Environment: More than half of Colorado River’s water used to irrigate crops

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Irrigation for agriculture uses more than half of the Colorado River’s total annual water flow, reports a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment. This finding is part of a new comprehensive assessment of how the Colorado River’s water is consumed — including both human usage and natural losses — and provides a more complete understanding of how the river’s water is used along its over 2,300 km (almost 1,500-mile) length.

The Colorado River flows through the southwestern United States (including the Grand Canyon) and northwestern Mexico whilst supplying water to more than 40 million people and more than 2 million hectares of cropland. The river is at historically low levels due to the ongoing megadrought in the region and continued overuse of its water supply. However, despite the ecological and economic importance of the Colorado River, a complete water budget (a detailed analysis of the movement and losses of a river’s water) has not yet been calculated.

Brian Richter and colleagues calculated the water budget of the Colorado River basin based on the average annual water use and water losses between 2000 and 2019. They included all direct human uses — including irrigation, domestic use, and industrial and commercial uses — and all indirect losses, including evaporation from reservoirs and wetland vegetation. The authors found that irrigation for agriculture was responsible for 74% of direct human usage and 52% of overall water consumption. They also found that nearly two-thirds of the water used for irrigation was used on cattle feed crops, accounting for 46% of direct human usage, or 32% of overall water consumption.

The results are the first complete water budget for the Colorado River, and include several previously unreported factors, including overall water consumption in Mexico (7% of the total), and overall water consumption in the basin of the Gila River in Arizona (9% of the total), one of the major tributaries to the Colorado River.

The authors caution that there will need to be a significant reduction in water use to avoid future shortages, and that more water will need to be left in the river to support the diverse ecosystems along its full length. They conclude that these findings may have relevance for policymakers as six legal agreements governing the use of the Colorado River’s water are set to expire in 2026.

***

Springer Nature is committed to boosting the visibility of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and relevant information and evidence published in our journals and books. The research described in this press release pertains to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). More information can be found here.

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JOURNAL

Communications Earth & Environment

DOI

10.1038/s43247-024-01291-0 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

New water accounting reveals why the Colorado River no longer reaches the sea

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

28-Mar-2024

 

Australia on track for unprecedented, decades-long megadroughts

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Australia could soon see megadroughts that last for more than 20 years, according to new modelling from The Australian National University (ANU) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes.

The researchers’ bleak findings are before factoring in human impact on the climate since the Industrial Revolution. The ANU-led team also found that 20th century droughts in southwestern and eastern Australia, including the Murray-Darling Basin, were longer on average compared to pre-industrial times.

According to the scientists, the findings paint a worrying picture of future droughts in Australia that are far worse than anything in recent experience.

Megadroughts are exceptionally severe, long-lasting and widespread. They can last multiple decades or even centuries. An example of this is the megadrought in the United States’ southwestern region that started in the year 2000 and has continued for more than two decades.

Co-lead author Dr Georgy Falster, from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, said that if a megadrought occurred in Australia today, the consequences would be made even worse because of climate change, as any drought would occur against a backdrop of hotter weather.

“The combination of climate change on top of naturally occurring megadroughts that could last for 20 years means that in the future Australia could see droughts that are worse than anything in recent historical experience,” Dr Falster said.

“We must consider, and prepare for, the possibility that one of these multi-decade megadroughts could occur in the near future.

“One of the problems with understanding protracted droughts in Australia is that our climate observations since the 1900s give us only a handful of examples to work with. This isn’t representative of the worst-case scenarios that are possible just through natural climate variations.

“Thinking about when we might expect to see a 20-year-long drought in the Murray-Darling Basin in southeastern Australia, this varies a lot. We could see a megadrought occur every 150 years or 1,000 years.

“In this study, we paid particular attention to the Murray-Darling Basin. As the largest agricultural region of Australia, it’s important to know how bad droughts in this region could be.”

The ANU-led team looked at the full spectrum of droughts Australia could experience, including length and intensity, even without the effects of climate change. They also wanted to find out how human-caused climate change is now altering the characteristics of Australian droughts.

