Τη φοροαπαλλαγή των ιδιοκτητών ακινήτων, για την ενεργειακή αναβάθμιση κατοικιών προϋπολογισμού έως 15.000 ευρώ, πρότεινε στον Υπουργό Οικονομικών, Γκίκα Χαρδούβελη ο Υπ. Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, Γιάννης Μανιάτης

Σχετικά με την πρότασή του, ο κ. Μανιάτης δήλωσε:

«Πιστεύω βαθιά ότι η κατά 100% φοροαπαλλαγή των ιδιοκτητών κατοικιών για τις δαπάνες έως 15.000 ευρώ, που θα κάνουν προκειμένου να θωρακίσουν ενεργειακά τις κατοικίες τους, αποτελεί μια ολοκληρωμένη οικονομική, αναπτυξιακή και περιβαλλοντική παρέμβαση που πρέπει να υιοθετήσει η Κυβέρνηση.

Η εμπειρία που έχουμε αποκτήσει από το πρόγραμμα ‘Εξοικονομώ κατ’ Οίκον’, δείχνει το σημαντικό ενδιαφέρον που υπάρχει για τη συγκεκριμένη δράση.

Ukrainian Energy Ministry Not Satisfied With Berlin ‘Winter Plan’ on Gas

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said Tuesday it had three reasons to object the “Winter Plan” on gas, endorsed by Russia and the European Commission during the ministerial gas meeting in Berlin last Friday.

The plan envisages that Kiev repays of $3.1 billion of its gas debt to Russia and pays in advance to Gazprom for the delivery of five billion cubic meters of gas at the price of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters, with a discount of $100. The plan, intended to reduce risks for transit of Europe-bound Russian gas via Ukraine, is to be in place until late March.

Russia Ready to Implement 'Winter Gas Plan,' Waiting for Kiev's Response (Alexander Novak, Energy Minister)

Russia is ready to implement the “winter plan” of delivering natural gas to Ukraine and is waiting for Kiev’s reaction, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Tuesday.

“It all depends on Ukraine. I believe that from our side we are practically ready to do everything that we agreed on in regard to this packet. We’ll wait for a reaction from Ukraine in the next few days when everything becomes clear,” Novak told journalists.

The “winter gas packet” is due to be sent to the Russian government for approval soon.

Water on earth originated outside the solar system, scientists prove

Human beings have always obsessed over whether they are alone in the universe. Now scientists say they’ve proved that at least some of the water on Earth has to have originated from outside the solar system (and they add that it’s older than the sun).
The news has set the flying-saucer-sphere abuzz with the thought that other planets in the universe are therefore more likely to have had water, at some stage at least, and to therefore have developed life.

Η ΕΕ χρειάζεται ενεργειακή αυτάρκεια

Η Ευρώπη εξαρτάται σε μεγάλο βαθμό από τις ενεργειακές εισαγωγές από τρίτες χώρες. «Με ανανεώσιμες πηγές ενέργειας μπορεί η ΕΕ να αποδεσμευθεί από την εξάρτηση» εκτιμά ο Χανς-Γιόζεφ Φελ, ειδικός σε θέματα ενέργειας. 

Ο βαθμός εξάρτησης από εισαγωγές ενέργειας αυξήθηκε μαζικά τα τελευταία χρόνια στην Ευρώπη. Σύμφωνα με τον Χανς-Γιόζεφ Φελ, πρώην βουλευτή των γερμανών Πρασίνων, η Ευρώπη καλύπτει το 60% των ενεργειακών αναγκών της με εισαγωγές από άλλες χώρες -κυρίως από τη Ρωσία.

Commission welcomes the Council's adoption of the Invasive Alien Species Regulation

European Commission, Statement, Brussels, 29 September 2014:

Today the EU adopted legislation that will tackle the rapidly growing threat to biodiversity from invasive species. The Regulation is a crucial step towards achieving the EU's 2020 biodiversity targets, while also delivering on a commitment under the Convention on Biological Diversity to establish rules to address the threats posed by these species.

European Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "This new Regulation fills a long-recognised gap in EU biodiversity protection.

Ukraine’s Naftogaz calls for new gas transit deal with Russia

BERLIN, September 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine cannot guarantee reliable Russian gas transit supplies through the country, Ukrainian state-run oil and gas holding Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev said in an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt on Monday.
“We urgently need a new transit treaty, otherwise, we cannot guarantee non-stop (Russian gas) transit through Ukraine,” he said.
Ukraine needs transit contracts which would be concluded between Naftogaz’s subsidiary Ukrtransgaz, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Eustream, operator of the gas transmission system which would represent European interests.

Russia Successfully Places Satellite into Orbit

Russia's rocket Proton has managed to bring its telecommunications satellite called Beam into orbit, Russian space agency Roskosmos has announced.

Beam is expected to help GLONASS, the Russian satellite navigation system of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, to improve its precision.

The upgrade will make GLONASS virtually identical to the American GPS, the Russian Times wrote Sunday.

Από Πετρέλαιο, Φυσικό Αέριο με Επιδότηση 1.000-5.500 Ευρώ

Επιδοτούμενο πρόγραμμα ύψους 15 εκατ. ευρώ για την εγκατάσταση φυσικού αερίου σε κατοικίες και πολυκατοικίες της Αττικής, της Θεσσαλονίκης και της Θεσσαλίας που σήμερα θερμαίνονται με πετρέλαιο, εξήγγειλε χθες ο υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας Γιάννης Μανιάτης.

Το πρόγραμμα θα επιδοτεί με 1.000 έως 5.500 ευρώ το κόστος αντικατάστασης των συστημάτων θέρμανσης επιχορηγώντας ώς και το 60% των δαπανών, ωστόσο ο πολύ χαμηλός προϋπολογισμός του συνεπάγεται πως τα νοικοκυριά που θα επωφεληθούν θα είναι πολύ λίγα.

Υπάρχει σύνδεση μεταξύ όλων των προσφάτων ηφαιστειακών εκρήξεων;

Επιστήμονες εξετάζουν εάν υπάρχει σύνδεση μεταξύ των εκτεταμένων προσφάτων ηφαιστειακών δραστηριοτήτων στην Ισλανδία, τη Χαβάη, την Ινδονησία και το Μεξικό.
Οι εκρήξεις αυτές σε συνδυασμό με τις αμέσως προηγούμενες στις Φιλιππίνες και την Παπούα-Νέα Γουινέα, δημιουργούν στην επιστημονική κοινότητα το ερώτημα αν υπάρχει πραγματικά το ηφαιστειακό ανάλογο της εποχής των μουσώνων.
Ο πλανήτης μας επηρεάζεται από την βαρυτική έλξη τόσο του Ηλίου όσο και της Σελήνης, με συνέπεια η ταχύτητα περιστροφής του να αλλάζει συνέχεια, μεταβάλλοντας λίγο τη διάρκεια της ημέρας από έτος σε έτος.

Fukushima Water Treatment System Fails Again

A water treatment system to decontaminate radioactive water at Fukushima nuclear plant fails again and thus had to be partially shut down, Japan's NHK news agency reported Saturday.

According to the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the trouble could have been caused by faulty filters.

One of the three lines of the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) was turned off after the engineers found out that the water contains calcium, hindering the elimination of radioactive strontium.

TACKLING THE SKILLS GAP IN BLUE CAREERS

(Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)
 - One of the paradoxes of our time is that, while half of our young people are unemployed in the EU, the blue industry has difficulties to find people with the appropriate skills. We know for example that there is a shortage of qualified workers for the growing sector of offshore wind industry.

Considering that the EU needs to be at the forefront of Blue innovation and should not risk being overtaken by competitors, we need to concretely address this skills gap.

Next Trilateral Talks Over Gas to Take Place Between Russia, Ukraine, EC in October. ("Sometimes it happens that what is understood orally is interpreted in writing somewhat differently...")

