Monday, October 31, 2011

Today the human population is 7 billion strong (Yahoo! News)

The world's population boomed at an exponential rate in the last century

While it's impossible to pin down exactly, October 31 marks the symbolic date that the human population passes the 7 billion mark. Since it's impossible to track dynamic population data on such an exact level, according to demographers at the United Nations Population Division, October 31 is the designated milestone.?The estimated date has a bit of leeway: Our race might have already exceeded the number a few months ago, or it could still be yet to come.

The number is notable for many reasons. Not only does it give us pause, highlighting world hunger and suggesting that we should conserve natural resources now more than ever, but the 7 billion mark indicates an alarmingly exponential trend in human population growth. Roughly half of the world's current population was added just in the last 40 years, and the planet has added 1 billion new inhabitants since 1999. For perspective, from the beginning of human history, our race hit the first 1 billion milestone in 1807. In the 1900s, breakthroughs in medicine led to increased longevity, and the human race was off on an exponential spike that shows no signs of flattening out. As population-dense urban centers balloon to unbelievable proportions, even the most basic resources like food and water become more challenging to distribute.

If you're interested in learning more about what the 7 billion means for our planet, National Geographic offers a companion app to its special year-long series on the milestone, pictured below. Download it and explore interactive charts, graphs, and galleries that illuminate just how the human race became 7 billion strong ? and what our future might look like if we remain on the same explosive track.

Population increases since 1960

[via USA Today, Los Angeles Times]

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/techblog/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20111031/tc_yblog_technews/today-the-human-population-is-7-billion-strong

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Insight: Dreaded "Brazil cost" may dim Foxconn's iPad dreams (Reuters)

JUNDIAI, Brazil (Reuters) ? The nondescript stretch of asphalt is an unlikely symbol of Brazil's attempt to lift its economy into a new high-tech era.

If officials in the industrial town of Jundiai get their way, it will soon be named Steve Jobs road -- in homage to the late Apple Inc co-founder and a nod to the expected windfall that producing iPads and iPhones here will bring.

Brazil's government has loudly proclaimed a deal it says is worth $12 billion for Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn to produce iPads and build a whole new industry based around screens used in an array of consumer electronics from smartphones to televisions.

But the infamous "Brazil cost" -- shorthand for the bureaucracy and high taxes that plague business in the country -- is already overshadowing the deal, complicating negotiations with Foxconn over the broader investment plan. The likely need for large state subsidized loans to lure Foxconn also revives concerns about the state's heavy hand in Brazil's economy.

The deal's transformative potential for Brazil is clear -- a home-grown technology industry could move the commodities giant up the value-added chain to join the likes of Taiwan and South Korea, reducing its dependence on manufactured imports from Asia.

Yet critics say Brazil's shallow labor pool and poor infrastructure make it ill-prepared to make the leap to high-end work and that it risks being stuck at the low end -- assembling components designed and made elsewhere. At first, Foxconn will have to fly in most of the key components such as semiconductors, modems and screens from China, as Brazil attempts to raise its ability to produce more of them locally.

"We are selling our market very cheaply, giving tax incentives for a company to come and produce something that is already developed in the world market," said Joao Maria de Oliveira, a researcher at the government-linked Institute for Applied Economic Research, or IPEA. "It's not something that adds much value and it won't leave much here."

The amount of value added to Apple products by Foxconn's approximately one million workers in China is a mere $10 or so per device, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine.

Brazil has cut taxes and duties on tablet production in a move that should reduce the retail price by about a third and is phasing in production requirements to foster a local components industry.

Separately, it is in talks with Foxconn on a package of incentives, including priority customs access, more tax breaks and subsidized loans from state development bank BNDES to secure the bigger investment in high-end screens.

It isn't hard to see what's in it for Foxconn, Apple and other foreign companies, including Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd that have expressed interest in making tablets here.

Apple will gain better access to Brazil's voracious consumers, who have faced high prices for its products due to hefty import tariffs, and will create a jumping-off point for other rapidly growing Latin American countries.

Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics company, with around a third of the global market, would gain a vital foothold in Latin America's largest economy and reduce the risks of having so much Apple production in China.

