Latest news with #PeterHarrison
Arab News
4 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
Believe it or not, the world is getting warmer
If you live in the Middle East, then you have no doubt noticed it has been quite warm recently. That is not a political statement, fake news or a conspiracy. It is hot this year — records have already been broken. And the worrying thing is that it is not going to get any cooler, certainly not for the next five years. According to a report published last week by the UN's World Meteorological Organization: 'Global climate predictions show temperatures are expected to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies and sustainable development.' The report states that there is an 80 percent chance at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will be the warmest on record. We should all be concerned by this because many world leaders and, sadly, some prospective future leaders seem intent on increasing the use of fossil fuels. The planet is becoming a dangerous place to live, but we have nowhere else to go. If we mess up this planet, there is no contingency — no Noah's Ark. If the planet overheats, we will suffer with it. And if not us, then our children or their children face a worrying future, and that does not sit easily with me. The biggest producers of greenhouse gases, the rich nations, are doing little to nothing to prevent this Peter Harrison Increased temperatures increase risks for all of us. They cause droughts, which lead to food shortages. Without water, we cannot grow crops to feed people or rear the livestock we so heavily depend on. Although, as a side note, we should consider limiting our meat consumption. Meat farming is heavy on fuel and offers low returns — it takes an average of 3kg of cereals to produce 1kg of meat. Rising temperatures will also lead to an increase in the rate at which the ice caps melt. As melted ice is water, when it enters a body of water — such as the sea — and there is nowhere for it to go, the level rises. So, look forward to more flooding and more frequent, heavier and less manageable rainstorms, like those that occurred last year in the UAE and Oman. For the next five years, there is a high chance of the average annual temperature exceeding the figure of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels agreed in Paris in 2015. Global average temperatures are likely to be 1.2 C to 1.9 C higher between 2025 and 2029. This might not seem like much, but scientists say the planet's temperature only needs to increase by 2 C and the Marshall Islands will likely disappear under the Pacific Ocean — that means entire communities swept away. And the biggest producers of greenhouse gases, the rich nations, are doing little to nothing to prevent this. It seems amazing that there are still people in the world — people of influence and power — who spread the message of climate change denial. These are usually people who stand to benefit in the short term from the sale of fossil fuels, but they will suffer in the long run just as much as the rest of us, as will their children. Climate change and global warming are facts, they should not be up for discussion. According to a UN report, 'climate change is already affecting every region on Earth.' This 2023 report cited changes in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions as just some of the impacts. The report made the simple but bold statement: 'The science is clear.' It added that, to avert the worst-case scenario and 'preserve a livable planet, global warming needs to be limited as much as possible and as a matter of urgency.' A particularly effective way to reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere is through the use of clean energy. Another side note is that gas, while the cleanest of the fossil fuels, still emits harmful gasses when burned. According to UN reports, Costa Rica, Norway, Iceland, Paraguay and Uruguay use 100 percent sustainable energy sources such as hydro, geothermal, wind and solar. Some parts of the world are even producing more power than they need from sustainable sources, meaning they are able to sell on any surplus. Some parts of the world are even producing more power than they need from sustainable sources Peter Harrison It is argued that renewable energy sources are expensive, take up a lot of land and require large and expensive storage systems for when conditions hinder the production of power. But according to a report on the website ScienceDirect, the solar panels now being made need only operate for four to eight months to make up for the emissions produced during their manufacturing process. And, while there is also an impact when they are decommissioned, this only comes about after 25 to 30 years of use. The same report also points to wind turbines, which take about seven months to produce enough clean electricity to make up for the carbon pollution generated during their manufacture, while their life span is 20 to 25 years. The world is getting warmer, there is no debating that. People still do, but highly qualified scientists tell us the planet is getting warmer and this needs to be slowed before the damage done is so bad that life becomes a challenge. There are things we can do, such as turning off lights when they are not being used and setting the air conditioning a few degrees warmer. It is not necessary to have the AC set at 19 C or running all day when you are out. If you are going somewhere that is only a few minutes away by car then, where possible, walk — it is great exercise. And eat less meat. We do not need to eat as much meat as we currently do. The World Cancer Research Fund says we should consume no more than three portions of red meat each week and reduce the amount of processed meat we eat. It is not good for us or the environment. The politicians are dragging their feet on this, but we can all make a difference. If not for you, then surely there must be some level of compassion attached to your hope for the future of your children and their children.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Win a bike a day in May
Win a bike a day in May Lataevia Beezer chats with Peter Harrison and Erin Hopkins about how you can still enter Move 100's popular Bike a Day in May contest.
