The two-kilowatt power equipment comes from the European Union and is manufactured in China, distributed in the four provinces of central Cuba (Camagüey, Ciego Ávila, Sancti Spíritus and Villa Clara), which were affected in 2017. by Hurricane Irma, specifically in the northern municipalities.

In statements to the local press, engineer Juan Carlos Lacaba, main specialist of the Renewable Energy Sources Business Unit, attached to the Provincial Electric Company, assured that the most remote coastal towns of Nuevitas, Sierra de Cubitas, Minas and Esmeralda will be the beneficiaries, in the case of Camagüey.

“The UNDP focuses with this donation on vulnerable families, with women with more than one child and that their housing was in unfavorable construction conditions, that is also the policy of the Cuban state, in addition all these nuclei were affected by Hurricane Irma, and they are people who do not have current by any means of the National Electroenergetic System”, he said.

Already in Camagüey, in the four mentioned coastal municipalities “109 panels of this type of the 342 have been assembled, and instructions and training have been given to people for their use, since there are equipment that cannot be connected because they have more power than the one admitted”, argued the engineer.

Modern panels, “one of the best that has entered Cuba, and these systems have advantages, since they resist inductive loads, they also have motors with a rotating process, and great autonomy due to their battery that allows them, even if the day is without sun or in a cold front, load up and put yourself at the service of the family”, according to Lacaba.

In July, the United Nations Undersecretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Luis Felipe López-Calva, was in the largest of the Antilles and exchanged with Cuban authorities.

His stay was crucial to discuss the cooperation established by the Program with the Caribbean nation in the framework of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, expressed in the National Economic and Social Development Plan.

(With information from Prensa Latina)

Matanzas is recognized for its natural values. Precisely, the sinister described as the first of this magnitude in the history of Cuba occurred very close to the bay, in an area close to different towns that were seen under the smoke coming from the place of the disaster.

The newspaper Girón spoke with Oscar García Martínez, delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma) in Matanzas, about the environmental impact of this event in the territory and the work that has been carried out to monitor and reduce damage to the environment .

—What were the main damages detected at first from the environmental point of view?

The main damages are to the atmosphere, that is, to the quality of the air, as in any fire. During the days that the fire lasted, we established a work system that allowed us to monitor the main polluting gases. Strong convective activity in the fire caused that plume of smoke to rise. The levels of contaminants measured were low, they do not compromise human health.

“A monitoring network made up of a total of 16 observers and specialists distributed throughout the most vulnerable areas was established, and they informed us every three hours about the state of the environment, if they felt irritation in the eyes, mouth and nose. In addition, the fact that visits to the Primary Health Care system have not increased means that there was no affectation associated with this event. The team, coupled with this, established measurements at five points. The indicators demonstrated compliance with Cuban standards in the environment.

“Another important element is the quality of the water in the bay. From the first moment, barriers were established to prevent a possible spill into the sea. From the second tank, there was a spill that was contained thanks to this measure. In any case, sampling is also carried out in the bay that corroborates from the visual and the contamination that there is no damage right now”.

—Matanzas has experiences regarding the containment of hydrocarbon spills. Did the studies carried out on this subject allow us to react more quickly?

As it is one of the most important provinces in terms of oil extraction and marketing, experience has been acquired from the Civil Defense and it is already known how to act in the face of a phenomenon of this type, according to research by science centers. Although it reached a large scale and we had never experienced a spill associated with a fire, the key is to be able to immediately design the observation points, the ways to control and mitigate this type of event.

—The studies carried out respond to a more immediate stage. Do you intend to develop other research on the long-term effects?

The measures mentioned correspond to the first stage. In this second phase, of recovery, we are going to follow up with another monitoring system that covers aspects related to the soil, agricultural production, traces in the milk of cattle; that is, a series of elements that allow knowing the real magnitude of the impact of the incident. The investigation can last two months.

“Then we are going to do a long-term analysis, we plan to extend it up to two more years with other parameters, to re-evaluate soil, vegetation and food chains. We will use well-designed indicators and a sampling system for the area of ​​the cone of influence of the pollutant cloud”.

—In one of the reports from Citma, they explained that the cloud contained sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, among other substances. Did these concentrations dissipate with his disappearance?

These gases come from combustion, once extinguished the flames go down considerably. Some columns of smoke may still be produced in the area due to the emissions, but now that the danger has passed, the focus that caused the increase of these pollutants into the atmosphere has disappeared, therefore the emissions are in the range in which we are used to living. the Matanzas.

—How do you deal with the population reports? Were people’s testimonials helpful?

