Oil spill hits Australia’s Sunshine coastline
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
200,000 litres of oil leaked into waters off the coast of Brisbane from the Pacific Adventurer when their fuel tanks were damaged in rough seas on Wednesday. The figure is about ten times higher than the original estimate of twenty thousand litres of oil. The devastating diesel oil spill has spread along 60 kilometres (37 miles) of the Queensland coast. In addition, 31 containers with 620 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser flew overboard during the violent storm.
Questions are being asked why the Hong Kong cargo ship was out in seas with nine meter waves caused by Cyclone Hamish, a Category 5 tropical cyclone, as well as why the fertiliser containers were not properly secured. One of the overboard containers ruptured the hull of the Pacific Adventurer, causing between 30 to 100 tonnes of oil to spew from the severely damaged ship.
If the ammonium nitrate mixes with the heavy oil, an explosion could occur. None of the containers have been recovered. Some of these may float, but it is believed that they may have sunk which then may cause algal blooms.
Disaster zones have been declared at Bribie and Moreton Islands, and along the Sunshine coast.
The vessel’s owner, Swire Shipping, reported that a second leak began on Friday, when the ship began listing after docking at Hamilton for repairs. “As full soundings of the vessel’s tanks were being taken at the port to determine how much oil had leaked from the vessel, a small quantity of fuel oil escaped from the Pacific Adventurer,” it stated. The ship was brought upright, and a recovery vessel was used to suck up the oil from the water. The leak produced a 500m-long oil slick down the Brisbane River. Booms were placed around this oil spill so that a skimmer could clean up the second spill.
Swire Shipping could face clean up costs of AU$100,000 a day as well as fines up to AU$1.5million (US$977,000; £703,000) if found guilty of environmental breaches or negligence.
Sunshine Coast beaches are slowly starting to be reopened. The beach of Mooloolaba was still closed following reports of burning sensations from swimmers. 12 beaches remain closed; however, 13 have been reopened.
Over 300 state government and council workers are using buckets, rakes and spades in the clean up effort. Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbott says the majority will be gone by Sunday afternoon. The full environmental impact on wildlife is not yet known. One turtle and seven pelicans have been found covered in oil.
There are concerns that the drinking water of Moreton Island is at risk, as the island uses water from the underground water table near the oil spill site.
“Every bucketload of contaminated sand has to be removed from the island by barge, and each bucketload from a front-end loader weighs about one tonne. It’s just an impossible task,” said Mr Trevor Hassard of the Tangalooma Dolphin Education Centre.
The commercial fishing industry has suffered from the incident. Trawlers won’t resume operations until Sunday evening, and any catches will be tested for human consumption.
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By Himfr Tian
Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an industrial research at Nomura Securities head of Asia KatsushiSaito entitled “robot armed with a Chinese dragon,” the article. Kat Juan sushiSaito that Chinese manufacturing companies are beginning to climb high up the value chain, not just the finished product Zai Gai Bian Sheng Chan, the factory’s workshop also Suizhao manufacturing business more advanced techniques that replace expensive of the Lao Dongli in Fa Sheng Yue Laiyue changing.
Paper to three factories in China’s investment to upgrade the industrial structure of Japanese companies as the point of view of the proof: Recently, the Japanese manufacturer of pneumatic components research and development facility in Beijing, SMC Corporation, is introducing a number of product will not transfer between machines robotic equipment; manufacturing of industrial bearings and other precision instruments and components Seiko NSK plant in Shanghai also plans to introduce between the transmission components in the assembly line robot equipment; also produce hydraulic motor in Japan Nabtesco company also is considering install a finished painting for the automation equipment. Prior to this, in the three workshops in the factory were in operation by the human.
