Geographical Events

Getting rich by making things we don't need

2012-01-31T07:27:00.001Z

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0131/1224311002449.html#.TyeX6g7GTEo.email

---
This message was sent by peterlydon@iol.ie via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=k5Hu.er57PDn.PHyr7LMr__46vSv797.8vP5._vusP_x8Q in your web browser.

IDA sees record investment

2012-01-05T18:11:00.001Z

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0105/breaking25.html#.TwXnv9Ip-Ls.email

---
This message was sent by peterlydon@iol.ie via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=6KKDyIfIgcGKyZzDwoOhnpLJp8XC3rPPn8KUypbf3c6cwA in your web browser.

Climate activists unhappy at UN deal

2011-12-11T18:22:00.001Z

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1211/breaking2.html#.TuT0z6N0mcY.email

---
This message was sent by peterlydon@iol.ie via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=4ZWcxZjFnsyVxIPO3Y6ek43EmMjd06zCgM.Lx4nSwsODzQ in your web browser.

Croatia arrives, but Serbia must wait for EU accession

2011-12-10T10:24:00.001Z

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/1210/1224308870607.html#.TuMzd7uRJ4k.email

---
This message was sent by peterlydon@iol.ie via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=FVtQA1QDUgpZAk8IEUhHA08QRQhUFWAETAlHAUUUDgVPCw in your web browser.

New deal on Kyoto successor more likely

2011-12-05T22:57:00.001Z

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/1205/1224308581705.html#.Tt1MYOu4dv4.email

---
This message was sent by peterlydon@iol.ie via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=oVLcONg43jHVOcMznXPLOMMryTPYLuw_wDLLOskvgj7DMA in your web browser.

Global powers must lead way in new climate deal, says EU

2011-11-28T07:18:00.001Z

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/1128/1224308221580.html#.TtM1wcNpe2U.email

---
This message was sent by peterlydon@iol.ie via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar: http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em

To stop receiving any emails from AddThis please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=jLvno.Oj5aruoviopujwo_iw8qjjtdek.6nwofK0uaX4qw in your web browser.

irishtimes.com:Indonesia volcano erupts again

2010-10-31T01:01:00.001+01:00

Indonesia volcano erupts again

Indonesia's military evacuated villagers from the slopes of the
country�s most volatile volcano today as it unleashed a new powerful
explosion that claimed another victim and temporarily shut down an airport.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/1030/breaking5.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

Rupees and rituals: the rise and rise of Bollywood brides (The Irish Times, 08 Oct 2010, Page 12)

2010-10-10T02:58:00.001+01:00

Rupees and rituals: the rise and rise of Bollywood brides
MARY FITZGERALD inNewDelhi
The Irish Times
08 Oct 2010

WHEN IT comes to her forthcoming nuptials, Ritika has a firm idea of what she wants. “My wedding will be simple and elegant,” she says. Her mother Kumkum nods in agreement. “I recently attended a wedding which was way over the top,” she recalls....read more...

Maoists on the rise in lopsided economy (The Irish Times, 04 Oct 2010, Page 10)

2010-10-10T02:50:00.001+01:00

Maoists on the rise in lopsided economy

The Irish Times
04 Oct 2010

RAMESH WAS an illiterate teenage orphan when he joined the ragtag army that came to his village preaching Maoist revolution. During his years in the jungle he learned to read, write, and fire a gun. Ramesh says he left his cadre only because he wanted...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper WorldNews

IT jobs trickling down to rural India (The Irish Times, 05 Oct 2010, Page 12)

2010-10-10T02:33:00.001+01:00

IT jobs trickling down to rural India
MARY FITZGERALD Foreign Affairs Correspondent in Bagepalli, southern India
The Irish Times
05 Oct 2010

WITH FANS whirring lazily overhead, several lines of young men and women peer at flickering computer screens as the sound of hundreds of fingers tapping on keyboards fills the room. At first glance, the scene could be that of any office in the...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper World News

Boom for â€�God men’ as new rich seek balm for the soul (The Irish Times, 06 Oct 2010, Page 14)

2010-10-10T02:24:00.001+01:00

Boom for â€�God men’ as new rich seek balm for the soul
MARY FITZGERALD Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Karnataka, India This series was supported by a grant from Irish Aid’s Simon Cumbers Media Fund
The Irish Times
06 Oct 2010

