Ten Best Paid Jobs Without a Degree

In today’s competitive job market, finding a high-paying job is sometimes difficult, especially without a degree, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There are plenty of high-paying career choices that don’t require a degree. Many of those jobs, however, require experience.

1. 
   

   Air Traffic Controller

   • An air traffic controller does not have to have a degree and can still earn a six figure salary at a little over $100,000. Air traffic controllers are in charge of the safety of all vehicles (planes and otherwise) coming and going from an airport to ensure there are no collisions on the ground or in the air. While this job doesn’t require a degree, the difficult nature does require extensive experience.

   Funeral Director

   • Although it’s not the most glamorous job, and might seem a little grim, a funeral director earns nearly $100,000 annually and the job doesn’t require a degree. Funeral directors are in charge of helping the family of the recently deceased arrange funeral services. A funeral director is also the overseer of embalming, burial and even cremation services.

   Operations Manager

   • An operations manager makes, on average, $70,000 annually. An operations manager position is found in many types of businesses. Basically, the person in this position is responsible for ensuring that business is running smoothing, i.e. workforce and resources are working as they should and there are no backups or issues in the schedule. Examples include efficient production at a factory, cost control and a variety of other areas of business.

   Industrial Production Manager

   • The position of industrial production manager is similar to that of an operations manager, but this position is only in businesses where products are being made. The industrial production manager oversees production of goods and will try to determine new, less expensive and more efficient ways to get these goods manufactured. This person will also ensure that production is running smoothly and that any problems are quickly resolved. The average salary is around $70,000.

   Transportation Manager

   • A transportation manager is also similar to both the industrial production manager and the operations manager, but works at companies that provide public transportation, such as train companies or bus tour companies, as well as companies that transport goods from one manufacturer to stores for selling. A transportation manager may also work for local governments to manage city bus or metro transportation. The transportation manager ensures everything is running on time and may determine more efficient routes for transportation.

   Distribution Manager

   • A distribution manager works with the manufacturing companies to ensure the goods that are produced are getting where they need to go smoothly, on time and the most cost-efficient way as possible. The person in this position is also the top manager when it comes to customer complaints regarding delivery failures. A distribution manager makes around $68,000 annually.

   Computer Technical Support Specialist

   • A computer technical support specialist can work independently as a freelance consultant or for a company providing technical support to employees. Either way, the person in this position is in charge of setting up computer programs and solving any computer-related issues that may arise in an office or home environment. This person can make anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000 and may earn even more freelancing. Usually, people in this position don’t need a degree because they are self-taught in computers and have gained much experience.

   Police Manager/Detective

   • The position of police manager or detective doesn’t require a degree, although it does usually require you to graduate the police academy, which is rigorous in its own right. These positions are filled with police officers as they move up in rank. A police officer serves and protects individuals and to maintain the safety of citizens within their jurisdiction. The police academy will train you for various situations you may encounter as a police officer.

   Gaming Manager

   • A gaming manager doesn’t need a degree, but may need to acquire a license to work in a casino. A gaming manager’s duties range from cleaning slot machines to training dealers. The basic duty, though, is to watch over a certain area of the casino to ensure that customers are enjoying themselves, which will keep them at a table and gambling, and that the dealers are acting appropriately. Most casino managers start out as dealers themselves.

   Nuclear Power Reactor Manager

   • A nuclear power reactor manager ensures that the nuclear power reactors, which are the main power generators in a nuclear power plant, are working properly and helps senior managers fix any issues that arise. After more experience on the job, the manager will be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which would allow them to work on the machines hands-on themselves. At least one senior manager will be on duty with the nuclear power reactor manager at all times.

 

Use Less Power If You Can’t Afford Hiked Rates: Dikshit

People should cut use of power if they cannot afford high electricity tariff, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said today, a prescription that evoked criticism.

Under attack for the hike in power tariff, Dikshit also sought to justify it, saying the increase in cost of power production has led to the rise in electricity rates.

