Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Spanish chemical plant explosion kills man 3km away

Media captionWatch footage of the moment of the blast captured by CCTV

A large metal plate launched by an explosion at a chemical plant in Spain's autonomous Catalonia region killed a man 3km (two miles) away.

The man, named only as Sergio, was in his apartment when the one tonne object struck, causing part of the building to collapse, officials have confirmed.

A senior member of staff at the factory was also killed in the explosion, which seriously injured two others.

Tuesday's blast occurred at about 18:40 local time (17:40 GMT) in La Canonja.

Authorities said it was probably caused by a chemical accident, but that no toxic substances were released.

People were, however, initially urged to stay indoors when the explosion at the site just south of Tarragona set off a huge fire.

Residents of the Plaça García Lorca housing estate in nearby Torreforta, where Sergio was killed, described seeing "a ball of fire" stream across the sky at the time of the incident.

Firefighters later confirmed that this was a metal plate from the factory site, which they said weighed about a tonne.

Local resident Antonia Mora told Spanish newspaper El Pais "it was like a bomb".

Witnesses described seeing a large object hit the building, causing damage to the exterior.

Dozens of firefighters worked through the night and into Wednesday to tackle the blaze at the Industrias Químicas del Óxido de Etileno plant.

A reporter for Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Jesús Navarro, tweeted an image showing a mangled structure at the factory site.

Water was sprayed over tanks containing chemicals to keep them cool.

The factory produces chemicals such as ethylene oxide - which can be used to make antifreeze, pesticides and to sterilise hospital equipment - and propylene oxide, which is used to make plastics. Both are extremely flammable.

Firefighters spray water after a large fire broke out at the chemical factory in Tarragona, Spain, 15 January 2020 — Image captionLarge tanks containing chemicals at the plant were sprayed with water to keep them cool

A piece of machinery projected by an explosion at a petrochemical factory lies in a field surrounding the area of the blast in Tarragona, Spain, 15 January 2020 — Image captionAnother piece of machinery projected by the explosion was found in a field nearby

Rescue teams with search dogs found the body of the second victim, a senior staff member at the factory, in the early hours of Wednesday. The search had been called off overnight due to poor visibility and dangerous conditions.

At least two people are reported to have suffered serious burns, Catalonia's civil protection service said.

An explosion is seen through a car window, in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, 14 January 2020 — Image captionImages of the fire in Tarragona were posted on social media

Late on Tuesday Catalan leader Quim Torra told reporters: "Now we can send a message of calm and confidence to people. There is no toxicity and therefore people can carry on with their lives as normal."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez later offered support to Catalan authorities in dealing with the accident.

Roads and public transport systems in the area that were closed as a precaution were reopened on Wednesday.

Liang Jun: China's first female tractor driver, and national icon, dies

1 yuan banknote — Image captionShe was immortalised in China's one yuan banknotes

A woman who became China's first female tractor driver, and eventually a national icon, has died at the age of 90.

In 1948, Liang Jun became the only female in China to take up the job, when she enrolled in a training class for tractor drivers.

More than a decade later, an image of her proudly driving a tractor was featured on China's one-yuan banknote.

"No-one could drive as well as me," she had said in an earlier interview. "I have no regrets in this life."

Liang Jun was born in 1930 to a poor family in China's remote Heilongjiang province.

She spent most of her early years helping out at a farm as well as studying in a rural school.

In 1948, when a local school opened up a course to train tractor drivers, she seized her chance.

Photo of Liang Jun — Image captionLiang Jun seized her chance to become a tractor driver when she was just 18

According to local media, there were 70 students in the class - with Liang Jun being the only woman. She eventually completed her training and became the country's first female tractor driver.

A year later, communist leader Mao Zedong announced the creation of the People's Republic of China.

Long journey from a poor childhood

By Michael Bristow, BBC World Service Asia-Pacific editor

In previous eras in China, nobles, poets and military leaders were the ones to admire. But when the communists took power in 1949, a new kind of hero was born - the model worker, a concept already in use in the Soviet Union.

The Chinese state promoted poor, hard-working individuals whose dedication to building a socialist country was held up for others to follow.

