Environmental Issues

[rynner2]

The UK's lack of fracking regulation is insane
The UK government must not permit further drilling of shale gas until we can be assured that fracking is safe

Before the government approves a new industrial process in the UK it must have ensured that it won't harm either people or the environment. Mustn't it? That's what any sane person would expect. Any sane person would be wrong.

One year ago, a company called Cuadrilla Resources began drilling exploratory shafts into the rock at Preese Hall near Blackpool, in north-west England, to begin the UK's first experiments with extracting gas trapped in formations of shale. The process – called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking - involves pumping a mixture of water, sand and drilling fluids at high pressure into the rock, to split it apart and release the natural gas it contains. In June, Cuadrilla temporarily suspended its operations as a result of two small earthquakes in the area, which might have been caused by the fracking. The experiment is likely to resume soon. Cuadrilla has also started exploratory drilling at two other sites in the region.

Here are the issues that must be resolved if we are to be assured that fracking is a safe and responsible process.

He then explores these issues in depth (so to speak!)

1. Contamination

2. Water use

3. Greenhouse gases

4. Raising fossil fuel reserves

Earlier this month, two campaigners hung banners from Blackpool tower in protest against Cuadrilla's plans to resume drilling at Preese Hall. In mid-September a group of activists will be setting up Camp Frack, not far from Cuadrilla's rig, to plan a campaign against the exploitation of shale gas. We should wish them luck.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/g ... es-resolve

 

[rynner2]

Our Rivers campaign reveals 'blacklist'

Wildlife campaigners have published a list of 10 rivers in England and Wales where they say environmental problems have not been tackled properly.
The Our Rivers group released the list, which includes the Thames and Trent, after the Environment Agency last week named the top 10 most-improved rivers.

They say pollution, over-abstraction of water and invasive species are threatening hundreds more waterways.
The agency said a multi-billion pound improvement programme was under way.

The Our Rivers campaign said whilst it was right to celebrate improvements, an ongoing threat to wildlife could not be ignored.
The group, which includes the RSPB, WWF-UK, the Angling Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association, said two-thirds of rivers were failing tough EU targets for water quality.

"Most of the 10 rivers highlighted in the Environment Agency's report last week are doing well, but it is a different story for many hundreds of other rivers crossing England and Wales," said campaigner Jack Clarke.

"The stories we hear from people living near these rivers are all too familiar - salmon and trout numbers at a fraction of their former levels, sewage being released directly into the waterway, and riverbeds drying up in the summer due to unsustainable abstraction.
"The 10 rivers we have chosen illustrate these problems, but they are only examples of a much wider issue."

The Our Rivers list named the Thames, despite it appearing on the Environment Agency's list of most improved waterways.
Campaigners acknowledged that water quality had improved in the Thames, but said attempts to create a self-sustaining salmon population had failed.

The other rivers in the list of 10 waterways were: the Hampshire Avon; the Rea, in Birmingham; the Trent, the Kennet, the Beane, the Mimram, the Ivel, the Wye and the Ray.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "Rivers in England and Wales have improved dramatically, but there's still a lot to do.
"An ambitious multi-billion pound programme is under way to ensure improvement continues."

Last week, the agency named the top 10 rivers that had shrugged off their industrial past to become havens for wildlife and walkers again.

The agency's list included the River Wandle in London which was officially declared a sewer in the 1960s and the River Nar in Norfolk.
Also included were the Wear in Co Durham, Stour in Worcestershire, Darent in Kent, Dee in Wales and north-west England, Taff in south Wales, Stour in Dorset, and Mersey Basin in north-west England.

Ian Barker, head of land and water at the agency, said Britain's rivers were "the healthiest for over 20 years".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14858080

 

[rynner2]

The problem of the Thames:

David Walliams's Thames swim: it will take a super-sewer to get London out of this mess
Unless we act, neither man nor beast will survive the Thames in 10 years’ time,
writes Boris Johnson.

If I were not so infernally busy, I think I would go to the banks of the Thames and cheer for David Walliams as he continues his epic downriver migration....

He has only one thing to fear, as he porpoises along...
...The thing he has to worry about is rain.

Yes, rain is the danger, even for a man in a wetsuit and immersed in the Thames. Because as soon as it rains more than 2mm, the sewers of London are no longer able to cope with their burden and pwooosh – the Bazalgette interceptors are discharged into the Thames, with consequences that simply cannot be ignored.

It is not just that poor David Walliams will be at yet graver risk of an upset stomach, or that the rowers of Putney start to find the water full of unmentionable items. Nor is it just the massacre of fish and other aquatic life-forms. We are facing the long-term deterioration in Thames water quality, and unless we act now I am afraid no one in their right mind will be swimming this river in 10 years’ time – certainly not beyond Teddington.

The sewers of London are already so full, and so much rainfall now sluices into them off the concrete and tarmac rather than sinking into the turf, that these Bazalgette interceptors are already exploding into the Thames about 50 times a year, and the discharge rate is increasing the whole time.

When Joseph Bazalgette built his remarkable system, he thought big. His sewers are still robust, and they are impressive feats of architecture and engineering. But they were designed for a city of 2.5 million people; and the population of London is now pushing eight million, and heading for nine. :shock:

In one of the crimes for which we are truly all guilty, society is now discharging an awful 50 million tons of raw sewage into the river in London alone, and unless we are bold in our plans, that figure will rise to 70 million tons in 10 years; and no matter how gutsy David Walliams may be, his future swims could well be banned by elf ’n’ safety.

When Bazalgette designed his interceptors, in response to the Great Stink of 1858, he assumed that they would only kick into action in emergencies – truly torrential downpours of a kind that happen once or twice a year. That is why it is time to recognise that we can no longer rely on Victorian capital, and why Thames Water is right to be consulting on its proposed super-sewer, known as the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Of course, it must construct this cloaca maxima in a way that minimises hassle for local people and avoids damage to riparian beauty spots. But the basic idea is excellent, and essential. At a depth of 75 metres – below the Tube and other excavations – and with a bore the width of three buses, this huge tunnel will run winding beneath the course of the Thames from Richmond to a series of vastly improved and upgraded East End sewage works. A separate leg of the tunnel is proposed to run from Abbey Mills to the Beckton sewage plant, to end or greatly reduce the discharge into the Lee. It is a breathtakingly ambitious project, on a scale that would have attracted the approval of Brunel and Bazalgette themselves.