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- News.com.au
William Tyrrell ‘person of interest' Frank Abbott has previously been acquitted of murder in a disturbing 1968 case
A 'person of interest' in the William Tyrrell disappearance has previously been acquitted of murder in a disturbing 1968 case involving a missing girl. The disappearance of a teenager found buried in a shallow grave in 1968 is allegedly linked to a former William Tyrrell 'person of interest', according to three new witnesses. Two of the three come forward in today's new episode of the podcast investigation Witness: William Tyrrell, talking about the death of 17-year-old Helen Harrison. The person of interest, Frank Abbott, once allegedly confessed that he 'did have sex with her and then … she was going to tell on him', according to one of these two witnesses. The second new witness alleged she was told the Abbott brothers 'took her out into the scrub and they all had sex with her and then she ended up dead but no one knows how'. A third witness gave evidence to the inquest into William's disappearance in 2020, although Helen's family said police never contacted them to say new information had come to light. Abbott, who is currently in prison for multiple child sex offences, was found not guilty of Helen's murder during a trial during the 1990s. We are not suggesting these new allegations are true, just that they have been made and have not been investigated by police. Asked if he would like to see police pay more attention to Abbott, Helen's brother Peter Harrison said, 'Certainly. Yes. It's a very old case, but there's a lot of unsolved … questions. 'I would like to see a resolution.' Helen was an outgoing teenager with dark hair, and a bright smile when she left work at a store in Pitt Town in northwest Sydney around 12.45pm on 16 March 1968. She used to sing while cycling the few kilometres home, her brother said, but a storm rolled in that afternoon and the family believe she may have stopped and accepted a lift. 'We were waiting and waiting … but she didn't come home,' Mr Harrison continued, choking with emotion at the memory. His family went out searching for Helen, 'just driving around and talking to people. 'Some said they'd seen a blue utility and three people in it – I think it was three – and Helen in the middle,' he said. 'Someone had seen a bike in the back of a blue utility – that was the rumour.' Helen's basket was discovered by a roadside a week later. Soon after, her half-naked body was found in a shallow grave in East Kurrajong, about 20 kilometres from Pitt Town. At the time, Frank Abbott was in his mid-20s, living nearby and working around Pitt Town, according to his sister, Elaine Abbott. He would talk to Helen while buying lunch from the store she worked at, Ms Abbott said, although she does not believe he was involved in the teenager's death. In the decades that followed, several witnesses told police Abbott confessed to being involved in Helen's killing and allegedly even showed them her underwear and watch. Abbott was eventually charged and put on trial in 1991. In court, his lawyers argued two female witnesses who claimed Abbott confessed to them had an axe to grind due to a family dispute. Another witness who separately alleged Abbott admitted to being involved was a prison informant who stood to gain by giving evidence, the lawyers said. Abbott's first trial ended when the jury were unable to reach a verdict. A second trial found he was not guilty of Helen's murder. In March 2020, an unidentified witness gave evidence at the inquest investigating William Tyrrell's disappearance and suspected death, during which Abbott was identified as a person of interest. Abbott had said, 'a couple of blokes borrowed his car, raped a girl and she had an epileptic fit and died', this witness told the inquest. This allegedly happened in 1968 – the year of Helen's death, the witness said. He separately claimed Abbott said he had been charged with murder over the same incident. During our investigation, a former neighbour of Abbott's called Brian Collier said he ' virtually admitted to me that he did kill that girl up at Windsor'. Mr Collier did not name the girl, saying 'I think she was about 14. He went to court for that but the jury on three occasions, I think it was, they couldn't reach a verdict.' Helen was last seen at Pitt Town, which is a 10-minute drive from Windsor, she was 17 not 14, and Frank was put on trial over her murder twice with one jury unable to reach a verdict. Following the trial, Abbott stopped drinking, Mr Collier said, until 'I talked him into having a couple of beers. 'He started to loosen up a bit and he virtually admitted to me that he did kill her to shut her up.' Mr Collier alleged Abbott said the girl had been riding a push bike when he picked her up and put it in the back of the ute he was driving in. Mr Collier did not allege Abbott was directly involved in Helen's death, only that he had sex with her. 'He did have sex with her and she was going to tell on him,' Mr Collier continued. 'Then he just clammed up because I think he realised he said a fair bit.' We also spoke to Abbott's niece, Di Smith, who said her father – Frank Abbott's brother, David – once told her a story about Helen. 