INSIDE THE imposing five-storey meditation hall shaped like a lotus and covered with more than 1,000 marble petals, there are representations of several Hindu deities, but none as prominent as that of Lakshmi, a goddess of wealth and prosperity. Every...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper WorldNews

Caste divisions remain an obstacle to India’s progress (The Irish Times, 07 Oct 2010, Page 14)

2010-10-10T02:19:00.001+01:00

Caste divisions remain an obstacle to India’s progress
MARY FITZGERALD
The Irish Times
07 Oct 2010

SUNITA JATAV never imagined that something as innocuous as feeding some leftover chapatti to a local dog would incur the wrath of her village council. Nor did she expect elders to impose a fine of 15,000 rupees (â��245) – an enormous sum for any...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper World News

India stakes its claim (The Irish Times, 08 Oct 2010, Page 15)

2010-10-10T02:11:00.001+01:00

India stakes its claim

The Irish Times
08 Oct 2010

INDIA IS so much more than “impossible to ignore”. This is the understated claim made for it by foreign secretary Nirupama Rao to The Irish Times recently. Seventeen per cent of the world’s population, 1.2 billion people, half of them under 24, live in...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper Comment& Letters

irishtimes.com:Legacy of bad planning

2010-10-06T00:24:00.001+01:00

Legacy of bad planning

IN 2002, WHEN the Government published Ireland�s first National Spatial
Strategy (NSS), there was some incredulity that so many �gateways� and
�hubs� had been designated for growth � nine in each category; it was
as if our political leaders had adopted Gay Byrne�s oft-repeated Late
Late Show line about how there was �something for everyone in the
audience�. They could not bring themselves to make the really hard
choices that would have limited growth to a more select number of
centres outside Dublin, such as Cork and Limerick/Shannon, over the
period to 2020.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/1005/1224280402547.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:'Hundreds dead' in Mexico landslide

2010-09-28T18:20:00.001+01:00

'Hundreds dead' in Mexico landslide

A landslide that buried some 300 homes in southwestern Mexico early
today is feared to have killed hundreds while they slept, local
authorities and media said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0928/breaking47.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Breaking up Belgium would be hard to do

2010-09-12T01:07:00.001+01:00

Breaking up Belgium would be hard to do

Belgium�s Flemings and Walloons cannot form a government, and some say
the regions are ready for divorce. But who would get Brussels, the
national debt and the football team?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0911/1224278611490.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

Indonesia volcano erupts again

2010-09-07T19:55:00.004+01:00

An Indonesian volcano that lay dormant for 400 years shot ash 5km into
the air today in what was its biggest eruption since it became active
last week.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0907/breaking35.html

Moderate earthquake hits Iran

2010-09-07T19:51:00.002+01:00

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck southwestern Iran today,
the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of
any injuries or damage.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0907/breaking2.html

15 missing in Guatemala landslide

2010-09-07T19:50:00.002+01:00

Guatemalan emergency workers temporarily suspended their search for
victims of a massive landslide last night due to darkness.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0907/breaking1.html

Heavy rains strike Guatemala

2010-09-05T11:13:00.002+01:00

At least 18 people were killed in Guatemala yesterday as heavy rains
lashed the Central American nation and southern Mexico.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0905/breaking3.html

2010-09-04T00:10:00.003+01:00

Mayor: Quake hit city 'like an iceberg'

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker is thankful there has been no loss of life but there had been considerable damage across the city and outlying areas. Christchurch has been left devastated after a massive ... More

Earthquake strikes New Zealand's South Island

2010-09-03T23:48:00.003+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/03/earthquake-new-zealand-south-island
Earthquake strikes New Zealand's South Island
Quake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale hits west of Christchurch, with residents reporting collapsed buildings
Jo Adetunji and agencies
Saturday September 4 2010
The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/03/earthquake-new-zealand-south-island

