Lundi 5 mars 2012
1
05
/03
/Mars
/2012
10:59
The Vatican and the British Government signed an accord in February for peace, religious freedom and respect for the
individual. The two Governments published the agreement during a visit by a British Government delegation for the 30th. anniversary of the start of official diplomatic relations.
The talks were hosted by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, with Baroness Warsi leading the British delegation.
Par Richard Haut
0
Mardi 28 février 2012
2
28
/02
/Fév
/2012
16:30
President Obama described it as “an ecological 9/11”.
(image 17th. May 2010 from NASA's "Terra" satellite)
It was the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. 11 killed, 17 injured, 4.9 million
barrels of crude oil released. Extensive damage was caused to the marine and wildlife and the tourism and fishing industries of the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly 500 miles of the coastline of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida remained contaminated in July 2011.
There was an explosion on the 5th. Generation RBS-8D offshore deepdrilling platform Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico
on 20th. April 2010. On 17th. May, British Petroleum’s then-CEO Tony Hayward said that the environmental impact of the Gulf spill would likely be "very very modest”, calling the spill "relatively
tiny" in comparison with the size of the ocean.
Today BP is up before the Courts.
There are seventy-two million documents. 500 cases have been lodged as a single case and this is being heared before Judge
Carl Barbier. Defendants are British Petroleum, Transocean and Halliburton. Robert Verchick, director of the centre for environmental law at Loyola University in New-Orleans said that the
prosecution has clearly chosen a strategy of targetting senior officers of BP in order to attack the prevailing culture within the company.
The process will continue for at least a year.
("Noir total" by Cabestan)
Under the Clean Water Act fines can be levied at $3,200 per litre of polluting substance released.
Par Richard Haut
0
Mardi 28 février 2012
2
28
/02
/Fév
/2012
08:20
Carnival in Nice
Par Richard Haut
0
Samedi 12 novembre 2011
6
12
/11
/Nov
/2011
14:17
The competition in February was for a new entrance building for the Vulcania European Park of Vulcanism at
Saint-Ours-les-Roches. Main architect for the Park was Hans Hollein (picture of the “cone”).
The project is for a 1,250 m2 reception building for the 340,000 visitors per year, including
ticket-office, shop, offices, etc. and with a budget of 2.8 million euros. 54 firms applied, of which one one was not French. Winners are Atelier 4 of Clermont-Ferrand.
Par Richard Haut
0
Jeudi 10 novembre 2011
4
10
/11
/Nov
/2011
01:17
“There was asbestos everywhere, like ash-grey snow: if a book was left on a table for a
few hours and then removed, it left its negative: the roofs were often covered in a layer of powder that in the rain became sodden like a sponge, and violently slid to
earth.”
- Primo Levi *
The asbestos mine of Balangero figures in the works of both Primo Levi and Italo
Calvino.
Balangero was the largest operation of its kind in Europe - an open-pit asbestos mine. It
closed in the 1980’s and in the 90’s the area was stabilized, protected from dispersion of asbestos fibres and re-vegetated using a special system for the roots of the 45,000 trees and shrubs
planted.
In September 2010, an ideas competition was held for the requalification and development of
the area. 18 firms applied, of whom 7 were from outside Italy. The winners are architects Area Progetti of Turin.
*“C'era amianto dappertutto, come una neve cenerina: se si lasciava per qualche ora
un libro su di un tavolo, e poi lo si toglieva, se ne trovava il profilo in negativo; i tetti erano coperti da uno spesso strato di polverino, che nei giorni di pioggia si imbeveva come una
spugna, e ad un tratto franava violentemente a terra.” - Primo Levi, “Il sistema periodico (nichel)”. (translation Richard
Haut)
Par Richard Haut
0