We have the prospect of protecting Walliams and other migratory forms of river life, such as sea-trout and salmon, and of ensuring that a much cleaner and sweeter river flows through the heart of the city. If we fail to act, we face smells and pestilence and a serious reduction in our quality of life.

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/colu ... -mess.html

 

[rynner2]

Eleven dogs hit by new outbreak of Sandringham bug
By Mail On Sunday Reporter
Last updated at 10:03 PM on 17th September 2011

A mystery seasonal illness that can kill dogs has returned to the Queen’s estate at Sandringham.
Eleven dogs have fallen ill in the past two weeks within hours of being walked in woods on the Norfolk estate, which are open to the public. Last autumn 37 dogs contracted the so-called Seasonal Canine Illness after visiting Sandringham - and six died. The illness was first identified at the estate and other woodland areas in 2009. Cases always occur between September and November.

The Queen, a well-known dog lover, was reportedly so worried that she personally requested the Animal Health Trust (AHT) veterinary charity to investigate.
The cause has not been pinpointed but it is believed bacteria, blue-green algae or fungal spores are responsible. Symptoms in dogs affected include vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy.
Signs have been put up at Sandringham warning dog owners.

Dr Richard Newton, who is leading the AHT investigation, said: ‘We want to arm dog owners with as much information as we can. Unfortunately, we are looking for a small needle in a very large haystack.
‘We weren’t aware of any cases in 2011, then suddenly at the start of September we had a flurry of reports.
‘Because owners have contacted us as soon as the dogs have been taken ill, we’ve been able to identify specific areas where they have been walked.
‘This is helping to focus our investigation on smaller areas, meaning that we’re getting closer to the culprit.’

Buckingham Palace has refused to confirm that the Queen has stopped exercising her corgis on the estate.
But Royal shooting parties that use other dogs to retrieve dead and injured birds are expected to continue as normal when the pheasant and woodcock shooting season starts on October 1.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: ‘We would not be able to give the Queen’s opinion but it is fair to say that the Sandringham estate is concerned and is taking the reports of the sick dogs very seriously. The estate has been taking steps to warn people.’

Charlotte Richardson, 36, of Hull, whose 11-year-old springer spaniel Amber needed £1,200 of veterinary treatment when she fell ill after being walked at Sandringham last September, has set up a Facebook campaign group called ‘Stop our woodlands poisoning our dogs’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1YIht2vUe

 

[rynner2]

Demolition begins on largest dam dismantling project in the U.S.
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:59 PM on 18th September 2011

Work has begun on the largest dam dismantling project in the U.S.
An emotional ceremony was marked by references to the spiritual and cultural importance to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe of the removal of two dams from the Elwha River near Port Angeles.
Removal of that 210-foot-tall dam and the 108-foot-tall Elwha Dam is part of the second-largest ecosystem restoration project ever undertaken by the National Park Service, after the Everglades.

The $325 million project is expected to last three years and eventually restore the Olympic Peninsula river to its wild state and restore salmon runs.
Before two towering concrete dams were built nearly a century ago, the river teemed with salmon but the structures blocked the fishes' access to upstream habitat, diminished their runs and altered the ecosystem.

An excavator began chipping away at the top of Glines Canyon Dam on Thursday.
The ceremony included drumming, singing, dancing and a blessing by tribal elder Ben Charles Sr., who made several references to tribal ancestors looking down from the clouds and witnessing the event.
A few hundred people and several dozen Chinook salmon gathered near the Elwha Dam on Saturday to witness the beginning of the process to let the Elwha River run free and restore five species of Pacific salmon to more than 70 miles of river and stream.

The ceremony concluded with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar leading a call, echoed by whoops from the crowd, to have a large piece of earthmoving equipment with a golden bucket break up a piece of concrete just upstream of the dam and carry some pieces to the bank where dignitaries were waiting.
'America's rivers are the lifeblood of America's economy - from the water for farms that produce our food to the fish and wildlife that sustain our heritage,' Salazar said.
'This restoration project is a testament to what can happen when diverse groups find a way to work together and achieve shared goals of restoration for a river, a people, an ecosystem and a national park,' said National Park Services Director Jon Jarvis.

Biologists estimate the Elwha River salmon populations will grow from 3,000 to more than 300,000 as five species of Pacific salmon return to the river.
The return of the fish will bring bear, eagles and other animals back to the ecosystem that has been stunted since 1911 when the Elwha Dam was constructed.
Officials also expect fisherman, rafters and other recreation seekers to return to the river and add to the local economy.

Salazar noted that the river restoration will help support the culture of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which has lived along its banks for centuries.
Tribal members will again have access to sacred sites now under water and the opportunity to renew cultural traditions.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1YPCJpl00

 

[Kondoru]

A Heartening story, but what good will it do except being the salmon back and satisfy some conservatives?

 

[rynner2]

Panorama - Drinking Our Rivers Dry?

Most of our water comes from rivers, and environmentalists fear we are pushing some of them and the wildlife they support to the edge. With many of Britain's rivers at the limit of what can sustainably be taken from them, Simon Boazman investigates whether the water industry and its regulators are doing enough to protect the nation's rivers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... ivers_Dry/

 

[rynner2]

Children want to learn about the environment, survey finds
Pupils would rather study green issues than traditional subjects such as science and history, data from the Co-operative shows
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 20 September 2011 06.30 BST

Children are so concerned about the environment they would rather learn about it than traditional subjects such as science and history, a survey found today.
And while parents struggle to answer their children's questions on environmental problems, they are bending to pester power to be more green, the research from the Co-operative showed.

The survey of 1,027 youngsters aged seven to 14 revealed that 82% of children rated learning about green issues as important, putting it ahead of science, history, IT and art, and only slightly behind English and maths.

Two-thirds want to learn more about wildlife and nature, almost as many (62%) want to learn about green issues, and almost half (47%) want to learn more about where food comes from.