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand's South Island tonight.
The quake hit 19 miles west of Christchurch, on the south of the island, at 4.35am local time. It shook a wide area with some residents reporting collapsed buildings, bridges and power cuts.
Christchurch, which has a population of around 400,000 people, was also rocked with a series of sharp aftershocks. Minor injuries have been reported but no deaths.
Colleen Simpson, from Christchurch, said panicked residents ran into the street in their pyjamas. She said some buildings had collapsed, there was no power, and the mobile telephone network had failed. "There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me," she told the Stuff news website.
Another person from Christchurch, Kevin O'Hanlon, said the jolt was extremely powerful.
"I was awake to go to work and then just heard this massive noise and 'boom'," he said. "It was like the house got hit. It just started shaking. I've never felt anything like it."
Bruce Russell, 50, said that although he lives in Lyttelton, a port town to the south of Christchurch, which is on firmer volcanic ground, the earthquake had been "very alarming."
"We were woken up at 4.30am and it swayed like a ship at sea," he said. "It was very alarming. We have no power, which is a problem across [Christchurch]. We're listening to reports on a wind-up radio. It's still very frightening."
Russell said he had not experienced an earthquake on this scale before.
There were local reports of looting on one of Christchurch's commercial shopping streets and police were advising residents to stay inside until given an all-clear.
The geological agency GNS Science said the earthquake struck at a depth of 21 miles below the Earth's surface and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said "no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed, based on historical earthqake and tsunami data".
New Zealand lies above an area of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates collide. The country records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year ? but only about 150 are usually felt. School children in the country often undertake earthquake drills.

guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2010

Low tax makes Ireland flag of convenience for some multinationals

2010-09-03T21:13:00.002+01:00

BACKGROUND:Not all companies lured by our generous tax regime have
brought much in terms of jobs and investment, writes CARL O'BRIEN, Chief reporter
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0903/1224278127779.html

irishtimes.com:A parched land that yields only suffering

2010-08-24T01:13:00.001+01:00

A parched land that yields only suffering

The Masai are just one tribe suffering from the harshest effects of
global desertification, writes JODY CLARKEin Kajiado, Kenya

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0824/1224277443317.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

Southern Sudan unveils plans to build animal-shaped cities - CNN.com

2010-08-22T09:50:00.001+01:00

* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

You have received the following link from peterlydon@iol.ie:

Click the following to access the sent link:

Southern Sudan unveils plans to build animal-shaped cities - CNN.com*


Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.

*This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/21/sudan.animal.shaped.cities/index.html?hpt=C1

irishtimes.com:China's water needs drives relocations

2010-08-14T10:14:00.001+01:00

China's water needs drives relocations

CHINA�S GROWING thirst for water is driving the biggest mass relocation
since the advent of the Three Gorges Dam, with 440,000 people moving to
make way for one of the biggest irrigation schemes in history.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0814/1224276812808.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:China landslide toll rises to over 700

2010-08-10T21:47:00.001+01:00

China landslide toll rises to over 700

Engineers battled today to drain an unstable lake created by China's
deadliest landslide in decades, fearing it could burst and swamp
devastated areas where people are still hunting for survivors.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0810/breaking32.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

Dam fails in eastern Iowa, causing massive flooding - CNN.com

2010-07-25T09:52:00.001+01:00

* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

You have received the following link from peterlydon@iol.ie:

Click the following to access the sent link:

Dam fails in eastern Iowa, causing massive flooding - CNN.com*


Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.

*This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/07/24/iowa.dam.breach/index.html?hpt=T2

Would Dublin drink the Shannon dry? (Weekend Review, 24 Jul 2010, Page W1)

2010-07-24T14:13:00.001+01:00

Would Dublin drink the Shannon dry?

Weekend Review
24 Jul 2010

“Water is life. It’s the briny broth of our origins, the pounding circulatory system of the world. We stake our civilisations on the coasts and mighty rivers. Our deepest dread is the threat of having too little – or too much”. Barbara Kingsolver,...read more...

Tech Tags: Weekend Review newspaper Front Page

Gazing into Belgium’s widening political and cultural gulf (The Irish Times, 20 Jul 2010, Page 9)

2010-07-20T10:07:00.001+01:00

Gazing into Belgium's widening political and cultural gulf
ARTHUR BEESLEY
The Irish Times
20 Jul 2010

FIVE WEEKS after Belgium's general election, the country's leaders are still working on a coalition pact in which Dutch-speaking Flemish separatists would share power with French-speaking Socialists. It's no sprint. The negotiation could continue for... read more...