Stating that the consumers will have to pay if they want round-the-clock electricity supply, Dikshit went on to say that if people are finding it difficult to pay the billed amount they they should cut down consumption on various electrical appliances.

“We have been supplying power round-the-clock. We are not supplying power periodically. When 24 hours supply is ensured then the Opposition says bill is too high. If you consume electricity for 24 hours, then you do not pay for five hours’ consumption.

“If you cannot afford the electricity bill then cut down your consumption of electricity. Future generations will never realise there used to be seven to eight hours power cut in Delhi,” Dikshit said addressing a meeting at Chhatarpur area in South Delhi.

“If somebody is finding it difficult to pay the bill then he can use a fan instead of a cooler. One can always cut down consumption of power to limit the bill,” she added.

Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel accused the Chief Minister of “favouring” discoms and ignoring the alleged corruption in these power distribution companies.

“She (Dikshit) is favouring discoms. There is mass corruption in electricity by the discoms but Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, instead of checking it, is giving statement about electricity being used by poor people,” Goel said.

The BJP has been targeting the city government on the issue of hike in power tariff and accused it of siding with the private power discoms.

“This is very unfortunate statement from the Chief Minister of Delhi. In Delhi, the electricity prices are not increasing because of increased production cost,” Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal said.

“How can you expect the people to stop using TV, refrigerator, washing machines which have become essential today. The electricity prices are increasing only because of the corruption of the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in collusion with electricity companies….”

The power tariff in the city was hiked by 22 per cent in 2011 and again it was increased by 26 per cent for domestic consumers in July last year. It was again hiked by up to three per cent from February one.

PTI

10 Most Expensive Single Objects in the World

10. Oresund Bridge (Cost:$6 Billion)

The Øresund or Öresund Bridge  is a combined twin-track railroad and four-lane highway bridge-tunnel across the Öresund strait. The Øresund Bridge connects Sweden and Denmark, and it is the longest highway and railroad bridge in Europe. The Øresund Bridge also connects two major Metropolitan Areas: those of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen and the major Swedish city of Malmö. Furthermore, the Øresund Bridge connects the highway network of Scandinavia with those of Central and Western Europe.

• Official name: Øresundsbroen, Öresundsbron
• Carries: Four lanes of European route E20 Double track Oresund Railway Line
• Locale: Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden
• Designer: Georg Rotne
• Design: Cable-stayed bridge
• Total length: 7,845 metres (25,738 ft)
• Width: 23.5 metres (77.1 ft)
• Longest span: 490 metres (1,608 ft)
• Cost: $6 Billion
• Country: Denmark, Sweden
• Year of completion: 2000

9.Large Hadron Collider (Cost: $6 Billion)

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected that it will address themost fundamental questions of physics, advancing our understanding of the deepest laws of nature.

The LHC lies in a tunnel 27 kilometres (17 mi) in circumference, as much as 175 metres (574 ft) beneath the Franco-Swiss border nearGeneva, Switzerland. This synchrotron is designed to collide opposing particle beams of either protons at an energy of 7 teraelectronvolts(1.12 microjoules) per particle, or lead nuclei at an energy of 574 TeV (92.0 µJ) per nucleus. The term hadron refers to particles composed of quarks.

• Country: Switzerland
• Year of completion: 2008
• Cost: $6 Billion

 

8. ITER – Experimental Fusion Reactor (Cost: $6.5 Billion)

ITER - International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is an international tokamak (magnetic confinement fusion) research/engineering project that could help to make the transition from today’s studies of plasmaphysics to future electricity-producing fusion power plants. It builds on research done with devices such as DIII-D,EAST, ADITYA, KSTAR, TFTR, ASDEX Upgrade, Joint European Torus, JT-60, Tore Supra and T-15.

• Country: China, European Union, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, United States
• Year of completion: 2016 (expected)
• Cost: $6.5 Billion

7. Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant(Cost: $7.2 Billion)

The Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant is on Olkiluoto Island, which is on the shore of the Gulf of Bothnia in the municipality of Eurajoki in western Finland. It is one of Finland’s two nuclear power plants, the other being the two-unitVVER Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant.