This compares with just 37% who want to learn more about art, 36% for IT and 35% for science, the survey found.

Almost all the children (96%) were either very or a little bit worried about people damaging the planet, and almost as many (93%) said they recycled, while 85% turn off the tap when they brush their teeth and three-quarters (77%) turn off lights and appliances.

Almost two-thirds (64%) say they have an influence on their parents' green behaviour and a poll of 1,002 adults who have children aged seven to 14 suggests the children are right.
Six out of 10 parents say their children persuade them to be greener.
But with 41% of parents saying they did not learn about the environment at all when at school, half of those quizzed struggle to answer their children's queries on the subject.

And parents are confused about what causes climate change, with two-thirds thinking it is the result of the hole in the ozone layer, more than half (55%) think carbon monoxide is involved and 34% think acid rain has a role.

The Co-operative released the findings to mark the official launch of its Green Schools Revolution education programme which will give signed-up schools access to a wide range of classroom resources and activities.
Classes will also have the opportunity to visit a Co-operative windfarm to see renewable energy in action, and seven Co-operative farms to see firsthand how food grows and how to cook it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... -operative

It's good news that the next generation is taking an interest in these things. Let's hope it's not yet too late to save the world.

And Environmental Issues naturally bring in a lot of standard science (physics, chemistry, biology), so their general education will not be harmed. Indeed the opposite should be true, since a motivated child will learn more than one who's 'not interested'.

 

[rynner2]

Vast reserves of shale gas revealed in UK
Huge natural gas field in north-west England revealed, but environmentalists alarmed at controversial fracking method
Terry Macalister guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 21 September 2011 21.35 BST

The huge scale of a natural gas field discovered under the north-west of England has been revealed, potentially revolutionising the UK's energy outlook and creating thousands of jobs, but environmental groups are alarmed at the controversial method by which the gas is extracted.

Preliminary wells drilled around Blackpool have uncovered 200 trillion cubic feet of gas – equal to the kind of recoverable reserves of big energy exporting countries such as Venezuela, according to Cuadrilla Resources, a small energy company which has the former BP boss Lord Browne on its board. It said up to 800 more wells might be drilled in the region, creating 5,600 jobs and promising a repeat of the "shale gas revolution" that swept the US, sending local energy prices spinning downwards.

Even if only a relatively small fraction of gas could be exploited, it could trigger a rush of drilling in other parts of the UK at a time when Britain is running out of North Sea reserves.

But Cuadrilla's extravagant claims have alarmed environmentalists and unnerved supporters of wind power. Green groups are opposed to the hydraulic fracturing – "fracking" – process by which the gas is unlocked from shale rock, pointing out it remains banned in parts of the US and France over fears that water aquifers could be contaminated.

The process involves drilling a well then pumping in millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure. The pressure fractures underground shale deposits and opens fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well. For each frack, 80-300 tonnes of chemicals may be used, critics claim.
The natural gas industry does not have to disclose the chemicals used, but scientists have identified volatile organic compounds such as toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and benzene, the latter of which is a strong carcinogen.

A 2010 US documentary film, Gasland, showed homeowners setting fire to the water coming out of their taps, such was the volume of methane contained in the water. The flames were said to be the result of nearby fracking operations contaminating the water supply, but the oil industry has denied this.

Mark Miller, chief executive of Cuadrilla, said he was enormously encouraged by the potential of the Lancashire region, which appeared to have the same potential as the best shale gas producing areas in Texas. He said it was not possible to say what the exact amount of recoverable reserves would be without further drilling and he admitted 200 trillion cubic feet was a very large number

"Typical extraction rates in the US on a well by well basis would be between 10% and 30% [of the reserves in place] but it all depends on the number of wells we drill," he added. About 400 wells could be expected as a conservative estimate, he said, with up to 800 in the licence area between Blackpool and Southport over the next 15 years.

Cuadrilla, which used the fracking process five times on the first well but has since stopped, said it was drawing up a plan to be handed over to Department of Energy and Climate Change shortly. "We won't carry forward [any further fracking] till DECC has seen the report and is happy about public safety," said Miller.

The shale gas finds are largely due to new technology being used to produce the wells, and oil companies are busy looking for new discoveries in places as far afield as Poland and China.

Shale gas represents a potential problem for governments trying to reduce CO2 emissions, as there are significant emissions when it is burned. However, it is also a potentially much cheaper alternative to wind and solar power, which both currently require public subsidies.

The environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth said it remained totally opposed to any more fracking until the safety and environmental impact was fully understood. "We are also worried that a new shale gas goldmine would take money away from renewables," said a spokeswoman.

The Co-operative, which is championing renewables in its new retail energy business, also expressed concerns about the upbeat statements coming out of Cuadrilla, which is partly owned by the Australian oil services group AJ Lucas.
"On the face of it, new natural gas finds appear to be good news, but the government must not be seduced by this without considering all the impacts of shale gas extraction," said Paul Monaghan, head of social goals at the Co-operative group.
"That is why we are calling for a moratorium on any further exploitation of shale gas, which will allow the wider environmental concerns to be fully exposed and addressed."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011 ... dallas-sea

NB:

Cuadrilla hopes to start work on more test wells this autumn. However, it is currently banned from drilling over fears this caused a tremor in Blackpool earlier this year. It is waiting for the Government to decide whether it can restart.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... -jobs.html

 

[rynner2]

Ministers to consult on 80mph motorway speed limit

The Department of Transport is to launch a consultation on increasing the speed limit on England and Wales' motorways from 70mph to 80mph.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the current limit, introduced in 1965, was out of date due to "huge advances in safety and motoring technology".
The consultation begins this year with a view to raising the limit in 2013.

The Department for Transport says as many as 49% of drivers flout the current 70mph limit.
It says advances in technology have made cars much safer, contributing to a drop of more than 75% in the number of people killed on British roads since the 70mph limit was introduced.
As a result, it says it is time to look again at whether the current limit is "still appropriate".
But road safety charity Brake said it was opposed to any policy which could increase deaths on the road.

