Environment – Page 11 – Slugger O'Toole

NI Environment Minister’s “retreat from Moscow”

Pete Baker on October 5, 2010, 3:55 pm

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I mentioned that the public inquiry into the John Lewis development at Sprucefield has been delayed due to legal concerns about comments made by the NI Environment Minister, the DUP’s Edwin Poots. The BBC reports that Lord Justice Girvan has asked the Attorney General to consider contempt of court proceedings, despite a statement from the Minister being read out in court today. And, it would appear, not just in regard to the Minister. From the BBC report Lord Justice Girvan said [the Minister’s statement in court today] did not “sit …

John Lewis inquiry delayed due to Minister’s comments

Pete Baker on October 4, 2010, 9:36 pm

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Official statements by the then Northern Ireland Environment Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, have already been quashed by one member of the judiciary because they unlawfully changed planning policy to “give greater weight to [the] economic considerations” of any proposed development. Now the BBC reports that the Planning Appeals Commission has confirmed a further delay to the public inquiry into the John Lewis development at Sprucefield. The reason? Legal concerns about comments made in a recent interview by the current NI …

“It’s in the ‘sweet spot’, the Goldilocks Zone…”

Pete Baker on October 1, 2010, 10:17 pm

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If no-one picks up the phone at Gliese 581d, perhaps someone will be at home on the newly discovered Gliese 581g… aka the “Goldilocks” planet. Or, indeed, one of the other exo-planets in the, apparently, increasingly populated Gliese 581 system. But I tend to agree with the quotes in the level-headed Tom Chivers blog at the Daily Telegraph Dr Lewis Dartnell, a UCL astrobiologist who specialises in the possibility of microbial life on Mars, says that it’s “undeniably very, very exciting”, but it’s …

High Court rules NI Environment Minister’s official statements to Assembly unlawful

Pete Baker on October 1, 2010, 3:15 pm

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The BBC reports that the High Court has ruled that the then NI Environment Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, unlawfully changed planning policy in two ministerial statements to the Assembly in May and June of last year. Mr Justice Treacy ordered the ministerial statements to be quashed. From the BBC report …lawyers for the Department of the Environment argued the statements merely offered clarification and guidance within an existing and well established policy framework and did not amount to a change …

The spicules of Sol

Pete Baker on August 31, 2010, 5:03 pm

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Another wondrous view of our own modest star from the Solar Dynamics Observatory [SDO]. Here’s what the SDO channel says Spicules pop up from the Sun constantly. These dynamics jets are smaller features of the Sun that are commonly ignored. However, with the detailed close-up that SDO can provide, we can see these much more clearly than ever before. Over a few hours observation of the northern pole area of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light (Aug. 3, 2010), we can …

“If the [EU] Commission asks what progress has been made… the departments will be exposed”

Pete Baker on August 20, 2010, 10:34 pm

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BBC NI’s Mike McKimm reports on five years of failure to act by the Northern Ireland Departments of the Environment, and Agriculture, following a formal written warning from the EU Commission in 2005 over the plight of [protected species] horse mussel beds in Strangford Lough [added link]. A Freedom of Information request was involved. The ministers concerned did manage to summon the press for a photo-opportunity on the issue in January 2009. But that’s about the only activity we’ve seen. From the BBC report Again …

Solar Dynamics Observatory: Interacting regions

Pete Baker on August 11, 2010, 10:12 pm

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More stunning footage from the Solar Dynamics Observatory [SDO]. From the SDO video summary Two pairs of active regions observed in extreme ultraviolet light show the dynamic magnetic interplay between them (Aug. 3-4, 2010). Energetic plasma is drawn to the magnetic field lines above active regions and forms the highly structured coronal loops. Connecting lines can also be seen reaching across between for the two widely separated active regions seen in profile to the left. Pete Baker

“if you’re willing to put aside the conspiracy theories for a moment we will move on”

Pete Baker on July 30, 2010, 12:39 pm

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The publication of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s State of the Climate in 2009 report, with analysis by the Met Office, prompts the Daily Telegraph‘s Tom Chivers to produce the most sensible piece I’ve seen for some time on the subject. As Dan Gardner says in his wonderful book Risk: the science and politics of fear, to which I will be returning, the phrase “very likely” is about as strong as scientific language gets, and a 95 per cent confidence level …

“The eyes of WISE have not blinked since launch”

Pete Baker on July 17, 2010, 3:33 pm

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Nasa marks the completion of the first survey of the entire sky by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer [WISE] with the release of a new image from the survey – a seven square degrees region including the Pleiades cluster. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA. WISE was launched in December last year and saw first light in January. Here’s a short video medley of previously released images. More images, including this one of Tycho’s supernova remnant, at Nasa’s WISE image gallery. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA Pete …

See beautiful Ontario Lacus!

Pete Baker on July 16, 2010, 2:17 pm

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Using radar data from the Cassini spacecraft’s flybys on June 22, 2009, July 8, 2009, and Jan. 12, 2010, Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have produced this animated flyover of a potential future holiday destination – the lakes of Titan. Just don’t forget to pack the thermal underwear… Video credit: JPL News From the JPL press release Ontario Lacus, the largest lake in the southern hemisphere of Saturn’s moon Titan, turns out to be a perfect exotic vacation spot, provided you can handle the frosty, subzero …

It’s Science Friday!