Producing in Brazil would also give Foxconn and Apple preferential access to Brazil's partners in the Mercosur customs union -- Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

But the "Brazil cost" raises doubts over whether Apple will be able to make the iPad cheaply enough for the Brazilian market and use it as a major base to export to the United States and Latin America.

Brazil's consumer market is a huge draw for companies such as Apple, but analysts say the domestic industry will likely take years to move beyond assembly to higher-end production.

"It will take at least five, six years to create the entire ecosystem there," said Satish Lele, vice president, consulting, Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan in Singapore.

"I don't think they (Brazil) are ready to support huge growth as far as the electronics sector is concerned."

THE BRAZIL COST

The Foxconn factory near "Steve Jobs" road is rumored by Brazilian media to already be producing iPhones and is expected to start churning out iPad tablets by December for sale to Brazil's growing middle class. The company, whose main listed vehicle is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, has already hired more than 1,000 people in Jundiai, a medium-sized city an hour away from Sao Paulo, to work at a new plant.

Jundiai is planning to build a technology park and nearby towns are also looking to draw more such investment.

"We're the BRICs of Brazil," said Carmelo Paoletti Neto, a spokesman for the town, comparing the region to role played the emerging powerhouses Brazil, Russia, India and China on the global stage.

But the starting monthly wage for members of the metalworkers' union in Jundiai is about 1,058 reais ($605) -- nearly double the 2,000 yuan ($315) minimum wage Foxconn paid in China as of last October.

Those wage pressures are likely to make it hard for the iPad price to fall any time soon to a range that would give it the mass-market appeal it enjoys in the United States.

Tablet sales in Brazil will jump to 450,000 this year from 105,000-110,000 last year, according to consulting firm IDC, surging to above 1 million next year. That is significant growth -- but the 60 percent of Brazilian households without a computer won't necessarily rush out to buy tablets, cautioned Jose Martim Juacida, an analyst with the company.

"The first computer purchase is usually a desktop or a laptop, because a desktop can be shared," he said.

(Additional reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong; Lee Chyen Yee and Clare Jim in Taiwan; editing by Kieran Murray, Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111030/bs_nm/us_foxconn_brazil

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Storm delivers different type of Halloween chills (Providence Journal)

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New Americans sworn in for Lady Liberty's birthday (AP)

NEW YORK ? A total of 125 immigrants from 46 countries have been sworn in as United States citizens at a ceremony marking the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told the new Americans on Friday that diversity strengthens the nation.

The naturalization ceremony on Liberty Island kicked off a daylong celebration of the dedication of the statute in 1886.

Lady Liberty is getting a high-tech uplift for her birthday. Internet-connected cameras on her torch that will let viewers gaze out at New York Harbor or see visitors on the grounds below.

The "lighting" of the so-called torch cams is among the day's many events. They also include a water flotilla and a 12-minute fireworks display choreographed to patriotic music.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_re_us/us_statue_of_liberty_anniversary

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Biden Indicts Every Republican Leader in America (TIME)

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Maggie Lamond Simone: Is My Friend Ship Sailing? (Huffington post)

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NASA's Mars rover Curiosity gains DAN apparatus, new lust for water

"You can think of DAN as a reconnaissance instrument." That's a quote from Igor Mitrofanov of the Space Research Institute, Russia, who is being deemed the "principal investigator" of the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons. Shortened to DAN for obvious reasons, this guy will soon be affixed to NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, with one primary purpose: to "check for any water that might be bound into shallow underground minerals along the rover's path." In total, ten instruments on Curiosity will be dedicated to investigating whether the area selected for the mission has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for life and favorable for preserving evidence about life. We're told that while in active mode, it's sensitive enough to detect water content as low as one-tenth of one percent in the ground beneath the rover, but there's still no indication of when it'll actually prove that Mars truly is the next major relocation hotspot. Something tells us Richard Branson will be ready, regardless.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity gains DAN apparatus, new lust for water originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/27/nasas-mars-rover-curiosity-gains-dan-apparatus-new-lust-for-wa/

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Video: Baby Blue Ferrari 599 GTO in London