Mr Hammond said England and Wales' roads "should be the arteries of a healthy economy".
He added: "Now it is time to put Britain back in the fast lane of global economies and look again at the motorway speed limit which is nearly 50 years old, and out of date thanks to huge advances in safety and motoring technology.
"Increasing the motorway speed limit to 80mph would generate economic benefits of hundreds of millions of pounds through shorter journey times."

Mr Hammond also said that motoring technology has "moved on enormously" from when the original limit was introduced.
"Cars are much safer, they have more sophisticated equipment now than they did 40 or so years ago. They are capable of driving safely at higher speeds. There are enormous economic benefits to be had by increasing the speed limit and shortening journey times.
"And the current limit has lost its legitimacy. We all know that many, many motorists who are otherwise law-abiding citizens routinely ignore the 70 miles per hour limit."
Mr Hammond also said he did not think the rise would have a "significant impact on safety".
He added: "The experience in other countries where the limit has been raised, is that actually, the average increase in speed is really, very small.
"What we are doing here, is bringing a lot of drivers who currently, routinely break the speed limit, back on the right side of the law - and that has to be a good thing."

The government says road safety remains a priority, and says it is taking action to tackle uninsured drivers and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

BBC political correspondent Vicki Young said there had been some concerns within the cabinet about the change - Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is said to be concerned about road safety and and Energy Secretary Chris Huhne was worried about the pollution impact.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "There are good reasons for making 80 the new 70, and good reasons not to. Drivers travelling that 10mph quicker might reach their destination sooner but will use about 20% more fuel and emit 20% more CO2.

"There is also likely to be a slight increase in road casualties. And what about enforcement? If police follow existing guidelines, many people could do 90mph before action is taken."

Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Increasing the motorway speed limit to 80mph would not help the economy and would increase costs for drivers.
"It would also add to pollution and increase road casualties. Responsible motorists know that driving steadily at or below 70mph is most fuel-efficient, reduces jams and is safer.
"This is an empty gesture that in the end would not benefit anyone."

Ellen Booth, senior campaigns officer at road safety charity Brake, said: "We are strongly opposed to the idea of raising the motorway speed limit.
"We would be strongly opposed to any policy that would increase deaths on the roads.
"To have such a policy would be unethical. Each death on the road affects not only the victim but their family too."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15116064

This 10mph increase in the speed limit wil not however decrease journey times by a factor of 7/8, but will increase pollution by a factor much larger than 8/7.

Just because it's safer to drive faster nowadays doesn't mean that we should.

 

[Kondoru]

Or you could be like me and make sure you dont need to go fast.

Only uncool people hurry.

 

[rynner2]

America is a much larger country than the UK, but much of it has lower speed limits than Britain. Only a few States have a limit of 75mph.

Details: http://www.iihs.org/laws/speedlimits.aspx

Mr Hammond said England and Wales' roads "should be the arteries of a healthy economy".
...
"Increasing the motorway speed limit to 80mph would generate economic benefits of hundreds of millions of pounds through shorter journey times."

Slightly shorter journey times, paid for in higher fuel bills and more pollution. Where's the economic benefit in that?

And the slightly shorter journey times cannot be guaranteed, as weather, traffic, accidents etc, can always throw a spanner in the works, so it would be foolish to rely on higher speeds in general business planning.

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

The spirit of Jeremy Clarkson is abroad in the Houses of Parliament. String backed gloves, corduroy jackets with suede elbow patches and elephant arsed blue denim jeans.

 

[GNC]

Drivers: get to your destination sooner by starting the journey earlier.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Drivers: get to your destination sooner by starting the journey earlier.

Strangely, the time dilation effect around Cambridge this week meant that when I set off earlier, I somehow got in later...

 

[ramonmercado]

Drivers: get to your destination sooner by starting the journey earlier.

Strangely, the time dilation effect around Cambridge this week meant that when I set off earlier, I somehow got in later...

You were obviously abducted by aliens! That explains the extra time.

 

[Kondoru]

No! Obviously since you were effected by time dilation, you were driving close to the speed of light!

Which means you were driving Too Fast...

 

[Mythopoeika]

No! Obviously since you were effected by time dilation, you were driving close to the speed of light!

Which means you were driving Too Fast...

In a Citroen Nemo Multispace? Nah.

 

[rynner2]

The Transition movement: Today Totnes... tomorrow the world
What began as one town's experiment with reducing its reliance on oil has now spread to 35 countries around the globe
By Sarah Morrison
Sunday, 2 October 2011

Its founder believes it is our best hope for a future after the worldwide banking crisis. Now, it seems, a growing number of people are starting to agree. The "Transition" movement has grown eightfold since the recession hit three years ago and is now operating in 35 countries around the world.

When the first Transition town was established five years ago in Totnes, Devon, the "experiment" was simple. Like-minded people would work on creating a more sustainable community to reduce their dependency on oil. By 2008, there were 100 registered initiatives in 11 countries. Today, there are more than 850 Transitions in three times as many countries. More than 300 groups have signed up in the past year.

Transition now operates in countries including Latvia, Thailand, Nigeria, India and the US. Recent projects have sprung up in favelas in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the newest initiative to be registered is from Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.

To its founder, Rob Hopkins, the reason for this explosive growth is obvious. "Communities are realising they are more vulnerable, and the current situation means people are less complacent about where the economic activity of the future is going to come from," he says. "Transition doesn't wait for permission to get started; it is about ordinary people making things happen within a bigger strategic context."

The movement is not without its critics, whether lambasted for not being radical enough, for a lack of practical guidance, or for failing to appeal to those outside the white, middle-class demographic. Much of the criticism has come from within sustainability circles themselves. Transition is proudly "apolitical" and while it works with local government, it stays clear of lobbying Parliament. But, for some, this is its major flaw.

"It's wonderful to see people acting locally to do something about climate change, but you can't run the whole economy on that. You need government involvement as well," says Peter North, a senior lecturer in human geography at the University of Liverpool. "Transition can sometimes help politicians show something good is happening locally, while allowing 'business as usual' to carry on everywhere else."

Despite Mr Hopkins's refusal to become affiliated with any party, the significance of the movement is not lost on politicians. When his first Transition Handbook was published in 2008, outlining the 12 steps needed to become part of the low-carbon movement, it was ranked number five on the MPs' list of summer reading. Ed Miliband called the movement the "vanguard of that persuasion".

