Ice-free North Pole possible this summer

 AN ICE-FREE North Pole has a 50-50 chance of occurring this summer, according to Mark Serreze, a scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.

 “We could have no ice at the North Pole at the end of this summer,” Serreze said. “And the reason here is that the North Pole area right now is covered with very thin ice and this ice we call first-year ice, the ice that tends to melt out in the summer.”

 If the ice were to break up completely this summer, it would be the first time this had happened in human history.

 The weather and ocean conditions in the next couple of weeks will determine how much of the sea ice will melt, and early signs are not good, Serreze said.

 Jay Zwally, a NASA ice scientist, said he thinks there is slightly less than a 50-50 chance the North Pole will be ice-free this summer.

 A more conservative ice scientist, Cecilia Bitz at the University of Washington in Seattle, put the odds of a North Pole without ice this summer closer to 1 in 4. Even that is far worse than climate models had predicted, which was 1 in 70 sometime in the next decade, she said.

 But both she and Serreze agree it’s just a matter of time.

 Website:

 National Snow and Ice Data Center

http://nsidc.org/index.html

San Pedro Bay opens new TWIC office

 THE TRANSPORTATION Security Administration and the Port of Los Angeles June 26 announced that they have opened an additional TWIC enrollment site on Terminal Island.

 The new registration site is at Berth 206, 1001 New Dock St., San Pedro, near the dividing line between the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.

 “The addition of a third enrollment center in the LA/Long Beach region provides more resources to an area dedicated to preventing persons who pose a threat from gaining access to secure areas of port facilities,” said Maurine Fanguy, TWIC program director.

 As part of the TWIC program, tamper-resistant biometric credentials are being issued to truckers, longshore workers and others who need unescorted access to secure areas of the two ports.

 To obtain a TWIC, an individual must provide a digital photograph along with biometric information such as fingerprints. He or she must also pass a security threat assessment, which includes a criminal background check, conducted by the TSA.

 Established by Congress through the Maritime Transportation Security Act, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program is part of an effort to ensure that the nation’s ports are secure against people who could pose a security threat.

 Website:

 Transportation Security Administration

http://www.tsa.gov

Maersk Line reduces Asia-Europe capacity

 MAERSK LINE June 30 announced that because of significantly increasing fuel costs, the company will reduce space on its Asia-Europe services by 2,000 FEUs per week while keeping all corridors served in the network.

 In early July 2008, the AE5, AE7, AE2 and AE8 services “will undergo minor changes in order to remove capacity from our network while improving cost efficiency,” Maersk said.

 The AE5 service will be suspended, and the AE8 service will take over the coverage of Kaohsiung (Taiwan), according to the news release.

 The new AE8 rotation will be direct coverage from Shanghai (China), Ningbo (China), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Yantian (China) and Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia) to Valencia (Spain), Dunkirk (France), Southampton (UK), Gothenburg (Sweden), Aarhus (Denmark), Bremerhaven (Germany) and Rotterdam (Netherlands).

 The eastbound AE7 rotation will be Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Algeciras (Spain), Tangier (Morocco), Tanjung Pelepas and Yantian.

The westbound AE7 rotation is unchanged.

 The AE2 will have a changed rotation in North China and Korea as follows: Busan (South Korea), Dalian (China), Xingang (China), Qingdao (China), Kwangyang (South Korea), Shanghai, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Felixstowe (UK) and Salalah (Oman).

 Website:

 Maersk Line

http://www.maerskline.com

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Contract expires, West Coast talks continue

 THE CONTRACT between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association expired today, July 1, according to the ILWU’s website, but talks between the two parties continue.

 Representatives for both the union and the shipping lines said on Monday that they anticipated the talks will continue past the deadline.

 The two sides announced on June 17 that they had reached a preliminary agreement on health and welfare benefits for the new contracts.

 The ILWU represents 25,000 workers in 29 ports along the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle. The PMA negotiates for the cargo carriers, stevedores and terminal operators.

 “There’s a lot to do yet, and I don’t think anyone will be surprised if they go past Tuesday,"” said Craig Merrilees, communications director for the ILWU. He stressed that safety remains a primary concern.

 “Seventeen people have been killed while the [current] contact has been in effect the last six years,” Merrilees said. “So it’s become a very dangerous job, and it’s more dangerous than it needs to be.”

 PMA spokesman Steve Getzug said that “… we're working as hard and as quick as we can to try to get an agreement in place.” Getzug said that employers continue to look for productivity enhancements.

 Website:

 International Longshore and Warehouse Union

http://www.ilwu.org

 Pacific Maritime Association

Airbus selects K + N, DHL for lead providers

[ TOP ]