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Summer is long gone, but the arabic supercars can still be found roaming the streets of London and here we have a stunning example; a baby-blue/light-silver Ferrari 599 GTO parked at London?s Berkeley Hotel. The supercar was filmed by Shmee150. The Ferrari 599 GTO is the road-homologated version of the 599XX, the prototype experimental car Video: Baby Blue Ferrari 599 GTO in London More news at GTSPIRIT ? Daily Supercar and Tuning News

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In preparation for the launch of Forza 4, in central London a launch event was arranged that would take the form of a supercar run for promotion around the city. Our dear friend Shmee150 was at the event and spotted the following cars: Ferrari Enzo, McLaren F1 GTR, Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, Ferrari 458 Italia and Video: Forza 4 Launch Supercar...? Dear friend and YouTube member Shmee150 filmed the Jaguar C-X75 Concept as it maneouvers around under its electric motor on the streets of London. The car was filmed on the road as it is packed up to leave the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) where it has been on display and go to Video: Jaguar C-X75 Concept on the Streets of London...? YouTube member 4WheelsofLux recorded a video of this unique one-off Gemballa MIG-U1, which is based on the Ferrari Enzo. The one-off supercar was parked at the Dubai Mall Fashion District valet park. The video shows the MIG-U1 from various different angles and details, such as the interior. The Gemballa MIG-U1 features a front skirt that Spotted:...? YouTube memer Shmee150 filmed this stunning looking 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV, which was up for sale at the RM Auction in London on Wednesday, October 26. The auction sadly only reached ? 700,000 which was not enough for the car to make the reserve price and as such it did not sell. However via the 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV at RM Auctions Not Sold...? The Monterey Car Week took place from 13-19 August 2011 and saw the largest collection of rare exotic classic and modern day supercars gather over the weekend in Monterey, California. This video will show you the highlights of this years Monterey Car Week with everything from the unique display of Ferrari 250 GTOs at Pebble Video: Highlights of Pebble...? Racing is something we find back all over the world. The gallery below, brought to our attention by a member of ours, was made during the Ferrari 458 Challenge Asia Pacific Series 2011 at Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Just to keep you in the loop we can tell you that the 458 racer is Asian Pacific Series Ferrari 458 Challenge in Malaysia....? Our dear friend Marchettino filmed the 2010 New Stratos at the 2011 Rally Legend Event in San Marino. The vehicle is an one-off supercar made to celebrate the old glorious Lancia Stratos. The car has been commissioned by Michael Stoschek and developed by Pininfarina. The base used to build the car was the Ferrari 430 Video: 2010 New Stratos at Rally...? You might remember our article back in February this year about an unfortunate accident involving an F50 and an FBI officer and the ongoing litigation. On Tuesday 27th September, a judge granted immunity from prosecution for the government. The story starts back in Rosemont, Pennsylvania in September 2003 when the Ferrari F50 was stolen from FBI...? During our visit of the Meilenwerk in Stuttgart this week, we came across a really unique and tiny car. What you see here is a Ferrari 250 GTO sized 1:1,75 build by Carrozzeria Allegretti from Modena, Italy. The ultra-small and ultra-rare car is powered by a four-cylinder 562cc Fiat Topolino engine with 21hp. It has Spotted: Unique 1:1,75 Ferrari...? A Saudi passenger thinks he can handle it and has no problems with drifting at all, because Saudis have a natural tendency to do extensive and widespread drifts in their own country anyhow. The Lebanese driver shows him otherwise. What an epic footage! You are wondering what the guys are saying. The conversation goes along Video: Saudi Guy Scared...?

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Source: http://buy-expensive-cars.com/2011/10/29/video-baby-blue-ferrari-599-gto-in-london/

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Samsung's Q3 2011 overall profit falls despite incredible phone sales

Ready for more dollars and cents earnings news? It's Samsung's turn, and when it comes to phones the news couldn't be better, where it notched an operating profit of $2.3 billion on record sales. Unfortunately, other parts of its massive business selling displays, memory chips, appliances, and more weren't as profitable, leading a quarterly profit of $3.8 billion, down 13% from the same period last year. We'll wait for a press release in English for more details, for now you can paw through bar graphs and figures in the accompanying slides.

Update: Now with English language press included after the break.