Now, two days before the local launch of his second book, The Transition Companion, it is clear that Mr Hopkins is even more ambitious when it comes to the scope of the movement's work. Out goes the focus on abstract notions of "peak oil" and in comes an emphasis on "social enterprises", economic development and growth. In the book's introduction, Mr Hopkins appeals to the network to "create projects and infrastructure that are economically viable".

etc...

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 64355.html

 

[rynner2]

Arctic ozone loss at record level
By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News

Ozone loss over the Arctic this year was so severe that for the first time it could be called an "ozone hole" like the Antarctic one, scientists report.
About 20km (13 miles) above the ground, 80% of the ozone was lost, they say.

The cause was an unusually long spell of cold weather at altitude. In cold conditions, the chlorine chemicals that destroy ozone are at their most active.
It is currently impossible to predict if such losses will occur again, the team writes in the journal Nature.
Early data on the scale of Arctic ozone destruction were released in April, but the Nature paper is the first that has fully analysed the data.

"Winter in the Arctic stratosphere is highly variable - some are warm, some are cold," said Michelle Santee from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
"But over the last few decades, the winters that are cold have been getting colder.
"So given that trend and the high variability, we'd anticipate that we'll have other cold ones, and if that happens while chlorine levels are high, we'd anticipate that we'd have severe ozone loss."

Ozone-destroying chemicals originate in substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that came into use late last century in appliances including refrigerators and fire extinguishers.
Their destructive effects were first documented in the Antarctic, which now sees severe ozone depletion in each of its winters.
Their use was progressively restricted and then eliminated by the 1987 Montreal Protocol and its successors.
The ozone layer blocks ultraviolet-B rays from the Sun, which can cause skin cancer and other medical conditions.

Winter temperatures in the Arctic stratosphere do not generally fall as low as at the southern end of the world.
No records for low temperature were set this year, but the air remained at its coldest for an unusually long period of time, and covered an unusually large area.
In addition, the polar vortex was stronger than usual. Here, winds circulate around the edge of the Arctic region, somewhat isolating it from the main world weather systems.

"Why [all this] occurred will take years of detailed study," said Dr Santee.
"It was continuously cold from December through April, and that has never happened before in the Arctic in the instrumental record."

The size and position of the ozone hole changed over time, as the vortex moved northwards or southwards over different regions.
Some monitoring stations in northern Europe and Russia recorded enhanced levels of ultraviolet-B penetration, though it is not clear that this posed any risk to human health.

While the Arctic was setting records, the Antarctic ozone hole is relatively stable from year to year.
This year has seen ozone-depleting conditions extending a little later into the southern hemisphere spring than usual - again, as a result of unusual weather conditions.

Chlorine compounds persist for decades in the upper atmosphere, meaning that it will probably be mid-century before the ozone layer is restored to its pre-industrial health.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15105747

 

[rynner2]

Some frightening figures here:

China becomes an urban nation at breakneck speed
With the government seeking to increase domestic demand, places like Guiyang are at the heart of its urbanisation strategy
Tania Branigan in Guiyang guardian.co.uk, Sunday 2 October 2011 16.00 BST

Every few minutes another car brakes sharply as it reaches Tangbaguan on Guiyang's new ring road. Another driver does a double-take. The dual carriageway ends abruptly in a narrow dirt track twisting downwards through heaps of rubble.

The city is eating hungrily into the hillsides, swallowing up maize fields and rice terraces in loops of tarmac and towers of concrete and glass. But the pace of change is so rapid, the transition so sharp, that its citizens are increasingly bewildered by their surroundings. Some, like the migrant workers building the roads, are new to city life. Others no longer recognise their hometown as it sprawls across the land.

This is the year China finally became an urban nation. In April the census revealed that 49.7% of its 1.34bn population was living in cities, compared with around a fifth as economic reforms got off the ground in 1982. By now, China's urbanites outnumber their country cousins. "The process they have been going through over three decades took four or five decades in Japan and [South] Korea and 100 years in the west," says Edward Leman, whose Chreon consultancy has advised numerous Chinese cities on development.

It is not only the extraordinary speed that is "unprecedented and unparalleled", says Prof Paul James of the Global Cities Institute at RMIT University in Melbourne. "It represents the most managed process of urbanisation in human history. The state is involved in every way. It manages the building of new cities. It regulates the housing of internally displaced people. It responds actively and sometimes oppressively to new waves of squatters."

The new five-year plan pushes urbanisation even further, as the government seeks to raise living standards and promote development in the poorer central and western regions. A hard landing for the economy could slow this process – local government debt is a particular worry – but will not stop it.

By 2025, one study suggests, 350 million more people will have moved to cities; more than the population of the US. Five years later the urban population will top 1 billion. There will be 221 cities with more than 1 million inhabitants; Europe currently has 35. The number of new skyscrapers could equate to 10 New York cities. The impact will be felt worldwide: in prices for commodities such as steel and copper, and in greenhouse gas emissions.

Li Keqiang – the vice-premier expected to become prime minister in 2012 – has argued that urbanisation should be the "strategic focus" of expanding domestic demand. China needs to restructure its economy, moving away from exports and investment towards domestic consumption. In the short-term urbanisation creates demand for infrastructure and property; in the longer run, urbanites consume vastly more than rural dwellers.

Han Jun, deputy director with the state council's development research centre – a top government thinktank – has predicted that the process will boost domestic demand by 30trn yuan (£3trn) by 2030.

Cities such as Guiyang are at the heart of the government's strategy. It is the capital of south-western Guizhou, China's poorest province, where just 34% of the population is urban. It already has 3 million inhabitants and is challenging terrain for expansion: "This is Guizhou – you open the door, you have to climb a mountain," says one resident. But its boundaries are expanding north, south, east and west. There are cranes everywhere and scores of developments thrusting into the skyline, their names – Dreamland, Sky Acropolis – as lofty as their dimensions.