Pete Baker on July 9, 2010, 12:32 pm

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Here’s a short interesting video, with stunning images, on the solar weather under investigation with the help of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Pete Baker

“Asteroids Rock!”

Pete Baker on June 14, 2010, 4:52 pm

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As the BBC notes, Japanese scientists are confident they have successfully retrieved the first samples ever grabbed from the surface of an asteroid, Itokawa, after recovering a capsule from the Hayabusa spacecraft in the Australian outback. The Japanese space agency (Jaxa) says the capsule looks to be intact. The return was the culmination of a remarkable seven-year adventure, which saw Hayabusa visit asteroid Itokawa in 2005 and attempt to pluck dust from its surface before firing its engines for home. The …

Fireball on Jupiter!

Pete Baker on June 4, 2010, 12:39 pm

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Via Space Weather. Amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley was the first to observe the Great Black Spot [of Jupiter]. Now he’s gone one better and recorded an actual impact on the gas giant. The resulting fireball was independently confirmed by Christopher Go in the Philipines – his video can be viewed here. Here’s the full processed image of the impact, visible in bottom right. Image credit: Anthony Wesley, Broken Hill Australia. And here’s the raw video observation. The impact occurs in the top left in …

Atlantis and ISS in solar transit

Pete Baker on May 23, 2010, 4:45 pm

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Via Space Weather. “Yesterday (May 22nd) in Switzerland, Thierry Legault photographed the International Space Station (ISS) and space shuttle Atlantis passing directly in front of the sun.” He’s making a habit of this. The small image here doesn’t do justice to the astounding images he’s taken during the 0.49 second solar transit. You have to go to his website to see those in full. Equally astounding are the images of a transit 50 minutes before Atlantis docked with the ISS. …

The ash is back

Pete Baker on May 16, 2010, 12:52 pm

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No-fly zones have been re-imposed over parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland, and some Irish airports are also affected. The Met Office will be updated its observations of the volcanic ash cloud on a regular basis. Adds The Guardian has more. Including this footage of the culprit, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, erupting. Pete Baker

Last Flight of Atlantis

Pete Baker on May 14, 2010, 6:34 pm

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After almost 25 years in service, at 7.20pm [BST] tonight Nasa’s Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to lift-off from Kennedy Space Center on its last ever flight – Mission STS-132. There’s Nasa’s launch blog and the usual online NasaTV coverage. Only two more missions remain in the Space Shuttle programme. Meanwhile Congress continues to hear from opponents of US President Obama’s new policy for Nasa, including, in a rare public appearance, moonwalker Neil Armstrong. Adds Via NASAtelevision And perhaps I should have said First Last Flight… …

Herschel’s anniversary and Dawn’s destinations

Pete Baker on May 7, 2010, 10:19 pm

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As I mentioned when noting a previous wondrous image, ESA’s cool infrared Herschel observatory sent its first images back in October last year, just after its launch companion, the even cooler Planck observatory achieved first light. Both are twittering away – Planck and Herschel. And ESA have released another stunning image as Herschel nears its first anniversary in orbit. There’s also an ESA video to mark the anniversary The BBC’s Spaceman, Jonathan Amos, has been contemplating Herschel’s images. He recommends the …

More airport closures for volcanic ash cloud

Pete Baker on May 4, 2010, 11:00 pm

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To add to the airline restrictions this morning, the BBC report that there will be more airport closures tomorrow in Northern Ireland, and Scotland, due to volcanic ash in the atmosphere A CAA spokesman said: “Met Office forecasts show that levels of ash in the atmosphere over Scotland and Northern Ireland will exceed the concentrations that engine manufacturers have agreed are safe for operations. “Unfortunately, this means that the CAA anticipates all Scottish and Northern Ireland airports will be closed …

‘No fly zone’ over Ireland tomorrow

Pete Baker on May 3, 2010, 7:03 pm

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RTÉ reports that the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has warned Irish-based airlines that a ‘no fly zone’ may have to be imposed over Ireland tomorrow because of an ash cloud drifting down from Iceland. From the IAA statement The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has informed Irish-based airlines that it is concerned that Irish Airports may be impacted by the drift south of the volcanic ash cloud caused by the north easterly winds. Current information from the Volcanic Ash Advice Centre …

SDO Observes Massive Eruption, Scorching Rain

Pete Baker on April 28, 2010, 8:43 pm

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Nasa have followed up the stunning first light images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory [SDO] with equally impressive footage of a magnetic filament erupting on April 19th. Here the Solar Dynamics Observatory zoomed in on a magnetic filament erupting on April 19th. The black “hair-like object” is a speck of dust on the CCD camera. Credit: SDO/AIA. From the Nasa podcast “SDO has just observed a massive eruption on the sun—one of the biggest in years,” says Lika Guhathakurta of NASA headquarters in Washington …