Many townspeople joined the network of observers, alerting us if there was any anomaly. There is also a commission by the Citma subgroup of the Defense Council that deals with the situations described. We attend the place, evaluate and recommend how to act. All the cases have been related to the rains. We always warn about the need not to be exposed to it because the waters were loaded with particles that gave a black color. For example, in rural areas such as the Yumurí Valley and Corral Nuevo, the rain left a kind of soot, but it did not cause health consequences or compromise crops or livestock.

—Have acid rains been reported in Matanzas? What is the difference between this phenomenon and that blackish substance detected?

The combination of very high concentrations of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere, together with the occurrence of precipitation, causes acid rain to occur. In that period there were no downpours, rather some drizzles. It is not ruled out that in a specific place it has rained more intensely with a level of acidity higher than normal, but so far we have no reports where the pH of the water is acid. In the case of water with that dark color, it is about suspended particles.

—What is expected for the next few days according to science?

Everything indicates that what happened in the fire stage does not seem to have compromised any aspect for the future. In any case, we continue with the scientific investigations and if we discover something new, we inform it. Next month we will have an environmental impact assessment in which we will explain the most recent results. If any indicator is altered, we will analyze it and follow up on it.

(Taken from Girón Newspaper)

PFAS molecules possess carbon-fluorine bonds so strong that they were considered virtually impossible to break. However, in their study published on August 18 in the journal Science, the researchers claim to have developed a low-energy process that degrades these chemicals at mild temperatures, using cheap reagents and leaving only harmless molecules containing carbon and fluoride ions.

“The fundamental understanding of how these materials degrade is probably the most important thing to come out of this study,” said William Dichtel, co-author of the research and professor of chemistry at Northwestern University (Illinois, United States).

He and his colleagues tested their low-energy method on PFCA molecules of different chain lengths and managed to break down 10 of them. The trick was to target a group of charged oxygen atoms at the very end of the PFCA molecules.

“The action triggered all of these reactions and started knocking fluorine atoms out of the compounds to form fluoride, which is the safest form of fluorine,” Dichtel explained. “Although carbon-fluorine bonds are extremely strong, that charged headgroup is the Achilles’ heel.”

The team then used computer simulations to test the onslaught of complex chemical reactions and confirm that the byproducts were relatively harmless.

According to Shira Joudan, a researcher in environmental chemistry at the University of York, and her colleague Rylan Lundgren, from the University of Alberta, the study “provides insight into how these apparently robust compounds can undergo near-complete decomposition under unexpectedly mild conditions.” ”. These findings could be “combined with the efficient capture of PFAS from contaminated environmental sites to provide a potential solution to the eternal chemical problem,” they conclude.

However, there are more than 12,000 different PFAS chemicals recognized to date, so more research is still needed to fully understand the reactivity of these molecules and determine whether they can all be degraded using similar approaches.

(Taken from RT in Spanish)

Dr. Miriam Teresita Llanes, head of the Forecasting Center at Cuba’s Institute of Meteorology, told Granma that cloud bands associated with the system will contribute to the probability of heavy and locally intense rains in the island’s western region, principally from Artemisa to Matanzas.

Party First Secretary and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, posted a tweet noting that the government response to the storm was reviewed in a meeting of the National Defense Council’s socio-economic authority, and that no major damage was reported between Cienfuegos and Guantánamo, adding, “We will recover from any that did occur.”

Elsa made landfall in Cuba around two o’clock Monday afternoon in the Cienaga de Zapata, on the southern coast of Matanzas, about 55 kilometers west of Playa Giron, passing through the western part of Matanzas, eastern Mayabeque, and into the sea, at a point near the border of this province with Havana.

The tropical storm produced heavy rainfall on Monday, with accumulated rainfall of up to 271 and 191.5 millimeters was recorded in the towns of El Jíbaro and Topes de Collantes, respectively, and 174 millimeters in Cuatro Vientos in Cienfuegos.

In the wake of tropical storm Elsa, taking into account the epidemiological situation in the country, authorities in People’s Councils will be organized to visit damaged homes to provide support in completing repairs, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security reported on its website.

(Taken from Granma)

Cuba is ready to confront tropical storm Elsa, under the special conditions created by the epidemic, and prepared to rapidly begin recovery work, stated First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the Republic Miguel Diaz-Canel yesterday, during a joint meeting of the government COVID-19 task force and the National Defense Council’s socio-economic authority.

At this point, damages reported are concentrated in agriculture, especially in the province of Granma, the President tweeted and called on the population to stay in safe locations, to avoid any loss of human life, noting, “Discipline is key to overcoming this situation with the least possible harm.”

