Issues around us: September 2015

Monday, September 28, 2015

20150928 BBC_Shell stops Arctic activity after 'disappointing' tests

Royal Dutch Shell hopes to use this rig for exploratory drilling during the summer open-water season in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska"s northwest coast

Royal Dutch Shell has stopped Arctic oil and gas exploration off the coast of Alaska after "disappointing" results from a key well in the Chukchi Sea.

In a surprise announcement, the company said it would end exploration off Alaska "for the foreseeable future".

Shell said it did not find sufficient amounts of oil and gas in the Burger J well to warrant further exploration.

The company has spent about $7bn (£4.5bn) on Arctic offshore development in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.

"Shell continues to see important exploration potential in the basin, and the area is likely to ultimately be of strategic importance to Alaska and the US," said Marvin Odum, president of Shell USA.

"However, this is a clearly disappointing exploration outcome for this part of the basin."

Environmental groups oppose Arctic offshore drilling and say industrial activity and more greenhouse gases will harm polar bears, walrus and ice seals.

Over the summer, protesters in kayaks unsuccessfully tried to block Arctic-bound Shell vessels in Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

Shell said it would take financial charges as a result of halting exploration, which it would disclose during its third quarter results. The company has existing contracts for rigs, ships and other assets.

The US Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds about 30% of the world's undiscovered natural gas, as well as 13% of its oil.

According to Shell, this amounts to around 400 billion barrels of oil equivalent, 10 times the total oil and gas produced in the North Sea to date.

Analysis: Roger Harrabin, BBC environment analyst

Environmentalists are jubilant at Shell's withdrawal from the Arctic.

Greenpeace ran a campaign protesting that firms have already found three times more fossil fuels than scientists say can be safely burned without risk of destabilising the climate.

They also warned that an accident was likely in the brutal Arctic weather. And they said if a spill happened, it would impossible to clear up oil spreading under sea ice.

Shell maintained that it had the technology to cope with a spill, and that the world still needed oil and gas.

But some other leading figures in the oil industry said they were staying out of the Arctic because of the huge exploration costs and reputational risk - especially at a time of low oil prices.

And Hillary Clinton, a Democratic hopeful for the US Presidency, has said she would block new permits for Alaskan offshore drilling because it's too risky.

20150928 BBC_Typhoon Dujuan approaches Taiwan, thousands evacuated

A woman holds onto her umbrella while walking against strong winds caused by Typhoon Dujuan in Taipei — Image captionStrong winds have already hit the country ahead of Dujuan's arrival

Thousands of people have been evacuated and tens of thousands of troops are on standby ahead of Typhoon Dujuan's arrival in Taiwan.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau upgraded Dujuan to a "strong typhoon" on Sunday - also known as "super typhoon" by some weather agencies.

Landfall in Taiwan is expected at 11:00 pm local time (1500 GMT), bringing heavy rain and high winds.

The storm is expected to weaken before reaching mainland China on Tuesday.

Before hitting Taiwan, Dujuan will pass close to Japan's Ishigaki island, where theJapan Meteorological Agency has warned it could cause 13 metre-high waves.

An image made available by Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau shows Dujuan approaching Taiwan's east coast on 27 September — Image captionTaiwan's Central Weather Bureau issued a sea and land warning for Dujuan on Sunday, saying it was now a strong typhoon

Around 3,000 people, mostly tourists, were evacuated from Taiwan's Green Island and Orchid Island on Sunday, with around 4,000 more moved from vulnerable areas on Monday.

Some of those were transported from the hot spring town of Wulai, near Taipei. Wulai was badly hit by Typhoon Soudelor in August and the Weather Bureau warned that rubble left over from that could cause more damage this time.

Soudelor, the most powerful storm of the season so far, killed at least eight people in Taiwan and a further 21 in China.

The storm has already disrupted many people's plans for the mid-autumn festival long weekend. Hundreds of flights and many ferry services have been suspended.

US rock band Bon Jovi also cancelled a concert planned for Monday night - their first gig in Taiwan in decades - though they are currently still planning to perform on Tuesday.

