True Spirit! CBS Interviews Jessica Watson, The Youngest Person to Sail Solo Around the World

Posted by transportgooru on September 9, 2010 in Funny Stuff, Marine/Waterway, Navigation, Ports, Travel

On May 15, 2010, after 210 days at sea and more than 22,000 nautical miles, 16-year-old Jessica Watson sailed her 33-foot boat back to land. The courageous teenager from Queensland, Australia is now entered the record books as the youngest person to sail solo, unassisted, and nonstop around the world. Ever since her return she was busy dealing withe media frenzy and somehow managed to find time to write a book, True Spirit, sharing her experiences from this journey around the globe. Recently, she was in New York to promote her book and sat down for an interview with CBS’ Early Show (shown below). Listening to her not only makes you feel proud of her achievement but also appreciate the daring sense of exploration that many of us won’t even have at our 20s and 30s. Here is her interview with Harry the Early Show’s Harry Smith:

Tags: Abby Sunderland, Australia, CBS, Early Show, Harry Smith, Jessica Watson, Oceania, Queensland, Sailing, Solo Sailing Around teh World, True Spirit, Youngest Person to Sail Around the World

Amsterdam’s canal belt gets added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List

Posted by transportgooru on August 5, 2010 in Governance, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Society/Social Issues, Travel

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has agreed to add Amsterdam’s famous canal belt to the World Heritage List, the Dutch government said on Sunday.

Tags: Amsterdam, Canal Belt, Dutch, Dutch Government, Netherlands, North Holland, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, United Nations Educational, World Heritage List, World Heritage Site

Transportation Reboot – AASHTO Study: Growing Freight Demands Reaching Transportation Crisis

Posted by transportgooru on July 12, 2010 in Economy, Energy, Finance, Freight, Governance, Highways, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Ports, Research, Society/Social Issues

AASHTO released its latest report, Unlocking Freight, at a national news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, and at two regional news conferences in Tennessee and Pennsylvania on July 8th. The report includes new data, state examples of urgent capacity needs, and solutions to solve the pending transportation crisis in America’s freight system. The reports shows that investments are well below what are needed to maintain – much less improve – the movement of freight in this country. As a result, according to this report, the transportation system that supports the movement of freight across America is facing a crisis.

Tags: AASHTO, Commercial Shipping, CVO, FMCSA, Freight, Gridlock, Interstate Highway System, Transportation Planning, Transportation Reboot, Unlocking Freight

“A Whale” enters the fight against oil spill in the Gulf Coast

Posted by transportgooru on July 1, 2010 in Energy, Environment, Freight, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Ports

The Taiwanese-flagged former tanker named the “A Whale” is the length of 3 1/2 football fields and stands 10 stories high. It just emerged from an extensive retrofitting to prepare it specifically for the Gulf, where officials hope it will be able to suck up as much as 21 million gallons of oil-fouled water per day.

Tags: A Whale, BP, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Louisiana, Oil Skimmer, Oil Spill Cleanup, Oil tanker

Publication Alert: Aviation and Marine Transportation: GHG Mitigation Potential and Challenges

Posted by transportgooru on January 4, 2010 in Aviation, Energy, Environment, Freight, Governance, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Ports, Public Policy, Research, Society/Social Issues

I came across this excellent report, Aviation and Marine Transportation: GHG Mitigation Potential and Challenges, via an article on Washington Post and felt compelled to share with you all. This report published by The Pew Center on Global Climate Change examines growth projections for emissions from both aviation and marine transportation and options to reduce those emissions. Aviation and marine transportation combined are responsible for approximately 5 percent of total GHG emissions in the United States and 3 percent globally and are among the fastest growing modes in the transportation sector. Under business-as-usual forecasts, CO2 emissions from global aviation are estimated to grow 3.1 percent per year over the next 40 years, resulting in a 300 percent increase in emissions by 2050.International marine transportation emissions are estimated to grow by 1 to 2 percent per year, increasing by at least 50 percent over 2007 levels by 2050. Controlling the growth in aviation and marine transportation GHG emissions will be an important part of reducing emissions from the transportation sector.