The next trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission over the standing issues surrounding gas will take place on October 2 or 3, Aleksander Novak, Russia's Minister of Energy, stated.

"First, we are currently drawing up the proposals that were presented to all the parties for uniform understanding. Sometimes it happens that what is understood orally is interpreted in writing somewhat differently. This will be done in the next few days. The Ukrainian side, the Russian side and the European Commission will each receive it [the written agreement]. We have agreed that we will meet to discuss the final package either Thursday or Friday next week,"- Novak said in an interview with the TV channel Russia-24.

Volcano in central Japan erupts, injuring visitors (2 video)

A volcano straddling Nagano and Gifu prefectures in central Japan erupted on Saturday, with thick gray smoke spewed up into sky, injuring eight visitors at the site, according to local media.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that the eruption took place shortly before noon. The agency upgraded its 5-stage volcanic alert level to 3, urging people not to approach the mountain, named the Ontake, reported Japan's broadcaster NHK.

Τι πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε πριν αγοράσουμε καυσόξυλα

Από τη Γενική Διεύθυνση Ανάπτυξης της Περιφέρειας Ηπείρου ανακοινώνονται σχετικά με την εμπορία, διακίνηση και πώληση καυσόξυλων τα εξής:
Η εμπορία, διακίνηση και πώληση καυσόξυλων γίνεται σύμφωνα με το άρθρο 132 της υπ’ αρίθμ. Α2-718 Απόφασης του Υπουργού Ανάπτυξης και Ανταγωνιστικότητας (Κανόνες ΔΙ.Ε.Π.Π.Υ - ΦΕΚ 2090/31-7-2014) με μονάδα μέτρησης το χωρικό κυβικό μέτρο (m3), το οποίο αναφέρεται στον όγκο που καταλαμβάνεται από το ξύλο, καθώς και από τον αέρα. Το κενό διάστημα θεωρείται ως γεμάτος χώρος.

Gas talks: Oettinger proposed supply agreement for coming winter

European Commission, Statement, Berlin, 26 September 2014:

At today's gas talks in Berlin, Vice-President Guenther Oettinger proposed a new compromise to secure gas supplies to Europe and the Ukraine during the winter season.

Vice-President Guenther Oettinger said:

"This could be a fair deal for both sides to break the deadlock and ensure that gas supply to Ukraine and EU is assured for the coming winter."

The proposal envisages the following comittments:

Russia, Ukraine reach interim deal on gas dispute

European Union (EU) Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed in principle on an interim deal over gas supplies and would meet next week to decide on final details.

The EU, Ukraine and Russia held a trilateral mainisterial meeting on energy security in Berlin on Friday.

The three sides were represented by Oettinger, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan respectively. Representatives of Russian and Ukrainian gas companies also attended the meeting.

China accelerates tourism development in Tibet

Tourism authorities have been working to make southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region a major destination, a senior tourism official said Friday.

"Tibet is the last classic treasure on the map, with its religious mystery, sound environment and many historic sites," Du Jiang, deputy director of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), told Xinhua in an interview.

Hungary halts gas sale to Ukraine on Russia fears

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Sept. 26 that Hungary could not risk a halt to Russian gas supplies as it froze deliveries to Ukraine amid threats by Moscow.

"Hungary cannot get into a situation in which, due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, it cannot access its required supply of energy," Orban said on state radio.

Hungary's gas pipeline network operator FGSZ said late Sept. 25 it had indefinitely suspended gas supply to neighbouring Ukraine for technical reasons, a move branded "unexpected and unexplained" by Ukraine state-owned gas firm Naftogaz.

Gas contracts with EU provide for no gas re-export options (Alexander Novak, Russian EM)

Russia’s gas contracts with partners in the European Union provide for no re-export options, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, obviously meaning gas supplies from the European Union to Ukraine in the reverse regime.