Taiwanese coast guards keep watch on the coastline of Keelungas typhoon Dujuan approaches — Image captionThe storm was already causing high waves and many ferry services have been cancelled

Thursday, September 17, 2015

20150918 Ming Pao【智利8級強震】百萬人疏散　海嘯預警遠至日本新西蘭 (14:51)

智利海岸發生8.3級強烈地震，已造成5人死亡、1人失蹤，100萬人疏散。地震後當局發出海嘯警報，部分沿海地區被淹，遠至亞洲日本都在預警範圍內。

智利總統巴切萊特說，死者包括遭屋頂塌下砸死的35歲女子、被落石壓死的20歲女子，以及心臟病發死亡的80多歲老翁。她計劃前往受影響最嚴重的災區。這是智利2010年以來最嚴重的地震。

路透社引述海軍稱，已經有4.5米高海嘯湧向海濱城市科金博。智利政府敦促居民撤離海岸線。

智利外海發生8.3級強震後，不僅美國加州部分地區發布海嘯警示，地震威力大到連距智利9600公里的新西蘭，也警告民眾小心新西蘭部分地區可能出現海嘯。

路透社報道，美國國家海嘯警報（National Tsunami Warning Center）中心向加州部分地區發出海嘯警示，並表示抵達加州部分地區的海浪預計高度將不到0.3米。

美聯社報道，太平洋海嘯警報中心（Pacific Tsunami Warning Center）表示，南太平洋最可能受到波及的地方是法屬玻里尼西亞，可能出現3米高海浪。

新西蘭民防部17日發布海嘯預警說，智利強烈地震引發的海嘯可能波及新西蘭，提醒新西蘭南北兩島東部居民遠離沿海地區，又說如果海嘯真的來襲，可能將在當地時間18日凌晨出現（香港時間17日晚間8時）。

民防部在聲明中表示，智利地震後，新西蘭南北兩島東部可能會出現較大海浪，對河口、海岸、港口等區域影響較大。聲明說，現階段地質評估顯示，新西蘭沿海地區出現海水倒灌可能性不大，但相關情況可能隨時發生變化。

聲明說，預期海嘯將在智利地震後12小時抵達新西蘭東部外島查塔姆群島，13小時後抵達新西蘭北島最東端。強大的海浪預計在新西蘭東部海域持續24小時，最高峰可能維持4至10小時。

民防部表示，部分東部地區的居民應該遠離海灘與海岸線。這些地區包括東角（East Cape）、查塔姆群島（Chatham Islands）、科羅曼德（Coromandel）與班克斯半島（Banks Peninsula）。

（新華社、中央社、路透社、法新社）

20150917 BBC_Chile quake triggers mass evacuation and tsunami alert

One million people had to leave their homes in Chile after a powerful quake hit the country's central region.

At least eight people died when the 8.3-magnitude quake hit. One person is still missing.

Residents of Illapel, near the quake's epicentre, fled into the streets in terror as their homes began to sway.

In the coastal town of Coquimbo, waves of 4.7m (15ft) hit the shore. A tsunami alert was issued for the entire Chilean coast but has since been lifted.

Tsunami waves also hit the coast further north and south of the quake's epicentre, with waves half a metre higher than usual as far north as La Punta.

Map: Chile earthquake and observed tsunami heights

The quake lasted for more than three minutes and there have been dozens of aftershocks.

Gloria Navarro, who lives in the coastal town of La Serena, said people were "running in all directions".

At the scene: Jane Chambers, freelance journalist

I'm on the coast about 130km (80 miles) south from the worst affected area of Coquimbo. Our house is on top of a cliff and made of wood. It was shaking and shuddering.

At first I thought it was just a tremor but it was really strong and went on for around three minutes. It was much stronger than any tremors I had ever felt before.

The house is fine as most of Chile's buildings are built to withstand tremors.

The local town was evacuated. The restaurant down on the beach is flooded but most things here are returning to normal.

Officials said 1,800 people in Illapel were left without drinking water.

Electricity providers said hundreds of thousands of their clients in the worst-affected Coquimbo region had no power.

People leave a supermarket during a strong quake in Santiago on 16 September, 2015. — Image captionPeople fled into the streets as the quake caused buildings to sway

People stand outside a destroyed house in Illapel on 17 September, 2015. — Image captionThe city of Illapel was among the worst hit

Bottles lie on the the ground in a shop after an earthquake hit areas of central Chile, in Illapel town, north of Santiago, Chile, September 17, 2015 — Image captionThe quake also caused goods to fall from shelves in a supermarket in the city

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the tremor struck off the coast of Coquimbo, 46km (29 miles) west of the city of Illapel at 19:54 local time (22:54 GMT).

