Thursday, August 5th, 2010
There is growing consensus that rapid urbanisation is now inevitable and irreversible. More than half the world’s population lives in cities and the number is likely to increase, possibly touching a projected 69.6 per cent by 2050. The world, it seems, has taken a definitive urban turn. This phenomenon, unlike decades before, is today viewed
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
DUTCH NEWS – Amsterdam’s 17th century canal rings have been placed on the Unesco world heritage list, the UN organisation announced on Sunday. The area has had official protected status from the Dutch government since 1999. Read More
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
TELEGRAPH UK – Why the UK’s leader in the embryonic ‘rainwater harvesting’ market might need legislative change and a new sales strategy to maintain growth in austere times. Read More
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
SAT NEWS – Acoustic tests on a new generation of Glonass-K navigation satellite have been completed at a plant in southern Russia. “These types of experimental tests were carried out to confirm the resilience of the Glonass-K satellite to the acoustic pressure which will be applied on it when it is orbited,” a statement by the
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
WETLANDS INT – The disastrous forest fires that are currently raging in Russia have led to significant fires in the drained and degraded peatlands. These occur close to Moscow and densely populated areas in Central European Russia. They are causing huge air pollution problems as well as direct risks for the people in the region.
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
THE ATLANTIC – John Gerth, of the computer science department at Stanford, sent a link to a powerful illustration, by Latoya Egwuekwe, of the spreading effects of unemployment across the country during this recession. The animated version is here, and a sample frame, showing conditions back in the palmy days: Read More
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
BCS – UK local authorities are to increasingly use location specific data for public-facing services, according to a new report.Recently-released research from Pitney Bowes Business Insight has revealed that 44 per cent of UK councils have started to use mapping data for their public service offerings. Read More
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Real-time data on Defra’s energy usage at our London headquarters can now be viewed online to show exactly how much energy we are using. The online tool captures and displays real-time energy information with updates every five seconds providing an overview of the energy consumption, cost and carbon dioxide emissions. This approach ensures that Defra
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
The Payload Module of ESA’s latest meteorological satellite, MetOp-B, has been hauled out of the largest vacuum chamber in Europe: its ability to operate in the harsh conditions of space has been proved. Read More
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
BARENTS OBSERVER – Defence authorities have approved plans for a new wind power plant in Malå, northern Sweden. Defence officials long believed that the 22 windmill park would hamper flight activities in the area. Defence experts now conclude that the wind park does not threaten air traffic in the area, Norran.se reports. Read More
