Offshore platform tests bird-friendly lighting The Hague (AFP) Aug 24, 2007 Dutch Petrol company NAM is testing new lighting by electronics giant Philips to improve safety for migratory birds who can get disoriented by brightly-lit offshore platforms, the companies said Friday. They said the new green-hued lighting on the platform "less distracts birds during their migration across the North Sea". Some 60 million birds cross the North Sea on their way to warmer climates. Under certain weather conditions the animals can get attracted by the bright lights of the offshore platforms. The birds fly around the platform aimlessly or land and stay there for a long time, often becoming too weak to reach the coast. NAM platform L15, in the Dutch part of the North Sea off the northern part of the country, is "the first platform in the world to be equipped with the new type of lighting". Almost all the floodlights, some 380 lamps, have been replaced with the green coloured lights during the trial period. According to Philips birds are particularly attracted by red tones in the light and much less by blue or green tones. Already the workers on the platforms have seen "far fewer disoriented birds", according to a press release. The first scientific results of the test will be known after the main bird migration season this autumn. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
China oil giants reject pollution insurance scheme Beijing (AFP) Aug 24, 2007 China's two leading oil producers have snubbed a new policy forcing companies to buy pollution insurance, claiming insurers cannot afford the compensation, state media said Friday. |
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