Liang Jun was one of the first, and one of the best known, model workers. Her smiling face as she drives her tractor on the one yuan banknote was supposed to inspire others to similar heights of achievement.

It was not just class barriers she broke down either. Liang Jun became a symbol for all Chinese women, and the possibilities that now opened up for them. She herself made full use of those opportunities. She became an engineer and a politician; a long journey from an impoverished childhood.

Liang Jun joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a member and was later sent to a school in Beijing to learn more about agricultural machinery.

She returned to Heilongjiang upon finishing her studies and was posted to work in the Agricultural Machinery Research Institute.

In 1962, China began printing banknotes that featured an image of her driving a tractor.

The communist party had prioritised the mobilising of women - especially those in the countryside - in the country's growing labour force.

Featuring women in various occupations was a way of promoting this, with "no occupation more promoted than that of the female tractor driver", according to the Oxford Handbook of the History of Communism.

As China pushed Liang Jun into the limelight, her story was also printed in textbooks and is said to have inspired dozens of other women to become tractor drivers.

In 1990, she retired from her position as chief engineer of the Harbin municipal bureau of agricultural machines - marking the end of several decades in the industry.

In recent years however, Liang Jun battled various illnesses.

She often shifted in and out of consciousness, and was eventually confined to her bed, said media reports.

Her son, Wang Yanbing, said she had died "peacefully" on Monday.

"She had put up a good fight," he told a Harbin news outlet. "She was always happiest when people talked about her as China's first female tractor driver."

On social media website Weibo, tributes flowed in for Liang Jun, after her death became the top trend.

"She showed that whatever men can do, women could do as well," said one commenter.

"Goodbye to this woman who held up half the sky," said another comment, referencing a famous phrase by Mao Zedong.

"She worked hard and became the heroine of her generation," another said. "Goodbye Liang Jun. We salute you."

Student rape reports: The battle to be believed

Three women who reported being violently sexually assaulted by fellow students – including one woman who says she was bitten and left with bruises – have told the BBC the perpetrators got away with it.

A number of UK universities say they are taking action to improve safety on campus but, as reports of sexual misconduct at universities rise, questions remain about how seriously the issue is being taken.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse or violence, help and support is available at BBC Action Line.

Video produced by Megan Fisher.

15 Jan 2020

REWILDING

Reconnecting with nature 'triggers' eco-actions

By Mark KinverEnvironment reporter

Image captionThe study suggests there is a strong link between exposure to nature and behaving in a sustainable manner

People who have access to nature or urban green spaces are much more likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways, a study suggests.

Researchers used a representative sample of 24,000 people in England for their study of green behaviour.

The findings also showed that people who were not exposed to green spaces were less likely to adopt green behaviours, such as recycling.

The findings will appear in the journal Environment International.

The team of scientists from South-West England found that the link between access to green spaces and a greater level of green behaviour was true across the social board, whether it was older people, younger people, rich or poor, male or female.

Green spaces 'improve mental health'

Wellbeing helps conservation case

'Millions lack access to green spaces'

"The message that we want to get out is that reconnecting with nature may promote sustainable behaviour," explained co-author Ian Alcock from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter.

Big picture

Dr Alcock explained that previous studies had highlighted a link that if people had more connections to nature, they were more likely to make more green choices.

"But the evidence came from small-scale experiments and from small-scale surveys," he told BBC News.

Men on a bench under a pine tree — Image captionIn order to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour, policymakers should look to ensure access to green spaces in towns and cities

"What we wanted to do was to test that idea on a large scale, so we took a large nationally representative sample of the population of England.

People who took part in the study were asked a range of questions, such as whether they recycled, bought eco-friendly brands, bought local or seasonal produce etc.

"People who made more nature visits were more likely to engage in recycling and more likely to engage in green travel and were more likely to engage in environmental volunteering.

"The take-home message for policymakers is that we should encourage these active exposures to nature in order to encourage greater environmentalism.

"What this suggests to us, from a policy viewpoint, is that there should be efforts to increase contact through improving both social participation also through the physical infrastructure, through promises to improve access to natural spaces in urban settings.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment