer's TC1507 corn, after opponents failed on Tuesday to muster enough support against the move.
A meeting of European Affairs ministers could not establish a majority either way, Greek chairman Evangelos Venizelos said.
Accordingly, TC1507 was allowed through, after Venizelos asked for legal advice.
The rules require that "if the Council (of member states) does not take a decision, then the measure has to be adopted by the European Commission", a legal adviser said.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm, was on the spot after a European Court ruled late last year that the company's 2001 request for approval had to be dealt with without further delay.
Cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms stokes widespread suspicion in the 28-nation EU on health and environmental grounds.
GM crops, however, have won repeated safety approvals and several ministers noted on Tuesday that they are imported into the EU in large amounts, and having been fed to animals, had by now entered the human food chain.
The General Affairs Council of ministers had to decide the issue on Tuesday under what is known as "qualified majority voting".

• This complex system weighs member states according to their size to ensure that it is a majority of the EU's 500 million population which decides an issue, not the simple number of countries for or against.

• In this instance, some 19 member states opposed, mustering 210 votes out of a required 260 to block the measure.

Britain, Finland, Estonia, Spain and Sweden were in favour but abstentions proved crucial.

• Germany, the EU's most powerful and biggest country with 19 votes, changed its position to abstain from against, thereby taking itself out of the balance.

• Also abstaining were Belgium, Portugal and the Czech Republic with 12 votes each.

France and Hungary led the opposition and the arguments, saying ministers would not be able to easily explain the outcome to the public.

- AFP/gn

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/international/eu-allows-cultivation-of/993838.html

11/2/14

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Related:

• Food safety: MEPs oppose authorising new genetically modified maize

• Σε αδιέξοδο η ΕΕ για το γενετικά τροποποιημένο αραβόσιτο

• Νέα νομοθεσία της Ε.Ε. για τους σπόρους: Απειλή για τις τοπικές ποικιλίες, ευνοϊκή για πατέντες & τεχνολογίες ελέγχου

• Μεταλλαγμένοι σπόροι ξανά στο προσκήνιο

• Έρευνα σοκ για το μεταλλαγμένο καλαμπόκι

• Ερώτηση Ν. Χουντή προς Κομισιόν για τη μελέτη που ενοχοποιεί τη Μονσάντο

Chemical waste worries Cretans. -Syrian chemical weapons arsenal to be destroyed in Mediterranean waters

Maja Jovic

The World Council of Cretans last week expressed its opposition and outrage to the proposed and 'secretly planned' destruction of chemical weapons from Syria in the Mediterranean sea areas west of Crete.
The response comes as the internationally praised August deal between the USA and Russia, to destroy the Syrian chemical arsenal, failed. The chemicals were meant to be transferred outside Syria by the end of December 2013 and destroyed by June 2014.
With the December deadline already missed, discussions now suggest the possibility of chemical waste being dumped in the Mediterranean, in an area between Crete, Malta and Libya. This scenario is becoming likelier since Italy has promised to offer a port for the two Danish and Norwegian ships which will transport the lethal chemical weapons.

The president of the World Council of Cretans, Tony Tsourdalakis, told Neos Kosmos that the council condemns this decision that could have a catastrophic impact on the island.
"We condemn the decision of the respective government to dump the Syrian chemicals to the South of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. This is a catastrophic decision of huge proportions, that will not only harm sea life, but will possibly cause health and contamination issues. Most importantly, it will deter tourists from the south coastal beaches of Crete, putting a large dint in the Greek tourist industry," he told Neos Kosmos.

Mr Tsourdalakis said the council believed that responsibility for the preservation and destruction of the chemical weapons lies with the countries of production that supplied the weapons to Syria.
"Certainly this was not Greece. The World Council of Cretans - and in particular the 500 Cretan organisations globally and one million Cretans in and out of Crete - express their utmost concerns and condemn these actions. We urge the Greek government, via its role in the United Nations and in light of the fact that it has the European presidency, to request that this dangerous, criminal and unacceptable action ceases immediately."
"We unite our voice with the voice of all Greeks to stop this crime that will certainly affect the health of nearby countries and even more Greece," he said.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has estimated that about 1,300 tons of chemical weapons, most of which are mustard gas based, will be destroyed via hydrolysis.
In the light of concerns over the environmental and health impact of the planned destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal in international waters west of Chania, intense concerns and opposition were expressed by the Medical Association of Chania.

"The procedure to be followed has not been elucidated completely and could possibly pose serious risks to the ecosystem of the region and the bordering regions, such as Chania. In particular, the reported hydrolysis process is not sufficient for complete inactivation of the derivatives of the quantities of chemical weapons of Syria to be destroyed," it was said in the statement.
The Medical Association of Chania urged the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Use of Chemical Weapons, the two organisations responsible for the destruction process of those chemicals, to adjust their schedules and to provide ultimate safety in the areas of chemical processing.
 http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/chemical-waste-worries-cretans
24/1/14
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Related:
 

• Massive protests in Italy due to arrival of toxic cargo from Syria 

• ΥΠΕΞ: Ανακοίνωση Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών για το ζήτημα της καταστροφής των χημικών όπλων του συριακού οπλοστασίου

• Italian mayors want guarantees on Syrian chemical transfer

• First chemical materials removed from Syria by ship

• Danish, Norwegian ships leave Limassol port for Syrian seacoast

• Nordic ships on call for Syria chemical shipment...

