July 3rd, 2009
Cornwall, Ontario (July 3, 2009) - Fifty years after the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and in this week when both Canadians and Americans celebrate the birth of their respective nations, the Canadian and U.S. Seaway corporations remain resolute in their commitment to the sustainability of this bi-national transportation system.
In this day and age, the marine mode, and the Seaway in particular, remains an ideal means of moving cargo, providing superior energy efficiency and a minimal greenhouse gas footprint. Moving cargo over water provides relief for our congested highways and rail systems and saves both lives and money. A recent U.S. and Canadian Government study concluded that the use of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) saves consumers $3.6 billion per year in shipping costs. In addition, over 150,000 jobs on both sides of the border are dependent on GLSLS shipping.
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July 2nd, 2009
FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom – In a move to help combat the growing threat of explosive mines hidden in shallow coastal waters such as ports and harbours and to increase the protection available to world shipping, BAE Systems has launched its first unmanned autonomous submarine to detect and deal with this newfound threat.
The 50kg vessel, called Talisman L, uses high-definition forward and sideways looking sonars, as well as a host of multi-view cameras. It has a high degree of manoeuvrability and can turn within its own length and is able to operate at depths of 100 metres for anything up to 12 hours. With a top speed of more than five knots, it can hover and move around in any direction.
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July 1st, 2009
MONROVIA, Calif., July 1, 2009 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) was awarded a Phase II contract extension in April from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design and build a flying prototype for the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program. As part of this program AV has accomplished a technical milestone never before achieved: the controlled hovering flight of an air vehicle system with two flapping wings that carries its own energy source and uses only the flapping wings for propulsion and control.
AV achieved the milestone in December 2008 with the successful 20-second flight of the ‘Mercury’ interim test vehicle. The nano aircraft is capable of climbing and descending vertically, flying sideways left and right, as well as forward and backward, under remote control.
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June 30th, 2009
(Article from TradeWinds 26th June 2009)
Other manufacturers claim much-maligned hook system is now safe
AP Moller-Maersk is not the only company to take a fresh look at the lifeboat-safety issue. Established lifeboat-equipment manufacturers have upgraded the on-load release hooks to the extent that they claim they are now safe.
Schat-Harding chief executive Ove Roessland says the hook is still the way forward for lifeboat safety. Commenting on Maersk’s drop-in-ball design, he said: “Schat Harding welcomes any initiative that improves safety at sea, and the safety of lifeboats in particular.” “With respect to hooks, all the evidence is that properly designed on-load release hooks, when correctly maintained, are safe and fulfil the function they were designed for - to get seafarers and the boat safely away.
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June 29th, 2009
With temperatures forecast to soar this week, those planning a trip to the beach to make the most of the sunshine are being urged by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to ‘be beachwise’ by choosing a lifeguarded beach and taking the right precautions to make sure they stay safe and remember their day at the beach for the right reasons.
Hot weather inevitably means more people heading to the Great British seaside so lifesaving charity, the RNLI, is urging beach-goers – particularly those planning to use the water – to put the safety of themselves and their families first by always choosing a lifeguarded beach and swimming between the red and yellow flags.
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June 26th, 2009
IMO is one of 21 United Nations agencies behind a joint statement issued by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, at the United Nations Conference of the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development, (New York, 24-26 June, 2009).
The wide ranging statement calls for a world-wide transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy able to deliver multiple economic, social and environmental opportunities in the 21st century.
Among other things, it says that: “Investing stimulus funds in such sectors as energy efficient technologies, renewable energy, public transport, sustainable agriculture, environmentally friendly tourism, and the sustainable management of natural resources including ecosystems and biodiversity, reflects the conviction that a green economy can create dynamic new industries, quality jobs, and income growth while mitigating and adapting to climate change and arresting biodiversity decline.”
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June 25th, 2009
Date: 25/06/2009
Author: Meg Pugh, Lifeguard Press Officer
(Credit RNLI/Owen Howells)
Thieves have broken into a RNLI lifeguard unit on Poppit Sands beach, leaving costly damages for the charity that relies on voluntary donations.
The VHF communications aerial was damaged during the break-in and the roof’s skylight was removed, leaving the unit unusable. The damage was discovered last week when the area supervisor arrived with equipment for the start of the season. Repair costs are estimated to be in the region of £500.
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June 23rd, 2009
Rockville, Md., June 22nd, 2009 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a five-year, $47 million contract to continue managing the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division’s Card Scanning Service (CSS) program. The contract covers the conversion of paper fingerprint, palm print and photo records into high-quality electronic records for the FBI.
Records processed through this program are submitted by state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies and used to populate the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) database, a national fingerprint and criminal history system maintained by the FBI CJIS Division. With this new contract, the FBI will also be able to automatically process paper fingerprint records submitted by foreign law enforcement agencies.
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June 22nd, 2009
FARNBOROUGH, UK – BAE Systems is inviting Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the intelligence and security sector to come forward with innovative technologies as part of its Investment in Innovation programme.
The initiative will see the global defence, security and aerospace company provide support to SMEs that can help to develop new technology to improve security in the UK and worldwide. Specific areas of interest include, but are not restricted to, cyber-security, biometrics and intelligent surveillance systems
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June 22nd, 2009
Available 2nd August 2009
Lt Cdr Julian Stockwin MBE is perhaps best known for the excellent stories following the careers of two fiction naval characters during the Napoleonic War. These absorbing tales bring to life the Navy of Nelson and feature some novel new plots and backgrounds that have made the Kydd series an international best seller, translated into a growing number of languages and attracting an expanding readership. This new book is a delight and a labour of love. The author has been involved with the sea all of his life, serving in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. Through his working life and his more recent career as a writer, he has collected a huge amount of information. From this fund of knowledge, he has selected a collection of facts and anecdotes, details of events and museums, insights into the life of seaman during the golden period of sail in the reign of George III. The diversity of information and the fascinating explanations of the background to commonly used words and phrases, such as ‘high and dry’ and ‘first rate’, will appeal to a very wide readership. The greatest service the author has done is to fill in the blanks in fictional and non-fictional naval history.
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