“The contracts we have provide for no re-export. We hope our European partners will observe the contracts. Only this can guarantee uninterrupted gas supplies to European consumers,” the newspaper quotes him as saying.

South Africa nuclear plans 'huge risk'. (Greenpeace)

JOHANNESBURG. -(By Hassan Isilow.) -South Africa's plans to invest in nuclear energy are likely to put the country at risk due to the huge costs involved and the potential health risks, an international environmental group has warned.
"As far as Greenpeace Africa is concerned, investing in new nuclear energy is actually going to put this country at risk," Melita Steele, senior climate and energy campaign manager for Greenpeace Africa, told Anadolu Agency in an interview.
On Monday, Russia and South Africa signed an agreement for the construction of new nuclear power plants as part of South Africa's procurement and development program.
The deal, signed in Vienna on the sidelines of an International Atomic Energy Agency conference, calls for the construction by Russia's state-owned nuclear company Rosatom of eight nuclear power units in South Africa.

Three Gorges Dam authority makes admission free for domestic tourists

Starting Thursday, Chinese tourists will be able to visit the Three Gorges Dam, the country's largest hydropower project, free of charge, announced the China Three Gorges Corporation and Yichang government in Hubei Province at a press conference Wednesday.

This scenic spot will be free to all Chinese tourists, including residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, while foreign visitors still need to pay 105 yuan ($17) for a ticket.

The maximum daily number of tourists will be restricted to 40,000. The dam currently receives an average of 1.8 million tourists every year, reported the Xinhua News Agency.

Oettinger on energy security: “Gas can be used as a weapon and no longer be delivered" (EP -25.09.14)

Europe should ensure people and companies enjoy a secure supply of energy and this includes measures based on solidarity, said energy commissioner Günther Oettinger addressing the EP's energy committee on 24 September. In his last appearance as energy commissioner at the Parliament, Oettinger looked back at his tenure over the last five years and discussed future challenges regarding the EU's energy policy, including the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

EU plans for Iran gas imports if sanctions go. Russia is currently Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas

“Iran is far towards the top of our priorities for mid-term measures that will help reduce our reliance on Russian gas supplies,” the source said....
 
The European Union is quietly increasing the urgency of a plan to import natural gas from Iran, as relations with Tehran thaw while those with top gas supplier Russia grow chillier.

US to create world's largest marine reserve in Pacific

The United States is to create the world's largest marine reserve, stretching over about 1 million 270,000 square kilometres of the Pacific ocean, the White House press service said.

US President Barack Obama will sign the bill on Thursday, setting out plans for a new environmental zone encompassing seven desert islands and coral atolls existing under US juridiction.

Le parlement européen prolonge les droits d'émission de CO2 gratuits pour l'industrie

La commission de l'Environnement du Parlement européen a donné son feu vert mercredi à la liste des industries lourdes qui pourront bénéficier dans les prochaines années de droits d'émission de CO2 gratuits. 

En principe, les entreprises doivent acheter des droits pour le CO2 qu'elles émettent.

 La Commission européenne a toutefois rédigé une liste de secteurs qui peuvent bénéficier de dérogations parce qu'elles subiraient des désavantages concurrentiels sur le marché mondial et risqueraient dès lors de délocaliser leurs activités. 

Κύπρος: Εντός του Δεκεμβρίου τα Αποτελέσματα της Γεώτρησης του Σκάφους της ENI-KOGAS

Μέσα στον Δεκέμβριο αναμένονται τα αποτελέσματα της ερευνητικής γεώτρησης στο κοίτασμα Ονασαγόρας της κυπριακής ΑΟΖ, που αρχίζει εντός των ημερών μετά την άφιξη του γεωτρητικού σκάφους της ENI-KOGAS στην περιοχή, σύμφωνα με δήλωση του υπουργού Εμπορίου και Ενέργειας, Γιώργου Λακκοτρύπη.
Ο υπουργός πρόσθεσε ότι τα αποτελέσματα της γεώτρησης θα είναι καθοριστικά για τα επόμενα βήματα, όσον αφορά την κατασκευή του χερσαίου τερματικού υγροποίησης φυσικού αερίου. Ωστόσο, ανέφερε πως δεν θα είναι δυνατό να είναι όλες οι προσπάθειες της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας στην ΑΟΖ επιτυχημένες, επισημαίνοντας ότι τέτοιου είδους δραστηριότητες εμπερικλείουν μεγάλο βαθμό αποτυχίας. «Υπάρχουν πολλές αβεβαιότητες και αυτό πρέπει να το γνωρίζει ο κόσμος» είπε χαρακτηριστικά.