The Olkiluoto plant consists of two BWRs with 860 MWe each. These were supplied by ASEA-Atom, now a part of ABB Group. The plant is operated by Teollisuuden Voima, a subsidiary of Pohjolan Voima. Unit three, the first EPR (European Pressurized water Reactor) is under construction, but various problems with workmanship and supervision have created costly delays, and been the subject of an inquiry by the Finnish nuclear regulator STUK.A  license for a fourth reactor to be built at the site was granted by the Finnish parliament in July 2010.

• Country: Finland
• Year of completion : 2012 (expected)
• Cost: $7.2 Billion

6. Alaska Pipeline (Cost: $8 Billion)

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), includes the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. It is commonly called the Alaska Pipeline, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, or Alyeska Pipeline, (or the Pipeline as referred to in Alaska), but those terms technically apply only to the 800.302 miles (1,287.961 km) of the pipleline with the diameter of 48 inches (122 cm) that conveys oil from Prudhoe Bay, to Valdez, Alaska. The crude oil pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

The pipeline was built between 1974 and 1977 after the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States. This rise made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the pipeline was built only after the oil crisis provoked the passage of legislation designed to remove legal challenges to the project.

• Country :United State
• Year of completion : 1977
• Cost: $8 Billion

5. CVN-78 Class Aircraft Carrier (Cost: $8.1 Billion)

The CVN-78-class aircraft carriers (or Ford-class) are a planned class of supercarrier for the United States Navy, intended to replace the current Nimitz-class carriers. The new vessels will use a hull design very similar to the Nimitz carriers, but many aspects of the design will be very different, implementing new technologies developed since the initial design of the previous class (such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and running costs, including a reduced crew requirement. The first hull of the line will be named Gerald R. Ford, and will have the hull number CVN-78.

• Country : United States
• Year of completion : 2015 (expected)
• Cost: $8.1 Billion

4. James Bay Project ( Cost: 13.8 billion)

The James Bay Project refers to the construction by state-owned utility Hydro-Québec of a series of hydroelectric power stations on the La Grande River in northwestern Quebec, Canada, and the diversion of neighbouring rivers into the La Grande watershed. It is located between James Bay to the west and Labrador to the east and its waters flow from the Laurentian Plateau of the Canadian Shield. The project covers an area of the size of the State of New York and is one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the world. The project has cost upwards of $13 billion US to build and has an installed generating capacity of 16,000 megawatts, three times more than all of the power stations at Niagara Falls, eight times the power of Hoover Dam, and over twice the power of all eight reactors units at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, the largest in North America. If fully expanded to include all of the original planned dams, as well as the additional “James Bay II” projects, the system would generate a total of 27,000 MW, making it the largest hydroelectric system in the world.

• Country : Canada
• Year of completion : 1972
• Cost: 13.8 billion

3. Three Gorges Dam(Cost: $25 Billion)

The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China. It is the world’s largest electricity-generating plant of any kind.

The dam body was completed in 2006. Except for a ship lift, the originally planned components of the project were completed on October 30, 2008 when the 26th generator in the shore plant began commercial operation. Each generator has a capacity of 700 MW.Six additional generators in the underground power plant are not expected to become fully operational until 2011.

• Country : China
• Year of completion : 2011 (expected)
• Cost: $25 Billion

 

2. Itaipu Dam (Cost: $27 Billion)

 

The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The name “Itaipu” was taken from an isle that existed near the construction site. In the Guarani language, Itaipu means “the sound of a stone”. The American composer Philip Glass has also written a symphonic cantata named Itaipu, in honour of the structure.

