MEDIA RELEASE

WASHINGTON — NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate is inviting teams of undergraduate and graduate students throughout the country to participate in the fourth annual Systems Engineering Paper Competition. Participants in the competition will submit a paper on an Exploration Systems mission topic.

The deadline to register for the competition is April 16. Papers are due April 23. The winning teams will be announced in May. Awards include up to $3,500 in cash scholarships and VIP invitations to attend a future space shuttle or rocket launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The competition is designed to engage students in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines critical to NASA’s missions.

For information about the competition and how to apply, visit:

education.ksc.nasa.gov/esmdspacegrant/SystemsEngineering.htm

Researchers have constructed a map showing the relative movement of locations after the Maule, Chile earthquake. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State University)

MEDIA RELEASE / Newswise

The massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the west coast of Chile last month moved the entire city of Concepcion at least 10 feet to the west, and shifted other parts of South America as far apart as the Falkland Islands and Fortaleza, Brazil.

These preliminary measurements, produced from data gathered by researchers from four universities and several agencies, including geophysicists on the ground in Chile, paint a much clearer picture of the power behind this temblor, believed to be the fifth most powerful since instruments have been available to measure seismic shifts.

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina and across the continent from the quake’s epicenter, moved about 1 inch to the west. And Chile’s capital, Santiago, moved about 11 inches to the west-southwest. The cities of Valparaiso and Mendoza, Argentina, northeast of Concepcion, also moved significantly.

The quake’s epicenter was in a region of South America that’s part of the so-called “ring of fire,” an area of major seismic stresses which encircles the Pacific Ocean. All along this line, the tectonic plates on which the continents move press against each other at fault zones.

The February Chilean quake occurred where the Nazca tectonic plate was squeezed under, or “subducted,” below the adjacent South American plate. Quakes routinely relieve pent-up geologic pressures in these convergence zones.

The research team deduced the cities’ movement by comparing precise GPS (global positioning satellite) locations known prior to the major quake to those almost 10 days later. The US Geological Survey reported that there have been dozens of aftershocks, many exceeding magnitude 6.0 or greater, since the initial event Feb. 27.

Mike Bevis, professor of earth sciences at Ohio State University, has led a project since 1993 that has been measuring crustal motion and deformation in the Central and Southern Andes.

The effort, called the Central and Southern Andes GPS Project, or CAP, hopes to perhaps triple its current network of 25 GPS stations spread across the region.

“By reoccupying the existing GPS stations, CAP can determine the displacements, or ‘jumps’, that occurred during the earthquake,” Bevis said. “By building new stations, the project can monitor the postseismic deformations that are expected to occur for many years, giving us new insights into the physics of the earthquake process.”

Ben Brooks, an associate researcher with the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii and co-principal investigator on the project, said that the event, tragic as it was, offers a unique opportunity to better understand the seismic processes that control earthquakes.

“The Maule earthquake will arguably become one of the, if not the most important great earthquake yet studied. We now have modern, precise instruments to evaluate this event, and because the site abuts a continent, we will be able to obtain dense spatial sampling of the changes it caused,” Brooks said.

“As such the event represents an unprecedented opportunity for the earth science community if certain observations are made with quickly and comprehensively,” he said.

Working with Bevis and Brooks on the project are Bob Smalley, the University of Memphis, who is leading field operations in Argentina; Dana Caccamise at Ohio State, who is lead engineer, and Eric Kendrick, also from Ohio State, who is with Bevis now in Chile making measurements in the field.

Along with Ohio State University and the University of Hawaii, scientists from the University of Memphis and the California Institute of Technology are participating in the project. Additionally the Instituto Geografica Militar, the Universidad de Concepcion and the Centro de Estudios Cientificos, all in Chile, also were partners.

In Argentina, the Instituto Geografica Militar, the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza and the Unversidad Nacional de Buenos Aires are collaborating in the work. UNAVCO, a consortium of more than 50 institutions and agencies involved in research in the geosciences, is providing equipment for the project.