KatsushiSaito that this automated process to promote a number of factors: First, China’s labor costs rise. While the provincial minimum wage set by the global financial crisis last year, not adjusted, but this year has been raised. Monthly minimum wage in Guangzhou is expected to rise about 20% in; Shanghai is 15%; while other areas are up 10% rate to 20%. Many manufacturers can afford to pay short term gains, as sales staff costs only about 5% to 10%. However, labor costs may continue to rise, manufacturers are now beginning to consider automation is justified.
Meanwhile, despite continuously rising wages, many factories still face manpower shortage. Initiated by the Government, the inland areas of China Western Development to create more jobs need to reduce coastal wage migrant workers, and most factories are located in coastal areas. Workers in coastal areas also increase the cost of living increase this trend.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jil34GbSTFI[/youtube]
Second, economic growth itself is driving the development of capital-intensive of the manufacturing sector. For example, the recent production of automobile and electrical machinery increased dramatically, in addition to growing economic recovery, the Government’s stimulus measures are also important factors. 2009 China car sales more than 13.6 million, making China the world’s best-selling car market. Car ownership is still low by the inland areas support sales growth, after 2010 China’s vehicle production will continue to grow. The medium term, China’s annual auto output may reach 20 million is almost twice the output in Japan. Production and revenues so high, making automobile production plant is currently available to invest in advanced equipment which is not too much lower profit.
Finally, take the initiative to promote car manufacturing plant automation in order to maintain quality is also a major cause of growing popularity of robots. Industrial robot maker Yaskawa Electric (YaskawaElectric) plant in Shanghai using the welding robot to the circuit board. For the automotive, electronics and other products components Omron (Omron) Shanghai plant has a sensor system installed, the system detects a failed product line workers may ask for notification. More and more auto assembly line welding robot was used to make the quality level of welding machine manual soldering is more reliable than ever.
Robots bring automation equipment manufacturing industry favored a market boom. Japan’s machine tool industry exports to China than the most serious financial crisis, there has been significant recovery. It is understood that under the China Electronic component orders the company has been very stable. China’s demand for such machines in December 2009 of an act that exceeded the demand in Japan, the Japanese machine tool orders now account for about 30%.
Meanwhile, the article also pointed out that China is not just the potential market, is also a competitor. China’s machine tool production in 2009 over Japan and Germany ranks first in the world. However, low levels of Chinese companies specialized in this field, Chinese manufacturers still can not constitute a non-Chinese companies in direct competition. Even China’s largest machine tool manufacturer Shenyang Machine Tool (Group) Co., Ltd. under the various factories, are still widely used automated machinery maker Fanuc (Fanuc) and Siemens (Siemens) to control the production of CNC production process; they THK is also used in Japan to control the importation of machinery production line linear guide and ball screw with Seiko.
However, manufacturers in Japan and Europe is still the automation market leader in high-end products. High-end customers more value than the price of quality machine tools. Japan and Europe, the average accuracy of machine tool production is the product of five times, in addition, the company also offers a wide range of technical support. Several years to build a reputation is also important. All of these new entrants to the market for Chinese companies are very high barriers.
From the automation level of manufacturing, China now representing Japan in the first half of the 80’s level. With the industry growing use of advanced technology, China will increase the demand for automation equipment, therefore, KatsushiSaito Zhi Chu, foreign manufacturers of automation equipment, the challenge should be how to take advantage of this opportunity.
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Monday, July 24, 2006
Technology giants Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and ATI Technologies Inc. (ATI) today announced plans to merge. Canadian ATI will be bought by the Californian AMD for 5.4 billion dollars ($4.2 billion in cash and $1.2 billion in stock).
The ATI Technologies Inc. (ATI) acquisition is being funded by a $2.5 billion loan, plus cash and cash equivalents and short-term investment balances of approximately $3.0 billion. That’s total funding of $5.5 billion.
Many people believe Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to be taking too much of a risk, that AMD is “betting the farm on a deal that might be very questionable.”
The new firm will employ near 14900 people for 7.3 billions dollars earning.The two firms announced they’ll plan no job cutting in the process of merging.
