0 Have your say A £45m plan to build the UK’s first spaceport could be delayed for years amid concerns over Scotland’s population of white-tailed eagles. The UK Space Agency in partnership with Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has put forward a plan to create a launch site for rockets to carry micro-satellites.It had hoped that a commercially viable launch site on Melness Crofting Estate on A’Mhoine peninsula in the Scottish Highlands would be created by 2020.However local crofters are threatening to take the UK Space Agency and the Melness Estate to the Scottish Land Court over environmental concerns.There are fears over the areas unique ecology and that the project could threaten Britain’s only established population of white-tailed eagles.READ MORE: Scotland chosen for UK’s first spaceportJohn Williams, co-founder of the Protect the Mhoine group, which is campaigning against the development, said: “The A’Mhoine is … [Read more...] about Scotland spaceport facing years-long delays amid concerns for eagle population
Environmental concerns
With Google coming to San Jose, housing concerns and opportunities for downtown revitalization
By Emily DeRuy | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 9, 2018 at 12:56 pm | UPDATED: November 9, 2018 at 12:58 pm With Google expected to build a massive San Jose campus in the coming years, a new report takes stock of the project’s possible benefits like a revitalized downtown and its potential drawbacks — soaring housing costs and displaced residents. The report, published by the city with input from a number of community organizations and residents, comes just weeks before Dec. 4, when the City Council is expected to approve the sale of some 20 acres of land near Diridon Station to the tech company. Since February, nearly 40 people — including Carl Guardino of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a business advocacy group that counts Google among its members and Maria Noel Fernandez of Silicon Valley Rising, an organization that has raised concerns about gentrification — have met monthly as part of an advisory group … [Read more...] about With Google coming to San Jose, housing concerns and opportunities for downtown revitalization
Study Raises Concern About Flame-Retardant Metabolites in Bald Eagles
Scientists have raised concerns for decades about toxic chemicals in the environment that accumulate in the tissues of birds, fish and other animals. New research from Indiana University that examined bald eagles suggests that's only part of the story. A study led by IU environmental scientists finds that chemicals used in flame retardants, plasticizers and other commercial products are broken down through the process of metabolism into other compounds. Researchers say not enough is known about the dangers posed by those compounds, known as metabolites. "Most of these flame retardants and related chemicals can be readily metabolized," said Marta Venier, a scientist in the IU Bloomington School of Public and Environmental Affairs and one of the authors of the study. "The issue here is that, in some cases, the metabolites can be more toxic than the parent compounds." The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology. Authors, in addition to Venier, are William Stubbings, … [Read more...] about Study Raises Concern About Flame-Retardant Metabolites in Bald Eagles
Going Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning and Coating Options for Medical Device Designers
Design engineers face many challenges, some of which are specific to the medical device industry. For example, as devices, and therefore device components, get smaller, they also become harder to clean. More moving pieces cause functional issues related to stacked tolerances impacting movement and necessitating the use of lubricative coatings to ensure optimal performance. Working with chemicals may pose safety risks, especially in high-production environments. Not to mention, environmental standards are higher than ever, requiring only certain classes of chemicals to be used for medical device cleaning and coating. Luckily, there have been major advances in solvent technology and these environmentally friendly products exist today. This article will take a look at factors such as safety, cost and most importantly, product effectiveness, to help you as medical device designers evaluate different environmentally friendly products to determine what will work best for your application. … [Read more...] about Going Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning and Coating Options for Medical Device Designers
Norwich Western Link consultation welcomed by MPs, but environmental concerns remain
PUBLISHED: 17:35 01 May 2018 | UPDATED: 17:35 01 May 2018 David Hannant Keith Simpson, MP of Broadland, speaks at the ceremony to mark the imminent opening of the full Broadland Northway (NDR). Picture: DENISE BRADLEY Copyright: Archant 2018 Communities, businesses and MPs have welcomed the prospect of a Western Link for the fully-open Norwich Northern Distributor Road. MP Chloe Smith ready to board the bus to tour the Broadland Northway (NDR) route, marking the imminent opening of the full road. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY Norfolk County Council has announced it is to consult with the public over joining the £205m road - now known as the Broadland Northway - with the A47 to the west of the city. Currently, the road does meet the A47 at Postwick, however, there is no link between the A1067 Fakenham Road and further along the A47. With the public consultation scheduled to start next week, news that the council is looking into the Western Link has been welcomed by Broadland MP … [Read more...] about Norwich Western Link consultation welcomed by MPs, but environmental concerns remain