MEDIA RELEASE

This artist’s conception made with the BinSim software reflects the geometry of HM Cancri and shows the mass overflow and an accretion disk around the star at the left. This depiction closely matches what is seen in the spectral data taken at Keck. Credit: Rob Hynes and Paul Groot, Radboud University

Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory have identified the smallest known binary system to date. The system, called HM Cancri, consists of two dead stars that revolve around each other in 5.4 minutes, by far the shortest known orbital period of any pair of stars.

The team, led by Gijs Roelofs of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center of Astrophysics, used the 10-meter Keck I telescope with its Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph to study the velocity changes in the spectral lines in the light of HM Cancri. They observed that as the stars orbited each other, the system’s spectral lines shifted periodically from blue to red and back following the Doppler Effect. With the velocity information, the astronomers were able to confirm the binary’s 5.4-minute period. The results appear in the March 10 Astrophysical Journal Letters.

“When the first data from the Keck telescope arrived, and our quick analysis showed the periodic shift of the spectral lines, we knew that we had succeeded. More than ten years after its discovery, we finally had deciphered the nature of HM Cancri,” said Arne Rau of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, who led the observations at Keck.

Astronomers proposed several years ago that HM Cancri was an interacting binary consisting of two dead stars and that the 5.4 minute period observed was indeed the orbital period. “It is very gratifying to see this model confirmed by our observations, especially since earlier attempts had been thwarted by bad weather,” said Daniel Steeghs of the University of Warwick, UK. The team had been trying to make precise velocity measurements to confirm the period since 2005.

About 1,600 light-years away, in a binary star system known as HM Cancri, two dense white dwarf stars orbit each other once every 5.4 minutes, based on data from the Keck Observatory. This artist’s rendition shows the dance of these dead stars and the resulting gravitational waves. HM Cancri is possibly one of the brightest sources of such gravity waves. Credit: NASA/Tod Strohmayer (GSFC)/Dana Berry (Chandra X-Ray Observatory)

HM Cancri was discovered in 1999 as a weak X-ray source in data from the German ROSAT satellite. It consists of two white dwarfs, burnt-out cinders of stars that were once similar to the Sun and contain a highly condensed form of helium, carbon and oxygen. In 2001, the X-ray, and also optical, data suggested that the two stars orbited each other in 5.4 minutes.

But this information suggested that the binary system was roughly eight times the diameter of the Earth—equivalent to a quarter of the distance between the Earth and the Moon—or smaller. Astronomers were reluctant to accept this physical description of HM Cancri without additional evidence. But even at a distance of 16,000 light years from Earth, the binary system shines only one millionth as bright as the faintest stars visible to the naked eye.

To determine with certainty the period of such a system, astronomers needed to use world’s largest telescopes to collect the additional evidence. “This type of observation is really at the limit of what is currently possible. Not only does one need the biggest telescopes in the world, but they also have to be equipped with the best instruments available,” said team member Paul Groot of the Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

As a result of the successful observations with Keck, astronomers now have a new cosmic laboratory to study the evolution of stars as well as general relativity. “We know the system must have come from two normal stars that somehow spiraled together in two earlier episodes of mass transfer, but the physics of this process is very poorly understood,” said Gijs Nelemans of the Radboud University who was also part of the team.

He added that the system must be one of the most copious emitters of gravitational waves. “We hope to detect these distortions of space-time directly with the future LISA satellite. HM Cancri will now be a cornerstone system for the mission,” he said.

The W. M. Keck Observatory operates two 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawai’i and is a scientific partnership of the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and NASA. For more information please call 808.881.3827 or visit www.keckobservatory.org

MEDIA RELEASE

Keck Observatory’s March Astronomy Lecture, “When a Star Winks at You,” presented by Dr. William Herbst on Thursday, March 11.

The program begins at 7 p.m., and will take place in Waimea at the W. M. Keck Observatory headquarters at 65-1120 Mamalahoa Highway. Seating is limited to first-come, first served.