The dam is the largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of annual generating capacity, generating 94.7 TWh in 2008 and 91.6 TWh in 2009, while the annual generating capacity of the Three Gorges Dam was 80.8 TWh in 2008 and 79.4 TWh in 2009. It is a binational undertaking run by Brazil and Paraguay at the Paraná River on the border section between the two countries, 15 km (9.3 mi) north of the Friendship Bridge. The project ranges from Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil, and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, in the south to Guaíra and Salto del Guaíra in the north. The installed generation capacity of the plant is 14 GW, with 20 generating units providing 700 MW each with a hydraulic design head of 118 m. In 2008 the plant generated a record 94.68 billion kWh, supplying 90% of the energy consumed by Paraguay and 19% of that consumed by Brazil.

• Country : Brazil, Paraguay
• Year of completion : 1984
• Cost: $27 Billion

1. International Space Station(Cost: $157 Billion)

The International Space Station (ISS) is an internationally developed research facility that is being assembled in low Earth orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled for completion by late 2011. The station is expected to remain in operation until at least 2015, and likely 2020. With a greater mass than that of any previous space station, the ISS can be seen from Earth with the naked eye, and is by far the largest artificial satellite that has ever orbited Earth. The ISS serves as a research laboratory that has a microgravity environment in which crews conduct experiments in biology, chemistry, human biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology. The station has a unique environment for the testing of the spacecraft systems that will be required for missions to the Moon and Mars.The ISS is operated by Expedition crews, with the station programme maintaining an uninterrupted human presence in space since the launch of Expedition 1 on 31 October 2000, a total of 9 years and 262 days.

• Country : Canada, European Space Agency, Japan, Russia, United States
• Year of completion : 2011 (expected)
• Cost: $157 Billion

National Conference on E-Waste Sustainability: Call for Papers

ORGANISER(S):

Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences in joint collaboration with GIZ-IGEP (Indo-German Environment Partnership)

THEME: E-Waste Sustainability: Needs And Solutions For Its Management

WHEN: 7-8 March, 2013

WHERE: Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences (University of Delhi), Sector 2, Phase 1, Dwarka, New Delhi

CALL FOR PAPERS:

Abstract can be submitted through email by 15th February, 2013 at ewasteconf2013@gmail.com . Abstracts are limited to one page of text (12 point in font type Times Roman, MS Word) and a second, optional page with up to four figures.

Accepted papers will have to submit camera ready print by 1 March, 2013.

Themes For Paper Submission

Based on the 4R principles of recycle, refurbish, re-use and reduce the Conference attempts to discuss and cover the following themes by inviting paper presentation by research scholars and panel discussions:

1.  Implementation of E-waste policy/Regulation

2. Initiatives of Government in reducing E-Waste

3. Integrating E-Waste and Green Design in curriculum

4. Needs for Technological Development and Recycling of E-waste

5. Recovery and reuse of Metals/Plastics/Glass from E-waste

6. Role of EPR in Sustaining E-waste Management

7. Role of informal recycling in E-waste Management

8. E-waste as pollutant on the ecosystem and humans

9. Shift in Design Methodologies (Green Design and Demanufacturing)

10. RoHS compliance and Green Production

11. Potential of re-use of EEE in terms of economic, social aspect

SEE Registration Details here

 

Source Link: http://confewaste2013.tk/

Plantbook Laptop Concept

A highly futuristic concept of a laptop that bases it’s charging system in the same water-soaking abilities of the bamboo by the designers Seunggi Baek and Hyerim Kim. The Plantbook system uses an external water tank, hence the Plantbook continuously absorbs water when soaking it in water and generates electrolysis using power stored in a solar heat plate installed on the top. In this process, it is operated using hydrogen as energy source and discharges oxygen. If you put it into a water bottle while you don’t use the laptop, it automatically charges a battery and discharges oxygen.

30 Cool High Tech #Gadgets you will love for your home

Gadgets are becoming a part of our everyday life and like the mobile phone (one of the first gadgets) we are starting to be addicted, depending on them for our daily actions. As technology advances, so do these gadgets that we are fond of and we are amazed by the new concepts created by young and ambitious designers. These innovations appear from a necessity of solving the problems that old products have and besides new and improved functions, they also come with a beautiful design.

