Lincoln Tribune |  |
- UN says greenhouse gas concentrations hit record levels
- New York police arrest ‘al-Qaeda sympathizer’ who plotted bombing campaign
- EU foreign policy chief condemns fresh violence in Egypt
- Tropical Storm Kenneth forms in the Eastern Pacific, expected to strengthen
- NYC Mayor Says Would-be Bomber Arrested
| UN says greenhouse gas concentrations hit record levels Posted: 21 Nov 2011 03:23 AM PST GENEVA (BNO NEWS) -- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Monday warned in a new report that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new high in 2010, exceeding worst case scenarios set in 2001. Between 1990 and 2010, the WMO recorded a 29 percent increase in radiative forcing - the warming effect on our climate system - from greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide accounted for 80 percent of this increase, according to the WMO's Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. "The atmospheric burden of greenhouse gases due to human activities has yet again reached record levels since pre-industrial time," said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud. "Even if we managed to halt our greenhouse gas emissions today - and this is far from the case - they would continue to linger in the atmosphere for decades to come and so continue to affect the delicate balance of our living planet and our climate." According to the WMO, heat-trapping carbon dioxide concentrations are the single most important man-made greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and have reached 389 parts per million, which is the highest level since the start of the industrial era in 1750. The high concentrations of carbon dioxide are primarily because of emissions from combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation and changes in land-use. Between 2009 and 2010, its atmospheric abundance increased by 2.3 parts per million. Carbon dioxide currently contributes about 64 percent to the total increase in climate forcing by greenhouse gases. For about 10,000 years before the start of the industrial era in the mid-18th century, atmospheric carbon dioxide remained almost constant at around 280 parts per million. In addition to water vapor and carbon dioxide, the most prevalent long-lived greenhouse gases are methane and nitrous oxide. Since 1750, the concentration of methane has increased 158 percent, mostly because of activities such as cattle-rearing, rice planting, fossil fuel exploitation and landfills. Human activities now account for 60 percent of methane emissions, with the remaining 40 percent being from natural sources such as wetlands. Nitrous oxide contributes about six percent to the overall global increase in radiative forcing since 1750. It is emitted into the atmosphere from natural and man-made sources, including the oceans, biomass burning, fertilizer use and various industrial processes. It is now the third most important greenhouse gas, according to WMO. The atmospheric burden of nitrous oxide in 2010 was 323.2 parts per billion - 20 percent higher than in the pre-industrial era. It has grown at an average of about 0.75 parts per billion over the past ten years, mainly as a result of the use of nitrogen containing fertilizers, including manure, which has profoundly affected the global nitrogen cycle. Scientists say the impact of nitrous oxide on climate, over a 100 year period, is 298 times greater than equal emissions of carbon dioxide. It also plays an important role in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer which protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. "Now more than ever before, we need to understand the complex, and sometimes unexpected, interactions between greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, Earth's biosphere and oceans," said Jarraud. The WMO report released on Monday shows greenhouse gas concentrations have now exceeded the worst case scenarios of a United Nations expert climate panel in 2001. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)
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| New York police arrest ‘al-Qaeda sympathizer’ who plotted bombing campaign Posted: 21 Nov 2011 02:20 AM PST NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- New York City police officers on Saturday afternoon arrested an 'al-Qaeda sympathizer' who was allegedly plotting to bomb police patrols and American soldiers, officials announced during a late night news conference on Sunday. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said 27-year-old Jose Pimentel, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic who lives in the northern end of Manhattan, faces state terrorism-related charges over his alleged plot to bomb police patrols, postal facilities and soldiers returning from abroad. "The suspect was a so-called lone wolf, motivated by his own resentment of the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as inspired by al-Qaeda propaganda," Bloomberg said. "He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad. He represents exactly the kind of threat FBI Director Robert Mueller and his experts have warned about, as American military and intelligence agencies have eroded al-Qaeda's ability to launch large-scale attacks." Bloomberg said the latest plot is similar to