Herbst, of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, will describe the winking star known as KH 15D, discovered in 1995, that set off an international search to uncover the cause of its mysterious behavior.

Fifteen years later, with the help of the Keck Observatory, astronomers have not only determined how the star winks but have also learned that it is telling them something important about the formation of planets.

For more information, call 881-3827 or visit www.keckobservatory.org

MEDIA RELEASE

More than 99 percent of the biomass that remains after harvesting, processing, roasting and brewing coffee is discarded. An estimated 12 million tons of agricultural waste from worldwide coffee production rots and generates millions of tons of methane gas, contributing to climate change.

Professor Gunter Pauli, founder of Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives (ZERI) and author of “The Blue Economy” shares his third of 100 innovations, that coffee biomass provides the ideal medium to stimulate the growth of mycelium – mushroom spawns.

According to one of Hong Kong’s leading fungi scientists, Professor Shuting Chang, the world market for mushrooms surpassed $17 billion in 2008. Demand, especially for tropical varieties such as shiitake, maietake and ganoderma, has seen double digit growth for decades. Pauli sees potential for tropical fungi to outpace coffee and metals as a world commodity within a generation.

Quality tropical mushrooms are farmed on hardwoods like oak. Hardwood trees are harvested, ground, and converted into artificial logs. It takes up to nine months to fruit shiitake or ganoderma. In coffee production, prunings, husks, pulp, and after brewing, grounds are by-products. All are enriched with caffeine.

This biochemical has been proven to stimulate the growth of mycelium and mushrooms pop out as quickly as three months after seeding. This generates more rapid cash flow and offers a competitive alternative to traditional mushroom farming techniques.

Moreover, the leftovers after harvesting mushrooms are enriched with essential amino acids, including lysine which can be converted into quality animal feed for farm cattle or pets at home.

In 2009, more than 100 companies in the Colombian coffee region of El Huila began taking coffee waste and converting methane-producing biomass into revenue generating fungi.

According to the Hawaii Coffee Association, there are 6,500 acres planted in coffee statewide from small family farms to large mechanized estates. Annual production is 6 to 7 million pounds green bean. Among the growers is Doutor Coffee, the “Starbucks of Japan,” with a large growing operation on Big Island.

Pauli projects that such companies may be delighted to have their reputation for quality extended to the quality of mushrooms farmed from their coffee waste while generating new product and jobs. There is potential added value generated for all partners since restaurants and cafes would pay for disposing of the raw material (coffee grounds) while paying to offer mushroom delicacies on their menus.

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The World Congress on Zero Emissions Initiatives – Launching “The Blue Economy” is slated Sept. 13-17, 2010 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. The Congress will focus on design of an economic system driven by innovations, generating jobs and building social capital.

The Blue Economy is based upon 100 plus breakthroughs in businesses that have proven their competitiveness. The innovations being addressed at the World Congress are related to Energy, Food, Health, Housing, Transportation, Waste and Water, and how these innovations integrate and provide new job opportunities in today’s changing world. Concrete case studies from around the world will inspire entrepreneurs to follow suit.

An added aspect of this particular World Congress and its location in Hawaii is the opportunity to integrate protocols of the host Hawaiian culture and the opportunity for delegates to learn from a prosperity model of ancient Hawaii known as the ahupuaa system.

Furthermore, this Congress will set new levels of close to zero waste at the Hawaii Convention Center while establishing best practices and standards for future conferences, conventions and meetings including locally-sourced food offerings during the Congress dates. Pre and post World Congress opportunities on all Hawaiian Islands will allow delegates to experience actual innovations while also enjoying much of what Hawaii has to offer.

Sponsors of The World Congress on Zero Emissions Initiatives – Launching “The Blue Economy” include CT & T America, the world’s largest producer of electrical vehicles; First Wind, focused exclusively on the development, ownership and operation of wind energy projects; Blue Planet Foundation, seeking to foster systemic change in how Hawaii generates and uses energy; Hawaiian Electric Company, committed to meeting the long-term energy needs of Hawaii; Puna Geothermal Venture, the only commercial producer of geothermal energy in Hawaii; and SOPOGY, focused at developing the new sector of solar known as Micro-Scaled Concentrating Solar Power or “MicroCSP.”

