Latest news with #Argo
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
Donald Trump's climate cuts mean Australian forecasting is at risk
Among those systems at risk is the Argo float program, a swarm of drifting devices that measures the temperature and salinity of the top two kilometres of oceans every 10 days. The US funds more than half the $60 million array, including 380 of these floats in Australia's own search and rescue domain. The looming funding cuts may mean the US removes 900 floats a year. It may also stop paying the $2 million annual data transmission costs and sack the eight-person team in the US that processes the information for global use. Short-term ocean forecasts, particularly in the tropics where US Argo floats predominate, would be rendered useless for most applications, should the cuts occur. A hint that national security may be compromised is the risk posed to the related Bluelink ocean prediction service, which won a Department of Defence Eureka Prize for outstanding science in safeguarding Australia in 2024. Then there's the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), among a slew of climate labs and co-operative institutes with 420 staff that the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been earmarked to close next year. As The Conversation noted in an article last week, Australia has relied on PMEL for early warnings to declare every El Nino and La Nina for the past 30 years. Similarly, a vital component of Australia's ACCESS (Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator) climate model is developed primarily at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Without GFDL, the pace of model progress would be halved, affecting a program that underpins all Australian climate projections used by industry and government for planning and climate risk. The Climate Change Authority is monitoring the threats closely. Just last week, we published a report on the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef. Grim as it is – unless the world slashes carbon emissions – the work relied on data from NOAA's Coral Reef Watch, another service in doubt. Our Bureau of Meteorology tracks Coral Sea temperature changes, but not to NOAA's standard. Loading The authority welcomes efforts by Australia's science agencies, universities and government departments to assess where our most pressing vulnerabilities lie. The US has put us on notice, even if our worst fears aren't realised. For insurance, we must invest more in our domestic capabilities and forge new partnerships abroad, not least because the challenges – from carbon emissions cuts to climate adaptation – are going to intensify. It's worth recalling that collaboration on weather forecasting persisted through the Cold War because of the clear global good. The World Meteorological Organisation marked 75 years in March, as one example, and international teamwork will be a central theme of this year's global climate change summit in Brazil.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's climate cuts mean Australian forecasting is at risk
Among those systems at risk is the Argo float program, a swarm of drifting devices that measures the temperature and salinity of the top two kilometres of oceans every 10 days. The US funds more than half the $60 million array, including 380 of these floats in Australia's own search and rescue domain. The looming funding cuts may mean the US removes 900 floats a year. It may also stop paying the $2 million annual data transmission costs and sack the eight-person team in the US that processes the information for global use. Short-term ocean forecasts, particularly in the tropics where US Argo floats predominate, would be rendered useless for most applications, should the cuts occur. A hint that national security may be compromised is the risk posed to the related Bluelink ocean prediction service, which won a Department of Defence Eureka Prize for outstanding science in safeguarding Australia in 2024. Then there's the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), among a slew of climate labs and co-operative institutes with 420 staff that the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been earmarked to close next year. As The Conversation noted in an article last week, Australia has relied on PMEL for early warnings to declare every El Nino and La Nina for the past 30 years. Similarly, a vital component of Australia's ACCESS (Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator) climate model is developed primarily at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Without GFDL, the pace of model progress would be halved, affecting a program that underpins all Australian climate projections used by industry and government for planning and climate risk. The Climate Change Authority is monitoring the threats closely. Just last week, we published a report on the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef. Grim as it is – unless the world slashes carbon emissions – the work relied on data from NOAA's Coral Reef Watch, another service in doubt. Our Bureau of Meteorology tracks Coral Sea temperature changes, but not to NOAA's standard. Loading The authority welcomes efforts by Australia's science agencies, universities and government departments to assess where our most pressing vulnerabilities lie. The US has put us on notice, even if our worst fears aren't realised. For insurance, we must invest more in our domestic capabilities and forge new partnerships abroad, not least because the challenges – from carbon emissions cuts to climate adaptation – are going to intensify. It's worth recalling that collaboration on weather forecasting persisted through the Cold War because of the clear global good. The World Meteorological Organisation marked 75 years in March, as one example, and international teamwork will be a central theme of this year's global climate change summit in Brazil.
The Age
4 days ago
- Science
- The Age
Trump's climate cuts mean Australian forecasting is at risk
Among those systems at risk is the Argo float program, a swarm of drifting devices that measures the temperature and salinity of the top two kilometres of oceans every 10 days. The US funds more than half the $60 million array, including 380 of these floats in Australia's own search and rescue domain. The looming funding cuts may mean the US removes 900 floats a year. It may also stop paying the $2 million annual data transmission costs and sack the eight-person team in the US that processes the information for global use. Short-term ocean forecasts, particularly in the tropics where US Argo floats predominate, would be rendered useless for most applications, should the cuts occur. A hint that national security may be compromised is the risk posed to the related Bluelink ocean prediction service, which won a Department of Defence Eureka Prize for outstanding science in safeguarding Australia in 2024. Then there's the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), among a slew of climate labs and co-operative institutes with 420 staff that the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been earmarked to close next year. As The Conversation noted in an article last week, Australia has relied on PMEL for early warnings to declare every El Nino and La Nina for the past 30 years. Similarly, a vital component of Australia's ACCESS (Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator) climate model is developed primarily at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Without GFDL, the pace of model progress would be halved, affecting a program that underpins all Australian climate projections used by industry and government for planning and climate risk. The Climate Change Authority is monitoring the threats closely. Just last week, we published a report on the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef. Grim as it is – unless the world slashes carbon emissions – the work relied on data from NOAA's Coral Reef Watch, another service in doubt. Our Bureau of Meteorology tracks Coral Sea temperature changes, but not to NOAA's standard. Loading The authority welcomes efforts by Australia's science agencies, universities and government departments to assess where our most pressing vulnerabilities lie. The US has put us on notice, even if our worst fears aren't realised. For insurance, we must invest more in our domestic capabilities and forge new partnerships abroad, not least because the challenges – from carbon emissions cuts to climate adaptation – are going to intensify. It's worth recalling that collaboration on weather forecasting persisted through the Cold War because of the clear global good. The World Meteorological Organisation marked 75 years in March, as one example, and international teamwork will be a central theme of this year's global climate change summit in Brazil.