Continue reading Samsung's Q3 2011 overall profit falls despite incredible phone sales

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Samsung's Q3 2011 overall profit falls despite incredible phone sales originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Microsoft Thinks the Future Will Look Like [Video]

Two things. One, we're going to need a lot of hand sanitizer if Microsoft is right about the all-touch-everything future. Two, I'm surprised how much I like Microsoft's vision—it's futuristic, natural and metro-y. More »


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Friday, October 28, 2011

Exxon Mobil profit rises 41 pct on higher prices

Exxon Mobil's quarterly profit rose 41 percent as higher prices for oil and natural gas made up for lower production.

Despite outspending other oil giants for the past few years, production dropped for the largest publicly traded oil company. Some of the declines resulted from international deals that limit the amount of oil that Exxon can sell as prices rise, the company said. But excluding those limits, production was still flat.

Exxon Mobil Corp.'s exploration and production business increased profit nearly 19 percent in the U.S. and 61 percent internationally. And its U.S. refineries quadrupled profits as the price of gasoline and other fuels soared.

But oil production fell 7 percent to 2.25 million barrels per day while natural gas production slipped 3 percent to 4.28 million cubic feet per day.

Exxon earned $10.33 billion, or $2.13 per share, in the third quarter. That compared with $7.35 billion, or $1.44 per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 32 percent to $125.3 billion. Analysts had expected earnings of $2.12 per share on revenue of $118.5 billion, according to FactSet.

Shares rose by $1.33, or 1.6 percent, to $82.40 in premarket trading.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45059413/ns/business-us_business/

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In naming female CEO, IBM passes gender milestone (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? IBM Corp. has passed a milestone, naming the first female CEO in the company's 100-year history.

The selection of Virginia "Ginni" Rometty, announced Tuesday, is also a statement about the growing influence of women in the top tiers of business. Although women have made momentous strides, breaking through corporate America's "glass ceiling" over the past half century, a woman's ascendance into the chief executive position of a major corporation still holds significance.

Currently, only 16 Fortune 500 companies are led by a woman. Rometty and Heather Bresch, appointed Wednesday as CEO of drug maker Mylan Inc., would make that 18. Both take effect Jan. 1.

Even so, two of the world's biggest technology companies will have female leaders. Last month, Hewlett-Packard Co. named Meg Whitman, former eBay Inc. chief and candidate for California governor, as its CEO.

Their appointments are "setting a fabulous example" in the promotion of female executives, said Jean Bozman, an analyst with IDC who has followed IBM and HP closely for years.

"It does create an environment in which more of these high-ranking women executives can see that's within reach," Bozman said. "The more that happens, the more normal that will be. I think this might be a great sign that we've turned a corner. Certainly the Baby Boomers have wanted this for a long time."

Rometty, IBM's sales and marketing chief, is taking over from Sam Palmisano, who this year turned 60, the age at which IBM CEOs have traditionally stepped down.

Rometty, 54, will be among more than a dozen female CEOs in the Fortune 500. Another prominent female CEO of a technology company is Ursula Burns of Xerox Corp., who has held that title since 2009.

HP had another female CEO, Carly Fiorina, but her tenure ended in acrimony when she was forced out in 2005 over disappointing financials and the fallout from her hard-fought battle to buy Compaq Computer. Yahoo Inc. also ousted CEO Carol Bartz this year.

HP and IBM are bitter rivals that have followed somewhat inverted paths for years.

When IBM was near collapse two decades ago with the eroding dominance of its mainframes, HP thrived with the advent of personal computing and Silicon Valley's dot-com boom. Now the tables are turned ? IBM is thriving while HP is hurting.

Two of technology's most powerful women will square off from sharply different positions.

Rometty will inherit a company in a sweet spot.

IBM, which is based in Armonk, N.Y., has proven resilient in the downturn because of hard decisions it made in the 1990s to focus on the high-margin areas of software and technology services, moving away from computer hardware. Rometty played a leading role in the transformation.

She was instrumental in the formation of IBM's business services division, including overseeing IBM's $3.5 billion purchase of PricewaterhouseCoopers' consulting business in 2002, which is a key element of a strategy that has made IBM a heavily copied company. Rometty joined IBM in 1981 as an engineer.

She is "more than a superb operational executive," Palmisano, who is keeping his job as chairman, said in a statement.

