Water hazard: Floating golf course being planned off shores of the Maldives

Dutch developers are giving a new meaning to the term "water hazard."

Three corporations -- Waterstudio.NL, Dutch Docklands and Troon Golf -- will be building the world's first floating golf course in the Maldives -- a small group of islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, according to Business Insider.

Underwater tunnels will connect the 18 holes and facilities together, while allowing golfers to experience the reef. Luxurious accommodations overlook the fairways and the surrounding reef. The course itself will be built on floating platforms, making it the world's first floating golf course.

Let them know how you feel about them destroying some of the most beautiful reef systems in the world. (Please be respectful in all communications.)

contact the following:

Waterstudio.NL:

Gen. Berenschotlaan 211
2283 JM Rijswijk
The Netherlands
e info@waterstudio.nl
www.twitter.com/koenolthuis
f +31 70 3944 234

Principal Architect
Ir J.K. (Koen) Olthuis
e j.olthuis@waterstudio.nl
m +31 6 5515 0091

Dutch Docklands Offices:

THE NETHERLANDS
Oude Delft 142
NL-2611 CG Delft
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)15 212 66 88
F +31 (0)15 213 16 56

Troon Golf Hong Kong

21st Floor ICBC Tower, CITI Bank Plaza
3 Garden Road, Central
Hong Kong
China
Phone: +852.2166.8190
Fax: +852.2166.8999
Email: info@troongolfchina.com

President of the Maldives:

http://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv/Index.aspx?lid=6

Source: Click Here

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Nuclear Plant to Release Contaminated Water Into Ocean

Tokyo's main electric power company plans to release thousands of tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. The move comes as the company continues to try locate the source of a leak of highly radioactive water.

The water, which is about 100 times more radioactive than Japan's legal limit, is collected in several areas inside the plant. Its presence is preventing workers from carrying out essential work, so Tokyo Electric plans to expel it into the sea.

The plant operator says it will dump around 11,500 tons of water into the ocean on Tuesday. The Japanese government says this poses no major health risk.

The move comes as Tokyo Electric continues its attempts to stop the release of radioactive water that is about 1,000 times over the legal limit.

On Monday the company used colored dye to trace the source of the leak. Tokyo Electric suspected the water was escaping through several cracks it had earlier found in concrete.

After several hours, the dyed water had not appeared, leading Tokyo Electric to suspect it might be coming from somewhere else. The company is continuing the search for the source of the leak.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, announced government plans to increase restrictions on the sale of vegetables.

Edano says the government will halt the sale of vegetables from several areas of Chiba prefecture, which borders Tokyo to the east and is about 200 kilometers to the south of Fukushima.

The vegetables, including spinach, celery and parsley, have tested above the legal limit for radiation.

Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/Japan-Nuclear-Plant-to-Release-Contaminated-Water-Into-Ocean-119169659.html

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About Oceanic Defense
We are an international organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

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CO2 killing our coral reefs, say experts

London - The world's coral reefs are in danger of dying out in the next 20 years unless carbon emissions are cut drastically, warns a coalition of scientists led by Sir David Attenborough.

The delicate ecosystems, known as the “rainforests of the sea'', support huge amounts of marine life. But as oceans absorb CO2 they become more acidic, making it impossible for structures such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to survive.

Reefs are also at greater danger of bleaching as sea temperatures warm. Scientists gathered at the Royal Society in London to call for tougher target cuts in emissions. Sir David, who co-chaired the meeting, said the collapse of coral reefs meant the death of marine ecosystems. “We must do all that is necessary to protect the key components of the life of our planet as the consequences of decisions made now will likely be forever as far as humanity is concerned,'' he said. Open water absorbs around a third of the CO2 in the air. At present, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is 387 parts per million (ppm).

Alex Rogers, the scientific director of the International Programme on the State of the Oceans, says the figure will reach 450ppm in the next 20 years if the world continues to burn fossil fuels at the present rate, and once that figure was reached the ocean would become too acidic for coral to survive. “The kitchen is on fire and it's spreading round the house. If we act quickly and decisively we may be able to put it out before the damage becomes irreversible,'' he said.

Coral reefs are living organisms that rely on calcium minerals, called aragonite, in the water to build and maintain their external skeletons. But when the oceans absorb CO2, it mixes with the seawater to make carbonic acid, reducing the aragonite levels. Mr Rogers said that once CO2 levels in the atmosphere reached the 600ppm mark, other organisms - such as plankton and sea snails - would start to die and whole marine ecosystems could collapse.

“Five hundred million people depend on coral reefs for livelihoods, food and culture,'' he said. “The economic implications of the loss of coral reefs are absolutely huge.'' Alongside other scientists from the Royal Society and Zoological Society of London, Mr Rogers wants world leaders to agree to much tougher targets to cut emissions as part of any climate change deal decided in Copenhagen at the end of this year.

“Essentially, coral reefs are on death row and Copenhagen is one of the last opportunities for a reprieve,'' he said. “If we carry on business as usual collapse is inevitable.'' - The New Zealand Herald

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/co2-killing-our-coral-reefs-say-experts-1.1046850

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About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website:www.oceanicdefense.org
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