another lone wolf plot in 2004 in which two New Yorkers, angry over the treatment of prisoners in Iraq, plotted to bomb the Herald Square subway station. "Like the current case, the Herald Square plot was uncovered by the NYPD Intelligence Division," he said. NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said his department became aware of Pimentel, a convert to Islam, in 2009. "Before returning to Washington Heights last year, he lived in Schenectady for about five years where he made even some like-minded friends nervous by his extremism," he said. Kelly said Pimentel had considered traveling to Yemen for terrorist training before returning to New York to become a martyr in the name of Jihad. "He talked about changing his name to Osama Hussein to celebrate his heroes Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein," the Commissioner said. Pimentel allegedly talked about killing U.S. military personnel returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly Marines and Army personnel. "He talked about bombing post offices in and around Washington Heights and police cars in New York City, as well as a police station in Bayonne, New Jersey," Kelly said. Officials said Pimentel's behavior 'morphed' from simply talking about terrorism to bomb-making. "Pimentel followed instructions from [senior al-Qaeda figure] Anwar al-Awlaki's Inspire magazine to first acquire the bomb-making materials and then assemble them," Kelly said. "He relied on a particularly notorious article called 'How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom." Kelly said Pimentel acquired the readily available ingredients from Home Depot and other stores while being careful not to make all of the purchases from one location at the same time. "He wanted to avoid raising red flags," he said. When police arrested Pimentel at 3.30 p.m. local time on Saturday, he was already making his first bomb at his apartment. "He had already drilled holes into the elbow joints to accommodate timing devices when emergency service officers entered his apartment," Kelly said, adding that he was taken into custody without incident. Kelly said police had been tracking Pimentel since May 2009 and decided to intervene when he began putting together his first explosive device. "We did not want him to trigger it, even accidentally, and put neighbors and others at risk," the Commissioner said. Police believe Pimentel planned to test the effectiveness of the bombs by first planting them in mailboxes and detonating them. "Once his bombing campaign began, Pimentel said, the public would know that there were mujahideen in the city to fight jihad here," Kelly said. Authorities believe Pimentel accelerated his plans to carry out bomb attacks following the death of al-Awlaki. The U.S.-born radical Islamic preacher was killed in late September in a U.S. airstrike near the Yemeni town of Khashef in Al Jawf governorate. "We remain the nation's financial capital. Its communications capital, and a world stage on which terrorists can get the most bang for their buck," Kelly said during Sunday's press conference. "Thanks to outstanding work of the police officers involved and support from the district attorney, the buck stopped in Washington Heights [Saturday] afternoon." (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)
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| EU foreign policy chief condemns fresh violence in Egypt Posted: 21 Nov 2011 01:49 AM PST BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union on Monday condemned the fresh outbreak of violence in Egypt this weekend which has left at least 22 people killed and more than 1,700 others injured. Britain has also condemned the clashes. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she is 'extremely concerned' about the riots and violent clashes in Egypt, notably in Cairo's Tahrir Square. "I deplore the loss of life and the many injuries and express my solidarity with the families of the victims," she said. The latest violence in Egypt began on Friday when hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered at Tahrir Square to demand a swift transfer of power to an elected government by April 2012. They also repudiated proposed constitutional reforms that they say will grant the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) unfettered powers. Security forces responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and shotguns on Saturday and Sunday to disperse the thousands of protesters at several locations in the Egyptian capital, leaving at least 20 people killed and more than 1,700 others injured. In the northern city of Alexandria, where thousands also gathered, two people were killed when snipers fired live ammunition. "I urge calm and restraint and condemn the use of violence in the strongest terms," Ashton said. "There is no doubt that the transitional process is a difficult and challenging one. I have expressed my concern in the past about the emergency law and the ongoing military trials. I reiterate that the interim authorities and all parties concerned have the crucial task of listening to the people and protecting their democratic aspirations." Ashton said law and order must be ensured in a manner which is respectful of human rights. "Citizens and political parties' demands