Further out, at Xinzaipo, a water buffalo is snuffling along a path and a cockerel crows in the distance. But a new road curves through the little valley and a vast printing plant is rising above the rice fields. Two medicine factories will claim an adjacent patch. When they drive three railway lines through another, the farmers will move to new homes down the road, returning to tend what land remains.

etc...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oc ... ban-nation

 

[rynner2]

Taj Mahal could collapse within five years because wooden foundations are rotting
By James Tapper
Last updated at 12:36 PM on 5th October 2011

The Taj Mahal will collapse within five years unless urgent action is taken to shore up its foundations, campaigners have warned.
The 358-year-old marble mausoleum is India’s most famous tourist attraction, bringing four million visitors a year to the northern city of Agra.
But the river crucial to its survival is being blighted by pollution, industry and deforestation.
Campaigners believe the foundations have become brittle and are disintegrating.

Cracks appeared last year in parts of the tomb, and the four minarets which surround the monument are showing signs of tilting.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan, who was grief-stricken by the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in childbirth.
Its romantic image has attracted film stars and royalty, including Princess Diana, who posed in front of the building after the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles.

A campaign group of historians, environmentalists and politicians say time is running out to prevent a 'looming crisis'.
Ramshankar Katheria, the MP for Agra who is leading the campaign, said: 'If the crisis is not tackled on a war-footing, the Taj Mahal will cave in between two and five years.
'The architectural wonder of the world is losing its shine, and if this persists the minarets may also collapse since the wooden foundation - beneath the wells - is rotting due to lack of water.
'No one has been allowed to go into the foundations for the last three decades. If everything is fine, what have they got to hide?'

Professor Ram Nath, a historian who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Taj, said: 'The Taj stands just on the edge of the river Yamuna which has now dried up.
'This was never anticipated by its builders. The river is a constituent of its architectural design and if the river dies, the Taj cannot survive.'
The Yamuna River has fallen victim to India's soaring growth.
Large numbers of businesses draw water from the Yamuna upstream of the Taj.

Pollution has increased as trees have been cut down to make way for new roads.
The trees also protected the city from the worst effects of regular dust storms which now blow over the Taj unimpeded.
Mr Katheria said: 'The Taj has been enveloped by a smokescreen of dust for the past few years.

'Every year, the water level is coming down by five feet, raising fears of turning the entire area barren.
'Besides, there is an acute shortage of drinking water in Agra. Around 70 per cent of the population is drinking impure water, and consequently suffering from several health hazards.'

etc...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1ZuQ2Icfe

 

[rynner2]

From the exotic to the homely: front page news in the local paper yesterday:

Death of the Docks?
10:45am Wednesday 5th October 2011

Falmouth's future as a working port is under threat after proposals from Natural England to create a protected conservation zone in the Carrick Roads were announced.

A consultation dosument has revealed an area just to the west of St Mawes has been highlighted to become a 'reference zone' - which would mean no human disturbance would be allowed.

If adopted, it would scupper all plans to dredge the area in front of Falmouth Docks - leaving the port unable to cope with larger, modern ships.

According to some experts, it would mean the ship repair business at the docks dwindling away within ten years - with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/fp ... he_Docks_/

Normally I'm in favour of marine conservation areas, but this one seems too disruptive of the working life of the town to be sensible.

Elsewhere I posted a related story (last March):

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewt ... 85#1082185

 

[rynner2]

Container ship stranded off New Zealand leaking oil

A large container ship stuck on a reef off the coast of New Zealand is leaking oil.
Maritime New Zealand said the intermittent leak appeared to be coming from damaged pipes rather than from fuel tanks.
Four seabirds have so far been found dead in the oil slick, which extends about 5km (3 miles) from the ship.

The Liberia-flagged Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef about 12 nautical miles from Tauranga Harbour on Wednesday.
The agency says the 25 crew on board are safe and trying to stop more oil from leaking.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said the situation was worse than first thought.
He said there was a "significant amount of oil" and warned the vessel could break up due to its "precarious" position on the reef.

Maritime NZ has officially declared the 47,000 tonne container vessel "a hazardous ship" - that gives the agency the power to take control of the salvage operation if it was deemed necessary.
The authority's on-site controller Rob Service said a monitoring flight over the stricken vessel on Thursday afternoon revealed the oil slick had doubled in size from earlier in the day.
"We are not aware of any actual breaches in the fuel tanks. However, because of the extensive damage to the vessel, it is difficult to determine accurately what is the scale and scope of the damage," he said.
Mr Service said it was not clear how much of the 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on board had leaked.

Testing using dispersants to break up the slick had proved ineffective.
New Zealand's Department of Conservation said the Astrolabe Reef was covered with colourful sponges and anemones, with seals and gamefish such as marlin common in surrounding waters.
Two wildlife rescue centres have been set up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15197757

 

[rynner2]

Does exactly what it says on the URL!

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/VIDEO-E ... story.html

Not very good quality video, but still worth watching full screen for maximum impact.

North Cliffs is the coast north of Camborne.

From YouTube:

Active Coastal Erosion in Cornwall. Very lucky to witness 1000's of tonnes of rock falling into the Atlantic!

Thanks for all of your positive comments, sorry I can't reply to them all individually. Hopefully I can answer most of the FAQ's now....

The failure occurred at about 5pm on Friday 23rd September 2011. It took place on the North Coast of Cornwall. There were only a few people watching, with about the same number of inquisitive seals in the water!

There were lots of 'small' failures just before the main event. This appears to be a progressive failure, the frequency and size of the smaller failures increased until the inevitable happened. The sound was incredible, those cliffs are about 150-200ft high.

I'd been chatting to the couple mentioned in the clip only a few minutes before the footage was taken. They can just be seen walking away in the distance; the path had been fenced off and diverted, so they were quite safe. An amazing sight, and credit to R who took the video, I still can't stop revisiting it! Thanks again for all the comments, who says Geology isn't an exciting subject?!. Oh, & finally.... I'm happy to report that no seals or humans were hurt in the filming of this clip!

 

[Kondoru]

Oh, that made my day!

Anyway to save youtube clips?

 

[rynner2]

Cliff Fall: The Mail adds:

The video is believed to have been taken at a spot called Dead Man's Cove which juts out into the Celtic Sea near Redruth.