The researchers used multiple climate models to simulate droughts that occurred during the past millennium – from the year 850 to 2000 – to determine how they might change in the future.

This includes predicting how long Australian droughts could last for, and how dry they could be.

“One of the confronting findings of our work is that it is possible for droughts in Australia to be much longer than any of the droughts that we’ve experienced in recent times. Droughts that continue for 20 years or more are something that we should expect to happen,” Dr Falster said.

“Megadroughts are part of the natural variations in Australia’s climate. But worryingly we are now also adding human-caused climate change into the mix, and that is probably increasing the chances of the next megadrought here.

“We compared simulated droughts in the 20th century, from the year 1900 to 2000, with those from the pre-industrial period, before the year 1850, to see if human-caused climate change has impacted how Australians experience droughts today.”

Co-author Professor Nerilie Abram, also from ANU, said human-caused climate change is contributing to longer droughts in southwestern and eastern Australia, including the Murray-Darling Basin.

She said these are also the regions where we can expect future rainfall declines due to climate change, thereby increasing the risk of droughts.

“It is likely that changes to drought intensity could still arise as climate change continues to worsen,” Professor Abram said.

“One example of this is the 21st century ‘Tinderbox Drought’, which was only three years long but was exceptionally intense and set the conditions for the Black Summer bushfires. The Tinderbox Drought was likely made more severe by climate change.

“The only thing we can do to lessen the potential severity and length of future droughts is to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, by rapidly transitioning to renewable energy sources.

“We can also reduce the impacts of future droughts by being prepared with water storage and management plans, and community support networks.”

The research is published in a special edition of the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. This work was co-led by ANU and The University of Sydney in collaboration with the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the University of Wollongong and the University of Monash. 

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JOURNAL

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences

DOI

10.5194/hess-28-1383-2024 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Potential for historically unprecedented Australian droughts from natural variability and climate change

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Mar-2024

 

More than 18,000 excess TB cases in the U.S. attributable to structural racism

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS

Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.    
----------------------------    

1. More than 18,000 excess TB cases in the U.S. attributable to structural racism 

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2975   

Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M24-0548   

URL goes live when the embargo lifts     

A robust analysis of national tuberculosis (TB) surveillance data found continuing, persistent disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born racial and ethnic minorities, despite an overall decrease in cases observed during the analysis period. The authors conclude that structural racism is largely to blame. The analysis is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. 

 

While 72 percent of TB cases in the U.S. occur among foreign-born persons, social determinants of health affect TB incidence among those born in the country. Few studies have examined disparities in TB incidence rates specifically among the U.S.-born population. 

 

Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a time-series analysis of U.S.-born persons diagnosed with TB stratified by race/ethnicity using national TB registry data for 2011 to 2021. They found that TB incidence ratios were 4.4 to 14.2 times higher for persons who self-identified as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black, or Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic White U.S.-born persons. Relative disparities were greater for females, younger persons, and TB attributed to recent transmission, but absolute disparities were greater for males. The index of disparity was estimated to be 82 percent for females and 71 percent for males, indicating greater relative racial/ethnic disparities in TB incidence among females than males. According to the authors, addressing these disparities in TB incidence is necessary for achieving health equity goals. Reducing barriers to TB prevention activities and ensuring that all persons have access to affordable and effective TB services are essential for accelerating progress toward population-level TB elimination. 

 

The authors of an accompanying editorial from Emory University suggest that data from this analysis may offer insight into possible deployment of targeted efforts by city and state TB prevention and control programs. The data could also inform updated guidance on expanding early detection and care of groups with high risk for TB. The authors urge practitioners to promote culturally sensitive approaches to TB screening and early case detection and care to help overcome the prevailing racial/ethnic disparities. 

 

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Yunfei Li, ScD, please contact yul049@mail.harvard.edu.

----------------------------   

2. Even lower levels of albuminuria associated with increased risk for CKD progression and kidney failure 

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2814   

URL goes live when the embargo lifts     

A study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) found substantial excess risk for CKD progression and kidney failure as albuminuria (protein in the urine) increased even at levels below 30 mg/g. These findings raise questions about the best time to start treatment to reduce protein in urine, and whether lowering albumin levels further could improve health outcomes in people with CKD who already have relatively low levels of albumin in their urine. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. 