Moral trade-off muddies aid or trade debate (The Irish Times, 16 Jul 2010, Page 14)

2010-07-16T11:17:00.001+01:00

Moral trade-off muddies aid or trade debate
SARAH CAREY
The Irish Times
16 Jul 2010

THE RECENT G20 summit ended with the usual vague commitments from rich nations to meet aid targets to the developing world. This time the grumbling about the value of such aid was a little more overt. You see, if you talk to any sensible expert, within... read more...

irishtimes.com:Council seeks to pump water daily from Shannon to Dublin

2010-07-14T10:56:00.001+01:00

Council seeks to pump water daily from Shannon to Dublin

DUBLIN CITY Council is to seek approval next week for a plan to pump
350 million litres of water per day from the river Shannon to serve the
capital�s drinking water needs for the next 70 years.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0714/1224274660568.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Clonmel set for flood-relief scheme

2010-07-07T23:32:00.001+01:00

Clonmel set for flood-relief scheme

THE CONSTRUCTION of a new flood-relief drainage system is expected to
begin in Clonmel in late August or early September, Minister of State
for Public Works Martin Mansergh announced yesterday.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0707/1224274191854.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

Fight for control of the river Nile

2010-06-26T12:08:00.002+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2010/jun/25/fight-for-river-nile

guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2010

Nothing plucky about breaking up Belgium

2010-06-24T20:54:00.002+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/21/belgium-flemish-nationalists-simon-jenkins
Nothing plucky about breaking up Belgium
Simon Jenkins defines the success of Flemish nationalists in Belgian elections as a bold step forward. It is anything but
Sophie De Schaepdrijver
Monday June 21 2010
guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/21/belgium-flemish-nationalists-simon-jenkins

The largest party to come out of the 13 June elections in Belgium is the New Flemish Alliance, which wants to get rid of Belgium. Its strategy, in the words of its leader, Bart De Wever, is to consign the Belgian state to "evolutionary evaporation". This matters to all of Europe, wrote Simon Jenkins [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/17/plucky-belgium-leading-the-way" title="Cif: Plucky Belgium is leading the way. Today Flanders, tomorrow Scotland]. As the headline puts it: "Plucky Belgium is leading the way. Today Flanders, tomorrow Scotland." Across the continent, "the craving for lower tier self-government refuses to die". And, as state-wide solidarity between regions dwindles, so may Europe-wide solidarity.
Jenkins's piece questions the pious truths of "euregionalism". He has a point. Did anyone, even in the dewy-eyed days of Freddy Heineken's 2002 "Eurotopia [http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/386-my-kingdom-for-a-beer-heinekens-eurotopia/" title="Strangemaps: My Kingdom for a Beer? Heinekens Eurotopia]", really think rich regions would extricate themselves from states only to get re-embroiled in the EU? If Flemings stop bailing out Walloons, why would they rush to assist Greeks?
Jenkins's Euroscepticism leads him to define all of this as a bold step forward. It is, of course, anything but. As the great Tony Judt argued more than a decade ago in his essay "Is There A Belgium? [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1999/dec/02/is-there-a-belgium/" title="NY Books: Is There A Belgium?]", the slow implosion of the Belgian state is indeed indicative of what happens on the wider European stage. But Judt did not define this as a good thing. The division of Belgium happened against the backdrop of the larger crisis of the state, and that was nothing to wax gleeful about: "In progressively dismantling and disabling the unitary state in order to buy off its internal critics, Belgians may have made a Faustian bargain," he wrote, warning that citizenries cast aside "a sense of cohesion and common purpose" at their own peril.
One may argue that regions offer a more genuine sense of common purpose than do states, and are therefore better able to protect their citizens. That is certainly De Wever's claim: strengthened Flemish governance will, he states, more decisively defend the prosperity and culture of "our 6 million people on that little patch of soil that is Flanders" [http://nos.nl/video/163947-tom-lanoye-vreest-voor-vlaamse-republiek-onder-de-wever.html" title="NOS.nl: Tom Lanoye vreest voor Vlaamse republiek onder De Wever">"our 6 million people on that little patch of soil that is Flanders].
But does fiscal egotism create communities other than the gated kind? Will a rhetoric of prosperous retrenchment accommodate future calls for sacrifice? This remains an open question. In 2009, the New Flemish Alliance issued campaign posters showing a motorway exit sign with the reassuring slogan "Exit to Flanders ? Way Out Of The Recession". The ubiquity of today's financial meltdown precludes such hubris. Yet the notion that inhabitants of a more autonomous Flanders will somehow be spared the vexing issues of the day remains strong. De Wever's secret strength lies in the fact that he is a genuine Flemish nationalist ? he would choose Flanders over prosperity if he had to. But he is careful not to tell his electorate.
There are other things De Wever remains silent about, such as the fate of Brussels in a divided Belgium. The New Flemish Alliance has grown strong on the campaign to detach the northern exurbs of Brussels, which are technically Flemish territory [http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-48040420100427" title="Reuters: What next for Belgium after government collapse?], from the capital's electoral district. For an outsider, it is hard to grasp the fierce emotions generated by this issue, until one understands that its parochialism is precisely its point: in Flemish nationalist rhetoric, Brussels ? French-speaking, ever more foreign ? is an "oil spill" to be dammed in.
Meanwhile, few Flemish autonomists want to get rid of Brussels altogether. Likewise, splitting the Belgian state down the middle is no option. So ? whither? One could think of strengthening the regions while defining a new role for Belgium, a polity that predated Flanders and Wallonia, after all (Jenkins's brief account of Belgian history since 1830 is deplorably inaccurate.) One could stop taking the division of public culture as a given ? see the opinions voiced on the discussion forum "Rethinking Belgium", by among others, De Wever's elder brother, Bruno, a professor of history [http://www.rethinkingbelgium.eu/about-rebel-initiative" title="Rethinking Belgium], or if you know Dutch, the most recent comment on Flanders and Belgium by the brilliant Flemish writer Tom Lanoye [http://www.foyer.be/IMG/pdf/Lanoye1.pdf" title="Belgi is geen land voor scherpslijpers en houwdegens (PDF)].
Alas, the road more commonly taken by too many politicians, Flemings and Walloons alike, is that of passive aggression ? a stance that, in a delirium of irresponsibility, hollows out all remaining sense of common purpose. They have a term for it in Belgium: in French "la strat?gie du pourrissement","verrottingsstrategie" in Dutch. There really is nothing "plucky" about it, unless, of course, one wishes to see the entire EU succumb to pourrissement.

guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2010

irishtimes.com:Bad zoning reason for failure of spatial plan

2010-06-19T10:22:00.000+01:00

Bad zoning reason for failure of spatial plan

THE 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) has failed to achieve its
objectives mainly because a pattern of excessive and inappropriate
zonings on the fringes of almost every town in Ireland undermined the
development of its �gateways� and �hubs�.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0619/1224272869385.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Likely poll win for Flemish separatists sparks fears

2010-06-12T01:27:00.001+01:00

Likely poll win for Flemish separatists sparks fears

BELGIANS GO the polls tomorrow, with hardline Flemish separatists
forecast to prevail among Dutch-speaking voters, threatening prolonged
political turmoil in the linguistically-divided country.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0612/1224272354072.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Public utility proposed to manage water resources

2010-06-04T21:22:00.001+01:00

Public utility proposed to manage water resources

A PUBLIC utility company should be established to manage water
resources and levy water charges nationally, one of the State�s leading
economists has said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0604/1224271819565.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:
Another possible point re: sustainability

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Irish companies join forces to tap geothermal energy

2010-05-31T00:51:00.001+01:00

Irish companies join forces to tap geothermal energy

ESB INTERNATIONAL (ESBI) plans to join with GT Energy to develop
systems for generating electricity from geothermal energy � heat
generated under the ground.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0531/1224271503796.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

BBC E-mail: Thousands flee volcanic eruptions

2010-05-29T22:18:00.001+01:00

Peter Lydon saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you
should see it.

** Thousands flee volcanic eruptions **
Thousands of people are forced to flee as two volcanos erupt in Guatemala and Ecuador, closing schools and airports.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/world/latin_america/10189054.stm >

** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/email >

** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.

If you do not wish to receive such e-mails in the future or want to know more about the BBC's Email a Friend service, please read our frequently asked questions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/4162471.stm

[From: Peter Lydon] Chinese engineers propose world's biggest hydro-electric project in Tibet

2010-05-24T23:47:00.002+01:00

Spotted on the guardian.co.uk site and thought you should see it.
To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co.uk site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/24/chinese-hydroengineers-propose-tibet-dam
Chinese engineers propose world's biggest hydro-electric project in Tibet
Mega-dam on Yarlung Tsangpo river would save 200m tonnes of CO2 but could spark conflict over downstream water supply
Jonathan Watts, Asia environment correspondent
Tuesday May 25 2010
guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/24/chinese-hydroengineers-propose-tibet-dam