The rockfall is the second reported on the same stretch of the north Cornish coast recently.
Last week 20 tons of rock crashed down onto a Newquay beach 20 miles away. It happened just yards from where two young girls were playing in the sand.
Police and coastguards immediately cordoned off the area at Towan beach amid fears of further rock falls.

Cornwall Council's maritime manager Andy Brigden told the Cornish Guardian: 'These things happen.
'We've had people out looking at it. My advice would be don't sit in front of cliffs, especially when there are signs saying "beware of falling rocks".'
Mr Brigden added it was impossible to halt the erosion of the coast and warned more rock falls were inevitable.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1aHXnSdWe

Andy Brigden was Truro Harbourmaster when I knew him, a few years ago. Either they changed the name of his job, or he got promoted!

 

[rynner2]

Residents' outcry as Government uses Dorset village as 'poster boys' for planning reforms
For seven years the residents of Buckland Newton fought for the right to build affordable homes to rejuvenate their village.
By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter
6:50AM BST 10 Oct 2011

But now the locals have an entirely new battle on their hands – to resist attempts by the Government to turn them into the "poster boys" for its controversial planning reforms.
Although the residents did not realise it, the Dorset village, which is in the constituency of the Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin, was a catalyst for the Coalition’s policy of allowing more development on green belt land.

Ten new eco-friendly homes at Lydden Meadow on the edge of the village have been hailed as an unqualified success, as they have enabled several young families to stay in the community rather than being forced out by sky-high property prices.
But while local people are proud of what they have achieved, they are uncomfortable with the idea of their example being used to justify wholesale reforms of the planning laws.

William Burnett is among the residents who are unhappy with the idea of Buckland Newton's story being exploited to encourage the development of green field sites elsewhere.
He said: "The reaction here was favourable but you just can't say one size fits all and apply it everywhere.
"I am sure the Government is looking to use developments like this as an example to put leverage on pushing through more planning though."

Another villager, who has a child at the local primary school, said: "In theory it's a good idea but you can see why the local MP and the Government would jump on it and want it elsewhere.
"It's a bit of a unique position here because the villagers introduced it themselves. Other places it would not work I imagine and on the whole people don't want new housing, not in rural villages anyway."

House prices in Buckland Newton are up to 10 times the average local wage, meaning young adults can rarely afford to stay in the village where they grew up.
Seven years ago a group of residents got together to form a Community Property Trust, and with financial backing from West Dorset district council, the Homes and Communities Association and the Tudor Trust, building work began on the new development in November.
All of the houses are now occupied, which residents say has helped to safeguard the future of the local pub, the post office, village hall and school.

Five of the properties are rented and five have been sold under a shared-ownership arrangement, which enables residents to buy up to 80 per cent of the property, though if they want to move they must adhere to a covenant which requires them to sell their equity to people with connections to the village.

Nicky Barker, a former parish councillor closely involved in the housing trust, said she could understand fears of the development being used as an excuse to loosen planning laws elsewhere.
She said: "If an area needs housing, it's not certainly not easy but you can appreciate if others in bigger villages fear for too much development.
"It's still a difficult route for a village and takes lots of volunteers to work to get things off the ground.
"If a village or community doesn't want it, it will not happen. Here essentially the village owns the houses so it can control who lives in them.
"Elsewhere things might be different of course but we were way ahead of the Government on this and took it upon ourselves to take control."

Mark Hammick, landlord at the Gaggle of Geese pub, said: "There's a lot of villagers who could turn around on this and say ‘not in my back yard’ and you can appreciate that point of view. For some it may not suit.
"In some cases though if a village does not grow it dies. Some affordable housing was required here though and it will help the village in future years.”

The public outcry over the Government’s plans has forced ministers to draw up changes to the draft planning framework.
One of the most significant changes is expected to be the reinstatement of a “brown field first “ rule to ensure that sites which have already been built on are redeveloped before green belt land can be carved up.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/hands- ... forms.html

This ties in with my comments on housing in the overpopulation thread:
http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewt ... 55#1146355

 

[rynner2]

11 October 2011 Last updated at 07:01

Oil spill is New Zealand's 'worst maritime disaster'

The oil leaking from a stranded cargo ship off New Zealand has become the country's worst maritime environmental disaster, the government has said.
Officials say up to 300 tonnes of oil may have leaked out a total of the 1,700 tonnes on board.

The container ship, the 775ft (236m) Rena, ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off the port of Tauranga on Wednesday.
As workers scoop oil from beaches, bad weather halted operations to pump oil off the vessel and is due to worsen.

"I'd like to acknowledge this event has come to a stage where it is New Zealand's most significant maritime environmental disaster," Environment Minister Nick Smith told a news briefing in Tauranga.
"It is my view that the tragic events we are seeing unfolding were absolutely inevitable from the point that the Rena ran onto the reef in the early hours of Wednesday morning," he said.

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) told the BBC that by Tuesday evening between 200 and 300 tonnes had leaked from the vessel.
An MNZ spokesman told the New Zealand Herald that oil was leaking from a main tank on the Rena and moving south-west towards Mt Maunganui, next to the port of Tauranga, on New Zealand's North Island.
"One of the main tanks has been breached. It is very significant in the scheme of things," the spokesman said.

The MNZ statement said the ship was intact but was moving around in the heavy seas.
There have been fears the bad weather might break up the ship, leaking all of the 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil the ship is believed to be carrying and spilling its containers into the sea.
The bad weather is expected to worsen over the next 24-48 hours.

The remaining ship's crew have been taken off the Rena. The vessel called a mayday, officials said as a precaution, to speed up the crew's removal.
The ship was now in a more stable position than it had been, MNZ said, listing from 3-6 degrees instead of the previous 11 degrees as rock underneath the Rena's bow had been ground down.

Clumps of heavy oil have been washing up on the beaches of Mt Maunganui and the nearby community of Papamoa.
MNZ said oil was expected to enter Tauranga port and reach beaches south to Maketu.
MNZ head Catherine Taylor said containing the oil would be difficult, given the Rena's position on a reef and the weather battering the region.
Swells of up to four metres are making the use of dispersants on the oil difficult.