 

Albuminuria is a major risk factor for CKD progression, especially when categorized as moderate (30 to 300 mg/g) or severe (>300 mg/g). However, there are limited data on the prognostic value of albuminuria within the normal range. 

 

Researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine studied 1,629 participants in the CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) study to estimate the increase in the cumulative incidence of CKD progression with greater baseline levels of albuminuria among persons with CKD who had normoalbuminuria (<30 mg/g). Levels of albumin and creatinine in urine samples were used to calculate UACR, an important marker of kidney health. The authors then looked at how this marker, along with other factors, was related to the progression of CKD over 10 years, considering potential factors that could influence the results. The data showed that participants who had higher levels of albumin in their urine were more likely to experience worsening kidney disease or kidney failure. Specifically, the 10-year absolute risk differences among persons with a UACR of 15 mg/g or more compared with persons with UACRs of 5 to less than 15 mg/g and 0 to less than 5 mg/g were 7.9 percent and 10.7 percent higher for CKD progression and 5.1 percent and 6.3 percent for kidney failure, respectively. These results remained robust when comparing persons with UACRs of 10 mg/g or more versus those with UACRs of less than 10 mg/g. The findings were independent of several covariates, including baseline kidney function. 

 

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Ashish Verma, MB, BS, please contact asrivast@uic.edu.

----------------------------   

3. Prediction model for SMM or worse may be used to defer bone marrow sampling in persons with MGUS 

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2540   

URL goes live when the embargo lifts     

Using a trial of persons with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), researchers developed a prediction model that accurately predicts the presence of 10 percent or more bone marrow plasma cells (BMPC) and therefore a diagnosis of smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) or multiple myeloma (MM) by bone marrow criteria in persons presumed to have MGUS. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. 

 

MGUS and SMM are asymptomatic precursor conditions to multiple myeloma and related disorders. Smoldering multiple myeloma is distinguished from MGUS by 10 percent or greater BMPC on sampling, has a higher risk for progression, and requires specialist management. An invasive bone marrow sample is required to distinguish between persons with presumed MGUS and SMM. A possible solution is to develop a model that uses commonly available laboratory parameters to predict the probability of SMM or worse. 

 

Researchers from the University of Iceland developed a multivariable prediction model to predict if a person with presumed MGUS has 10% or greater BMPC may be eligible for a bone marrow sample using data from 1043 persons with IgG, IgA, light-chain, and biclonal MGUS detected by screening and an interpretable bone marrow sample. The authors found that the model accurately predicts the presence of 10 percent or more BMPC and therefore a diagnosis of SMM or MM by bone marrow criteria in persons presumed to have MGUS. According to the authors, their model has the potential to both decrease the number of persons unnecessarily exposed to this safe but invasive procedure by facilitating shared decision making, allowing for personalized care of MGUS by applying different risk thresholds depending on each unique case. 

 

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Elías Eyþórsson, MD, PhD, please contact elias.eythorsson@gmail.com.

----------------------------   

4. Little guidance exists for treating inpatients with asymptomatic high blood pressure 

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-3251   

URL goes live when the embargo lifts     

A systematic review of 14 clinical practice guidelines found that guidance on inpatient management of elevated blood pressure (BP) without symptoms is lacking. According to the authors, this lack of guidance may contribute to variable practice patterns. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.  

 

Management of elevated blood pressure (BP) during hospitalization varies widely, with many hospitalized adults experiencing BPs higher than those recommended for the outpatient setting. The benefits of intensive inpatient antihypertensive treatment have not been demonstrated, and there are no randomized trials of inpatient BP management.  