Interview: how to charge firms for CO2 emissions without it costing jobs (EP)

Charging companies for CO2 emissions can be a great way of encouraging them to become cleaner, but also risks pushing them to move production to somewhere with lower environmental standards. The European Commission aims to prevent the practice known as carbon leakage by continuing to give some allowances away for free. Bas Eickhout proposed to block this decision, saying many industries can afford to pay for the allowances. The environment committee voted against his proposal on 24 September.

Some industrial sectors in the EU are given a substantial share of their CO2 emissions allowances for free, as it is feared they would otherwise relocate if they had to pay for them. The Commission has now prepared a list of sectors at risk of relocating on the assumption of a €30 price per allowance.

India makes history with first spaceship to orbit Mars

India triumphed in its first interplanetary mission, placing a satellite into orbit around Mars on Wednesday morning and catapulting the country into an elite club of deep-space explorers.
Scientists broke into wild cheers as the orbiter's engines completed 24 minutes of burn time and maneuvered into its designated place around the red planet.
The success of India's Mars Orbiter Mission, affectionately nicknamed MOM, brings India into an elite club of Martian explorers that includes United States, the European Space Agency and the former Soviet Union.

Financial sector to help mobilize $200 billion to fight climate change in developing countries

UN,  23 September 2014 – Governments, investors and financial institutions today pledged to mobilize $200 billion by the end of next year for low-carbon programmes in developing countries, giving a significant boost to the United Nations goal of reaching $100 billion annually by 2020.

“This will serve as a catalyst in finalizing a universal and meaningful agreement at Paris on climate change in 2015,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as he hosted the largest ever summit of world leaders on climate change at UN Headquarters in New York to prepare the ground for a global accord at a summit in the French capital in December next year.

Γιάννης Μανιάτης: «Η Ανακύκλωση πρώτη προτεραιότητα του ΥΠΕΚΑ»

Ο Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, Γιάννης Μανιάτης, συναντήθηκε με τους εκπροσώπους της Ελληνικής Εταιρείας Αξιοποίησης Ανακύκλωσης (ΕΕΑΑ), του παλαιότερου και μεγαλύτερου συστήματος εναλλακτικής διαχείρισης συσκευασιών στη χώρα. Στη συνάντηση συμμετείχε επίσης ο Κώστας Ασκούνης, Πρόεδρος της Κεντρικής Ένωσης Δήμων Ελλάδας (ΚΕΔΕ), βασικού μετόχου της ΕΕΑΑ (35%) με ισχυρή εκπροσώπηση και στη διοίκησή της.

Στο τεμάχιο 9 το γεωτρύπανο της ENI-KOGAS. (Η γεώτρηση στο τεμάχιο «9» θα είναι η πρώτη από τις γεωτρήσεις που περιλαμβάνονται στο πρόγραμμα)

Το πλοίο -γεωτρύπανο Saipem 10000 της κοινοπραξίας ENI/KOGAS έφτασε σήμερα στις 16:32 στο σημείο όπου θα πραγματοποιήσει τη γεώτρηση στο κοίτασμα «Ονασαγόρας», του τεμαχίου «9» της Κυπριακής Αποκλειστικής Οικονομικής Ζώνης (ΑΟΖ).

Όπως έγραψε ο Υπουργός Ενέργειας Γιώργος Λακκοτρύπης στον προσωπικό του λογαριασμό στο twitter, μέχρι στιγμής όλα έγιναν σύμφωνα με το πρόγραμμα.