IBM's stock has more than doubled since the depth of the recession in 2008. Meanwhile, HP stock has fallen by about 50 percent.

A series of scandals has led to turmoil at the top of HP, with former CEO Mark Hurd resigning under pressure last year over ethical violations, and his successor, Leo Apotheker, being fired after less than a year on the job after fumbling an important restructuring.

One of Whitman's first moves was to accelerate a decision about whether HP will sell, spin off or keep its personal computer business, the largest in the world by sales. Investors seem undecided about what course they want HP to take. Some analysts worry that Apotheker did irreparable harm to the brand by announcing it was for sale before a buyer had been found, making it potentially hard to sell and hard to keep.

Analysts have generally said that both women are right for their roles ? HP needs Whitman's star power to woo Wall Street while IBM needs a steady operator with broad experience like Rometty to continue IBM's predictable, steady growth.

IBM dates to June 16, 1911, when three companies that made scales, punch-clocks for work and other machines merged to form the Computing Tabulating Recording Co. The modern-day name followed in 1924.

It had a boys' club image but shed it long ago. Rometty's status as a front-runner for the CEO job was a poorly kept secret. Industry insiders have whispered about it for years, and Tuesday's announcement was only a mild surprise because of its timing.

IBM CEOs have traditionally stepped down at 60 years old, but Palmisano had tamped down talk of his retirement, insisting that he wanted to stay on as chief. In rare public comments, he said last year that he was "not going anywhere" and that there's no formal policy at IBM dictating when a CEO should retire.

Bobby Cameron, an analyst with Forrester Research who has worked with IBM in various roles over the years, said that in meetings with Rometty is "engaging" and inquisitive. Her interest in emerging technologies, not just the established sales leaders, is an important characteristic. Cameron thinks she's an ideal choice to continue Palmisano's work.

"I think she's smart. She asks questions; she doesn't just come in with an agenda, and she's interested in the leading edge, not just what's driving volume ? all those things are important for a CEO to have," Cameron said.

Palmisano has the same characteristics, Cameron said.

"I think it will be more of the same, and I think that's a good thing," he said.

Nevertheless, investors' reaction was muted. IBM shares fell 51 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $179.85 in midday trading Wednesday, the first day of trading following the announcement.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enterprise/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_hi_te/us_ibm_ceo

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Oakland police action unnerves some protesters

The display of police force in Oakland, Calif., and Atlanta has unnerved some anti-Wall Street protesters.

While demonstrators in other cities have built a working relationship with police and city leaders, they wondered on Wednesday how long the good spirit would last and whether they could be next.

Will they have to face riot gear-clad officers and tear gas that their counterparts in Oakland, Calif., faced Tuesday? Or will they be handcuffed and hauled away in the middle of the night like protesters in Atlanta?

"Yes, we're afraid. Is this the night they're going to sneak in?" said activist William Buster of Occupy Wall Street, where the movement began last month to protest what they see as corporate greed.

"Is this the night they might use unreasonable force?" he asked.

An Iraq War veteran marching with demonstrators suffered a cracked skull in the chaos between officers and protesters in Oakland, further raising concern among some in the movement. Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old Marine veteran, was in critical condition Wednesday after he had been struck, said a spokesman for Highland Hospital in Oakland.

It was not clear exactly what type of object hit the veteran or who might have thrown it, though the group Iraq Veterans Against the War said it was lodged by officers. Police Chief Howard Jordan said at a news conference that the events leading up to Olsen's injury would be investigated as vigorously as a fatal police shooting.

The message, meanwhile, from officials in cities where other encampments have sprung up was simple: We'll keep working with you. Just respect your neighbors and keep the camps clean and safe.

Business owners and residents have complained in recent weeks about assaults, drunken fights and sanitation problems. Officials are trying to balance their rights and uphold the law while honoring protesters' free speech rights.

"I understand the frustration the protesters feel ... about inequity in our country as well as Wall Street greed," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said. "I support their right to free speech but we also have rules and laws."

Some cities, such as Providence, R.I., are moving ahead with plans to evict activists. But from Tampa, Fla., to Boston, police and city leaders say they will continue to try to work with protesters to address problems in the camps.