Early registration is open until April 15. Register online at: zeroemissionshawaii.org/

(Activity updates are written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.) 

Surface flows have been active on Pulama pali within the Royal Gardens subdivision and on the coastal plain along the west edge of the subdivision. The flows have advanced very little across the coastal plain over the past week and are about 1.7 km (1 mile) from the ocean.

At Kilauea’s summit, a spattering and roiling lava surface, deep within the collapse pit inset within the floor of Halemaumau Crater, was visible via Webcam. The lava surface rose to a slightly higher level early in the week as the volcano reinflated following last week’s deflation.

With the higher lava level, the lava surface was occasionally seen to cyclically rise and fall over periods of several minutes. Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated, resulting in high concentrations of sulfur dioxide downwind.

No earthquakes beneath Hawaii Island were reported felt during the past week.

Visit the HVO Web site (hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for detailed Kilauea and Mauna Loa activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more; call 967-8862 for a Kilauea summary; e-mail questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

Destruction in Hilo after the May 22-23, 1960 tsunami. (Photo courtesy of USGS)

(Volcano Watch is a weekly article written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.)

May 22, 2010, marks the 50th anniversary of the 1960 magnitude-9.5 Chilean earthquake, which was the largest earthquake worldwide in the last 200 years or more. But, for Hawaii residents, this great earthquake is rarely far from memory, due to the destructive tsunami it triggered, which killed 61 people in Hawaii and 122 in Japan.

An early reminder of this anniversary came in the form of a magnitude-8.8 earthquake that struck Chile in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 (local Chilean time). Located approximately 230 km north of the 1960 earthquake, this event produced a modest tsunami that crossed the Pacific Ocean.

Luckily, in Hawaii, we experienced wave heights of only a few feet. However, in Japan, waves were high enough to flood several coastal towns.

Both the 1960 and the 2010 earthquakes occurred at the boundary between the Nazca and the South American tectonic plates. The two plates are converging at a rate of 70 mm (3 inches) per year as the Nazca plate is subducted beneath the South American plate. The relatively fast convergence is the reason why this region has a long history of large earthquakes and can expect to have more in the future.

From Chile, it takes about 15 hours for tsunami waves to reach Hawaii and about 22 hours to reach Japan. Thus, local authorities have ample time to warn residents and prepare for the approaching waves. If used wisely, this lead time allows for orderly evacuations of low-lying areas, as demonstrated by the smooth response to the Feb. 27 tsunami warning.

There was also ample time for evacuation in Hawaii on May 22, 1960, as the tsunami traveled across the Pacific Ocean. At 6:47 p.m., Hawaiian standard time, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey issued an official warning that waves were expected to reach Hilo around midnight. At 8:30 p.m., coastal sirens in Hilo sounded and continued to sound intermittently for 20 minutes.

Many people heeded the warning and evacuated, but some did not, and when the first wave arrived just after midnight, hundreds of people were still at home on low ground in Hilo.

Because the first waves were only a few feet (1-2 m) high, many people returned to Hilo, thinking that the danger had passed. But the highest wave of the tsunami struck shortly after that, at 1:04 a.m. May 23.

Just before midnight May 22, 1960, Jerry Eaton, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and four companions set up instruments in order to measure the tsunami wave heights from the Wailuku River Bridge on Hilo’s bay front.

Their measurements show that the tsunami was a series of waves that occurred over a span of more than two hours, with the highest wave of about 4.3 m (14 ft) arriving just after 1:00 a.m.

These wave heights sound modest compared to the 15-m (50 ft) waves that surfers tackle on the north shores of Hawaii. Tsunami waves, however, are much different, and more dangerous, in that each wave can raise sea level for tens of minutes and can push an incredible amount of debris-filled water on land.