 

Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, University of California San Francisco, and the University of Pittsburgh conducted a systematic review of 14 clinical practice guidelines for inpatient management of elevated BP without symptoms. Of these guidelines, 11 provided broad BP management recommendations, and 1 each was specific to the emergency department setting, older adults, and hypertensive crises. The authors found that recommendations focused on management of hypertensive emergencies and did not discuss transitional management of BP upon discharge. In contrast to the paucity of inpatient recommendations, the authors found that guidelines consistently specified outpatient BP goals, thresholds and preferred classes for pharmacologic treatment, and follow-up duration and provided recommendations specific to patients with various comorbidities and geriatric conditions. According to the authors, there is an urgent need for pragmatic clinical trials to fill knowledge gaps for the management of elevated BP in hospitalized adults as well as a need for the development of inpatient BP clinical decision-making frameworks that address the unique issues posed by hospitalization and care transitions. 

 

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Timothy S. Anderson, MD, MAS, please contact Elaine Vitone at vitoneeg@upmc.edu.

----------------------------   

 

 

 

---

JOURNAL

Annals of Internal Medicine

DOI

10.7326/M23-2975 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

News article

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Disparities in Tuberculosis Incidence by Race and Ethnicity Among the U.S.-Born Population in the United States, 2011 to 2021

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Apr-2024

Gold shatters new records as Mideast tensions add to bullish mix

Reuters | April 2, 2024 | 

Stock image.

Gold scaled yet another record peak on Tuesday as traders snapped up the safe haven asset amid growing Middle East tensions, largely ignoring a stronger dollar and tempered bets for U.S. rate cuts.


Spot gold was up 0.8% at $2,268.44 per ounce by 2:07 p.m. EDT (1807 GMT), after hitting an all-time high of $2,276.89.



U.S. gold futures settled 1.1% higher at $2,281.8.

“We’re seeing some safe-haven demand flowing into gold, which relates to the Israeli strikes on Iran’s embassy in Syria,” said Daniel Ghali, commodity strategist at TD Securities.

The latest leg up in gold prices is probably also associated with short covering from family offices and proprietary trading shops, Ghali added.

Iran vowed to take revenge on Israel for an airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus.

Saxo Bank’s Ole Hansen said an underlying bid from retail and central banks was being joined by momentum-following speculators who have extended their already elevated longs following gold’s break above $2,200.

The mix of bullish tailwinds has driven bullion nearly 10% higher so far this year.

“What makes the gold rally so unusual is that it is occurring despite significant traditional headwinds with the U.S. dollar rising, Treasury yields rising, the likelihood of higher for longer U.S. rates increasing,” said independent analyst Ross Norman.

The dollar jumped after Monday’s data showed U.S. manufacturing grew for the first time in 1-1/2 years in March.

Traders pared bets of a June interest rate cut to 58% versus around 60% before the data, which under normal circumstances, would pressure zero-yield bullion.

But while the gold market remains in a “highly bullish mood”, it probably needs to consolidate amid a shift back to a more hawkish view of Federal Reserve policy, said Tai Wong, a New York-based independent metals trader.

Silver rose 3.2% to $25.89 per ounce, platinum added 2.4% to $923.00 and palladium climbed 0.1% to $996.88.

(Reporting by Anjana Anil and Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru and Polina Devitt in London; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Vijay Kishore)

Iron ore’s reset to $100 heralds China’s new economy shift

Bloomberg News | April 2, 2024 |

Steel mill. Stock Image.

Iron ore’s reset to around $100 a ton is indicative of a broader reshaping of China’s commodities markets that favors the new economy over the old.


The steelmaking material plunged to $95.40 a ton on Monday, a 10-month low, before nosing back into three figures, testimony to the damage still being wrought by a years-long property crisis that appears far from over. In early January, Singapore futures hit $143.50 a ton, their highest since June 2022. They last traded at $100.85, marking a 30% slump.

Iron ore’s weakness comes amid tentative signs that the wider economy is beginning to heal. Factory activity snapped a five-month contraction in March, beating estimates and adding to modest signs of recovery.

That divergence between a manufacturing-led upswing and a languishing property market is likely to deepen as Beijing pursues new drivers of growth in sectors like renewable energy and advanced technology. At its peak in 2018, real estate accounted for nearly a quarter of China’s economy, according to Bloomberg Economics. Now it’s less than a fifth.

Property still makes up the bulk of steel demand. But Beijing has held off on delivering the degree of fiscal stimulus — principally infrastructure spending — that could fully offset the housing crash. Ballooning debt levels at local governments are one obstacle. Meanwhile, the usual lift to construction activity in the spring has also failed to properly materialize, creating uncertainty over when consumption might revive.