'I can just see where I am right now in the shed with him there telling me this story of this young girl they picked up who was on a push bike,' Ms Smith said. 'They put the bike in the back of the ute and … took her out (into) the bush and they, yeah, all had sex with her. 'And then she ended up dead but no one knows how.' Ms Smith did not suggest her father was involved in the incident, but was instead relaying an account of what he understood had happened. Ms Smith said she told detectives in Queensland about this, and there is a reference to the claim in a written witness statement we have seen from an unrelated investigation, dated 21 November 2022. This evidence was provided to the News South Wales Police Force, Ms Smith said, but no officer has contacted her to ask about Helen. We attempted to ask David Abbott about his daughter's allegation but he declined to answer questions. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by him. Elaine Abbott, Frank's sister, said she did not believe he was involved in Helen's death but she did remember the incident being discussed among the family. Ms Abbott raised the possibility Helen was epileptic, which was also confirmed in court evidence during her brother's prosecution, which ended with him being acquitted. This medical condition could mean Helen died of natural causes, suggesting no one was directly responsible for her murder, although it appears no one sought medical help and she was subsequently buried in a shallow grave. Abbott, the NSW Police Force and the Coroner's Court of NSW, which is investigating William Tyrrell's disappearance, all declined to answer questions.
ABC News
18-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Rare Tasmanian eucalypt primed for climate change as others decline
Eucalypts vulnerable to climate change are in decline across Australia, but scientists say a rare one found only in southern Tasmania is actually expanding its range in part because it is so "well adapted" to warmer, drier conditions. The endemic Risdon peppermint (Eucalyptus risdonii) is a "scraggly looking tree" with unusual blue leaves, found around Risdon Vale on Hobart's eastern shore. Species distribution modelling by consultant Peter Harrison during his PhD predicted an increase in the extent and number of areas suitable for the species by the end of this century. Plant scientist Rebecca Jones, of the Eucalypt Genetics group at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), said the species had proven its ability to adapt to harsh conditions. "I'm recommending people plant it because it's actually one of the only eucalypts that climate modelling predicts will be able to expand its range under future climate change because it loves hot, dry conditions," Dr Jones told ABC Hobart. "There's been research at UTAS on this eucalypt for 40 years or so. There are a few really cool things about it, other than it being totally beautiful." Dr Jones said the species was unusual because it retained its blue-grey baby foliage. "It stays blue. Most trees don't, they go from blue to green," she said. "In fact, the early explorers thought they were two different species and described them as such. "And you can't blame them really, they look pretty different, but they're actually the same thing. "But Eucalyptus risdonii, it holds those juvenile leaves its whole life. So, the whole crown of the canopy are juvenile leaves, and you can see little flower buds coming out on those juvenile leaves. "It's thought that's an adaptation to the sort of harsh conditions that it lives in in [postcode] 7016, on the north-west facing slopes." Eucalypt trees dominate the Australian landscape. Botanists have identified about 900 species of them and 29 are known to be native to Tasmania, including the Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) and brown stringybark ( Known collectively as Tasmanian oak, these are commonly used as building timbers. The Risdon peppermint, on the other hand, has ornamental qualities and is better equipped than some eucalypts to handle climate change. Another Tasmanian eucalypt, the Morrisby gum (Eucalyptus morrisbyi), has suffered catastrophic declines due to rising temperatures and drying soils. "It's kind of a scraggly tree but the foliage itself is quite beautiful," Dr Jones said. "It's the kind of stuff you might see in foliage arrangements." Its smaller size is also better suited than most eucalypts to home gardens. "It doesn't really make a proper tree. It sort of makes a mallee kind of form. So, it sprouts out [like] a little low bush," she said. "But I think that's what lends itself well to planting it in your garden, right? Because it's not going to grow up into a big tree. You can chop out the top of it and it loves that." Dr Jones said research suggests the species' peculiarities "might be an adaptation to extreme environments". As well as its grey-blue baby foliage, it has grey, waxy branches that may "deter things from eating it," she said. "It can help with water conservation and things like that." It has stout leaves, which merge