Tsunami size is controlled by how much an earthquake displaces the sea floor. So, small differences in earthquake location (closer or farther from the coast) and earthquake depth can have big effects on whether or not a tsunami will be generated — and how big it will be.

Magnitude can also make a difference. The 1960 earthquake released more than 10 times more energy than the 2010 earthquake, which may have contributed to the size of the 1960 tsunami.

The Feb. 27, 2010, Chilean earthquake was well-recorded by scientists around the globe and will likely be studied for years to come. This should lead to a greater understanding of how these large earthquakes occur and under what conditions they produce widespread, destructive tsunamis.

MEDIA RELEASE

The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station’s next presentation of the “Universe Tonight” program is 6 p.m. Saturday, March 6 at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy on Mauna Kea at the Visitor Information Station.

The Visitor Information Station is located at the 9.200-foot level of Mauna Kea and is accessible from Hilo, Waimea and Kona via the Saddle Road. Seating for this free program is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This month’s “Universe Tonight” presenter is Josh Walawender, astronomer at UH 88 inch telescope, with “Astrophysics with the eyeball.”

“Astrophysics with the eyeball” will explore the structure of our Milky Way galaxy and the process of star birth using objects which can all be seen in small telescopes as illustrations and examples.

This talk will link astrophysical processes with what we can see with our eyes using small telescopes. We will learn, why do these objects look the way they do? Why are they found only in certain areas of the night sky?

Stargazing with portable telescopes will follow.

— Find out more:
Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station: 961-2180, ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis

MEDIA RELEASE

The county Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division will resume its E-Waste Recycling Program beginning Friday, March 5, to collect and recycle electronic waste in a safe and environmentally responsible method.

Residents may take their e-waste to the Bay Side Computer Shop in Hilo or the Compucycle Kona drop-off site for proper disposal.

The program was temporarily suspended recently after a contract with a vendor to send the materials to the mainland expired and recycled e-waste was piling up in storerooms on the island.

The county advises residents, businesses, government agencies and non-profits to manage their electronic waste responsibly by using a reputable e-waste recycling company.

Disposing e-waste illegally can cause health and safety hazards. Also, abandonment of e-waste at a collection site during non-operating hours is considered illegal dumping.

The County-sponsored E-Waste Recycling Program will end April 30, 2010, and the Department of Environmental Management intends on implementing an annual E-Waste Recycling Collection Event in East and West Hawaii with specific dates to be announced.

On Jan. 1, the state Department of Health implemented the Hawaii Electronic Device Recycling Program (HEDRP), which requires that manufacturers of Covered Electronic Devices (CEDs) establish take-back recycling programs for registered CEDs, including computers and portable computers, printers, monitors and televisions.

Retailers of CEDs will be required to make information available to consumers about recycling services offered by CED manufacturers. Non-compliant electronic devices will be prohibited from sales in Hawaii.

Consumers will have options to recycle their CEDs either through drop-off collection sites or through mail-back plans depending on the manufacturer. Mail-back plans may involve a small fee for the service.

Computers and portable computers, printers and computer monitors have been eligible for take-back recycling since Jan. 1. Televisions will be eligible for take-back recycling beginning Jan. 1, 2011, or earlier, depending on the manufacturers.

For more information on the state Electronic Device Recycling Program, contact:

State of Hawaii Department of Health
Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch
919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 212
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814

Phone: 974-4000 extension 64226# (toll free from the Big Island)

Web site: hawaii.gov/ewaste

The county’s E-Waste Recycling Program and additional solid waste management information is available on the department’s Web site at www.HawaiiZeroWaste.org

For further information, contact the County Recycling Section, Chris Chin-Chance at 961-8554, recycle3@co.hawaii.hi.us, or Linda Peters at 961-8942, lpeters@co.hawaii.hi.us.

iPhone version of video
Video by David Corrigan | Big Island Video News

MEDIA RELEASE

The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and NOAA Fisheries Service announce the grand opening of the Hawai‘i Cetacean Rehabilitation Facility (HCRF), the only facility in Hawai‘i and the Pacific region dedicated to the humane care and treatment of injured, sick, and out-of-habitat cetaceans.