Once the weather has calmed enough to resume transferring the oil off the ship, the containers will be removed and then the Rena can be moved off the reef.

A tanker offloading the oil had to return to port for minor repairs. Strong seas meant the tanker would not have been able to resume operations anyway, officials said.
Officials have closed the affected beaches and residents close to vulnerable coastlines have been told to stay away from the shore and not touch the heavy globs of oil.
About 200 people are involved in the salvage operation, while 300 military personnel are on stand-by to clean up beaches.
MNZ head Catherine Taylor told the BBC it would take several weeks to clean up the shoreline.
The area's long, sandy beaches are popular with tourists and surfers.

Conservationists have warned the oil spill poses a huge threat to the region's abundant wildlife.
"There are thousands of gannets and petrels and shearwaters in the area and hundreds of blue penguins... And we've got dotterels and oyster catchers nesting on the sandy beaches," WWF spokesman Bob Zuur told the BBC.
"This oil represents potentially a huge tragedy for the wildlife of the area."

The owners of the ship, Greece-based Costamare Inc, have not given an explanation for the grounding, but said they were "co-operating fully with local authorities" to minimise any damage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15251319

 

[rynner2]

Antarctic lake mission targets life and climate signs
By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News

A pioneering British expedition to sample a lake under the Antarctic ice hopes to find unknown forms of life and clues to future climate impacts.
The mission will use hot water to melt its way through ice 3km (2 miles) thick to reach Lake Ellsworth, which has been isolated from the outside world for at least 125,000 years - maybe a million.
The team hopes to be the first to sample a sub-glacial Antarctic lake.

An engineering team leaves the UK later this week along with 70 tonnes of gear.
The project, funded to the tune of £7m by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council, aims to obtain samples of the lake water itself and of sediment on the lake floor.
"Our project will look for life in Lake Ellsworth, and look for the climate record of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet," said the project's principal investigator Professor Martin Siegert from Edinburgh University.
"If we're successful, we'll make profound discoveries on both the limits to life on Earth and the history of West Antarctica," he told BBC News.

Understanding the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is crucial to forecasting future climate change impacts, as it holds enough ice to raise sea levels globally by at least 3m (10ft) and perhaps 7m (23ft).
Exploring sub-glacial lakes may also help scientists design missions to search for life on other worlds such as Jupiter's moon Europa, which is thought to feature a liquid ocean beneath a thick layer of ice.

Lake Ellsworth is about 10km long and 2-3km wide - about the same size as Lake Windermere, England's biggest.
But that is where the similarity ends.
Ellsworth lies in a valley in the bedrock of Antarctica, with 3km of ice above.
The water is kept liquid by natural geothermal heat coming from the Earth's interior.
It has been mapped by using ground-penetrating radar and seismic tests.
Among other things, those investigations revealed that the lake has a soft floor, which presumably means a thick layer of sediment.

But reaching the lake and taking samples involves a mission that pushes the boundaries of engineering skill and ingenuity.
The hot-water drill is basically a spraying device on the bottom of a hose 3.2km long.
Ninety thousand litres of pure water will be made at the Ellsworth site by heating and then filtering ice, using a boiler taken along for the purpose.
It will be pumped down the 3.2km-long hose and out of the nozzles at the bottom.
With the water at a scalding 97C, it should melt a smooth, uniform hole about 36cm across down to the bottom of the ice.

A 5m-long probe will then be lowered through the hole and into the lake, carrying 24 flasks that will gather water samples at various depths.
It will also carry lights and a high-definition video camera, and filters to draw solids from the water.

Much of the equipment has been designed and built at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton, under the supervision of Matt Mowlem.
"This is an unknown environment - we don't know for example whether there will be dissolved gases in the water," he said.
"So the water at its pressure of 300 atmospheres will be sampled. But when we pull the probe up and the flasks hit the cold air in the borehole, the water will try to freeze; the pressure then increases to around 2,700 atmospheres, and that's greater than anything experienced in ocean engineering."

Once the probe has been hauled up, a coring device will be lowered down the borehole to take samples of the lake floor sediment.
The whole process will be a race against time.
Water on the sides of the borehole will freeze, making it progressively smaller. Professor Siegert estimates there is a window of about 24 hours to complete the dual sampling before the hole becomes too small.

No-one has yet sampled any of the estimated 387 sub-glacial lakes on Antarctica, though a Russian-led team is targeting the biggest - Lake Vostok - and a US crew is preparing to investigate Lake Whillans.
The Lake Vostok project was delayed for years over concerns that drilling might contaminate the water with organisms from the surface.
The UK team has designed its equipment and its procedures in order to avoid taking unwanted hitch-hikers down to the lake.

What might be in the water is a mystery waiting to be unravelled.
"Just about everywhere we look on the planet, we find life, from the outer reaches of the stratosphere to the deepest ocean trenches," said David Pearce from the British Antarctic Survey, who heads the search for microbiological life in Lake Ellsworth.
"Any form of life we find there, we won't have encountered before - there will probably be viruses, and we may have bacteria, archaea (other single-celled organisms) and... maybe fungi."
If the lake contains no life, said Dr Pearce, that would be interesting as well, helping to define the conditions under which life can and cannot exist.

How different any new organisms are from what we know already will depend to a large extent on how long Lake Ellsworth has remained isolated - in other words, for how long the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has remained intact.
This is also the key issue on the climate side of the project, which basically involves discovering how likely the ice sheet is to melt in the coming decades and centuries.

"There is some evidence from outside Antarctica that sea levels were higher at various times in the last million years - 125,000 years ago, 380,000 years ago - but we have no evidence that the water came from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet," said Professor Mike Bentley from Durham University.
"So one of the things we're looking for in our sediment core is... marine sediments that would look very different from lake sediments."

If the team can reconstruct a record of when the ice sheet melted in the past, that will give scientists a better understanding of how it is likely to behave as temperatures rise in future - and what scale of temperature rise would be needed to melt it again.

The equipment will be delivered to the Ellsworth base during the coming Antarctic summer, and stored away against the harsh winter to follow.
The main scientific party will fly out in about a year's time, unpack the equipment, and begin drilling into the unknown.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15245594