World Bank: China's BRI Needs Transparency
China's global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could boost economies and reduce poverty rates in dozens of developing countries, but it must be accompanied by increased transparency, said World Bank.A new World Bank Group study on the BRI transportation corridors said that improvement in risks environmental damage, debt and corruption should be made.BRI is an ambitious programme to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks along six corridors with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth.President Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy aims to reinvent the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime…
OGA Releases Mid North Sea High Map
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) of UK has released regional maps and supporting data for the Mid North Sea High area.The data represent the latest delivery from the OGA’s Regional Geological Mapping project which has been carried out in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register (LR) over the last three years.The OGA named LR in 2016 as its trusted supplier for the Regional Exploration Maps and Regional and Field Support Engineering Services bids for the UKCS. "At LR, we understand that every reservoir is different and that each has its own unique challenges and potential, we deliver insight and solutions to help optimise reservoir performance…
USGS iCoast – Did the Coast Change?
Hurricane season starts again this June. Do you know what happens to our coasts after these extreme storms? The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has launched a new crowdsourcing application called “iCoast – Did the Coast Change?” to show you these coastal changes from extreme storms. iCoast allows citizen scientists to identify changes to the coast by comparing aerial photographs taken before and after storms. Crowdsourced data from iCoast will help USGS improve predictive models of coastal change and educate the public about the vulnerability of coastal communities to extreme storms.
Where is Government Transparency?
President Obama pledged in his first four years of office to have a more transparent government. He issued a memorandum on transparency and open government on his second day in office directing agencies to make information more available to the public in a timely manner. Sadly, the Administration has failed to achieve this goal and its decision making processes have become more opaque. The public has a right to know how the Administration develops its policies and this can only occur if the Administration is open and transparent.
SSI Concerns Continue
I recently expressed concern that the regulations promulgated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on May 18, 2004 relating to Protection of Sensitive Security Information (SSI) are overbroad. Comments were received from some of my readers stating that the recent USCG Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) regarding Guidelines for Handling of SSI was not, as I asserted, SSI because the NVIC stated that USCG policy is that only USCG documents marked ‘SSI’ are actually SSI. I do not concur. Under the TSA regulations, which are controlling, SSI consists of a long list of information the disclosure of which would, in the opinion of TSA, be detrimental to the security of transportation.