China’s mills including Angang Steel Co. and Maanshan Iron & Steel Co. reported worse-than-expected net losses in their 2023 earnings reports. Maanshan warned that conditions “will remain grim due to the mismatch between supply and demand in 2024.”

All to say, President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on property and his drive for “new productive forces” could well herald an era in which iron ore and steel play a lesser role to the metals set to benefit from the energy transition.
Structural shift

“It’s understandable if the weakness lasts for a week or two,” said Cao Ying, chief ferrous metals analyst at SDIC Essence Futures Co. “Any longer than that and the market will start to adjust its expectations as it will look more like a structural shift.”

Iron ore can’t stay below $100 a ton for too long without higher cost producers shutting up shop. That would thin out supply and put a floor under prices in the near term. But it’s the long-term demand side of the equation that’s causing most concern. The government in Australia, China’s biggest supplier, expects free-on-board prices of $95 a ton this year, $84 next year, and then levels in the $70s out through 2029.

The market’s crash contrasts starkly with another commodities bellwether, copper, which is closing in on a yearly high. Supply issues are the immediate driver, but the metal’s central role in the energy transition is driving predictions of outsized gains in the years to come. Steel and iron ore markets just won’t enjoy the same level of support from that secular shift in commodities consumption.

“There seems to be no end to the real estate crisis, local governments can’t sustain current investment levels, consumers are still very cautious,” said Tomas Gutierrez, analyst at Kallanish Commodities Ltd. There should be a seasonal demand recovery in the second quarter, “but this is not likely to be strong enough to really turn markets around,” he said.

Copper price rallies amid rising optimism on Chinese economic outlook

Bloomberg News | April 2, 2024 | 

Stock image.

Copper rallied back above $9,000 a ton as investors weighed upbeat factory data from top consumer China and the potential for output cuts by the country’s leading smelters.


Investors are becoming more optimistic about the world’s second-largest economy after the official manufacturing purchasing managers index in March registered the highest reading in a year, the latest green shoot alongside strong exports and rising consumer prices. A factory gauge in the US also unexpectedly halted 16 straight months of decline.

“The economic data is aiding market sentiment, signaling a recovery in manufacturing industry,” analysts at Galaxy Futures wrote in a note, adding the trend supports consumption of raw materials like copper which is facing potential supply-side constraints

China’s smelters, which produce over half the world’s refined copper, are considering output cuts after processing fees fell to near zero.

Still, the solid US factory data reinforced speculation that the Federal Reserve will be slow to cut interest rates, which could weigh on the outlook for commodities. Bond traders have priced in less easing by the Fed this year and briefly set the odds of a first move in June below 50%.

Copper climbed 1.5% to $9,000 a ton on the London Metal Exchange by 4:15 p.m. local time, after earlier rising as much as 2%. Aluminum jumped as much as 2.2% to $2,387.50, its highest level since January. Zinc rallied 1.8%, as all metals except lead rose.

(By Annie Lee)

BHP and Mitsubishi close $4.1bn sale of Queensland coal mines

Staff Writer | April 2, 2024 | 

Daunia coal mine. Image: BHP.

BHP and Mitsubishi Development Pty (MDP) announced Tuesday they have completed the divestment of the Blackwater and Daunia mines to Whitehaven Coal for $4.1 billion.


The sale, first announced in October 2023, furthers BHP’s push to exit its coal operations in Queensland, after the world’s largest-listed miner sold out of the South Walker Creek and Poitrel coal mines last year.

Daunia and Blackwater were part of the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) metallurgical coal joint venture in Queensland. Each of BHP and MDP hold a 50% interest in BMA.

Whitehaven Coal has paid BMA $2. billion cash consideration on completion plus a preliminary completion adjustment of $44.1 million for working capital. Whitehaven Coal paid a US$100 million deposit on signing of the asset sale.

$1.1 billion cash remains payable by Whitehaven Coal to BMA over 3 years after completion and a potential additional amount of up to $900 million in a price-linked earnout may also be payable by Whitehaven Coal to BMA over 3 years, the miner said in a statement.

