Author Archives: CanucksBanter

First evaluation of new fingerprinting methods for ivory | Science Codex

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Scientists from King’s College London and University College London have collaborated with imaging and fingerprint experts from the Metropolitan Police to validate the use of new techniques for retrieving fingerprints from ivory for the first time.

The findings, published in the journal Science and Justice, could lead to wider use of fingerprinting methods in the field to more easily identify poachers in regions with high levels of ivory-related crime.

Ivory has previously been considered a difficult material to obtain fingerprints from and such techniques have not been commonly used when illegally sourced ivory has been seized despite fingerprinting being one of the oldest, simplest and most cost-effective forensic tools.

Source: First evaluation of new fingerprinting methods for ivory | Science Codex

Basketball players may be at heightened risk of lung clots

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Basketball players could be at heightened risk for dangerous blood clots that travel to the lungs, according to a small Spanish study.

But the results – calculated from only six cases of so-called pulmonary embolism in US and European players – need to be replicated in larger studies, the authors caution.

Source: Basketball players may be at heightened risk of lung clots

Moodys: Rising Population Will Support Housing Markets in the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland – EconoTimes

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In the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland, population growth will support housing demand and property prices, says Moody’s Investors Service in a special report published today.

“In our view the rising population in these countries combined with a housing supply shortage and robust economic growth will support house prices and therefore help reduce losses on residential mortgage loans,” says Gaby Trinkaus, an Assistant Vice President – Analyst at Moody’s.

“Additionally, the size of the 25-35 age bracket, which forms the core of the first-time buyer segment, is expected to remain largely stable in the UK and the Netherlands until 2020. While this demographic is projected to shrink in Ireland based on Eurostat data, the economic recovery and improved employment rates will support the market,” observes Ms. Trinkaus.

Source: Moodys Rising Population Will Support Housing Markets in the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland – EconoTimes

Aussie slips on China factory data as stock futures signal drop | Money | Malay Mail Online

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BEIJING, Nov 1 — Evidence of stagnation at Chinese factories weighed on the Australian and New Zealand dollars ahead of a swathe of global manufacturing data, while Turkey’s lira surged after elections restored President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party to power.

The Aussie and kiwi resumed losses after the first Chinese indicator for this quarter indicated manufacturing contracted for a third month. The lira jumped the most since January 2014 after AK’s victory, which solidifies Erdogan’s 13-year rule over Turkey and ends a period of political deadlock. The euro extended gains after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that it’s still an “open question” whether stimulus needs to be increased to bolster the economy, while Asian stock index futures signalled losses.

“The last week, and indeed the last month, was once again dominated by the world’s monetary authorities,” Matthew Sherwood, head of investment strategy at Perpetual Ltd. in Sydney, which manages about US$21 billion (RM89.53 billion), said in an e-mail to clients.

Central banks around the world are jockeying to position their economies for a move from the Federal Reserve, which has indicated it could raise interest rates as soon as next month amid signs the recovery is on a stronger footing. Factory gauges on the US to the euro area and Japan are due today, along with a private index of Chinese manufacturing, giving investors insight into the state of the global economy following the market turmoil of the third quarter. US payrolls data at the end of the week will be key to determining whether the Fed will pull the trigger on rates before the year is out.

Source: Aussie slips on China factory data as stock futures signal drop | Money | Malay Mail Online

Lost in Transition: How the energy sector is missing potential demand destruction | Carbon Tracker Initiative

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Rapid advances in technology, increasingly cheap renewable energy, slower economic growth and lower than expected population rise could all dampen fossil fuel demand significantly by 2040, a new study published today by the London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative finds.

The analysis challenges nine business as usual (BAU) assumptions made by the big energy companies when calculating that fossil use will continue to grow for the next few decades. Typical industry scenarios see coal, oil and gas use growing by 30%-50% and still making up 75% of the energy supply mix in 2040. These scenarios do not reflect the huge potential for reducing fossil fuel demand in accordance with decarbonisation pathways.

The in-depth analysis exposes that fossil fuel industry thinking is skewed to the upside, and relies too heavily on high demand assumptions to justify new and costly capital investments to shareholders. Reviewing previous industry, IEA and U.S. EIA projections, shows them to be too conservative in their expectations for renewables growth. This raises questions over the likely accuracy of their future projections.

Carbon Tracker’s head of research, James Leaton, said:

“We have seen in recent weeks how the fossil fuel sector has misled consumers and investors about emissions — the Volkswagen scandal being a case in point — and deliberately acted against climate science for decades, judging from the recent Exxon expose. Why should investors accept their claims about future coal and oil demand when they clearly don’t stack up with technology and policy developments?

“Investors need to challenge companies who are ignoring the demand destruction that the market sees coming through much sooner than the business as usual scenarios being cited by the industry. Otherwise they will be on the wrong side of the energy revolution.”

Source: Lost in Transition: How the energy sector is missing potential demand destruction | Carbon Tracker Initiative