Allegiance urges other companies to bid

Takeover target Allegiance Mining NL is encouraging third parties to make a bid for the company.
After issuing its target's statement rejecting Zinifex Ltd's unsolicited bid of up to $744.93 million, Allegiance said in an accompanying presentation that it had received several approaches from domestic and international parties expressing interest in holding talks.
In a media teleconference on Thursday, chairman Tony Howland-Rose would not confirm the identity of the potential suitors but said the interest was particularly from overseas.
Mr Howland-Rose indicated that discussions with the parties were either at a very early stage or had not yet commenced.
"In producing this target's statement, we've had our concentration on that and evaluation of the offer," Mr Howland-Rose said.
"We are and will review any offer we receive on its merit ... and will encourage those offers to be made."
He could not say whether Allegiance's largest shareholder, China's Jinchuan Group Ltd, would lift its stake from 10.4 per cent to help Allegiance fend off unattractive takeover bids, or even make a bid for the nickel miner itself.
"Our relationship with Jinchuan is a long term one," he said.
"I would never second-guess them."
He said it was too early to open Allegiance's data room to scrutiny and rejected suggestions it could commission an independent expert to verify the quality of the company's landholdings.
In knocking back Zinifex's bid, Mr Howland-Rose emphasised the exploration potential of thee landholdings surrounding Allegiance's flagship Avebury nickel mine, where production is scheduled to begin this quarter.
"I can't talk about the promise enough ... The future lies with what we will find," he said.
"The area we hold is very prospective.
"It would not surprise me in my 46 years of working in Tasmania ... if we were to discover a big lead deposit or tin deposit in the areas that we hold."
He said the Godkin prospect east of the company's Melba prospect - which was acquired ironically from Zinifex in August last year - was one of the target's top untested targets.
He also singled out the geothermal potential of Allegiance's land.
In a statement, Allegiance said shareholders holding a total of 21.5 per cent of the company agreed that Zinifex's takeover offer was inadequate or that they intended to reject the bid.
"Our shares have traded above the (90 cent) bid price since the beginning of that offer," Mr Howland-Rose told journalists.
Zinifex's offer expires on February 8.
Allegiance shares were steady on $1.055 at 1240 AEDT Thursday, valuing the company at $817.55 million.
Zinifex was up 14 cents to $10.16.

Antarctica an incredible experience: Garrett

Posted Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:32pm AEDT Updated Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:23pm AEDT

Mr Garrett believes the air link will boost Australia's scientific research on Antarctica. Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has praised the efforts of the people who have worked to establish a passenger air link between Australia to Antarctica.
The Airbus A319 left Hobart last night and landed at Wilkins Runway, 70 kilometres from Casey Station.
It flew back into Hobart this morning.
The Australian Antarctic Division hopes to make the trip about 20 times each year to expand the organisation's research.
Mr Garrett says the flight is a significant achievement.
"To descend out of the sky across this Antarctic continent and see a beautifully constructed airstrip on blue ice in the middle of this vast Antarctic expanse was a really incredible experience," he said.
Mr Garrett believes the air link will boost Australia's scientific research on the continent.
"It's taken years and years and years, but we now have an opportunity to greatly expand the visitation by scientists to Antarctica," he said.

Flight of the honey bee threatens pollination

Posted Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:07am AEDT
Tasmanian seed and crop farmers are concerned that dwindling bee numbers could affect their livelihood.
Many farmers hire bees from local beekeepers to pollinate vegetable plants in summer, as bees are the only option for pollination in Tasmania.
But the bee population is under threat from overseas disease and pests, and the felling of leatherwood trees is removing the bees' best honey-making nectar.
Bishopsbourne seed farmer Bruce Goss says he can not do his job without bees.
"The amount of bees that are in the pollinating system at the moment, we're getting by," he said.
"But the risk of losing that would be detrimental to our whole industry.
"I mean we just couldn't grow the crops that we do without the ability to pollinate them, it'd be a waste of time."
Farmers say jobs in the vegetable seed export industry could be at risk.
Mr Goss says local seed producers and exporters would have to shut down without the bees, and vegetable seeds would have to be outsourced.
"The seed to grow those vegetables from would come from somewhere else in the world and then you're bringing in the risk of disease and other things," he said.
"I mean, we do it all the time, but if we can provide what we need within the state then it's better for everyone.
"There's more jobs for everyone here and we're not paying somewhere else in the world to survive."

New apple variety set to 'jazz' up market

By Damien Hooper
Tuesday, 15/01/2008
If you've got a favourite type of apple it might have taken you a while to pick out because of all the different varieties around today. That decision is about to get a little harder with the introduction of a new variety called the 'Jazz' apple. Ken Bell is the Managing Director of Top Qual in Tasmania, he says that this new variety of apple will be good for the consumer."Well the Jazz apple is a cross between a Gala and a Braeburn with the Gala being the strong parent, so it's got the colour of a Gala but the shape of a Braeburn.""It's keeping qualities will be exceptional, it will have long shelf life, it's a good storage apple so the consumer will be able to put it in the bowl at home and it will last for a long time.""It's been trialed for many years and it's taking the world by storm as a very popular apple. In Australia, Montague Fresh have successfully acquired the licence from New Zealand and we (Top Qual) have a sub-licence to Montague for Tasmania," said Mr Bell.The new variety of apple is only in initial stages of growing and won't be available until early next year.