BHP has been working towards making a transition to commodities and away from coal-related assets at a time when the focus shifts to industrial metals like copper and nickel.

JV article: Huawei takes smart mines to the next level

MINING.COM and Huawei | April 2, 2024 |

Huawei takes smart mines to the next level. Image from Huawei.

The mining industry, still considered by many one of the most technology-adverse sectors, has embarked on a journey to revolutionize its operations that goes beyond automation and touches multiple areas including connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI).

Intelligent systems have the ability to analyze vast amounts of spread-out data and offer solutions, which boost the speed and safety of mining operations.

New technologies can help predict supply chain disruptions, optimize the use of energy, reduce environmental risks and even identify on-site, unknown targets.

None of this is possible without a reliable and fast network and Huawei, a global provider of information and communications technologies, knows it well.

“In China, more than 400 mines have deployed 5G networks. We have also helped customers elsewhere to build their digital infrastructure,” says Jack Chan, vice president of global marketing and Solutions for the mine, oil and gas sectors. In South Africa, for instance, the company partnered last year with MTN, Africa's largest mobile network operator, to implement 5G technology at the Phalanndwa Colliery, operated by Canyon Coal.

The application of 5G video surveillance and a 5G + IoT proximity detection system at Phalanndwa aimed primarily at reducing unnecessary accidents and fatalities at the operation and the mining sector in general.

Command Center technicians, Angang iron ore mine. Using Wi-Fi 6, many operations taking place 300m below ground can be remotely controlled or monitored from above. (Image courtesy of Huawei.)

The advanced bandwidth of 5G technology enables high-quality video surveillance, facilitating smooth uploading and downloading of videos. Cutting-edge functionalities such as reverse image search help monitor movements, enhancing security by comparing video footage with images stored in a database.

The 5G + IoT proximity detection system goes beyond this, as it can avoid collisions by detecting the proximity of individuals or objects to working vehicles, triggering alarms as a preventive measure.

“In China, with nearly three million coal miners working in 4,400 underground coal mines experiencing frequent fatal accidents, transitioning workers from tunnels to control rooms equipped with screens displaying data is not only saving lives but also attracting the younger workforce,” Chan says.
New generation’s hook

The adoption of digital technology is also proving to be useful attracting new talent to mining.

“Young people don’t want to spend hours underground, hot and breathing recycled air, but they are happy to sit in a room with air conditioning and monitor activities in real time,” Chan said. “Instead of people, computer vision applications patrol and inspect the dark and narrow underground corridors.”

Data on extraction, personnel location and danger detection is centralized on a system designed to eliminate problems caused by human error and miscommunication.

Thanks to these changes, the industry attracts more qualified professionals than in the past from sectors than ever thought to work in mining, such as people with IT and computing design backgrounds.

“AI service architects and AI algorithm engineers will become key roles in the era of intelligence,” Chan predicts.

Huawei’s technology mission to bring workers out of the pit and into a room with screens displaying numbers, charts and images, which is in line with the expectations of China’s younger generation to work in the mines, as well as the Chinese government’s goal of essentially digitizing all coal mines by 2035.
AI goes underground

Pangu, Huawei’s artificial intelligence (AI) umbrella solution, has been adapted to different industries, from weather forecasting to mining.

Huawei launched the Pangu Mining Model in July last year, with the goal of allowing AI to replace humans in dangerous work and repetitive labour, precipitating expert experience and playing an important role in the fields of intelligent production, equipment management, safety operations and operational decision-making in mines.

A joystick enables a technician above ground to remotely operate a loader located 300 meters below the surface. (Image courtesy of Huawei.)

Incorporating 21 different scenarios, Pangu Mining also include models for nine operating activities, namely, coal mining, tunneling, primarily transportation, auxiliary transportation, lifting, safety monitoring, rock burst prevention, coal preparation, and coking. Thanks to this diversity, it can be easily adapted to specific operations beyond coal and iron ore, Chan said.

