Venezuelans are concerned over the safety of a "twin" viaduct of the collapsed Morandi bridge in Genoa, Italy, after a fire on the concrete structure caused a major blackout. Experts are preparing a report on the condition of the Venezuelan structure following a fire which destroyed an electricity transformer. (AFP/Federico PARRA) The 8.6 kilometre General Rafael Urdaneta viaduct links second city Maracaibo with the rest of Venezuela. Designed by Italian structural engineer Riccardo Morandi, it predates by five years his 1967 bridge in Genoa that collapsed this week causing the death of 39 people. Experts are preparing a report on the condition of the Venezuelan structure following the fire last Friday which destroyed an electricity transformer, forcing the closure of the bridge and leaving millions without power for several days. Marcelo Monot, former director of a private engineering company in the surrounding state of Zulia, said no maintenance had been carried out on the … [Read more...] about Fears over twin of collapsed Genoa bridge in Venezuela
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GE’s ultra supercritical technology transforms Malaysian energy scene
Powering on: unfathomable depths under the surface If you live in a place where the lights turn on with a flip of a switch, you might take electricity for granted. You might not think much of the technology, systems, networks, and government bodies that make power, and specifically electricity, possible. However, there is a great deal going on behind the light switch that you should be aware of because electricity is fundamental to modern life, it keeps us safe and healthy and helps economies around the world grow. As the World Bank reminds us, “Energy is inextricably linked to every other sustainable development challenge.” But today, there are still more than 1 billion people around the world who do not have access to electricity, and even more who do not have access to reliable electricity. As organisations and governments work together to improve access to electricity, the way we produce electricity is shifting. The fact is that the rapidly decreasing cost of renewable … [Read more...] about GE’s ultra supercritical technology transforms Malaysian energy scene
Italian bridge company under fire as rescuers toil for third day
A general view of the Morandi motorway bridge after a section collapsed the day before in Genoa on August 15, 2018. (Photo: AFP / PIERO CRUCIATTI) Italy's populist government intensified its attacks on Thursday (Aug 16) on the bridge operator it blames for the viaduct collapse that killed dozens of people in Genoa, as rescuers picked through rubble on the third day of desperate efforts to find survivors. Anger is mounting over the tragedy and the structural problems that have dogged the decades-old Morandi bridge, which buckled without warning on Tuesday, sending about 35 cars and several trucks plunging 45 metres onto railway tracks below along with huge chunks of concrete. The government has accused infrastructure giant Autostrade per L'Italia of failing to invest in sufficient maintenance - a claim the company denies - and said it would seek to revoke its lucrative contracts. Shares in Atlantia, the holding company of Autostrade, slumped 22 per cent by Thursday in the wake of the … [Read more...] about Italian bridge company under fire as rescuers toil for third day
Senior official sacked as China’s vaccine scandal mounts
China's Communist Party has sacked a senior regional official over a vaccine scandal that inflamed public fears over the safety of domestically produced drugs, state media reported on Thursday (Aug 16). China is regularly hit by scandals involving sub-par or toxic food, drugs and other products. (AFP Photo) The government has been struggling to shore up public confidence in the pharmaceutical sector following the revelation last month that a major Chinese manufacturer of rabies vaccines was found to have fabricated records and was ordered to cease production. The government has said the suspect rabies vaccines did not enter the market, but the case provoked unusually strong outrage online from consumers fed up with recurring product-safety scandals, particularly in the drug sector. The CEO of the company in question, Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology in the northeast province of Jilin, has been arrested along with 14 other people in connection with the scandal. On Thursday, … [Read more...] about Senior official sacked as China’s vaccine scandal mounts
The art of living and thriving in the Amazon river basin
Learning to swim in the Amazon river basin also means learning to avoid flesh-eating piranhas and snapping caimans. A boy enjoys the river in the Brazilian village of Sao Raimundo do Jaraua. (Photo: AFP/Mauro Pimentel) Residents of the Mamiraua and Amana Sustainable Development Reserves, deep in the Amazon rainforest, are experts at the art of survival. But they're just as at home caring for local plants and animals. Life here is a balancing act: you learn to avoid dangerous creatures, harvest the jungle fruit, and go with the flow as the seasons change and the river rises and falls. Roads are scarce - and in many areas, non-existent - so the rivers serve as highways, affected only by the changing water level. Some riverside homes jut into the water on a raft or logs that allow them to float if the tide rises. Other homes are built on stilts for protection from high tides. The main source of income for Amana reserve residents is harvesting acai. The purple fruit, known … [Read more...] about The art of living and thriving in the Amazon river basin