WWF to Japan: quit eating bluefin tuna

OK, the Japanese are reputably a polite people; if they can't be forced to stop consuming the endangered bluefin tuna, then ask them politely.

Yeah, that'll work. Sure it will.

But still, the World Wildlife Federation is asking nicely.

WWF Wants Japanese Consumers to Join the Fight to Save Bluefin Tuna

"The conservation organization WWF is taking its campaign to save Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna to the source of the threat facing the species: Japanese consumers, who eat 80% or so of the annual catch as sushi and sashimi. WWF is holding a 1-day Symposium on Responsible Consumption of Tuna here tomorrow where it hopes that government officials, seafood industry representatives, and ordinary consumers will listen to talks on how overfishing, capturing juvenile tunas for fish farming, and poor fisheries management has driven bluefin stocks to 15% of historical levels. The organization is urging consumers to avoid eating Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefins until the fisheries recover and are sustainably managed. "If Japanese consumers don't buy the fish, they would force the decision-makers in the end to make the right decision," Susana Sainz-Trápaga, WWF Mediterranean fisheries policy officer, said at a presymposium press briefing here today."

Think it'll work? Surprisingly, I found this, from The Japan Times:

Awareness of bluefin decline urged
Tokyo forum looks at resource management; official defends opposition to ban on trade

"WWF Chairman Tsunenari Tokugawa stressed that a global system is needed to ensure tuna fishing is done legally and stocks are managed properly.

"We would like consumers to understand more about using resources (like tuna) in a sustainable way," Tokugawa said. "We must make sure (tuna are not consumed) to a point where they are unable to reproduce."

The largest consumer of bluefin, Japan went through 43,000 tons in 2008, or some 70 percent to 80 percent of the global total traded. About half of Japan's bluefin comes from the Atlantic Ocean.

As goes Japan, so goes the bluefin. (But they could just rely on Pacific bluefin for a short while; that'd help).

Big balloons to knock down space clunkers

A new idea is being floated (hearty laughter) to bring down defunct satellites:

Attach a big 'ol balloon to 'em.

The idea is that the big balloon will substantially increase atmospheric drag, bringing down the satellites real quick, without using maneuvering fuel. When they're about to re-enter, then the remaining fuel can be used to steer them into the oceans (if they're big enough to survive reentry in some form).

I thought there was a problem -- what about satellites that are completely out of fuel? They thought of that; use the balloon to bring them nearly down; deflate them; calculate the re-entry; re-inflate the balloon to finish the job. Good idea if they don't miss.

This system could be attached to new satellites or a satellite in space could go around sticking it on big pieces of junk and old satellites.

This still leaves the problem of all the little pieces... but it's a start.

Safe and efficient de-orbit of space junk without making the problem worse: Gossamer Orbit Lowering Device (GOLD)

U.S. Swimming Nationals Day 1 results

Women's 100 Butterfly: Chris Magnuson, Dana Vollmer, Kathlee Hersey, Natalie Coughlin

Men's 400 Freestyle: Vanderkaay, Klueh, Houchin, La Tourette

Women's 200 Individual Medley: Ariana Kukors, Caitlin Leverenz, Morgan Scroggy, Melissa Franklin (15 y.o.)
Julia Smit was 8th, ouch

Men's 100 Breastroke: Alexandrov, Shanteau, Gangloff, Titus;
North Baltimore's Scott Spann was 5th

Women's 400 Freestyle: Katie Hoff (is BACK!), Alison Schmitt, Chloe Sutton, Dagny Knutson, Kate Ziegler (not quite back, but at least she was 5th);
4:05 compared to her 4:02 record -- this could be an interesting meet (plus everybody's in normal suits again)

Men's 400 IM: Lochte, Clary, Margalis(!), Patrick

Day 2 Beckons

OK, how do you make something that's virtually irresistible?

Pour liquid chocolate on the nude bodies of young nubile top fashion model wannabes.

And then vote on who did it best.

(Nicola, in my opinion.)

Nude chocolate photoshoot

What WILL they think of next? Milk?

Don't give up hope so soon

Pessimistic article out about how the Spirit rover might not ever wake up and start communicating with Earth again:

NASA's hibernating Mars Rovers may not call home again

"The earliest date the rover could generate enough power to send a beep to Earth was calculated to be around July 23. However, mission managers don't anticipate the batteries will charge adequately until late September to mid-October. It may be even later if the rover is in a mission-clock fault mode. If Spirit does wake up, mission managers will do a complete health check on the rover's instruments and electronics.

Based on previous Martian winters, the rover team anticipates the increasing haziness in the sky over Spirit will offset longer daylight for the next two months. The amount of solar energy available to Spirit then will increase until the southern Mars summer solstice in March 2011. If we haven't heard from it by March, it is unlikely that we will ever hear from it."

But still, even as they note, it's too soon by a long shot to give up on it yet.

More problems for the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR)

Following close on the reports that the French government wants Areva and EDF to work together more closely to land foreign business for nuclear plants, comes the news that another EPR reactor is behind schedule and over budget:

EDF Said to Raise Flamanville Costs, Delay Reactor


One of the things they need to do is to come up with a different reactor design than the EPR, or as suggested:

Areva and EDF should modify the design of the third generation EPR reactor and develop smaller models to win contracts, according to recommendations in the report on France’s nuclear industry by former EDF Chief Executive Officer Francois Roussely published two days ago.

“The credibility of both the EPR and the ability of the French nuclear industry to successfully build new reactors has been seriously undermined by difficulties” at Finland’s Olkiluoto site and Flamanville, according to the report."

Butter can be converted to biodiesel

OK, first question; why would we want to do that?

I guess that the reason is that there is excess butter produced every year. But would it really make a dent in the need for alternate fuels? What's the numbers on this conversion? And does your car smell like movie-theater popcorn when you drive it?

Making Eco-Friendly Diesel Fuel from Butter