Ebola cases could reach between 550,000- 1.4 million by January - (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Between 550,000 and 1.4 million people in West Africa could be infected with the Ebola virus by January 20, 2015, according to a report issued on Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The top range of the estimate, 1.4 million, assumes that the number of cases officially cited so far, 5,864 according to the count kept by the World Health Organization, is significantly underreported, and that it is likely that 2.5 times as many cases, or nearly 20,000, have in fact occurred.

Merkel urges quickest solution to Russia-Ukraine gas dispute

The gas price dispute between Russia and Ukraine should be resolved as quickly as possible, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.
Merkel said the gas dispute required urgent resolution now that winter is coming. The German chancellor said that the situation in east Ukraine continued to destabilize. "This is not a trifle, this is a deep conflict," Merkel noted.

Prolonged Drought Plagues Oklahoma Farmers

ALTUS, OKLAHOMA— Parts of western Texas and southwestern Oklahoma have been in drought conditions for several years running and the deficit in rainfall has taken a heavy toll on cotton and grain production...

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said the state has suffered $2 billion in agricultural losses since 2011. There has been rain in recent weeks, but for most farmers it is too late.
Sometimes the rain falls hard now, but it was really needed several weeks ago when crops were at a critical stage of growth.

Simit sellers removed from central Istanbul

Street vendors selling simits, a local savoury pastry enjoyed by all walks of life, have been removed from central spots across Istanbul, with police citing widespread malpractice among unregistered simit sellers.

It is a tradition for many Turks to have simit for breakfast, and street vendors can generally be found at every main street, subway station or any other central point.

However, Tayfun Karaali, the head of the municipal police, said in a statement that the municipality had made such a decision to combat pirate simit sellers.

ΥπΑνΑντ: Έρχεται βελτιωμένο το πρόγραμμα «Εξοικονόμηση Κατ’ Οίκον»

Μεγάλη αποδοχή στους πολίτες και την αγορά είχε το πρόγραμμα «Εξοικονόμηση Κατ’ Οίκον» που υλοποιείται στο πλαίσιο του ΕΣΠΑ 2007- 2013, ενώ η Γ.Γ. Δημοσίων Επενδύσεων- ΕΣΠΑ, με έγγραφο που διεβίβασε στην Βουλή, ενημερώνει πως επίκειται ο σχεδιασμός νέου αντίστοιχου Προγράμματος πολύ πιο φιλικού προς τον πολίτη στο άμεσο μέλλον.

Ειδικοτερα, στοιχεία του υπουργείου Ανάπτυξης και Ανταγωνιστικότητας που διαβιβάστηκαν στη Βουλή δείχνουν ότι από τα 47.769 νοικοκυριά που συμμετέχουν στην εν λόγω δράση, τα 31.930 έχουν ήδη ολοκληρώσει τις σχετικές εργασίες....
mme.gr
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Κύπρος/Αγία Νάπα: 50 Κάδοι κομποστοποίησης δόθηκαν σε δημότες

Οι πρώτοι 50 κάδοι κομποστοποίησης παραδόθηκαν πρόσφατα σε δημότες  της Αγίας Νάπας, σύμφωνα με ανακοίνωση του Δήμου Αγίας Νάπας.

Μιλώντας στην τελετή παράδοσης, ο Δήμαρχος Γιάννης Καρούσος είπε ότι στόχος του Δήμου είναι μέσα σε πολύ σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα όλα τα νοικοκυριά θα εξασφαλίσουν δωρεάν από ένα κάδο κομποστοποίησης.

Με τον τρόπο αυτό, δήλωσε, επιδιώκουμε να ευαισθητοποιήσουμε και να ενθαρρύνουμε τους δημότες μας να προβαίνουν στην ανακύκλωση των οικιακών τους αποβλήτων, συμβάλλοντας με αυτή τους την ενέργεια στη δραστική μείωση του μεγάλου όγκου των απορριμμάτων που μεταφέρονται στο ΧΥΤΥ της Κόσιης όπου αυτό συνεπάγεται, όπως είπε, στην καθοριστική μείωση  του οικονομικού κόστους.