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In Oakland, officials initially supported the protests, with Mayor Jean Quan saying that sometimes "democracy is messy."

But tensions reached a boiling point after a sexual assault, a severe beating and a fire were reported and paramedics were denied access to the camp, according to city officials. They also cited concerns about rats, fire hazards and public urination.

Demonstrators disputed the city's claims, saying that volunteers collect garbage and recycling every six hours, that water is boiled before being used to wash dishes and that rats have long infested the park.

When riot gear-clad police moved in early Tuesday, they were pelted with rocks, bottles and utensils from people in the camp's kitchen area. They emptied the camp near city hall of people, and barricaded the plaza.

Protesters were taken away in plastic handcuffs, most of them arrested on suspicion of illegal lodging.

Demonstrators returned later in the day to march and retake the plaza. They were met by police officers in riot gear. Several small skirmishes broke out and officers cleared the area by firing tear gas.

The scene repeated itself several times just a few blocks away in front of the plaza.

Tensions would build as protesters edged ever closer to the police line and reach a breaking point with a demonstrator hurling a bottle or rock, prompting police to respond with another round of gas.

The chemical haze hung in the air for hours, new blasts clouding the air before the previous fog could dissipate.

The number of protesters diminished with each round of tear gas. Police estimated that there were roughly 1,000 demonstrators at the first clash following the march. About 100 were arrested.

On Wednesday, Oakland officials allowed protesters back into the plaza where their 15-day-old encampment had been raided but said people would be prohibiting from spending the night, potentially bringing another clash with police.

About 1,000 people quickly filled the plaza, but late at night, many of them filed out and began marching down nearby streets.

A reporter at the scene says police erected wooden barricades to block the march, but the protesters veered off as a group and continued down another street.

There were no signs of clashes between the two sides.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were left in the plaza, where some had vowed to spend the night.

In Atlanta, police in riot gear and SWAT teams arrested 53 people in Woodruff Park, many of whom had camped out there for weeks as part of a widespread movement that is protesting the wealth disparity between the rich and everyone else.

Mayor Kasim Reed had been supportive of the protests, twice issuing an executive order allowing them to remain.

Reed said on Wednesday that he had no choice to arrest them because he believed things were headed in a direction that was no longer peaceful. He cited a man seen walking the park with an AK-47 assault rifle.

"There were some who wanted to continue along the peaceful lines, and some who thought that their path should be more radical," Reed said. "As mayor, I couldn't wait for them to finish that debate."

Reed said authorities could not determine whether the rifle was loaded, and were unable to get additional information.

An Associated Press reporter talked to the man with the gun earlier Tuesday.

He wouldn't give his name ? identifying himself only as "Porch," an out-of-work accountant who doesn't agree with the protesters' views ? but said that he was there, armed, because he wanted to protect the rights of people to protest.

People who were arrested trickled out of jail as a crowd of several dozen supporters chanted "freedom" as they left.

"I think Mayor Reed would do well to learn quickly that you cannot intimidate, you cannot threaten, you cannot jail something whose time has come," activist Derrick Boazman said. "The fact of the matter is this movement's time has come."

In Portland, Ore., the protest seems to be at a crossroads. Organizers have been dealing with public drunkenness, fighting and drug abuse for weeks, especially among the homeless who are also in the camp.

Some are floating the idea of relocating it, possibly indoors. Others see that as capitulation.

"I don't know if it would be a good idea. Part of the effectiveness of what's going on here is visibility," protester Justin Neff said. "Though I'd do it if there's a possibility that we'd get seen and noticed. I don't know how that would work indoors."

City officials haven't said what would cause them to forcibly evict the protesters. They said they evaluate the camp daily.

In Baltimore, protesters like Casey McKeel, a member of Occupy Baltimore's legal committee, said he wasn't sure aren't sure what to expect from city officials, noting that some cities have arrested protesters in recent weeks.

"Across the country we're seeing a wide range of reactions," he said. "For now we're hoping the city will work with us."

The mayor, Rawlings-Blake, said she is willing to work with them, but they should realize that they are camping out in a city park and that was not its intended use. She said their free-speech rights don't trump the public's right to enjoy the space.