• Vessels for Syrian Chemical Arms Removal Dock in Cyprus

• OPCW Executive Council adopts plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme in the first half of 2014

Italian mayors want guarantees on Syrian chemical transfer

ROME - Mayors of Italian towns near the port designated as a transit site for Syria's chemical arsenal said on Friday they would protest at the decision unless they were guaranteed maximum security against any environmental or health risk.
"We want to make sure safety measures are at the maximum level and we want the government to better inform us so we can reassure our residents. If we are not better informed, then there will be protests," said Rosarno Mayor Elisabetta Tripodi.


The chemicals are being sent to Italy under an accord brokered by Russia and the United States after poison gas attacks in Syria's civil war in August that killed hundreds of people. The nerve gas agents are to be later destroyed at sea.
The Italian government has chosen Gioia Tauro, the country's biggest container port located in the southern region of Calabria, to move 560 tons of Syria's "priority A" chemicals from a Danish ship to an American one.
 jpost.com
17/1/14
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Related:

• First chemical materials removed from Syria by ship

• Danish, Norwegian ships leave Limassol port for Syrian seacoast

• Nordic ships on call for Syria chemical shipment...

• Vessels for Syrian Chemical Arms Removal Dock in Cyprus

• OPCW Executive Council adopts plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme in the first half of 2014

• 

  MV Cape Ray

  United States offers to destroy Syria’s Priority Chemicals./Σε πλοίο των ΗΠΑ θα καταστραφουν κάποια χημικά

Food safety: MEPs oppose authorising new genetically modified maize

The genetically modified maize “Pioneer 1507” should not be placed on the market for cultivation, because its insect-resistant pollen might harm non-target butterflies and moths, says the European Parliament in a resolution passed on Thursday. MEPs call on the EU Council of Ministers to reject its proposed authorisation, and urge the European Commission not to propose or renew authorisations of any GMO variety until risk assessment methods have been improved.


MEPs oppose the placing on the EU market of this genetically modified maize on the grounds that this would exceed the Commission’s implementing powers as laid down in EU rules on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs. In particular, they note that the Commission proposal fails to specify any “conditions for protection of particular ecosystems/environments and/or geographical areas", as required by the legislation.

The resolution was passed by 385 votes to 201 with 30 abstentions.

Adverse effects

In its February 2012 opinion, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) explicitly did not agree with the conclusion cited by Pioneer that there is negligible risk of maize line 1507 to non-target Lepidoptera in the EU, and pointed out that they may be at risk when exposed to its pollen.

Parliament also notes that maize 1507 is resistant to the herbicide glufosinate, and is marketed as such in the United States and Canada. However, the EU classifies glufosinate as toxic to reproduction and will not authorise its use after 2017, it points out.

Background

The last genetically modified crop to be authorised for cultivation in the EU was the Amflora potato, in 2010, but it was withdrawn from the EU market in December 2013, by order of the EU General Court (part of the Court of Justice). The only other GM crop authorised for cultivation in the EU is Monsanto’s MON 810 maize, but the renewal of its authorisation has been pending for years.

Procedure:  non-legislative resolution
europarl.europa.eu
16/1/14
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Related:

• Σε αδιέξοδο η ΕΕ για το γενετικά τροποποιημένο αραβόσιτο

• Νέα νομοθεσία της Ε.Ε. για τους σπόρους: Απειλή για τις τοπικές ποικιλίες, ευνοϊκή για πατέντες & τεχνολογίες ελέγχου

• Μεταλλαγμένοι σπόροι ξανά στο προσκήνιο

• Έρευνα σοκ για το μεταλλαγμένο καλαμπόκι

• Ερώτηση Ν. Χουντή προς Κομισιόν για τη μελέτη που ενοχοποιεί τη Μονσάντο

Deputy PM Expects Sabotage Attempts Against Russia in Arctic

MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s oil and gas extraction infrastructure in the Arctic could become a target for sabotage attempts by other countries as the race to exploit the Arctic shelf leads to conflicts of interest between competing nations, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

“The settlement of these conflicts could very easily exceed the boundaries of diplomacy. It’s quite possible that Russia’s oil and gas production facilities might see secret sabotage attempts by rival countries,” Rogozin, who is responsible for the defense industry in the government, said on Friday.
He added that Russia is not yet ready for such threats, which would require modern monitoring equipment able to operate both above ground and underwater.

According to Rogozin, Russia would need to identify the nature and source of the threat in order to strike back accordingly.
“NATO has long been discussing plans to reinforce the naval grouping in the Arctic region under the pretext of safeguarding commercial navigation,” Rogozin, who is Russia’s former envoy to Brussels, said without giving further details.
The race in the Arctic to exploit previously inaccessible resources, accounting for an estimated 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its untapped natural gas, has accelerated in recent years. Russian energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft have obtained licenses to explore the Russian continental shelf – an initiative that has been strongly opposed by environmentalists.
http://en.rian.ru
28/6/13
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Related:
 

• The Battle for the Arctic /Η αντιπαράθεση με το λιώσιμο των πάγων στην Αρκτικη

• Plateau continental arctique: la partie russe serait plus grande de 1,2 M km²

• Gazprom Still Undecided on Shtokman Arctic Field

• Greenpeace: Υποθαλάσσιο λάβαρο κατά των πετρελαϊκών γεωτρήσεων .... «Φύτεψαν» μια σημαία στο θαλάσσιο βυθό του Βόρειου Πόλου (VIDEO YT)

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  ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ:

  • Ζώνες ασφαλείας γύρω από τις πλατφόρμες στην ΑΟΖ

  • Πρωταρχικός στόχος επιθέσεων το τερματικό