Πράσινο φως για 100 εκατ. ευρώ σε δικαιούχους του «Εξοικονομώ κατ΄Οίκον»

Άμεση χρηματοδότηση του ΕΤΕΑΝ, με 100 εκατ. ευρώ, για την πλήρη αποπληρωμή όλων των δικαιούχων από το Πρόγραμμα «Εξοικονομώ κατ΄Οίκον» ενέκρινε ο υφυπουργός Ανάπτυξης και Ανταγωνιστικότητας, Οδυσσέας Κωνσταντινόπουλος.

Οι δικαιούχοι υπολογίζονται σε περίπου 10.000 νοικοκυριά τα οποία με τη σειρά τους, θα εξοφλήσουν περίπου 30.000 επαγγελματίες.

Night flight operations in N. Philippine airport halted due to typhoon damage

Night flight operations in an international airport in northern Philippines have been suspended after its runway was partly damaged by tropical storm Fung-Wong (local name Mario), the state aviation agency said Monday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that it has informed the airline operators that arrival and departure of their aircraft were temporarily halted from sunset to sunrise at the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte province.

Powerful Storm Blows Through Taiwan, Hits China

Taiwan has begun cleanup efforts after Tropical Storm Fung-Wong pounded the island with massive downpours, while China braced for the onslaught of the upgraded Typhoon Fung-Wong.

The powerful storm arrived in Taiwan Sunday, pounding the north and south of the island but causing only limited damage. It blew into the South China Sea Monday morning, leaving at least one person dead and four injured.

Δυσαρέσκεια Μπαν Κι Μουν για την Απουσία της Μέρκελ Από τη Σύνοδο Κορυφής για το Κλίμα

Δυσαρεστημένος με την Άνγκελα Μέρκελ είναι ο Γενικός Γραμματέας του Οργανισμού Ηνωμένων Εθνών Μπαν Γκι Μουν, σύμφωνα με το περιοδικό Der Spiegel, επειδή η καγκελάριος της Γερμανίας δεν θα παραστεί στην Σύνοδο Κορυφής για το Κλίμα που θα πραγματοποιηθεί παράλληλα με τη Γενική Συνέλευση του ΟΗΕ την 23η Σεπτεμβρίου στη Νέα Υόρκη.

Όπως αναφέρει σε δημοσίευμα στην ηλεκτρονική έκδοσή του το περιοδικό, η Καγκελαρία είχε επικαλεστεί εδώ και μήνες «λόγους προγράμματος», ωστόσο ο κ. Μπαν επανήλθε στο ερώτημα και μετά τη νέα αρνητική απάντηση, ακύρωσε «εκνευρισμένος» την προγραμματισμένη συμμετοχή του στον πέμπτο «Διάλογο του Πέτερσμπεργκ για το Κλίμα», ο οποίος διεξήχθη τον περασμένο Ιούλιο στο Βερολίνο.........................Ειδήσεις » Διεθνείς » Δυσαρέσκεια Μπαν Κι Μουν για την Απουσία της Μέρκελ Από τη Σύνοδο Κορυφής για το Κλίμα

First World Conference on Indigenous Peoples set to open at UN headquarters

UN,  21 September 2014 – The week of high-level events that marks the opening of the United Nations General Assembly's annual general debate kicks off this year with the first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), which opens Monday.

Convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the Assembly, the two-day World Conference is expected to draw over a thousand indigenous and non-indigenous delegates who will have the opportunity to share perspectives and best practices on the realization of their rights, including pursuing the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in 2007.

NASA spacecraft seeks answers to lost water in Mars. (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution/MAVEN)

A NASA spacecraft designed to investigate how Mars lost its water is expected to put itself into orbit around the Red Planet today after a 10-month journey....