across the stem, making one leaf with the stalk growing up through the middle. "When they're dead, they actually dislodge from the stem while remaining attached to the branch and start spinning around and so when you're walking through that forest in the wind you'll hear it rattling around as it spins," Dr Jones said. Forensic scientist Thais Ribeiro Pfeilsticker, who studied the Risdon peppermint as part of her PhD at UTAS, believes hybridisation is also assisting its spread. Her thesis provided evidence supporting her supervisor Brad Potts's PhD in the 1980s, which hypothesised that hybridisation was contributing to the expansion of the rare tree in the range of the widespread Eucalyptus amygdalina. She said if you went to Risdon reserve, it would be clear the tree had a restricted distribution to the "hotter slopes of the place", but there was evidence that it was expanding its footprint despite the fact eucalypts could not move their seed far. "[My supervisor Brad Potts] came up with this idea that the pollen was actually landing on related species and another species, which is called Eucalyptus amygdalina," Ms Pfeilsticker said. "And by doing that, it was actually expanding its distribution. So instead of like landing and crossing with another risdonii, it was crossing with a different species. And then you would start to grow populations of things that we call hybrids." Dr Jones said it was pleasing to see this type of movement with a rare tree. "It's currently expanding, but very slowly through the seed dispersal mechanism. It won't become more than just rare without human intervention," she said.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yacht Club de Monaco debuts in the Admiral's Cup 2025
MONACO, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) is set to compete for the first time in the Admiral's Cup, one of the most prestigious offshore sailing competitions in the world. Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), the regatta will take place from July 17 to August 1, 2025, in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. Founded in 1957 and often referred to as the 'Unofficial World Cup of Offshore Sailing', the Admiral's Cup is making its return after more than twenty years of absence, with the last edition held in 2003. The competition brings together the world's top sailors for a series of coastal and offshore races, including the Rolex Fastnet Race. The initiative to participate in the Admiral's Cup was spearheaded by Peter Harrison, a YCM member and owner of the Jolt boats, with the full support of Pierre Casiraghi, Vice President of the Club and founder of Team Malizia. "Peter is a great sailor with an outstanding team," said Casiraghi. "When he proposed that we take part in the Admiral's Cup with the Jolt boats, I immediately accepted this incredible challenge." The Monegasque team will field two top-tier boats: the TP52 Jolt 3, skippered by Peter Harrison in the IRC Big Boat class, and the Carkeek 40 Jolt 6, helmed by Pierre Casiraghi. "We have a solid training program, high-performance boats, and a determined team," Casiraghi added. "Consistency will be key: two poor races can make everything more complicated. We must stay focused and approach each day as a new challenge." This initiative is part of the Yacht Club de Monaco's broader sporting strategy, inspired by the vision of its President, HSH. Prince Albert II, with the goal of promoting high-level sailing and inspiring younger generations. "We have followed Boris Herrmann's journey in the Vendée Globe with pride, admiring his commitment and courage," declared the Sovereign Prince. "This new project embodies our sporting vision. These challenges inspire us and ignite new passions." To take on this new challenge, the Monegasque crew will rely on the expertise of world-class sailors, including Boris Herrmann and Will Harris from Team Malizia, as well as Cole Brauer, the first American woman to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation in 130 days, and runner-up in the 2024 Global Solo Challenge. Peter Harrison shares this enthusiasm: "The Yacht Club de Monaco is a major force in world sailing. Competing in the Admiral's Cup is a unique opportunity to showcase our experience and passion." The Admiral's Cup 2025 will bring together over 15 teams representing prestigious yacht clubs, including the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, and the New York Yacht Club, a three-time winner of the event. Australia, represented by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, is the defending champion, having won the last edition in 2003. The competition will feature a mix of technical inshore races and demanding offshore challenges, where consistency and the overall performance of the crew will be decisive. By participating in this event, the Yacht Club de Monaco reaffirms its ambition to guide its members toward excellence and to strengthen its influence on the international stage. A great challenge that the Monegasque team is ready to take on with determination and passion. For more information:- A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in to access your portfolio