Chinese hydropower lobbyists are calling for construction of the world's biggest hydro-electric project on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river as part of a huge expansion of renewable power in the Himalayas.
Zhang Boting, the deputy general secretary of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering, told the Guardian that a massive dam on the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo - the Tibetan name for the river - would benefit the world, despite the likely concerns of downstream nations, India and Bangladesh, which access water and power from the river.
Zhang said research had been carried out on the project, but no plan has been drawn up. But documents on the website of a government agency suggest a 38 gigawatt hydropower plant is under consideration that would be more than half as big again as the Three Gorges dam, with a capacity nearly half as large as the UK's national grid.
"This dam could save 200m tonnes of carbon each year. We should not waste the opportunity of the biggest carbon emission reduction project. For the sake of the entire world, all the water resources than can be developed should be developed." That CO2 saving would be over a third of the UK's entire emissions.
The mega-facility is among more than 28 dams on the river that are either planned, completed or under discussion by China, according to Tashi Tsering, a Tibetan scholar of environmental policy at the University of British Columbia.
Tsering publishes a map today [http://tibetanplateau.blogspot.com" title="] of all of the projects that have been reported by Chinese newspapers and hydro-engineering websites.
From this, he concludes that the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra ? until recently considered the last great undammed river in Tibet ? will be the next focus of government efforts to increase the nation's power supply. One of them is a map of planned dams [http://www.hydrochina.com.cn/zgsd/images/ziyuan_b.gif" title="] showing a 38-gigawatt hydro-plant at Motuo on the website of Hydro China, an influential government enterprise responsible for dam construction. A separate State Grid map of future transmission lines indicates the remote area will soon be connected to the rest of China's power supply. Hydro China and State Grid declined requests for clarification.
The government has not confirmed the existence of the scheme, but Tsering cites several newspaper reports of survey teams exploring the area and provides links to other online documents that indicate preparations for large-scale hydro-development of the area.
Given the huge expense, technical difficulties and political sensitivities of the scheme, it is far from certain of final approval by the government. But several Chinese hydroengineers see it as the ultimate goal in an accelerating race with India to develop water resources in one of the planet's last remote regions.
Tapping the power of the river as it bends and plunges from the Himalayan roof of the world down towards the Indian and Bangladeshi flood plains has long been a dream of the world's hydro-engineers.
Along with the Congo river at the Inga falls, this is considered one of the two greatest concentrations of river energy on earth, but it was long thought impossible to access because of the rugged, high-altitude terrain and the risk of water-related conflict with neighbouring countries.
But China has overcome many engineering obstacles with the construction of the railway to Tibet, and its growing energy demands are spurring exploration of ever more remote areas.
"Tibet's resources will be converted into economic advantage," Yan Zhiyong, the general manager of China Hydropower Engineering Consulting Group, told China Energy News earlier this year. "The major technical constraints on damming the Yarlung Tsampo have been overcome." He declined the Guardian's request for an interview, saying the subject was too sensitive.
The exploitation of the Brahmaputra is already under way. China recently announced plans to build five dams further upstream, including a 500MW hydroplant at Zangmu, which is under construction by the power utility Huaneng.
According to Tsering, the biggest of them will be a huge plant at the great bend ? either at Metog, known as Motuo in Chinese, or at Daduqia. The former would involve the construction of a series of tunnels, pipes, reservoirs and turbines to exploit the spectacular 2,000-metre fall of the river as it curls down towards India.
Although there has been no official confirmation of plans for a dam, the discussion is far from secret. On a prominent Chinese science forum [http://www.sciencenet.cn" title="], Zhang said a dam on the great bend was the ultimate hope for water resource exploitation because it could generate energy equivalent to 100m tonnes of crude coal, or all the oil and gas in the South China sea.
He warned that a delay would allow India to tap these resources and prompt "major conflict" in a region where the two nations have sporadically clashed over disputed territory.
"We should build a hydropower plant in Motuo ... as soon as possible because it is a great policy to protect our territory from Indian invasion and to increase China's capacity for carbon reduction," he wrote last year [http://www.sciencenet.cn/m/user_content.aspx?id=249662" title="]
Any step forward is likely to be controversial. Tibetans consider Metog a sacred region, and environmental activists warn against building such a huge project in a seismically active and ecologically fragile area.
"A large dam on the Tibetan plateau would amount to a major, irreversible experiment with geo-engineering," said Peter Bosshard of International Rivers. "Blocking the Yarlung Tsangpo could devastate the fragile ecosystem of the Tibetan plateau, and would withhold the river's sediments from the fertile floodplains of Assam in north-east India, and Bangladesh."
China's construction of dams also raises the prospect of a race with India to develop hydropower along south Asia's most important river.
"India needs to be more aggressive in pushing ahead hydro projects (on the Brahmaputra)," Jairam Ramesh, the Indian environment minister, told the Guardian during a recent visit to Beijing [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/apr/12/copenhagen-destroyed-danish-draft-leak" title="]. "That would put us in better negotiating position (with China).
To minimise the risk of water-related conflict, the two nations have agreed to share information about hydro-plans on the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra.
Indian media have raised concerns that Beijing may ultimately embark on a gigantic diversion scheme that would channel water away from India to the dry northern plains of China, but such fears are dismissed by Tsering, who says the dam at Metog would be for hydropower, not water diversion. "The laws of physics will not allow water diversion from the Great Bend."

