Nearly five years after the Deepwater Horizon explosion led to the release of roughly 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are still working to answer the question: Where did all the oil go? During the 2010 crisis, some of the oil gushing from the seafloor appeared as slicks on the sea surface, while roughly half of it, scientists estimate, remained trapped in deep ocean plumes of mixed oil and gas, one of which was more than a mile wide, hundreds of feet high and extended for miles southwest of the broken riser pipe at the damaged Macondo well. Many natural processes—like evaporation and biodegradation—and human actions—like the use of dispersants and flaring of gas at the surface—impacted the chemical makeup and fate of the oil, adding to the complexity of accounting for it.  A paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides a piece of the puzzle, analyzing the oil that ended up on the seafloor, establishing its footprint, rough quantity and likely deposition mechanism, and pegging its source to that deep ocean plume of mixed oil and gas. “In 2010, we only considered that material flowing from the well...

Following the closing of the Northeastern Passage of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) on October 1st, the Global Ice Center at Weathernews Inc. looks back at the opening period this year. Ice in the Arctic Sea continues on a trend of recession since the turn of the century. For the fifth year in a row, Russia’s Northeastern passage fully opened from late August, staying open for six-weeks. This summer saw a record number of applications for permission to sail the NSR. Meanwhile, ice remaining in the Canadian archipelago prevented the Northwestern passage from becoming transitable for the first time in five years.                Number of days the NSR has stayed fully open over the past five years Northeastern Passage Open for Fifth Consecutive Year While Northwestern Passage Remains Closed The lowest area of ice observed by the Global Ice Center (GIC) at Weathernews this summer was 4.8 million km2, which is the sixth smallest area in recorded history. (fig. 1) Different trends can be seen when comparing the Northeastern and Northwestern passages in the summer of 2014. Ice in the Northeastern passage began to melt from late May, opening fully from August 21st to October...

On 26th October, 2014, Hantong Ship Heavy Industry signed shipbuilding contract with CIMC ENRIC SJZ GAS for building the world’s first CNG carrier which will be operated by Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PT PLN), Indonesian National Electric Company, to beused for natural gas transportation between the islands of Indonesia.  The vesselis designed by CIMC ORIC, using natural gas as power, driven by dual fuel main engine, with110-meterlength over all and 14-knots design speed. It willbe designed and constructed under theclassification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and PT. Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (Persero)(BKI). It is expected to deliver in May 2016. Source and Image Credit : Hantong Ship Heavy IndustryIn the onset, I was explicit with you propecia before and after has changed my existence. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), developed the first unit of a new bulk carrier that offers superlative energy efficiency and environmental performance. The vessel was delivered to Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) of the U.S., following its completion at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. of Nagasaki, an MHI licensing partner. The vessel incorporates a wide spectrum of technologies - including MHI's proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), which reduces frictional resistance between the vessel hull and seawater using air bubbles produced at the vessel bottom - has enabled a 27% reduction in CO2 emissions, as verified, compared to conventional bulk carriers, exceeding the target figure of 25%. The newly delivered bulk carrier is the first of three vessels, designed to serve as grain carriers, ordered by ADM in 2011 from Sumitomo Corporation. The vessel was constructed by Oshima Shipbuilding with MHI providing the conceptual design and various green technologies, including MALS. Delivery of the three vessels is scheduled for completion by mid-2015. The carriers are 237 meters (m) in length, 40m in width, and 12.5m in designed draught: deadweight tonnage (DWT) is approximately 95,000 tons. The new vessel also features a new bow shape designed to reduce wave-making resistance. For propulsion, an innovative system...

Cruise vessels can now plug in at Port of Halifax   The shore power system to allow cruise vessels to plug in when calling the Port of Halifax is now complete and fully operational. Shore power is a highly effective way to reduce marine diesel air emissions by enabling ships to shut down their auxiliary engines and connect to the electrical grid in order to provide necessary power while docked. This initiative represents the second shore power installation for cruise ships in Canada. The shore power project at the Port of Halifax is part of a $10-million cooperative initiative between the Government of Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Port Authority. The tariff was developed in partnership with Nova Scotia Power. “This is a very positive development for Halifax and for Nova Scotia for economic development and environmental sustainability,” said the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport. “The cruise industry in Halifax is a major contributor to tourism in Nova Scotia. Through this investment, the Government of Canada is committed to developing this industry in an environmentally sustainable   “The shore power project is an excellent example of various levels of government working with industry leaders to...

