20071216 EU hails achievement of Bali climate conference

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) on Saturday hailed the achievement of the Bali climate conference and called for joint efforts by developed and developing countries to take measures against climate change. The EU welcomed the agreement reached at the UN climate change conference in Indonesia's Bali to start formal negotiations on a climate regime for the post-2012 period and on a Bali Roadmap that sets out an agenda for these negotiations, said a statement of the bloc. The Bali Roadmap, agreed upon by over 180 countries meeting in Indonesia's resort island of Bali, includes a clear agenda for the key issues to be negotiated up to 2009, including actions for adapting to the negative consequences of climate change, ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ways to deploy climate-friendly technologies and financing both adaptation and mitigation measures. "Together, developed and developing countries can reach success" as "there is only one planet," he said.

20071216 5,158-m-deep well to help forecast earthquake

clipped from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-12/16/content_6324406.htm "Researchers will be able to record the movements of liquid and gas which lies five kilometers underground. While drilling the well they have found abnormal movements related to earthquakes," Workers had installed detectors in different depths during the drilling operation, which could not only help forecast earthquakes but facilitate life science studies by observing microorganism deep down in the earth's crust. 35 percent of earthquakes measuring seven and above on the Richter Scale in the world's continents occurred in China in the last century. "We have set up the first long-term integrated geophysics research base in Asia. I hope it could serve the human being." Currently in rural areas earthquakes usually cause heavy economic loss and casualties due to a lack of earthquake-proof facilities and relief knowledge.

20071214 Websites Recommended

It is necessary for you to widen your scope of view and strengthen your general knowledge. One possible way is to visit some "meaningful" websites. Thinkquest library is one that I would like to recommend. Please click the following keywords:
Sustainablility
Environmental Issues

Geo-teens Awards Scheme -- Type A reading material (4)

1. Follow the link below and get the article “Indonesia tsunami system ‘not ready’ ” to read. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5191190.stm

2. Do the questions below in a Reading Record sheet. The record sheet is obtainable from the Geography Department Website: http://www.takoi.edu.hk/~Geog

Questions:
a. What has been set up eighteen months after the 2004 devastating Indian Ocean tsunami? Is it effective in warning people to escape from danger? Give evidence to support your saying.
b. How long does it take the scientists to receive and anaylse the data from seismological stations and send out a warning? Do you think this communication network in Indonesia is effective?
c. Give two ways that alert people and raise their awareness to possible tsunamis to enable them to save their lives.
d. To the best of your knowledge, explain how an earthquake can trigger off a tsunami.

3. Submit this Type A Reading Record together with the Personal Record.

Terms:
BMG – Bureau of Meteorology and Geogphysics
DART – Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami
UNESCO -- This is an abbreviation for United Nationals Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (聯合國教育、科學及文化組織).

20071203 望夫石 膺最美岩石

clipped from www.mingpaonews.com 【明報專訊】由香港地貌岩石保育協會聯同漁護署及7個專業團體舉辦的「珍惜岩石自然美——香港最美岩石選舉」昨日公布結果。被視為「香港精神」象徵的獅子山，以51票之微僅敗於望夫石屈居第二，望夫石以1979票成為香港最美岩石。 環境局長邱騰華昨日負責揭曉投票結果，對於昨日有報道指政府未有制訂完善的岩石保護法例，以致珍貴岩石被學界進行研究時肆意採集，邱騰華回應指，保護岩石不能單靠政府，首要工作是教育市民，而民間組織亦可與市民分享保護岩石的信息，市民自律勝於立法管制。他呼籲市民用腳、鏡頭及視野欣賞這些天然資源，一石一山都要保育。在今次投票中，邱騰華最喜歡第6位由火成岩組成的六角柱石。 促監管地理考察採石 香港最美岩石選舉籌委會主席吳振揚則表示，香港現時未有清晰的守則監管地理考察，他最快會於1至2個月內邀請各間大學商討一套地理考察守則，合力保護香港地貌岩石。他重申自己支持考察及學習研究。 上網睇﹕www.rocks.org.hk 第1位望夫石（1979票）地點：沙田紅梅谷 第2位獅子山（1928票） 第3位鬼手（1897票） 地點﹕赤門海峽黃竹角 第5位摺曲六角柱石（1660票）地點：萬宜水庫東壩 第6位六角柱石（1428票）地點：西貢東面糧船灣洲 第9位肥豬石（1274票）地點：芝麻灣半島

20071202 綠色和平：首要提高能源效益

clipped from www.mingpaonews.com 【明報專訊】在全球氣候變化的大背景下，中國天氣時常出現異常情。環保組織綠色和平氣候與能源項目經理楊愛倫表示，作為發展中國家的中國，隨經濟快速發展，工業化程度提高以及能源結構的不合理，要解決污染和環保問題，需要比較長的一段時期及找出有效的解決方法。 楊愛倫稱，北京今年出現暖冬，空氣污染嚴重並不是一個孤立的問題，中國對煤炭的過度依賴，導致氣候變化以及當地空氣污染，這些污染源不但會對本地區造成傷害，也會影響鄰近地區。 要解決這些問題，楊愛倫表示，政府首先要大量提高能源利用的效益，其次應大力發展可再生能源，改善能源結構。她還指出，中國政府的確頒布了一系列條例加強環保，但「經是好的，卻給和尚念歪了。」很多地方政府為了自身的利益並未完全徹底地執行有關政策。 楊愛倫表示，採取各種強制措施可以令一個城市的空氣狀暫時改善，但若要真正改善空氣，除有應對措施之外，也需讓更多民眾參與環保政策的制定、實施過程。楊愛倫希望，北京奧運會成為一個契機，增強民眾對改善環境的信心。

20071202 出門仍需戴口罩 空氣狀況「良好」

clipped from www.mingpaonews.com 【明報專訊】11月28日，北京環保局公布當日空氣污染指數為100，空氣狀屬於良好。記者於當日中午站在北京朝陽區一行人天橋上眺望，只見白濛濛一片，看不見遠景，連天橋下的車牌號碼也較難辨認。 由於大霧天氣不利於污染物擴散，加上汽車尾氣的排放，外出的市民很多都戴口罩。市民孫女士向記者抱怨，每當空氣污染指數為100或者以上，她就必須戴口罩出門，否則身體就感到不適。 據悉，11月份，北京患呼吸道感染的兒童人數驟增。友誼醫院兒科主任崔紅教授表示，該院兒童日門診量從500人次增至800人次以上，而北京兒童醫院則表示，在平均每天7000多人的門診量中，患呼吸道感染的兒童佔約4000人，超過一半。 北京11月28日（上圖）與29日（下圖）的空氣污染指數雖只相差19，但天色、市民感覺有很大差別。（梁海明攝） 11月28日，北京空氣污染嚴重，市民需戴口罩出外，一名女童把頭貼近母親的後背以免吸入污染空氣。（梁海明攝）