Dozens of representatives from Federal, State, and local agencies, elected government officials, administration, faculty, staff and students from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, school children, members of the community, and the dedicated volunteers of the Hilo Marine Mammal Response Network were invited to attend the event. The ceremony will started at 10 a.m. with a blessing, officiated by Kahu Leifi Ha’o, and a traditional Hawaiian Pāpahi Kanaloa/Mō Ka Piko Ceremony, officiated by both Roxane Kapuaimohalaikalani Stewart and Kumu Hula Manaiakalani Kalua. Speakers include Dr. Jason Turner (HCRF Director), Chancellor Rose Tseng (UH-Hilo), Mr. David Schofield (NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Response Coordinator), and Dr. Gregg Levine (NOAA Contract Veterinarian).

The facility’s 25,000-gallon saltwater pool at UH-Hilo’s Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center is authorized by NOAA Fisheries to house 18 species of whales and dolphins, up to 20 feet long and can accommodate 1-2 small whales or dolphins at a time. The facility also includes several trailers for an office, storage and a food prep kitchen. HCRF was developed with an initial $100,000 grant from NOAA Fisheries, but the cetacean facility will depend on volunteers and monetary donations for animal feed and care which run about $350 a day.

“This is a volunteer based effort, as much of the work will be done by the more than 100 volunteers in the Hilo Marine Mammal Response Network (HMMRN) comprised of University of Hawai‘i at Hilo students and community members” said Dr. Jason Turner, Director of HCRF.

In addition to caring for the sick and injured animals, the HCRF and NOAA Fisheries will educate and involve the local community in the protection and preservation of Hawai‘i’s marine mammals. For example “it is critical that stranded dolphins and whales not be pushed back into the water – they strand for a reason, and experts need to be able to properly assess them if we are going to be able save them,” said Turner.

Other partners in this project include UH-Hilo’s Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC), where the facility is housed, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Region, state of Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), U.S. Coast Guard, Hawai‘i Pacific University, Dolphin Quest, and Cascadia Research Collective.

The Hawai‘i Cetacean Rehabilitation Facility (HCRF) was initiated in the fall of 2009 by Dr. Jason Turner (Director) and Ms. Jennifer Turner (Assistant Director) both of UHHilo. HCRF is committed to the humane care and treatment of injured, ill, and out-ofhabitat cetaceans, and supports the development and dissemination of new knowledge in an effort to support the conservation of marine species. This project can accept tax-free donations as part of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation. For more information on the HCRF please visit our website at Dolphinrehab.org.

The Hilo Marine Mammal Response Network (HMMRN) was initiated in the fall of 2006 by Dr. Jason Turner of the Marine Science Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. The HMMRN is sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and the division of aquatic resources (DAR). For more information visit our website at HMMRN.org

MEDIA RELEASE


In 1986, Father Godfrey Nzamujo initiated the Songhia Center in Porto Novo, the capital city of Benin. The Nigeria-born priest established a food production center cascading nutrients and energy following the Chinese traditional farming model known as integrated biosystems (IBS).

As examples, waste plant biomass is a substrate for mushrooms, waste water is converted into biogas, leftovers from food processing are feed for animals and the slaughter house waste is used to farm maggots.

Flies create an unhealthy environment. Offal, like any decomposing waste, attracts flies.

Nzamujo turned this challenge into an opportunity, creating “a fly hotel” where all offal is carefully spread over small square open containers with nets blocking birds out. The flies lay eggs and produce up to one ton of maggots each week. The maggots, rich in protein, are harvested and served as feed for fish and quails.

The process generates low cost protein and concentrates all flies into one area while eliminating a major nuisance for the farm. 

In parallel Professor Stephen Britland built his career at Bradford University (UK) around the study of the health benefits of maggots. The use of maggots for wound care has been practiced by the Mayas and the Aboriginal tribes.