The Year of the Spud

Not many vegetables have an entire year dedicated to them, but then again, the potato isn't just any old vegetable. First eaten by South Americans 5000 years ago, and enjoyed by people the world over ever since, the potato is a good source of carbohydrate and vitamin C, and could even be the solution to food shortages in the developing world. With all that going for it, it's perhaps little wonder the United Nations has named 2008 the International Year of the Potato.

Environment and shipping by sea

Another intertesting fact from www.shipsandboxes.com

Environment
Container shipping is the most environmentally sound way to transport large volumes of goods across the world. Most of the world’s manufactured goods and products travel by container ship and, when this startling fact is considered, the relative impact upon the environment is low in comparison to other modes of transport.
For example, for every kilometre that a container ship carries a ton of cargo, it is far more energy efficient and emits much less in the way of harmful CO2 emissions than any other type of freight transport, including airplane, truck and train. It is estimated that on average a container ship emits around 40 times less CO2 than a large freight aircraft and over three times less than a heavy truck. Container shipping is also estimated to be two and a half times more energy efficient than rail and 7 times more so than road.
Even so, the industry recognises it cannot rest on its laurels. It is by definition a large industry and of course it does have an impact on the world around it. Container shipping companies are therefore working hard, alongside environmental agencies and governments, to minimise all impacts upon the environment.
For example, all member lines of CSIS work with, or are full members of, the Clean Cargo Working Group and the World Shipping Council. The Clean Cargo Working Group, set up by Business for Social Responsibility, develops voluntary guidelines and metrics aimed at improving freight transport’s performance in environmental sustainability. By taking a cooperative, pan-industry approach, the group helps to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability in a competitive market. Working with legislators, appropriate government agencies and international organisations, the World Shipping Council focuses specifically on the areas of vessel air emissions, ballast water management, and the protection of North Atlantic Right Whales and coral reefs.
As well as industry regulations and voluntary codes of conduct, there are a great many environmentally-focused design features specifically built into containers and the ships that carry them. For example:
It is now possible to recycle 98% of most container ships
Containers are made of steel and are 100% recyclable
If they are not recycled to make new steel products they often become ‘static’ containers which can have charitable uses, such as schools in developing countries, or use as storage
Many container shipping lines take steps to ensure that their ships travel at the optimum speed for efficient fuel consumption
Developments in hull and propeller design continue to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions – in fact a container ship now typically emits about a quarter of the CO2 it did in the 1970s as well as carrying up to ten times as many containers
Use of lower sulphur fuels is increasing and maximum sulphur content allowed in marine heavy fuel is now limited to 4.5%, or as low as 1.5% in some areas
All fuel is cleaned by filters and purifiers on board before use to help produce cleaner emissions
The majority of container shipping lines have replaced tin-based ‘anti-fouling’ paint on ship hulls with a more environmentally-friendly alternative
New paints that keep hulls free of barnacles and other sea life offer energy efficiencies of around 10%
Furthermore, container shipping companies have risk management plans, environmental policies and trained staff available so they can anticipate and avoid, or react to, environmental issues or crises.
So through this mix of regulation, voluntary codes of conduct and from environmentally-aware design to operation, the container shipping industry is continually striving to reduce its impact on our environment.

Interesting facts from www.shipsandboxes.com

Container ships
Innovation and rapid growth in the container shipping industry have thrown up a wealth of statistics and superlatives. The next time you see a building six storeys high, remember that this is the size of the engine in a large container ship. If you see a double-decker bus, it’s the size of the rudder. And if you think a mile is a long way, consider that it can take a container ship eight times that distance to stop!
There are over 4,000 container ships afloat around the world*. Most of these – about 94% – have been built since 1980.
Container ships have an approximate lifespan of 26 years.
A large container ship engine has about 1,000 times more power than a family car.
A large fully-laden container ship can weigh the equivalent of 300 jumbo jets.
The world’s biggest container ships are about 1,300 feet long - that’s nearly 400 metres or the distance around an Olympic running track - with a maximum width of 180 feet (55 metres). Their engines weigh 2,300 tons, their propellers 130 tons, and there are twenty-one storeys between their bridge and their engine room. They can be operated by teams of just thirteen people and a sophisticated computer system and carry an astonishing 11,000 20-foot containers. If that number of containers were loaded onto a train it would need to be 44 miles or 71 kilometres long!
In an average year a large container ship travels three-quarters of the distance to the moon. That means that in its lifetime it travels to the moon and back nearly ten times.
Container ships have the capacity to carry several warehouses-worth of goods, which makes one journey very efficient.
A container of refrigerators can moved from a factory in Malaysia to a port and then be shipped the journey of roughly 9,000 miles/14,484 kilometres to Los Angeles in just 16 days.
Container ships carry their containers both on and below deck. Deck-stowed containers on a 11,000 TEU vessel are stacked up to seven to eight high and nineteen across, inter-locked with fittings and secured by special lashings.
Ships generally carry a mix of 20-foot and 40-foot boxes. Most can also carry 45-foot and 48-foot containers on deck.
The gantry cranes that load and unload container ships can be 430 feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 tons
The information technology used on container ships is remarkably advanced. A good example is the computer software that enables precise planning for the loading and unloading of containers and keeps the vessel balanced by increasing and decreasing ballast at the touch of a button.
It is estimated that on average a container ship emits around 40 times less CO2 than a large freight aircraft and over three times less than a heavy truck. Container shipping is also estimated to be two and a half times more energy efficient than rail and 7 times more so than road.
Weekly safety and fire drill sessions take place for all crewmembers when the vessel is at sea to make sure that they are practised for any real emergencies.
* Drewry Shipping Consultants Ltd