He likewise emphasized the professional work of the Meteorology Institute and thanked the press for keeping the population well informed, adding, “Our country rises to the occasion before adversity.”

Elsa is projected to make landfall between Cienfuegos and the Zapata Peninsula, around noon today, July 5, crossing the island to enter the Gulf of Mexico along the northern coast between the provinces of Matanzas and Artemisa this evening, according to Dr. José Rubiera.

 (Taken from Granma)

The telluric movement, located in the coordinates 19.712 of north latitude and 75.285 of west longitude, occurred at 08:19 in the evening and 24 kilometers deep, with reports of perceptibility in Santiago de Cuba city and in Niceto Perez, Caimanera and Guantanamo municipalities.

Without reports of human or material damages, the earthquake opens the earthquake statistics of the earth’s depths in the new year, marked by a high degree of unpredictability.

(Taken from Granma)

Speaking at the Virtual Summit on Climate Ambition, the Cuban head of state insisted on the need for the countries of the so-called First World to assume a leadership of solidarity in reducing emissions and providing the necessary means of implementation to poor nations.

Let us not continue to compromise human survival with irrational selfishness, he demanded at the meeting prior to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), to be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Diaz-Canel pointed out that the Cuban State Plan for Confronting Climate Change involves all sectors of the economy and society in adaptation and mitigation actions, and contains ambitious goals aimed mainly at Agriculture and Energy.

These activities generate more than 90 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the Cuban archipelago.

Despite the complex situation resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the tightening of the U.S. blockade, the island remains committed to achieving an energy matrix with 24 percent of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030, he said.

He also said that the island is working to reduce by half the use of fossil fuels in land vehicles and to increase forest coverage in its territory to 33 percent.

The Climate Ambition 2020 Summit brought together government leaders, experts and civil society representatives to agree on commitments to fulfill the Paris Agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)

The appointment is scheduled prior to the Conference of the Parties number 26 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), to be held in November 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, and the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Elba Rosa Pérez, are part of the Cuban representation at the meeting convened on this occasion by the United Nations, the United Kingdom and France, in association with Chile and Italy.

The 2020 Climate Ambition Summit seeks to agree on commitments to comply with the Paris Agreement, for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adopted on December 12, 2015.

The agenda will focus on mitigation, adaptation and financing of actions aimed at that end, in an international context characterized by the crisis derived from the Covid-19 pandemic.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)

According to information provided by local residents, the tornado moved to the north and traveled approximately 900m. Until the moment this note is prepared, there have been reports of damage to the electrical service and homes with partial and total roof damage. Taking into account the affectations it is classified as an F1.

This meteorological situation was associated with the crossing of an outer band of tropical storm Gamma that is located on the Yucatan peninsula.

(With information from the Provincial Meteorological Center of Artemisa, INSMET)

The head of state insisted that no effort be spared to show the more than four million people who visit the island every year that, despite the severe impact of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. government, traveling to Cuba will remain attractive, pleasant, and safe.

Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero Cruz reported that the Varadero International Hotel, inaugurated on September 14, stands out among new facilities opened this year, including the Paseo del Prado, in Havana; the Kempinski Resort and the Grand Muthu, in Cayo Guillermo; and the first hotel on Cayo Cruz. In addition to these are new facilities from the Encanto group in Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, Gibara, Santiago de Cuba and the capital

“Over the last 15 years we have renovated 76 heritage buildings. Of these, 64 are today Encanto boutique hotels and 18 offer extra-hotel services,” he said.

The Minister added that investments are being made in nature tourism, recreation, and popular camping; coordination is progressing with the non-state sector; and cultural tourism is being promoted. In addition, commercialization of aesthetic and medical treatments is being prioritized, through a joint strategy with the Ministry of Public Health.

Also reviewed during the meeting was the substitution of imports, with joint efforts being made by the ministries of Agriculture and Industry, for the selection of products to replace those purchased abroad. (National news staff)

PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES

- We cannot overlook everything the tourism sector brings to the country in economic and social terms, in addition to serving as a bridge, because with every tourist who visits us, he said, the imperial blockade’s regulations are being challenged.

- We must develop new tourism products, not only sun and sand vacations, but activities linked to health, culture, history, heritage, and nature, in which Cuba’s uniqueness is present.

- Many people do not come today as a result of the blockade, but we will overcome this and we will defeat it. We cannot wait until that time to expand our hotel capacity.

- The tourist industry must include collaboration between the state and non-state sectors, and be integrated with local development programs.

(Granma)