Transparent TV

The transparent tv designed by Michael Friebe is a marvelous piece of technology that combines conventional LCD and the latest TOLED display technology. This allows to create non-transparent / solid moving pictures with rich color reproduction and full contrast range from solid black to pristine white.

Floor Plan Light switch

Have you ever had a problem with forgetting which light switch stands for what light? Taewon Hwang came with the great idea of creating a master light switch with a simple design that shows you what lights you are turning on or off.

The AURA Lamp

Looking almost alien like, the AURA lamp lights up a room with a certain texture and that is because it’s a woven lamp hand made in France.

Dimensional Wall Panels

People aren’t familiar with 3D wall panels. I don’t know why, cause they surely bring a nice feel to a room, with their interesting shapes that create a beautiful arrangement of light and shadows. They can also be put in shops, restaurants, offices and because of their different that usual look they transmit a nice futuristic look.

The RIMA lamp

The RIMA lamp is one like no other because of its interesting feature that allows you to control the light via four controller rings that you can slide. This beautiful lamp created by Matthias Pinkert has a processor which controls the heat, intensity, angle of the beam and color.

Sony Eclipse

This Sony Eclipse concept created by Hoang M Nguyen and Anh Nguyen is a media player that uses photovoltaic cells situated on its backside to draw in solar power. With this player you have a slight change of seeing the battery low warning very very rare.

Pouring Light Lamp

A strange but interesting lamp that will surely be sold really fast if it would be put in stores is this one created by Yeongwoo Kim. The lamp uses LED lights that are situated in the bucket and with the help of phosphorescence in the “water” it lights in a marvelous way.

Door Handle With Self-sterilization System

Senzo Nightlight

It’s really annoying during the night when you wake up and not find the light switch. The solution is provided by Soledad Clavell and Marcos Madia who created this wonderful nightlight that lights up the room when touching it.

 

 

Electrolux Fireplace

This fireplace created by Camillo Vanacore for Electrolux looks almost magical because of its transformation from off to on, from an opaque ceramic column to a transparent one.

 

Eco Cleaner

Without using regular dish detergents, the Eco Cleaner makes the plates bright and fresh using ultrasonic waves to ionize food particles on the dishes, converting the food into reusable compost for plants. Less waste and more nutrients for plants are a good idea for the future and a solution for enriching the soil. Of course, we’re talking about the soil for the plants that you keep in your apartment.

Document Extractor – Combi Monitor

Saving space on the desk has always been a problem for some and to solve this issue Byeong Min Choe has come up with a marvelous idea of combining a printer and a monitor.

On Switch

Minimalistic and elegant. That’s how you define this light switch created by Burakov Denis.

Green Smart Glass

The Green Smart Glass has an interesting technology that harnesses the heat energy from the hot beverage and stores it to be used later.

 

iQ Alarm clock

Instead of the snooze button which you unwillingly press in the morning, this alarm clock has questions that need your lucidity to solve them. This way, you will surely get up fast in the morning.

Change It! Wall

This wall has been passed around on the internet for some time and has become a neat attraction. It’s not LED or anything digital, it’s actually made of turning triangles with different colors on them, white, black and a rainbow color. It is limited at these three options for now, but I’m sure we’ll see in the future various patterns and images.

Orbital Washing Machine

Washing clothes has never been so easy. With the incorporated basket you can load and unload the clothes in the washing machine as easy as 1, 2, 3. This isn’t the only innovative feature. The spherical drum is moving on two axes washing your clothes better than the old washing machines that use only one axe.

Bediator

Having a warm bed underneath you is a cool thing, especially if you’re in a place where winters are incredibly cold. Now I don’t know how much weight this bed radiator-bed supports but if it can take two medium people it is awesome.

LED Ceiling

This is an interesting concept created by Seo Dong-Hun that allows you to create on the ceiling the light shapes you want. Literally, you can paint the ceiling with light. Imagine the artworks that would result from some people’s imagination.