Tags: Airline Industry, Aviation, Aviation and Marine Transportation: GHG Mitigation Potential and Challenges, Carbon Emissions, Green House Gases, Marine Transportation Emissions, Pollution, The Pew Center on Global Climate Change

China strengthens transportation infrastructure muscle, again; Starts construction of world’s longest sea bridge (37.6 kms)

Posted by transportgooru on December 16, 2009 in Economy, Finance, Freight, Governance, Highways, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Travel

“It is designed with a service life of 120 years. It can withstand the impact of a strong wind with a speed of 51 meters a second, or equal to a maximum Beaufort scale 16 (184 to 201kmph),” said Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of the project construction. “It can also resist the impact of a magnitude-8 earthquake and a 300,000-tonne vessel.”

Tags: China Infrastructure Development, Chinese Road Infrastructure Project, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, HZMB, World's Longest Sea Bridge

Do Your Bit to Reverse Climate Change Today! Blog Action Day 2009 – October 15, 2009

Posted by transportgooru on October 15, 2009 in Automotives, Energy, Environment, Governance, Hybrids, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Opinion Columns, Pedestrian & Bicycles, Ports, Public Policy, Rail, Research, Society/Social Issues, Special Events, Transit, Travel

You may ask what difference does it make by simply dropping a blog post on Climate Change? The possibilities are endless. Your one post can inspire someone else to write about this issue. The more people write about, the more people will get to read, and thus we create an awareness about the on going problem. In the cacophony of today’s world, too many people have no time to even stop and think about this very important issue that threatens our very existence on this planet. If your blog can divert the attention of someone – a friend on Facebook, or a random reader from Timbuktu who has subscribed to your blog’s RSS – even for a moment and make them think how they have contributed to this generations effort to save the planet, you have done your bit. Trust me — that’s how we all make a difference in this world – in our own little ways.

Tags: Blog Action Day, climate change, Environment, Environmental Degradation, October 15, Planet Earth, Pollution

Event Alert: Pricing Transportation Infrastructure Executive Program — November 16-18, 2009 @ Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Posted by transportgooru on September 30, 2009 in Aviation, Economy, Education, Events, Finance, Governance, Highways, ITS/Telematics, Infrastructure, Marine/Waterway, Ports, Public Policy, Society/Social Issues, Tolling/ETC, Transit

[ November 16, 2009 to November 18, 2009. ] Funding of transportation-related infrastructure is at a crossroads. Traditional funding mechanisms, such as general and specific tax revenues, are proving to be insufficient to maintain existing facilities and fund expanded capacity. Infrastructure providers and operators are looking to users to make up for the shortfall. Transport-related infrastructure offers an exceptional opportunity for raising funds to establish and/or sustain such infrastructure while providing an attractive return on investment to both public and private investors. Key to achieving such returns are the prices charged to users. But how should user charges be set?

Tags: Congestion Pricing, Publi Sector Infrastructure Development, Return on Investment, Road User Fees, Transportation Infrastructure Pricing, User Fee

No More Spy Shots! Russian Tycoon Roman Abromvich’s Mega-Yacht Goes Papparazzi-Proof With Hi-tech Laser Shield

Posted by transportgooru on September 21, 2009 in Finance, Gizmos News (via Gizmodo), Marine/Waterway, Ports, Research, Society/Social Issues, Travel

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has a rather curious new addition built in to his latest oversized yacht. The 557-foot boat Eclipse, the price tag of which has almost doubled since original plans were drawn to almost $1.2 billion, set sail this week with a slew of show-off features, from two helipads, two swimming pools and six-foot movie screens in all guest cabins, to a mini-submarine and missile-proof windows to combat piracy.

Tags: a great white castle on water, Blohm + Voss German shipyard, Eclipse Yacht, Laser-shield, Papparazi-Proof, Roman Abromovich, ThyssenKrupp AG

NY Times outlines the difficulties facing re-authorization; Legislation for a 21st Century Transportation System Doesn’t Come Easy

Posted by transportgooru on September 17, 2009 in Economy, Energy, Environment, Finance, Freight, Governance, Highways, ITS/Telematics, Infrastructure, Law Enforcement/Legal, Marine/Waterway, Pedestrian & Bicycles, Ports, Public Policy, Research, Society/Social Issues, Tolling/ETC, Transit

According to a Center for Public Integrity report released yesterday, there are nearly 1,800 special interest groups lobbying Congress on the transportation bill, ranging from local officials and planning agencies to real estate companies, construction firms and universities. In the first half of this year, the groups employed more than 2,000 lobbyists and spent an estimated total of $45 million on their transportation lobbying.

Tags: Center for Public Integrity, GreenWire, James Oberstar, Oberstar, SAFETEA-LU, Surface Transportation re-authorization, Transportation Reauthorization