After traveling 711 million km from Earth, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, probe faces a do-or-die burn of its six braking rockets beginning.
If successful, the thruster burns will trim enough speed for MAVEN to be captured by Mars' gravity and fall into a looping orbit.

UN summit test for new climate fund. (Donors yet to stump up to pay for assistance to developing countries)

A global fund created to spearhead climate change financing faces a key test at a UN summit this week when it looks to the leaders of the industrialized world to stump up billions of dollars to fill its underflowing coffers.

For the South Korea-based Green Climate Fund, the climate summit in New York on Tuesday is an opportunity for the developed world to demonstrate its financial commitment to securing a new, legally binding global climate deal with poorer countries in 2015.

From Paris to New York, people rally against climate change

World leaders including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were on Sunday set to join farmers, fishermen, children and others in demonstrations across the globe to demand action on climate change.

In New York, organisers were expecting some 100,000 to join the People’s Climate March ahead of Tuesday's UN summit, which will bring together 120 world leaders to discuss reducing carbon emissions that threaten the environment.

Κύπρος/Λακκοτρύπης: «Νέες χοργίες για Εξοικονόμηση Ενέργειας και ΑΠΕ»

Το Υπουργείο Ενέργειας, Εμπορίου, Βιομηχανίας και Τουρισμού προγραμματίζει να εξαγγείλει εντός Οκτωβρίου νέα σχέδια χορηγιών που αφορούν στην Εξοικονόμηση Ενέργειας (ΕΞΕ) και στη χρήση Ανανεώσιμων Πηγών Ενέργειας (ΑΠΕ), δήλωσε ο αρμόδιος Υπουργός Γιώργος Λακκοτρύπης σε χαιρετισμό του κατά τα εγκαίνια της 10ης Έκθεσης Εξοικονόμησης Ενέργειας “SAVENERGY 2014” και της 7ης Έκθεσης Τεχνολογιών Νερού και Περιβάλλοντος “Envirotec 2014” σήμερα στο περίπτερο 6 στο χώρο της Αρχής Κρατικών Εκθέσεων στη Λευκωσία.  Οι δυο εκθέσεις θα είναι ανοικτές για το κοινό μέχρι και την Κυριακή 21 Σεπτεμβρίου.

Rosneft Capable of Arctic Drilling Without ExxonMobil. (The East Prinovozemelsky blocks in the Kara Sea)

SOCHI, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russian oil giant Rosneft and US oil company ExxonMobil continue the drilling in the Kara Sea, however, the Russian company was prepared to continue work independently should plans have changed, Rosneft Vice President Larisa Kalanda said at the International Investment Forum Sochi 2014.
"The work at the Universitetskaya field is going in accordance to plans. We are satisfied with the decision from the American regulator that has authorized [Exxon's participation]… In the case that the regulator had not authorized Exxon to work at the field, Rosneft had its own plan and was ready to continue work on its own," Kalanda said.

FISHERIES CONTROL: PORTUGAL, FRANCE, SPAIN, ITALY, LATVIA AND MALTA NOW PLAYING BY COMMON RULES

To achieve sustainable fishing, the revised rules of the Common Fisheries Policy need to be fully respected. But how can we ensure that they are in practice?

Well, by efficient and harmonised control systems.

In a spirit of subsidiarity, fisheries control means are agreed at EU level, but need to be concretely implemented on the ground by national authorities. Therefore, to guarantee a level playing field between fishermen, the European Commission checks how Member States implement their common obligations. It also provides Member States with support, where necessary, so that their control systems meet the European requirements.

Death toll in Typhoon Fung-Wong climbs to 7 in Philippines. (A total 118,839 families or 530,438 persons were affected by the storm)

Typhoon Fung-Wong, which was enhanced by southwest monsoon, left at least seven people dead in the northern parts of the Philippines, including Metro Manila, the state disaster management agency said Saturday.

In its 8:00 a.m. report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that six other people were injured, while one was missing.