Huawei is currently conducting research in 256 mining application scenarios in 16 categories, such as digging, integrated mining and transport, and has already achieved stage-by-stage results.

Together with helping achieve zero-harm operations, new technologies help companies reduce both emissions and ecological footprint. “Underground mining is less disruptive than open pits and our solutions make them efficient and easy to operate,” he says.

As proof of how miners embrace digital technologies, Chan says that more than 800 companies have already adopted Huawei’s mining solutions. “The industry is changing, and we want to be part of that change”, Chan concludes.

The preceding Joint Venture Article is PROMOTED CONTENT sponsored by Huawei and produced in co-operation with MINING.com. For more information visit huawei.com.

 

USCG: "Significant Increase" in Detentions During Port State Inspections

USCG inspectors conducted nearly 8,300 SOLAS safety exams in 2023 (file photo)

PUBLISHED APR 2, 2024 6:59 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The issues of the safety of shipping and the efforts by Port States to inspect ships to enforce regulations continue to swirl in the wake of the Dali’s allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore which sent shockwaves through the shipping industry. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance released its yearly statistics today shedding light on the level of inspections and their results.

In addition to the enforcement as a Flag State, regulators have the authority under international conventions to conduct Port State inspections which also look at the safety and compliance of vessels with rules ranging from SOLAS to MARPOL, certificates, and other areas relating to everything from fire safety, safety management, life saving systems, maintenance, and certificates. Ships found to not meet the rules can be cited for deficiencies or in the most serious cases will also be detained until the issues are corrected.

During the pandemic, USCG reports there was in general a decrease in examinations in both 2021 and 2021. They also cited issues ranging from travel difficulties, and delays or deferred maintenance while reporting that the detention ratio increased significantly from 2022 to 2023. A total of 10,959 vessels from 80 different countries visited U.S. ports in 2023 with the USCG conducting nearly 82,000 ship visits.

The U.S. Coast Guard Port State Control program conducted Port State safety examinations on about 10 percent of the ship visits or a total of 8,278 SOLAS safety exams. The detention ratio increased from .89 percent in 2022 to 1.22 percent in 2023. A total of 101 vessels were detained for violations last year versus 78 in 2022.

“The increased detention ratio reflects a global trend that has been noted by other Port State Control regimes,” writes Rear Admiral Wayne Arguin in the 2023 report. “It is a possible indicator of long-term impacts of COVID-19,” he speculates noting the declines in PSC inspections as well as the challenges for shipping lines during the pandemic. 

While the year-over-year increase is significant in the detention ratios, it is only slightly higher than the 2018 and 2019 levels. The peak was in 2015 when the ratio reached 2.17 percent. This year’s three-year average is also up to .94 percent but that is below the previous three-year averages before the pandemic. He also notes that there is a dedicated effort by many flag states to reverse the trends through the implementation of programs to manage risk, increase oversight, and ensure compliance with international conventions.

The largest number of inspections in the U.S. take place in the Houston/Galveston, Texas area, followed by New Orleans and New York. However, the number of detentions is highest in Miami (22) followed by New York (13) while in the Houston/Galveston area, they recorded only four detentions in 2023 while they conducted 1,144 safety examinations.

Fire Safety and Safety Management accounted for the majority of the detention orders followed by Life Saving Systems. Fire safety measures overall accounted for nearly a third of all the deficiencies recorded during the inspections. However, they note that the number of detentions related to fire safety and lifesaving systems decreased in 2023 over the prior year. 

The USCG also starting in 2021 initiated the Enhanced Exam Program which each quarter selects issues for in-depth inspections. In 2023, they focused on cybersecurity, voyage data recorders, fire dampers, and additional liferaft arrangements. For the second year, they report this resulted in a twofold increase in the number of deficiencies with the trend seen in cybersecurity, fire dampers, and additional liferaft arrangements. 

 

Wrecked Bridge Section is Buried in Mud in Baltimore Shipping Channel

Army Corps says it may have to be removed another way, without cutting

Colonel Estee S. Pinchasin, commander of the USACE's Baltimore district, points to sonar imaging of the complex wreckage at the bottom of the channel (Gov. Wes Moore)

PUBLISHED APR 2, 2024 5:56 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The unified command for the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster has warned that clearing Baltimore's main ship channel will be difficult, and on Tuesday, they laid out the details of the daunting challenge ahead. The bridge's massive center span has collapsed in the channel, and the portion resting on the bottom is a tangled mess of steel I-beams. Worse, it's buried in the soft mud of the bottom. 