Bellona Europa has followed the hectic run-up to the Council’s conclusions on the 2030 Climate and Energy Package on which the 28 EU Member State leaders finally reached an agreement this morning. Bellona stated that it finds encouraging that the EU has set itself clear climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030. By setting this as a minimum target the EU sends a clear message ahead of the UN climate negotiations that the 28 EU Member States are willing to increase this percentage. This is good news for international climate policy, says Jonas Helseth, Director of Bellona Europa in Brussels. Helseth emphases that these are important signals prior to the Paris negotiations next year, as the EU makes clear that the level of ambition will not be lowered. The EU is making an important step towards achieving the Union’s agreed emission reductions of 80-95% in Europe by 2050, says Helseth. EU reaffirms commitment to CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) When it comes to CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) Bellona is pleased that the EU’s Climate and Energy Package is clear about the need for this climate mitigation technology. The EU’s plan comes with obligations...

The Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials and Heads of Delegation of indigenous Permanent Participant organizations held their third meeting under Canada’s Chairmanship, on October 22-23, 2014, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum for cooperation on Arctic issues, bringing together representatives from the eight Arctic States and six Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations to discuss important issues related to sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. In Yellowknife, Senior Arctic Officials and Heads of Delegation of Permanent Participants heard from the Arctic Council’s six working groups and four task forces on the progress being made on the Arctic Council’s ambitious program, notably Canada’s Chairmanship priority initiatives. These priorities include: promoting mental wellness; incorporating traditional and local knowledge into the work of the Council; ensuring responsible economic development in the Arctic, including through the establishment of the Arctic Economic Council; and developing actions on black carbon and methane. The theme for Canada’s Chairmanship, which culminates in 2015, is ‘Development for the People of the North’. Some of the specific topics discussed at the meeting included: Oil pollution prevention and preparedness; Biodiversity assessment and conservation of Arctic migratory birds; Short- lived climate pollutants and actions to reduce black...

Top policymakers, leading scientists, and representatives from major stakeholder groups from around the world gathered in Berlin to formally launch the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) sixth iteration of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) report - the UN's authoritative assessment of the state, trends and outlook of the global environment. The fifth edition (GEO-5), launched on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit held in 2012, revealed that, of 90 of the most important environmental goals and objectives, significant progress had only been made on four. It was a crucial reminder to world leaders and nations of the need for urgent action to deliver on already agreed environmental goals. The upcoming sixth edition, expected to be launched in mid-2017, will build upon regional assessment processes and create a comprehensive picture of the environmental factors contributing to human well-being, accompanied by an analysis of policies leading to greater attainment of global environmental objectives and goals. The 133 delegates attending the GEO-6 Global Intergovernmental and Multi-stakeholder meeting in Berlin endorsed the guiding framework for the report, the methodologies by which it will be conducted, and the process for transparent engagement of authors and contributors to make the GEO-6 scientifically robust and credible. The...

Clean Marine has been selected by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea to supply exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) for two new MR tankers.  IMO’s convention for the reduction of sulphur oxides (SOx) demands that sulphur emission levels in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) shall be cut to 0.1 percent from the year 2015 and that the global emission level must not exceed 0.5 percent from the year 2020.  The order for Clean Marine EGCS will enable the new medium-range tankers, owned and operated by a British oil major, to comply with this regulation without switching to more expensive fuels. “These contracts confirm the growing market demand for Clean Marine’s Allstream EGCS, which is a particularly competitive solution for the tanker segment” says Nils Høy-Petersen, CEO of Clean Marine. “We are very pleased to be working closely with Hyundai Mipo to deliver a cost-effective solution to help the owner comply with existing and pending emissions regulations.”  The two MR2 type tankers (hull number 2495 and 2496) have a deadweight  of 40,000 and are part of a series of five sister vessels to be constructed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Clean Marine offers a proven, futureproof EGCS which enables vessels to trade in...