Boston Globe
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Is Ben playing Turtle Boy in the movie deal?' Ben Affleck and Karen Read backer hung out and people noticed.
Top row from left: Ben Affleck with Jennifer Lopez in "Gigli"; with Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting"; and as Batman in "Zack Snyder's Justice League." Bottom row from left: Affleck with Jeremy Renner in "The Town"; in "Argo"; and with Joey Lauren Adams in "Chasing Amy." Photo By Phillip Caruso / Miramax Films / HBO Max / Claire Folger / Claire Folger / kpa/United Archives) The post from Kearney, who gained a huge following by championing Read's assertions of innocence in her murder case, set the Internet ablaze, fueling speculation that the actor beloved for performances in Soon after Read's Advertisement When Kearney dropped his photo montage online, conjecture about about Affleck's possible involvement reached a fever pitch. (Affleck's handlers have offered no confirmation to the trade publications). 'Big Ben!!!' one person replied to Kearney. 'Him and Matt Damon should come back together to do your movie. Matt could definitely play a Turtleboy. Ben can be Alan Jackson.' Advertisement Another wondered, 'is Ben playing Turtle Boy in the movie deal?' Read, 45, was Karen Read supporters cheer when she emerges from Norfolk Superior Court after the jury delivered its verdict in her murder retrial. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Prosecutors alleged that Read backed her SUV in a drunken rage into Boston police officer Her lawyers said she was framed and that O'Keefe entered the property, owned at the time by a fellow Boston police officer, where he was fatally beaten and possibly mauled by a German Shepherd before his body was planted on the front lawn. Read's first criminal trial ended with a hung jury last summer, and she still faces a wrongful death lawsuit brought by O'Keefe's family. Karen Read emerges from Norfolk Superior Court on June 18, 2025, after the jury delivered its verdict in her murder retrial. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Kearney, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to charges of harassing and intimidating witnesses in the Read case, though some of the charges have been dropped. He suggested via X that Affleck's in the pro-Read camp, writing, 'He said 'so she didn't do it right?'' He said 'so she didn't do it right?' — Aidan Kearney (@DoctorTurtleboy) Travis Andersen can be reached at
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Bar Leone's Lorenzo Antinori on the secret to his latest Asia's 50 Best Bars win
Bar Leone is drenched in Italian kitsch – portraits of famous (and not-so-famous) Serie A footballers, vintage movie posters of Al Pacino, even Vacanze di Natale '91. Now, after being crowned Asia's Best Bar for the second year running at this week's Asia's 50 Best Bars awards in Macau, perhaps it's time staff found room on the wall for one more poster – of Rocky. Bar Leone's story mirrors Sylvester Stallone's underdog tale. Like Rocky Balboa – the unknown brawler who shocked the world by going the distance with champion Apollo Creed – this Bridges Street cocktail bar burst onto the scene, barely a year old, and achieved a historic result, clinching the title of Asia's Best Bar before being announced runner-up at World's 50 Best Bars later in the year. In the sequel, Balboa cemented his legitimacy by defeating Creed. Similarly, Bar Leone topped the Asia rankings again this year, proving last year's result was no fluke. Lorenzo Antinori behind the counter at Bar Leone. Photo: SCMP/Jocelyn Tam 'When you get validated a second time by something like 50 Best, it's amazing,' says co-founder Lorenzo Antinori of his establishment's latest triumph, flashing a grin. 'But we've never really worked towards a number. We work towards creating good experiences,' he adds with perfect Italian charm. Antinori is no stranger to success. His bar programme at The Four Seasons' Argo earned widespread acclaim, and within the F&B industry, he's well-liked and respected for his work across continents. But Bar Leone's success feels different. The constant line outside is a clear sign of Bar Leone's new-found prominence, signalling a shift in Hong Kong's bar scene from (former number one) Coa and Shin Hing Street to Bridges Street. Yet inside, little has changed. The staff are still welcoming despite heightened customer expectations, and the food and drinks are of the same stand-out quality despite the surging number of guests and orders. 'Nothing changed but everything changed,' muses Antinori of the past 12 months. The Asia's 50 Best Bars winners celebrate after the ceremony in Macau. Photo: Handout Last time we spoke, Antinori asserted that Leone's success was 'not about the drinks' – a seemingly fanciful claim for a cocktail bar charging not insignificant sums. After all, why pay for vibes at Leone when cheaper options exist?
