The Economist spotlights Scandinavia's role in novel shipbuilding technologies in A voyage of discovery...
"Norway is an important centre of marine innovation and several foreign companies have operations there, too. One such is the marine division of Rolls-Royce, a British firm, which is collaborating with Farstad, a shipping company based in Alesund, and STX OSV, a shipbuilder. The result of their efforts is Far Solitaire (pictured above), the first of a new class of vessels which bristle with novel technology that promises to make shipping safer, cleaner and cheaper."
"Wärtsilä put together a presentation recently that evaluated a number of new technologies and design concepts aimed at cutting operating costs, while at the same time reducing ship emissions."
Just a few images give a taste of the techniques...
One additional element about the civil conflict in Sierra Leone caught my attention, namely the disproportionately effective role of Executive Outcomes -- a Private Military Company or PMC -- in defending civilians and pushing back the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)... There's much more to be said about such modern mercenaries. Shadow Company is a compelling documentary on the sector...
"PopFab is a multi-tool for the 21st century. At its heart is a computer-controlled motion platform and a means of attaching various toolheads. These enable PopFab to make objects from a digital plan in a variety of ways: current capabilities include 3D printing (as you are about to see), milling, vinyl cutting, and drawing -- with more on the way. PopFab has traveled the world as a carry-on item of luggage to Saudi Arabia and Germany, and within the USA to Aspen in Colorado. We hope that this is only the beginning."
Spotlight on international mining and resource extraction in West Africa, starting with this FT piece on Sierra Leone's new chapter... And a survey piece on SL's mining sector... Corporate promo video by London Mining in Marampa, Sierra Leone... Also one by Koidu Holdings, Sierra Leone. ArcelorMittal in Liberia Mines Again: From Dream to Reality... And more from AM in Liberia... Al Jazeera on Chinese reviving Bong Mine, Liberia...
I'm very interested in the current boom times in Sierra Leone, with dramatic growth rates and the problems of prosperity and entanglements over ownership and sharing the wealth. How different from just over a decade ago when SL was in the throes of civil war. Until, that is, Operation Palliser, which began as an evacuation by UK troops but escalated into the protection of the capital, Freetown, and fight against the RUF rebellion. The story deserves further review because it is a successful example of Enlightened Intervention by outside powers in ending strife and restoring a people to a more peaceful pathway forward. The BBC tells of The brigadier who saved Sierra Leone, the story of the British deployment and their leader...
"The force commander, a little-known brigadier called David Richards, had other ideas. He saw a chance, took a risk, and changed the fate of the country. [...] "I could see," he told me, "that with a little robustness, we could make a difference." [...] Richards promised the president that Britain would supply arms and ammunition to the government forces. [...] Richards was committing Britain to taking sides in Sierra Leone's civil war. However, there was one important difficulty. The general's political bosses in London had sent him to carry out a quick evacuation and then leave. "So," I asked him 10 years on, "you were promising the president all this before you had the political authority from London to do so?" "Er, yes," he said, "I'm afraid I was, yes."
"...all taken by a fleet of Earth-observing satellites that form part of the Landsat program, which celebrates its 40th anniversary tomorrow. Jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the initiative has been consistently gathering data about our planet since 23 July, 1972. [...] This makes it the world's longest-running satellite program for global land observations. Its archive of images forms an impartial, comprehensive, and easily accessed register of human and natural changes to the Earth."
"...the largest reciprocating engine in the world, designed for large container ships, running on heavy fuel oil. It stands at 13.5 metres (44 ft) high, is 27.3 m (90 ft) long, and weighs over 2300 tonnes in its largest 14-cylinder version -- producing 80080 kW."
Finnish motive power champion Wärtsilä builds these!
gCaptainspots a few images of this Emma Maersk engine...
Interesting story of French firefighters using UAVs to scout flames... Orbit in Belgium over accident scene... Powerline inspection systems... Even ship at sea inspections (thanks gCaptain!)...
Thanks to The Kid Should See This for spottinglightning slo-mo! ZT Research captures...
"A downward lightning negative ground flash captured at 7,207 images per second. A negative stepped leader emerges from the cloud and connects with the ground forming a return stroke."
NYTimes Green blogger Joanna Foster spots mini-documentary Public Lands, Private Profits...
"The films focus on three treasured places in the public trust that are threatened by private mining and drilling proposals, including areas around the Grand Canyon that are still open to uranium mining, a proposal to expand coal mining near Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and the introduction of natural gas drilling around Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. [What is] appropriate use of the 700 million acres of public lands that belong to all Americans."
"The Boardwalk extends along the coast of the Monterey Bay, from just east of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. [...] The Boardwalk was founded by Santa Cruz businessman Fred Swanton (1862–1940), who aimed to create a resort on the West Coast similar to Coney Island or Atlantic City, New Jersey [...] The West Coast once hosted many more beach parks, including the Pike in Long Beach, California, Neptune Beach in Alameda and Playland at San Francisco's Ocean Beach. Those all have long since closed, but the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk survives as a reminder of a bygone era."
The McKinsey Global Institute just released their new report Urban world: Cities and the rise of the consuming class by co-authors Richard Dobbs, Jaana Remes, James Manyika, Charles Roxburgh, Sven Smit and Fabian Schaer...
"Through a combination of consumption and investment in physical capital, growing cities could inject up to $30 trillion a year into the world economy by 2025. Understanding
cities and their shifting demographics is critical to reaching urban consumers and to preparing for the challenges that will arise [...] The 600 cities making the largest contribution to a higher global GDP -- the City 600 -- will generate nearly 65 percent of world economic growth by 2025. However, the most dramatic story within the City 600 involves just over 440 cities in emerging economies; by 2025, the Emerging 440 will account for close to half of overall growth. One billion people will enter the global consuming class by 2025. [...] To capture the opportunities that arise from urbanization, businesses will need extensive market intelligence. [...] Companies that understand and respond to shifting urban marketplaces are likely to experience tremendous benefits. Yet a new McKinsey survey finds that less than 20 percent of executives are making location decisions at the city level."
While looking into what key infrastructure is needed in top innovation hubs and vital cities, I came across some compelling examples of Dutch railway maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). First, Strukton with their Gemma catenary renewal train... And more broadly, a survey of Strukton services... Next, ProRail deals with the challenges of extreme summer weather... ...and extreme winter weather... And here's ProRail's mondo Plesser rail replacer! Finally, here's ProRail's summary activities from 2011...
MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition, Enterprise Forum Global, Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, Muddy Charles Pub, African Business Club, Sloan Entrepreneurs for International Development, Global Startup Workshop, Sustainability@MIT, TechLink, Making Progress, HighTechFever.tv, MIT Innovation Tours