LULA Lung Lamp

LULA is a product that collects data and indicates the air quality in your room. If it’s connected to the internet, it can process the data and tell you the health issues that you are facing in that situation and how you can avoid having problems caused by the quality of air.

WAT Lamp

The WAT lamp has the interesting ability to generate light if you fuel it with water. Yeah, it sounds outrageously futuristic, but the system is actually not that strange. The water combines with a hydroelectric battery to generate an electrochemical reaction that lights it up.

Miranda

This surface tile is not for everyone but it is fun for sure, having the ability to morph the way you want it and create shapes and basic drawings on it. More info can be found on Giles Miller’s site.

WAVE Ultra Sonic Wine Ager And Refrigerator

Ever wanted to age your wine so that it will be of a higher quality? Now you can, it’s not only a movie idea. Designer Mika Yamamoto has created this device that does this incredible thing. The Wave uses magnetic cooling system that is based on the magnetocaloric effect, which is the ability of some materials to heat up when magnetized and cool when removed from the magnetic field. It reduces carbon emissions and increases energy efficiency. It can possibly cut energy consumption by 40%. It also reduces the cost of electricity.

The Wave Dish Washer

This dishwasher beautifully designed by Guilherme Parolin makes the action of washing dishes a piece of cake thanks to its user friendly control panel.

Swan Umbrella Dryer

Drying up a wet umbrella has always been a problem. Till Noh Seon Mi designed the Swan Umbrella Dryer, of course.

 

1limit Faucet

Unlike the +- water faucet which only tells you how much you consume and doesn’t technically help you to reduce your costs, the 1litre limited faucet helps you to consume only the water that you need.

iChef+ Oven

From what I’ve seen on the market, the ovens are not user friendly at all, having changed over the years only at an aesthetic level without modifying the process in which you actually cook the meal. The iChef Oven has an innovative and powerful computer behind it’s technology and I believe it can be considered a milestone in its niche.

The Book Light

This product with integrated LEDs in a plastic body is an interesting product for the people who read a lot and need a discreet light over their pages. Don’t worry about the light being to powerful, cause you can adjust it as you please.

The Tulip Bath/Shower

In a small bathroom there’s always a problem with space and the Tulip Bath/Shower designed by Piotr Pyrtek provides the solution. Saving space is not its only feature, having a number of characteristics that qualifies it as a luxury item, like underwater jets or massage programs.

Unique Eco-Sculptures from an Indian Design Student

 

The Eco-Lamp

Satish Behera is a design student in India who has been exploring the ancient craft of paper maché as an ecological design material.  His style is so unique, his designs so impressionable that they are hard to forget.  His has created a style that is very professional and objects that are very desirable. (Pics)

 Using nothing more than newspaper, glue and varnish, Behera’s medium winds around and around itself as it becomes both base and cover, while Behera molds each strip into an elegant cultural work of function and art.  Each work has a patina of its own created by the blend of varnish, glue, and paper ink, adding even more distinctiveness to Behera’s style.

 

Eco-Ganesha is a modern, ecological sculpture of an ancient Hindu god, a god who, legend has it, has an elephant head.  It is exquisitely formed with rich detail that’s astounding when you consider the designer’s medium.

Eco-Ganesha

The Eco- Lamp or the Paper Table Lamp was a challenge for Behara who writes that the unusual form resulted from his placement of the lamp’s center of gravity.  Though Behara uses every strip of newspaper he acquires in his exploration, he acknowledges that he had to use “alien” products like wire, a bulb and the bulb holder.  This is a functioning lamp with a 60 watt bulb.

Wanting to design something more interesting than a box for a speaker, Behara created the Eco-Speakers to look like large snail shells/  Again, you see his meticulous craftsmanship.

Eco-Speaker

Of course, these works were simply explorations Mr. Behara undertook as part of his design coursework, but they’re awfully interesting and I should think marketable as well!

