A first step in playing a front-line role in saving the oceans

I read Seakeepers paper “11 Critical Ocean Issues, with Action Items for Concerned Citizens” (http://www.seakeepers.org/) and was very impressed by its content and the society’s objective.

I consider myself a sailor and “a man of the sea” and I would like to try to take some of the actions described in the city of Guaruja (http://www.guaruja.com.br/) - Sao Paulo – Brazil, concentrating at first in the pollution issue, one of the biggest problems of the city that sends all the sewage directly to the ocean.

I think that this would be (quoting part of Seakeepers mission) “...a first step in playing a front-line role in saving the oceans..."

At least in the beach community of Guarujá…You see, I believe in small steps.

But maybe my small steps, combined in some way with Big steps…like the one being made by Jean-Michel Cousteau’s (www.aote.org), DOW Brazil and the Programa Mangue Limpo - Unisanta (http://www.universiabrasil.net/noticia/materia_dentrodocampus.jsp?not=35690), that together, has launched this February, 23 in the city of Guarujá the environmental education program, Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) (http://www.aote.org/menu/prog/out/index.htm) an outreach program for elementary and middle school students with the goal of helping young people connect with the environment, each other and the future…can make a difference.

You are welcome if you want to help.

Wondering where and how all the data collected in the world is going to be used…

This one is more a concern than a comment...

At a recent Microsoft-sponsored database conference, Paul Flessner, Microsoft Senior Vice President of Server Applications, discussed the growth of data capacity requirements in layman’s terms:

• 1 MB (one million characters or so) = two novels (about 500 pages);
• 1 GB (1,000 MB) = about 1900 novels;
• 1 TB (1,000 GB) = about 1.9 million books (requiring 15 miles of bookshelves and 50,000 trees);
• 10 TB = about the size of the Library of Congress (LOC), or 19M books;
• 1 PB (1,000 TB) = 100 LOC's; in dollars, more money than in all the world's banks;
• 12 EB (1,000 PB) = total of human knowledge through 1999 (about 1.2 million LOC's)

The next 12 EB were created by 2002; 7 EB was created in 2003 alone.

At this rate, I don’t think humans could possibly keep up with all the data created and recorded.

It’s also clear that we keep accumulating data and that with technology, there is no restriction on the amount of data we can keep.

Anyway, I was wondering, after we get beyond the next+next 12 EB my question is: Where and how the data is going to be used?

New UCP 600: check its impact on your import/ export routine

The International Chamber of Commerce - ICC - announced in Paris, 4 December 2006, the publication of the 2007 Revision of Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits or, just UCP 600, (ICC Publication No. 600).

ICC’s new rules on documentary credits, which are used for letter of credit transactions worldwide, were approved by the ICC Commission on Banking Technique and Practice on 25 October 2006.

The implementation date is 1 July 2007 so, if you are involved in export/ import, hurry to understand it (more: http://www.iccwbo.org).

Basically, UCP 600 contains significant changes to the existing rules, including:

• A reduction in the number of articles from 49 to 39;
• New articles on “Definitions” and “Interpretations” providing more clarity and precision in the rules;
• A definitive description of negotiation as “purchase” of drafts of documents;
• The replacement of the phrase “reasonable time” for acceptance or refusal of documents by a maximum period of five banking days.

UCP 600 also includes the 12 Articles of the eUCP, ICC’s supplement to the UCP governing presentation of documents in electronic or part-electronic form.

What’s UCP 600 impact on your import/ export routine? Well, check any letter of Credit and you will see it written into virtually every one.