If you have any questions about this email, please contact the guardian.co.uk user help desk: userhelp@guardian.co.uk.

guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2010
Registered in England and Wales No. 908396
Registered office: Number 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

irishtimes.com:Pfizer adds to the dole queues

2010-05-19T19:46:00.001+01:00

Pfizer adds to the dole queues

IRELAND’S FLIRTATION with pharmaceuticals, including Pfizer, goes back
a long way and has proved very beneficial. Coming in after food and
electrical goods, it is the third largest provider of manufacturing
jobs. Nine out of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies have
operations in Ireland where they produce seven out of the top 10
blockbuster drugs. Many of the jobs involved are highly-skilled and
well paid; the so-called smart jobs which we are told are more durable
than mere assembly jobs. The firms involved, mainly due to the lowest
company tax rate in Europe, have generated huge profits from their
Irish operations.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0519/1224270653949.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Paper bags bad, disposable nappies good

2010-05-18T17:02:00.001+01:00

Paper bags bad, disposable nappies good

What�s the true environmental impact of the things we do and buy? In a
new book, MIKE BERNERS-LEEhas calculated the carbon footprints of various human activities and natural phenomena, from the consumption of a tomato to the eruption of a volcano � with some surprising results

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/0518/1224270592685.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Pfizer announces plan to cut 785 jobs in Irish operations

2010-05-18T17:01:00.001+01:00

Pfizer announces plan to cut 785 jobs in Irish operations

Pharmaceutical firm Pfizer is to cut 785 jobs at its Irish operations
as it prepares to shed 6,000 jobs worldwide over the next five years.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0518/breaking29.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

Global security depends on tackling world hunger

2010-05-17T23:07:00.002+01:00

Global security depends on tackling world hunger

OPINION:Ireland is hosting a vital international meeting on food
security against a backdrop of worst recession since 1930s, writes PETER POWER, DAVID NABARROand TOM ARNOLD

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0517/1224270548434.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

irishtimes.com:West Clare hit by seismic tremor

2010-05-09T12:52:00.001+01:00

West Clare hit by seismic tremor

THE EARTH moved for residents in west Clare on Thursday night in what
was the first seismic tremor to have occurred in the region since
records began in 1978.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0508/1224269950839.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:West Clare hit by seismic tremor

2010-05-08T08:25:00.001+01:00

West Clare hit by seismic tremor

THE EARTH moved for residents in west Clare on Thursday night in what
was the first seismic tremor to have occurred in the region since
records began in 1978.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0508/1224269950839.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Prevailing wind to bring more ash

2010-05-06T00:22:00.001+01:00

Prevailing wind to bring more ash

WEATHER:THE NORTHWESTERLY winds which brought ash from the
Eyjafjallaj�kull volcano over Ireland resulting in the stoppage of
flights yesterday, are set to dominate the weather until tomorrow
evening, according to Met Eireann.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0505/1224269733099.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Emigration on rise to US and Britain

2010-05-06T00:16:00.001+01:00

Emigration on rise to US and Britain

THE NUMBER of Irish people emigrating to the US increased by 12 per
cent last year despite a significant drop in the number of temporary
visitors from Ireland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0505/1224269734931.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP :

irishtimes.com:Physical fabric of our country left in tatters

2010-05-05T13:52:00.002+01:00

Physical fabric of our country left in tatters
RENEWING THE REPUBLIC:We need to fashion a new sense of property and
planning if we are to heal the blighted landscape left as a legacy by
the boom
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0505/1224269725959.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BP tries to salvage status after Deepwater Horizon oil spill

2010-05-03T13:33:00.002+01:00

To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co.uk site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/02/bp-salvage-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill

BP tries to salvage status after Deepwater Horizon oil spill

British oil and gas group's chief executive says it accepts role as 'responsible party' for clean-up

Simon Bowers
Monday May 3 2010
The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/02/bp-salvage-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill

BP was fighting to save its reputation in the US, insisting the response effort was "the largest ever mobilised anywhere in the world".