Ozone hole second smallest in 20 years

Bringing great reprive to scientists monitoring ozone hole over the Antarctic, the the average area covered by the hole this year is smallest in the last 20 years. 

 

The ozone hole reached its maximum size Sep 22, covering 8.2 million square miles (21.2 million sq km), or the area of the US, Canada and Mexico combined, according to data from NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites.

 

The average size of the 2012 ozone hole was 6.9 million sq miles (17.9 million square km). The Sep 6, 2000 ozone hole was the largest on record at 11.5 million square miles (29.9 million sq km). 

 

Ozone layer acts as Earth’s natural shield against ultraviolet radiation, which can cause skin cancer. The ozone hole phenomenon began making a yearly appearance in the early 1980s. 

 

“The ozone hole mainly is caused by chlorine from human-produced chemicals, and these chlorine levels are still sizable in the Antarctic stratosphere,” said atmospheric scientist Paul Newman of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, according to a NASA statement. 

 

“Natural fluctuations in weather patterns resulted in warmer stratospheric temperatures this year. These temperatures led to a smaller ozone hole,” added Newman. 

 

The Antarctic ozone layer likely will not return to its early 1980s state until about 2065, Newman said. The lengthy recovery is because of the long lifetimes of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere. 

 

Overall atmospheric ozone no longer is declining as concentrations of ozone-depleting substances decrease. The decrease is the result of an international agreement regulating the production of certain chemicals.

Russia-India: a new chapter of cooperation

Russia and India have established a relationship that could be described as a “special and privileged partnership”. A statement to this effect was made by President Vladimir Putin during his current official visit to New Delhi. The year 2012 marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and India.

The agenda of the talks focused on expanding bilateral trade and economic ties. Trade between Russia and India has increased by nearly six times since 2000. Vladimir Putin commented on prospects for further cooperation.

“Mutual trade amounted to nearly $9 bln in 2011. We expect it to hit $10 bln in 2012 and to increase twofold over the next few years. About 50% of exported and imports goods on both sides are produced on the basis of high technology. This year, the supply of Russian-made cars, equipment and chemicals to India has increased by 40%. Russia and India have agreed to increase mutual investments. A memorandum between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the State Bank of India which was signed on Monday will create more incentives for ramping up mutually beneficial cooperation, including between small and medium-sized businesses.”

Nuclear energy projects occupy a particular place on the Russia-India cooperation agenda. According to Indian Prime Minister Manmohal Singkh, his country appreciates Russia’s assistance in building the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. President of Russia’s Rosatom Corporation Sergei Kirienko says the Russian side has made a particular breakthrough in the Kudankulam Project.

“The Kudankulam Project meets all ‘post-Fukushima’ requirements and has passed ‘stress tests’. If it had been somewhere near Fukushima at the moment of the disaster, it would have withstood the earthquake and the tsunami, thanks to the high level of its nuclear safety.”

Mutual investments make up yet another important chapter of bilateral cooperation between Russia and India. The Russian Direct Investment Fund and the State Bank of India clinched an important deal to this effect in New Delhi. The Fund’s President Kirill Dmitriev comments.

“Each party will invest up to $1 billion in joint projects. We expect bilateral trade to increase by $10bln – $30bln over the next three years.”

Russian companies are taking part in projects to build metal-working plants in Bhilai, Rourkela and other cities of India. Russia’s Severstal is a partner in a joint project to build a full-cycle metalworking facility in India. Russian insurance companies Ingosstrakh and ROSNO are tapping the Indian market as well. In addition, Russia and India have signed a number of important agreements on cooperation in defense and technology.

Russia and India are also set on bolstering cooperation within the framework of international organizations, including the BRICS group, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the RIC group which comprises Russia, India and China, and the G20.

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Russia, India sign package of agreements

Russia and India have signed a package of cooperation agreements in the framework of Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, according to the Voice of Russia correspondent.