"I have absolutely no interest in a violent exchange," she said. "We want to work with the protesters, but the point is to talk about inequity and talk about how we can work together to have a more just society or more equitable Baltimore.

"It's not about pitching a tent. It's about getting the work done," she said.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Marcus Wohlsen in Oakland; Nigel Duara in Portland, Ore.; Sarah Brumfield in Baltimore, Md.; Verena Dobnik and Samantha Gross in New York; Harry R. Weber, Errin Haines and Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Erica Niedowski in Providence, R.I.; Michael J. Crumb in Des Moines, Iowa; Ben Nuckols in Washington; and Jay Lindsay in Boston.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45042393/ns/us_news/

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Hilo tour company suspends zip line tours

A Hilo-based eco-tourism company says it has suspended booking zip line tours until the cause of a fatal accident is fully understood.

Ted Callaway of Lahaina and a co-worker were in the process of testing a zip line north of Hilo last month when a tower collapsed and Callaway plunged 200 feet to his death. His co-worker Curtis Wright, of Miamisburg, Ohio, was critically injured.

The course has been closed since the incident. KapohoKine Adventures said Monday it halted booking all zip line tours pending a full evaluation of soil composition and structural integrity of the lines.

The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health division is conducting a workplace death investigation.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45034983/ns/travel-news/

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Climate impact of Arctic Ocean subject of major new study

Climate impact of Arctic Ocean subject of major new study [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Mike Douglas
mike.douglas@noc.ac.uk
44-023-805-96100
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK)

Future changes in the climate of the Arctic Ocean - and their possible impact on the climate of the United Kingdom and globally - are the subject of a major new study, supported by a 2.4 million grant from the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

The Arctic is the fastest-warming region of the planet. The summer sea ice melt-back has reached record lows in recent years. In three or four decades, global warming is predicted to make the Arctic Ocean virtually free of ice over the summer, which will change how winds, oceans and currents interact. No-one knows how the ocean will change, nor the potentially far-reaching implications for the climate experienced by regions far removed from the area, including the United Kingdom. An ice-free Arctic will also have huge significance for shipping and prospecting for natural resources.

The study, bearing the acronym TEA-COSI (The Environment of the Arctic: Climate, Ocean and Sea Ice), aims for a better understanding of how the Arctic ocean and sea ice system works today, and to make better predictions of how the Arctic climate will change. It also aims to understand the consequences of the seasonal removal of the sea ice cover. Without ice, winds are expected to make the ocean currents flow faster. This will make the ocean a more turbulent environment. But how will the cold, fresh surface layers of the ocean respond? Will the upwards flow of heat from the warm, deep-lying Atlantic water layer increase? If it does, will it impact even the future winter survival of sea ice?

The three-year project represents the most complex and comprehensive investigation to date into the import of heat, the export of fresh water, and their likely future changes in the Arctic Ocean. A wide range of data sources including robotic sensors fixed to ice floes, measurements made by scientists aboard a powerful icebreaker, satellite measurements, and instruments moored to the sea bed will be used by the research team which is led by Dr Sheldon Bacon of the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.

Along the length of the UK we benefit from a relatively mild climate, despite our location, which puts the most northerly parts of the UK on the same latitude as Siberia, Alaska and the southern tip of Greenland. This is due to heat brought northwards by the Atlantic Ocean on a current generally called the Atlantic Conveyor Belt.

This current is driven by surface water being made to sink by the extreme cold around the Arctic. It returns southwards through the Atlantic at great depths. We know that, because of global warming, these higher temperatures could cause extra amounts of fresh water to flow into the oceans. This could make the Conveyor Belt slow down or stop by acting like a lid of water that is too light to sink. If it did, the UK would get much colder.

The chances of this happening are unclear because the difficulty of visiting this extremely inhospitable region means that little is known about how the Arctic Ocean works. But scientists agree that the area is important because it is changing so fast. NERC is investing 15 million in its five-year (2010-15) Arctic programme, with TEA-COSI one of the largest studies.

Sheldon Bacon, says: "We will use our measurements and models to fill a large gap in our knowledge. Our results will eventually feed into improving predictions, not just of conditions in the Arctic, but of how changes there might influence UK, European and global climate. With better predictions, we can make better plans for the future."

