little monkey

elstel.org

by Elws. Starnight

Ola Bini arrested in Ecuador

Category: general,
Source: info,
Language: en,
Type:
new
.
Ola Bini, an open source developer with the scope of computer security, has been arrested in Ecuador due to flimsy allegations. Someone who engages for the security of the ordinary user is obviously already suspicious to government officials.



USA: Environmental Groups Facing Increased Surveillance by Law Enforcement

Category: general,
Source: info,
Language: en,
Type:
new
.

Lauren Regan, the executive director of the Oregon-based Civil Liberties Defense Center, says the SWOJTF’s activities reflect a nationwide trend. “Police and corporations are working together to suppress movements against fossil fuels,” she said.

“It’s really just to discuss any current issues in the domestic terrorism arena. This could be local issues, all the way up to international issues,” the spokesman said. He said protest movements would be “within the scope” of its discussions even if no criminal activity had occurred.




Aviation with CO₂-neutral synthetic kerosine

Category: general,
Source: info,
Language: en,
Type:
new
.

Synthetic kerosine can be produced by creating synthetic oil from hydrogen and from the CO2 in the air. The hydrogen would be obtained by the electrolysis of water. The necessary energy can be gained through wind power and photovoltaics. A respective price for CO2 emissions required Power-to-Liquid (PtL) facilities like the one which will go online in Heroya, Norway in 2020 could be built everywhere. Besides offshore wind parks the deserts offer a huge potential for alternative energy.

However this can not happen any time sufficiently soon since the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) plan of the ICAO (aviation organization of the UNO) plans only small and partial reductions with carbon offsetting without a respective price for CO2. As long as short distance flights between cities in the EU are cheaper than going by train no progress can be made and many unnecessary flights will continue to take place. Carbon offsetting can be seen as a kind of selling of indulgences where projects are offset which would be realized also without carbon offsetting. It is unconceivable that the international aviation is excluded from saving CO2. Nonetheless German aviation is planning to deploy synthetic fuels in the future.

However the short time warming effects caused by condensation trails, clouding, ozone and carbon black are even higher than the direct effects of CO2 emissions. The DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt, German Center for Aerospace) has created a plan together with Lufthansa to reduce these secondary effects to the larger extent. Flights during noonday reflect f.i. more heat into the space and are thus better for the climate.







90% of salt brands contain micro-plastics

Category: general,
Source: info,
Language: en,
Type:
new
.
Over 90% of sampled salt brands globally were found to contain microplastics, with the highest number coming from salt sourced in Asia. Plastic contamination in sea salt was highest, followed by lake salt, then rock salt. Only three of the salt brands studied did not contain any microplastic particles. Assuming an intake of 10 grams per day of salt, the average adult consumer would ingest approximately 2,000 microplastics each year through salt alone. Recent studies have found plastics in seafood, wildlife, tap water, and now in salt. In Austria some supermarket chains like Hofer have already switched to biodegradable plastic bags due to a coming ban on conventional plastic bags. All the packaging should need to be biodegradable. The biodegradable palstic bags are as good as conventional plastics and can furhtermore be used for household compost so that you do not need to empty the bags on littering in summer.