The two countries have specifically signed a memorandum of understanding between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the State Bank of India. The two will invest in joint projects one billion dollars each.

The Russian and Indian Ministries of Culture have signed a cultural exchange programme for 2013 through 2015, while the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Science and Technology of India have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovations.

An agreement was also concluded on the sidelines of the summit on setting up a joint venture by the Helicopters of Russia Company and India’s Elcom Systems Private Ltd. 

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Moscow, Delhi in Syria dialogue call

Russia and India call on world powers to comply with the Syria resolutions of the UN Security Council and the decisions of the Geneva conference on Syria. They believe there is no way out of the Syrian crisis other than a national political dialogue.

President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said this in a joint statement issued after their talks in New Delhi on Monday.

According to the United Nations, the Syrian conflict has claimed 20,000 to 30,000 lives since first erupting 21 months ago.

The Syrian government says foreign-backed terrorists are at work. 

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Russia, India to foster military ties

Russia and India have made a commitment to foster bilateral military and technical cooperation, Russian President Putin has said in the wake of his Monday meeting with PM Manmohan Singh.

“We have agreed to step up Indian-Russian cooperation in military and technical spheres, to work on new projects through joint ventures and know-hows exchange,” Mr. Putin said.

He cited the fresh deal between a Russian state-run chopper maker and India on exports of helicopter units and equipment.

India has agreed to purchase 71 MiG-17B-5 helicopters worth 1.3 billion dollars. Russia is also to deliver to India 1.6-billion-dollar plane units to organize the licensed assembly of Su-30MKI jet fighters.

World #Nuclear Electricity Generation Down 5 Percent Since 2006

World nuclear electricity-generating capacity has been essentially flat since 2007 and is likely to fall as plants retire faster than new ones are built. In fact, the actual electricity generated at nuclear power plants fell 5 percent between 2006 and 2011.

In 2011, following Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, 13 nuclear reactors in Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom were permanently taken offline. Seven new reactors, three of them in China, were connected to the grid. The net result was a two percent reduction in world nuclear capacity to 369,000 megawatts by the end of 2011. In 2012, the world has added a net 3,000 megawatts of nuclear capacity, with new additions in South Korea and Canada partly offset by more U.K. shutdowns.

© Earth Policy Institute

The United States, with 104 nuclear reactors generating some 19 percent of the country’s electricity, leads the world in nuclear generating capacity. France is a distant second in installed capacity, but its 58 reactors meet more than three quarters of the country’s electricity demand. (President François Hollande has pledged to reduce this dependence to 50 percent by 2025.)

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China, Russia, South Korea, and India account for 48 of the 64 nuclear reactors the International Atomic Energy Agency lists as under construction worldwide. Although these 64 reactors add up to some 62,000 megawatts of potential new capacity, fewer than one in four has a projected date for connecting to the electrical grid. Some reactors have been listed as “under construction” for over two decades.

© Earth Policy Institute

Plagued by cost overruns, construction delays, and a dearth of private investment interest, the world’s nuclear reactor fleet is aging quickly as new reactor connections struggle to keep up with retirements. The average age of nuclear reactors operating today is 27 years; the 142 reactors that have already retired were just 23 years old on average when they closed. Many nuclear reactors have been granted operating extensions, usually for 20 years, beyond their typical design lifetime of 40 years. But since Fukushima, where the four retired reactors averaged 37 years in operation, this option has become less attractive.

© Earth Policy Institute

In contrast to the decline in nuclear power, electricity generation from the wind and the sun has grown 27 percent and 62 percent, respectively, per year since 2006. Four German states now get close to half of their electricity from wind. By 2015, China plans to increase its current estimated 60,000 megawatts of grid-connected wind power capacity to 100,000 megawatts. More solar photovoltaic capacity was added in the European Union in 2011 than any other source of electricity generation. The list of exciting developments in renewable energy goes on. As this story unfolds, it is becoming increasingly clear that we can design an energy economy that is at once low-carbon and low-risk.

By J. Matthew Roney