Britland went on to create with partners Advanced Gel Technologies, innovations in gel research with the active ingredients from maggots.

The present hypothesis is that the maggot enzymes not only cleanse wounds, but produce an electro-magnetic environment that stimulates cell growth. 

While there are issues to be resolved around the sterilization of this biologically active compound, the volume from Benin permits a broad market entry at considerably lower costs.

If all of the waste from abattoirs were used to produce maggots for wound care, fish and bird feed, then the 3,000 recognized slaughterhouses could generate an additional 500,000 jobs, while manufacturing local treatments, reducing the cost of wound care, and limiting the social marginalization caused by lack of health services.  


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The World Congress on Zero Emissions Initiatives – Launching “The Blue Economy” is slated Sept. 13 through 17, 2010 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. The Congress will focus on design of an economic system driven by innovations, generating jobs and building social capital.

The Blue Economy is based upon 100 plus breakthroughs in businesses that have proven their competitiveness. The innovations being addressed at the World Congress are related to Energy, Food, Health, Housing, Transportation, Waste and Water, and how these innovations integrate and provide new job opportunities in today’s changing world. Concrete case studies from around the world will inspire entrepreneurs to follow suit.
 
An added aspect of this particular World Congress and its location in Hawaii is the opportunity to integrate protocols of the host Hawaiian culture and the opportunity for delegates to learn from a prosperity model of ancient Hawaii known as the ahupuaa system.

Furthermore, this Congress will set new levels of close to zero waste at the Hawaii Convention Center while establishing best practices and standards for future conferences, conventions and meetings including locally-sourced food offerings during the Congress dates. Pre and post World Congress opportunities on all Hawaiian Islands will allow delegates to experience actual innovations while also enjoying much of what Hawaii has to offer.
 
Sponsors of The World Congress on Zero Emissions Initiatives – Launching “The Blue Economy” include CT & T America, the world’s largest producer of electrical vehicles; First Wind, focused exclusively on the development, ownership and operation of wind energy projects; Blue Planet Foundation, seeking to foster systemic change in how Hawaii generates and uses energy; Hawaiian Electric Company, committed to meeting the long-term energy needs of Hawaii; Puna Geothermal Venture, the only commercial producer of geothermal energy in Hawaii; and SOPOGY, focused at developing the new sector of solar known as Micro-Scaled Concentrating Solar Power or “MicroCSP.”
 
Early registration is open until April 15. Register online at: zeroemissionshawaii.org/

Image courtesy of NASA

By NASA Earth Observatory

The west coast of South America is a subduction zone, where the Nazca Plate is plowing under the South America Plate at an average rate of 80 millimeters (3 inches) per year. Their collision gives rise to the spectacular Andes Mountains as well as to devastating earthquakes, such as the 8.8-magnitude quake that struck offshore to the north-northeast of Concepción on February 27, 2010.

This map of topography and water depth reveals subduction’s influence on the landscape. Lighter colors indicate higher elevation on land and shallower depth in the water. Quake locations and magnitudes are indicated by black circles. The topography is based on radar data collected during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which flew onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in mid-February 2002.

The boundary where the two plates converge is marked by a red line, but even without the line, its location would be revealed by the trench located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) offshore. The trench occurs where the Nazca Plate begins its descent beneath the South America Plate. The trench is most sharply defined on the eastern (continental) side: depth plunges rapidly from a few hundred meters (light blue) to several thousand meters (deep blue).

In places along their boundary, the two plates may slide easily past each other, but in other locations, they become locked together for a time. Eventually the pressure is too great for the rocks to withstand, and they break. The plates lurch past each other violently: an earthquake. When large quakes occur underwater, the seafloor may heave or sink. The ground movement is what triggers a tsunami.

The Chilean coast has a long history of very large earthquakes. In fact, the February 27 quake occurred about 230 kilometers (140 miles) north of the strongest earthquake ever measured: a magnitude 9.5 event that occurred in 1960. A magnitude 8.5 quake occurred about 870 kilometers (540 miles) farther north in 1922.