The British oil and gas group, still bitterly remembered for the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 and for environmentally damaging pipeline leaks in Alaska, is reaching out to Louisiana communities, establishing town hall meetings and places for volunteers to enrol. It is also working with the local shipping community to make sure as many vessels as possible are available to help with the response effort.

BP's chief operations officer, Doug Suttles, denied that the company was not doing enough, insisting the response effort was "the largest ever mobilised". Meanwhile, BP America's chairman, Lamar McKay, told ABC News that the accident was caused by failed equipment, adding: "We don't know why it failed yet."

The cost to BP is $6m (?4m) a day, including attempts to cap the well, activate the cut-off valves known as the "blowout protector", and to disperse the expanding slick. Independent estimates have put the final bill at between $3bn and $12bn.

McKay said that efforts to trigger the blowout preventer were like carrying out "open heart surgery at 5,000 feet in the dark with robot-controlled submarines".

Tony Hayward, BP chief executive, has stressed BP accepts its role as "responsible party" for the clean-up and has pledged to cover all "legitimate and objectively verifiable" losses caused by the disaster. Yet BP is privately seeking to draw a distinction between the Texas City tragedy, where it was found directly responsible, and the Deepwater disaster, where Swiss firm Transocean was drilling on its behalf.

While the cause of the leak remains unclear, speculation centres on two areas: the "cementing" process to secure the well walls ? work that contractor Halliburton insists was completed 20 hours before the accident ? and the "blowout protector". The equipment, supplied by US firm Cameron International, "is the ultimate failsafe mechanism", Hayward said. "And for whatever reason, it failed to operate."

"BP will be graded on the things that I established early on that were the goals of this operation," said Admiral Thad Allen of the US Coast Guard. "The ability to stop the leak at its source; the ability to attack the oil at sea; to protect the resources ashore; and to recover and mitigate the impacted areas."

If you have any questions about this email, please contact the guardian.co.uk user help desk: userhelp@guardian.co.uk.

guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2010
Registered in England and Wales No. 908396
Registered office: Number 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit guardian.co.uk - newspaper website of the year
www.guardian.co.uk www.observer.co.uk

Immigration numbers fell in first quarter of year (The Irish Times, 03 May 2010, Page 7)

2010-05-03T13:12:00.001+01:00

Immigration numbers fell in first quarter of year
JAMIE SMYTH Social Affairs Correspondent
The Irish Times
03 May 2010

THE NUMBER of Poles registering to work or to apply for welfare services in the Republic fell by 40 per cent in the first quarter of the year, new figures show. In the three months to the end of March this year 1,815 Polish nationals were issued with... read more...

NYTimes.com: Tracking the Oil Spill

2010-05-02T15:11:00.002+01:00

U.S. | May 01, 2010
Tracking the Oil Spill
The map sequence shows how the oil spill is spreading in the Gulf of Mexico.



Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company \| Privacy Policy

TV pundits ask whether oil slick is Obama’s Katrina’ (The Irish Times, 01 May 2010, Page 13)

2010-05-02T14:54:00.002+01:00

TV pundits ask whether oil slick is Obama’s Katrina’
LARA MARLOWE in Washington
The Irish Times
01 May 2010

TELEVISION COMMENTATORS yesterday began asking whether the oil spill off the coast of Louisiana “will be [President Barack] Obama’s Katrina moment”, an allusion to the hurricane in 2005 that gave GeorgeWBush’s administration a reputation for tardy and...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper World News

Cap pays food producers €2bn (The Irish Times, 01 May 2010, Page 2)

2010-05-02T14:53:00.002+01:00

Cap pays food producers â��2bn
JASON MICHAEL
The Irish Times
01 May 2010

NEARLY â��2 BILLION was paid to Irish farmers and businesses under the EU Common Agricultural Policy ( Cap) in 2009, according to the Department of Agriculture. The names of all Cap recipients from October 16th, 2008, to October 15th, 2009, have been...read more...

Tech Tags: The Irish Times newspaper Home News