The USGS said it was at a depth of 25km, while Chilean seismologists calculated its depth at 11km.

Analysis: Jonathan Amos, BBC Science Correspondent

People stand and watch the ocean on Cerro Baron hill, in Valparaiso city on 16 September, 2015, — Image captionResidents of the coastal city of Valparaiso knew to take to higher ground

The quake that rocked Chile on Wednesday was five times more energetic than the one that devastated Nepal back in April. And yet the early indications are that the death toll will be a fraction (perhaps a thousandth) of what it was in the Himalayan nation.

In large part, this is simply down to preparedness. This was Chile's third massive quake in five years; the region all too frequently experiences magnitude 8 events. As a consequence, the building codes are strict and generally well enforced.

What is more, the people themselves are well versed in how to react during and after an event.

It is not perfect. In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude quake witnessed failings on the part of the monitoring network and the system for alerting people to the imminent tsunami threat.

Since then, the Chilean government has spent millions upgrading the country's seismic network of sensors, and made improvements to telecommunications systems that share critical information and warnings.

The earthquake struck as thousands of Chileans were travelling to the coast ahead of a week of celebrations for independence day.

President Michelle Bachelet said some of the official festivities would be cancelled.

The authorities were quick to issue tsunami alerts keen to avert a repeat of the slow response to the 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010, which devastated large areas of the country.

More than 500 people died in that quake and the tsunami it triggered and memories of the tragedy are still raw.

Women remain at a street during a strong quake in Santiago on 16 September, 2015. — Image captionChileans are terrified of a repeat of the deadly 2010 quake and subsequent tsunami

People remain in the street after a tsunami alert in Valparaiso, Chile on 16 September, 2015. — Image captionMany spent the night in the street as aftershocks continued

A man crosses a street next to rubble from a collapsed house after an earthquake in Illapel, some 200 km north of Santiago on 17 September, 2015. — Image captionAs day broke, residents began to take stock of the damage

Tsunami alerts were issued shortly after the quake struck for the entire Chilean coast but have been gradually lifted, with the last cancelled at 06:22 local time.

President Bachelet said that "once again we must confront a powerful blow from nature". She will travel to the affected areas later on Thursday.

Chile is one of the most seismically active locations on the globe.

It runs along the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. These are vast slabs of the Earth's surface that grind past each other at a rate of up to 80mm per year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34275783

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

20150917 China Daily_Powerful quake hits off coast of Chile, coastal evacuations ordered

SANTIAGO, Chile - A magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital city of Santiago and generating a tsunami warning for Chile and Peru.

Chile's government urged residents to evacuate the coastline. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Reuters witnesses said the quake was felt as far away as the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, on the eastern seaboard of South America.

The quake struck 105 miles (169 km) north of Valparaiso and was originally reported as magnitude 7.9, the US Geological Survey said.

Hazardous tsunami waves from the quake were possible along the coasts of Chile and Peru within the next several hours, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. A tsunami watch was also issued for Hawaii.

If tsunami waves impact Hawaii, the estimated earliest arrival time would be 3:06 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time (1306 GMT) on Thursday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

The quake struck at a depth of 15.5 miles (25 km), the USGS said.

Less than an hour after the initial earthquake, three aftershocks all greater than magnitudes 6.1 struck the region, USGS reported.

Chile's state copper miner Codelco said workers at its Ventanas division have been evacuated.

20150915 BBC_Haze chokes Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

Girls take a selfie on bridge in Pekanbaru, Indonesia (14 Sept 2015) — Image captionThe capital of Indonesia's Riau province, Pekanbaru, has been cloaked in dense haze for weeks

Smoke from huge forest fires in Indonesian has created a cloud of smog over the country, which has spread over neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.

The fires, which happen every year, are caused by slash-and-burn clearances on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

Paper and palm oil companies have been widely blamed for the practice.

Indonesia, which has repeatedly promised to stop the illegal fires, has sent hundreds of military personnel to try to put them out.

It has declared a state of emergency in Riau province, where the haze has been building for several weeks and pollution levels are hazardous to health.

In Malaysia, schools have been closed in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and several other areas, while Singaporeans are being advised to avoid strenuous activity outdoors.