Nov. 23, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Greenland Group, a Shanghai-based property developer, on Thursday won the bid for a piece of land in Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, for RMB 681 million, sources reported. The real estate developer purchased the 82.06-Mu parcel for RMB 8.3 million per Mu, a price much higher than the RMB 4-million starting price. The estimated cost of the land is R
Source:chinaknowledge.com/
Sunday, December 6, 2009
New Data Show Ice Loss in Greenland Accelerating
New data confirm the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate. The new calculations, based on state-of-the-art satellite observations combined with models of Greenland's changing icescape, are further evidence, scientists say, of the impact of global warming.
Greenland has lost about 1,500 gigatons of ice mass between 2000 and 2008, according to a new report, resulting in an average sea level rise of 0.46 millimeters per year. A gigaton is one billion tons. Between 2006 and 2008, the authors say the rate at which Greenland's ice sheet is shrinking due to global warming accelerated, causing ocean levels to rise 0.75 millimeters per year.
The calculations are considered the most reliable to date because they combine data from the twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites, known as GRACE, with computer models of Greenland's changing icescape.
GRACE detects alterations in gravity caused by reductions in the ice sheet. But the calculations do not tell scientists what is causing the ice cap to shrink, says Michiel van den Broeke, a professor of polar meteorology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Van den Broeke says some observations indicate sea levels are rising as the ice mass that makes up 80 percent of Greenland melts, resulting in a run-off of liquid water into the sea. Other studies suggest that rising ocean levels are caused by glacial ice that breaks off into the sea along Greenland's coast and forms icebergs.
Van den Broeke and colleagues created a model he says indicates the formation of icebergs and melting ice play equal roles in reducing the size of the Greenland Ice Sheet. "It turns out that both increased iceberg production, because these glaciers have started to flow faster in the last 10 years, and increased melting," said Michiel van den Broeke. "They have both contributed about equally to the recent mass loss."
The study by van den Broeke and colleagues traces the beginning of Greenland's ice loss to 1996. Some experts believe if current trends continue, global sea levels will rise by a meter or more by the end of the century.
Steve Nerem, a professor of aerospace engineering sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder says that is why it is important to refine predictions of what the Greenland Ice Sheet is going to do.
If the entire Greenland ice sheet were to melt, Nerem says it contains enough water to cause a global sea-level rise of seven meters. For low-lying countries to prepare, Nerem says, scientists need to know how quickly the Greenland ice mass is melting. "If the meter in sea level rise were to happen very rapidly, say in 50 years, it will be very hard to build the infrastructure, you know the dykes -- and the other things to hold back the water -- quickly enough to prevent the inundation that would occur with a meter of sea-level rise," he said. "If it were to take hundreds of years, then that would probably be enough time for populated areas to build the protections that they need to combat this."
New measurements of sea level rise and ice loss in Greenland are published in the journal "Science."
Source:chosun.com/
Good News/Bad News - Amazon Deforestation Reaches Record Low, But Greenland Ice Melt Accelerating
A mixed bag in climate change news this morning: Satellite imagery reveals that Amazon deforestation has dropped to the lowest rate since Brazil began monitoring efforts, President Inácio Lula da Silva announced yesterday afternoon. Woo hoo! But a new article in the journal Science shows that the Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass an accelerating rate. D'oh!
Seven Meters of Sea Level Rise if Greenland Ice Sheet Melts
The Greenland observation was independently confirmed by two sources, satellite observation as well as a state-of-the-art regional atmospheric model.
This mass loss is equally distributed between increased iceberg production, driven by acceleration of Greenland's fast-flowing outlet glaciers, and increased meltwater production at the ice sheet surface. Recent warm summers further accelerated the mass loss to 273 Gt per year (1 Gt is the mass of 1 cubic kilometre of water), in the period 2006-2008, which represents 0.75 mm of global sea level rise per year. (Science Codex)
Remember that if the whole of the Greenland Ice Sheet melts, there's enough water contained within it to cause seven meters of sea level rise. Since 2000, this melting has contributed in total 5mm, so not a huge effect yet -- but this is the biggie; maybe not this century, but if current emission levels continue upward, certainly in the future.
Deforestation Hits Lowest Levels Since 1988
The much better news is that from August 2008 to July 2009, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped 45.7%, according to data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (abbreviated INPE in Portuguese) -- slightly over 7,000 square kilometers were cleared in that time period, the lowest level since monitoring began two decades ago.
Brazil is attributing the decline in deforestation to its Action Plan for Deforestation Control and Prevention in the Amazon program (PPCDAM is probably easier...). The program, launched in 2004, increased the use of satellite monitoring; increased law enforcement inspection operations by 32%; established environmental criteria as pre-requisites for loans for farmers and ranchers; and, increased the land under federal and state protection by 50 million hectares.
If that sounds familiar, it's because similar data was trotted out by Brazil a few months back. This latest announcement seems to confirm earlier reports, and extends the record low from 2004, back to 1998. PR spin or scientific adjustment?
Source:treehugger.com/
Greenland considers downtown village
A flyer hangs on the door of the Dunkin' Donuts in Greenland informing locals about a Community Workshop to discuss the vision of a village district on December 5, 8:00 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Central School. Rich Beauchesne photo
Rich Beauchesne/rbeauchesne@seacoastonline.com
By Joshua Clark
GREENLAND — Town planners are considering whether to create a downtown village district.
A public workshop to gauge community interest and generate ideas is set for 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at Greenland Central School.
Michele Gagne, of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, finalized the agenda for the upcoming workshop and determined what topics will be discussed at a Planning Board meeting on Nov. 19. Gagne and UNH students are collaboratively researching the potential district.
Boundaries of the potential district, running from the intersection of Routes 33 and 151 and ending at the post office, will be discussed, as well as potential permitted uses. Residents will have the chance to participate in small-group sessions.
Five village district roundtables will cover streetscapes, transportation systems and options, generic architectural and site design guidelines, mixed uses, and public spaces and amenities will be set up with a Planning Board member at each table. Groups will visit each of the tables for 20 minutes and can pose questions regarding each aspect of the proposed district and provide suggestions and ideas.
Summaries of the meetings will be given by board members focusing on popular themes, trends, questions and suggestions brought about by the sessions.
"This meeting should give us an opportunity to see whether our vision is in alignment with the people of Greenland," said board member Rich Winsor.
"If they don't want to do it, we're not going to pursue this," said Stu Gerome of the board.
Chairman John McDevitt said there are currently no design plans, money set aside or projects lined up for the proposed district.
Citizens will also have the chance to weigh in and learn more about proposed zoning changes to Route 33.
Source:seacoastonline.com/
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