###

The UK research team, who will be working in collaboration with international colleagues, are: Dr S Bacon (Principal Investigator), National Oceanography Centre, Southampton; Dr S W Laxon and Dr D Feltham, University College London ; Dr A C Naveira Garabato, University of Southampton; Dr T Rippeth, Bangor University; Dr H Johnson and Professor D Marshall, Oxford University; Dr L Shaffrey and Professor R Sutton, Reading University; Dr E Shuckburgh, British Antarctic Survey; Mr K Jackson and Mr D Meldrum, Scottish Association for Marine Science; Dr Helene Hewitt, Meteorological Office Hadley Centre, Exeter.



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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Climate impact of Arctic Ocean subject of major new study [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Mike Douglas
mike.douglas@noc.ac.uk
44-023-805-96100
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK)

Future changes in the climate of the Arctic Ocean - and their possible impact on the climate of the United Kingdom and globally - are the subject of a major new study, supported by a 2.4 million grant from the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

The Arctic is the fastest-warming region of the planet. The summer sea ice melt-back has reached record lows in recent years. In three or four decades, global warming is predicted to make the Arctic Ocean virtually free of ice over the summer, which will change how winds, oceans and currents interact. No-one knows how the ocean will change, nor the potentially far-reaching implications for the climate experienced by regions far removed from the area, including the United Kingdom. An ice-free Arctic will also have huge significance for shipping and prospecting for natural resources.

The study, bearing the acronym TEA-COSI (The Environment of the Arctic: Climate, Ocean and Sea Ice), aims for a better understanding of how the Arctic ocean and sea ice system works today, and to make better predictions of how the Arctic climate will change. It also aims to understand the consequences of the seasonal removal of the sea ice cover. Without ice, winds are expected to make the ocean currents flow faster. This will make the ocean a more turbulent environment. But how will the cold, fresh surface layers of the ocean respond? Will the upwards flow of heat from the warm, deep-lying Atlantic water layer increase? If it does, will it impact even the future winter survival of sea ice?

The three-year project represents the most complex and comprehensive investigation to date into the import of heat, the export of fresh water, and their likely future changes in the Arctic Ocean. A wide range of data sources including robotic sensors fixed to ice floes, measurements made by scientists aboard a powerful icebreaker, satellite measurements, and instruments moored to the sea bed will be used by the research team which is led by Dr Sheldon Bacon of the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.

Along the length of the UK we benefit from a relatively mild climate, despite our location, which puts the most northerly parts of the UK on the same latitude as Siberia, Alaska and the southern tip of Greenland. This is due to heat brought northwards by the Atlantic Ocean on a current generally called the Atlantic Conveyor Belt.

This current is driven by surface water being made to sink by the extreme cold around the Arctic. It returns southwards through the Atlantic at great depths. We know that, because of global warming, these higher temperatures could cause extra amounts of fresh water to flow into the oceans. This could make the Conveyor Belt slow down or stop by acting like a lid of water that is too light to sink. If it did, the UK would get much colder.

The chances of this happening are unclear because the difficulty of visiting this extremely inhospitable region means that little is known about how the Arctic Ocean works. But scientists agree that the area is important because it is changing so fast. NERC is investing 15 million in its five-year (2010-15) Arctic programme, with TEA-COSI one of the largest studies.

Sheldon Bacon, says: "We will use our measurements and models to fill a large gap in our knowledge. Our results will eventually feed into improving predictions, not just of conditions in the Arctic, but of how changes there might influence UK, European and global climate. With better predictions, we can make better plans for the future."

###

The UK research team, who will be working in collaboration with international colleagues, are: Dr S Bacon (Principal Investigator), National Oceanography Centre, Southampton; Dr S W Laxon and Dr D Feltham, University College London ; Dr A C Naveira Garabato, University of Southampton; Dr T Rippeth, Bangor University; Dr H Johnson and Professor D Marshall, Oxford University; Dr L Shaffrey and Professor R Sutton, Reading University; Dr E Shuckburgh, British Antarctic Survey; Mr K Jackson and Mr D Meldrum, Scottish Association for Marine Science; Dr Helene Hewitt, Meteorological Office Hadley Centre, Exeter.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/nocs-cio102711.php

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