that the transition moves forward and safeguards the principles of democracy must be listened to," she said. "As Egypt prepares to go to the polls, in its first democratic and transparent elections, I remain confident that the Egyptian people and the authorities will find the way to move peacefully forward and succeed in overcoming the challenges." British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, also condemned the fresh violence in Egypt. "It is important Egypt enters the coming elections in an atmosphere of calm and mutual respect," he said. "The clashes occurring between police and protesters in Tahrir Square and across Egypt are deeply concerning and the loss of life and injuries deeply regrettable." Burt called on all sides to find a peaceful way forward and to commit themselves to dialogue and the completion of a transfer to democratic civilian rule on the basis of a credible timetable. "We are following events closely and our Embassy is in contact with the Egyptian authorities in Cairo," he added. For months, the ruling SCAF has been criticized for various reasons, including the continuing military trials of civilians, a deteriorating national economy and for allegedly 'ignoring' the demands of the January 25 Revolution. Activists and human rights organizations have criticized the ruling military council for its use of military tribunals to prosecute thousands of individuals it accuses of breaking public order. The military council has been in control of Egypt since the regime of President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February during an uprising which left at least 840 people killed and more than 6,000 others injured. Upon assuming power, the SCAF vowed to end its interim rule after a six-month transitional period. This has not been the case, as the ruling military council has maintained its hold on power for over 10 months now. Egyptians from across the political and ideological spectrum have been taking to the streets to call for a fixed timeline bookended by the speedy departure of the military rulers. The latest protests come just days before Egyptians are scheduled to take part in the first parliamentary elections since the ouster of Mubarak. The elections are due to take place in three stages, with the first to be held on November 28. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)
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| Tropical Storm Kenneth forms in the Eastern Pacific, expected to strengthen Posted: 21 Nov 2011 01:19 AM PST MIAMI (BNO NEWS) -- Tropical Storm Kenneth formed far off the Pacific coast of Mexico on Sunday afternoon, forecasters said, and the system is expected to become a rare late season hurricane later on Monday. Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) Have been following the weather system since Wednesday morning when it emerged as a broad area of disturbed weather several hundred miles (kilometers) south of the coast of Guatemala. It slowly became better organized as it moved westward. As of 1 a.m. PST (0900 GMT) on Monday, the center of Kenneth was located about 740 miles (1,190 kilometers) south of the southern tip of Baja California in Mexico. It is moving toward the west at a speed near 14 miles (22 kilometers) per hour, and the system is expected to stay far away from any land. Maximum sustained winds of Kenneth are near 65 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts. "Kenneth has been rapidly intensifying for the past 12 hours and this trend could continue for another 12-18 hours given the low vertical shear conditions expected," said NHC senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart. "However, a well pronounced dry slot has developed in the eastern semicircle and has wrapped into the inner core, and this dry air could briefly interrupt the strengthening process," Stewart added. "Regardless of the effects of dry air, Kenneth is expected to become a hurricane within the next 12-24 hours, and steady intensification is forecast for the next 36-48 hours while the cyclone remains over warm water and in a low shear and moist surrounding environment." NHC models show Kenneth is likely to become a hurricane on late Monday morning or early Monday afternoon, and the system may briefly reach category two strength before weakening begins on Wednesday. This weakening will likely reduce Kenneth to a tropical storm by Thursday. Kenneth is the eleventh named storm of the 2011 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, following Tropical Depression Twelve-E which formed south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec on October 12 and left more than 80 people killed in South America. An average Eastern Pacific hurricane season produces 15 to 16 named storms, with eight to nine becoming hurricanes and four becoming major hurricanes. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30, with peak activity from July through September. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)
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| NYC Mayor Says Would-be Bomber Arrested Posted: 20 Nov 2011 06:58 PM PST New York City police announced Sunday that they have arrested a man for allegedly plotting to bomb city facilities and U.S. military personnel.
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