Based on surveys, the wreckage on the bottom of the deep-draft channel is "far more extensive than we could have imagined," according to Colonel Estee S. Pinchasin, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Baltimore district. 

"It's not just sitting on the seabed, it's actually below the mudline," said Pinchasin in a press conference Tuesday. "The state of that wreckage makes it very difficult to figure out where to cut, how to cut, in order to put it into bite sized pieces [for hoisting]." 

The span segments above the water will be difficult to evaluate, cut and lift, but the section at the very bottom of the channel - the most important area to clear for the functioning of the seaport - will be exceptionally hard to process in the same way, she said. 

The removal plan for this wreckage may not involve cutting, because of the hazard to personnel from unstable wreckage. Instead, Pinchasin said that the unified command is mobilizing equipment that can do an "additional type of lift." 

"This is something that the salvage community knows how to do," she said. 

To help plan the operation, more dive surveys with sonar equipment are under way. All survey data from all government and industry partners in the unified command is being compiled in one database to build the most accurate possible picture of the wreckage. "With each layer, we're getting a much better picture of what it's going to take to lift that up," she said. "We are now developing our plan for that [sunken section]."

The team is moving with safety in mind first. The tangled wreckage in the center of the channel is "extremely unforgiving" and dangerous for dive teams to work near, Pinchasin said. Salvage divers are working in near-darkness and zero visibility, relying on verbal navigation cues from sonar-equipped boat teams on the surface. 

"It's very methodical and we have to do it very carefully," she said. 

 

Project Explores U.S. West Coast Supply Chain for Ammonia as Marine Fuel

Feasibility study will look at the facilities for ammonia at CALMACO's terminal (CALMACO)

PUBLISHED APR 1, 2024 9:00 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

A first-of-kind project is getting underway to conduct a feasibility study for ammonia as a marine fuel. The study aims to be one of the pioneers in establishing a comprehensive and competitive supply chain for the provision of clean ammonia ship-to-ship bunkering on the U.S. West Coast.

The project involves industry leaders including the American Bureau of Shipping, Fleet Management, Sumitomo Corporation, and TOTE Services, and they will be working with CALAMCO, a California-based cooperative that is the largest ammonia distributor in California. The project will focus on the Port of Oakland, Benicia, and nearby major ports on the U.S. West Coast.

“We are excited to support the exploration of ammonia bunkering in the US West Coast,” said Dan Stone, President at CALAMCO. “As one of the few ammonia storage and handling facilities in the geographical area, CALAMCO is well positioned to serve the growing needs of the maritime industry.” 

Safety assessments are critical to formulate standards for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel due to the toxicity of the substance. Relevant government agencies and experts in the U.S. will be engaged in working towards the standardization of safe operation and regulations. ABS will share its expertise in ammonia as a marine fuel and in developing safety guidelines to support this study.

The study aims to explore the possibility of utilizing CALAMCO’s existing ammonia storage terminal at the port of Stockton for a pilot demonstration project of ammonia bunkering for car carriers calling at the port of Benicia and container vessels calling at the port of Oakland as a first step toward wide adoption of ammonia as marine fuel in the U.S. West Coast. The Port of Benicia is one of the key vehicle-handing ports on the U.S. West Coast, while the Port of Oakland also ranks among the top 10 of the U.S. largest container ports.

Singapore highlighted that it recently completed similar studies permitting it to complete the first bunkering of ammonia as a marine fuel. At the beginning of this year, three tonnes of liquid ammonia were loaded from Vopak’s terminal in Singapore to a converted offshore vessel that is the first to operate on ammonia. Singapore completed extensive testing and training, and developed safety protocols to permit the bunkering. They were planning a second bunkering of an additional three tonnes of liquid ammonia for the Fortescue Green Pioneer in the next few weeks.