Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions

  This web site is part of an academic, open, community-based project. It is dedicated in collecting and presenting data which are exploited in research areas, such as:
- Study of marine telecommunications in respect of efficiency and propagation parameters
- Simulation of vessel movements in order to contribute to the safety of navigation and to cope with critical incidents
- Interactive information systems design
- Design of databases providing real-time information
- Statistical processing of ports traffic with applications in operational research
- Design of models for the spotting of the origin of a pollution
- Design of efficient algorithms for sea path evaluation and for determining the estimated time of ship arrivals
- Correlation of the collected information with weather data
- Cooperation with Institutes dedicated in the protection of the environment
It provides free real-time information to the public, about ship movements and ports, mainly across the coast-lines of Europe and N.America.

Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions

Air-freight food must pass fair trade test to retain organic label in future

Food air-freighted to Britain from developing countries will only bear an organic label in future if it can be shown that it was produced to fair trade standards as well as high environmental standards, the Soil Association said yesterday.

The move by Britain's leading organic inspectors follows concern about the climate change impact of food flown long distances and fears that some developing countries are in danger of losing markets due to new "green" protectionism.

The association rejected calls from the public, environmentalists and some of its own producers for a ban on all air-freighted organic food, deciding this would penalise many poor countries which benefit in terms of jobs and wages from growing organic food for British consumers.

Link to Air-freight food must pass fair trade test to retain organic label in future | Environment | The Guardian

Learning centre

Plan is a child-centred community development organisation with no religious or political affiliations, enabling families and communities in the poorest countries to make lasting improvements to the lives of their children.

Because I am a Girl encourages students to explore and examine the role of girls in society and identify the differences between the experiences and expectations of girls and boys around the world. It accompanies the report ‘Because I am a Girl: The state of the world's girls 2007’ published by Plan.

Water in Kenya looks at the impact of water shortages in Kenya and the wider world. Students will begin to asses the impact that water shortages will have on them individually and the world as a whole.

Fair Trade in Pakistan begins to explore the idea of Fair Trade and the affect we can have in the developing world through Fair Trade. Students will develop an understanding about where products originate from and social responsibility.

Child Labour in India introduces the country of India to young people and examines the practice of child labour. It encourages young people to examine their own life and compare their experiences with those in India.

Make the link, break the chain examines the history of the transatlantic slave trade as well as the forms of slavery which still exist in the world today. It was developed from a project which linked schools in Brazil, Haiti, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the UK.

Togo: making choices has been designed to help UK children explore the ideas of needs, choices and fairness whilst learning about the lives of children in Togo.

Real life in Ghana explores similarities and differences between life in the UK and in Ghana. It draws on multimedia extracts of Ghanaian children, discovering everything from their daily routines through to the games that they play.

A global identity looks at the idea of our identity and how it can be used to distinguish and unite us all.

Speak out on Africa introduces the continent of Africa and encourages pupils to think about how their voice could facilitate change there. The work is an introduction to youth advocacy.

Visit a virtual village Experience a virtual visit to an African village. Nyalakot is a rural farming community of about 6,200 people where poverty is endemic and average income amounts to about £130 per person a year – less than 60 pence a day. Meet community members, children, students and adults.

Stop Disasters game Play this interactive game where you plan and construct an environment for a community affected by natural hazards.

Link to Learning centre

Make Trade Fair - Oxfam International

More than a year ago, the Ethiopian government approached Starbucks global HQ in Seattle and asked the company to recognise Ethiopia’s legal ownership of the names of its coffees.
Ethiopia's ownership of its coffee names could bring substantial benefits to the 15 million poor Ethiopians who depend on coffee for their livelihood. By owning the rights to its fine coffee names- Harar, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe- Ethiopia can help its farmers negotiate a better price, potentially increasing income for the country’s coffee industry by an estimated $88 million a year. This would help lift millions of farmers and their families out of poverty, helping them to send their children to school and access healthcare.
After initially dismissing Ethiopia 's plan to trademark its specialty coffees, Starbucks, which came under international pressure from campaigners, has now said it is ready to recognize Ethiopia 's right to pursue this path. So far, more than 90,000 people across the globe have called on Starbucks to sign such an agreement. This support has pushed Starbucks to hold meetings with the Ethiopian government to discuss the issue. Despite its much-publicised commitments to Ethiopia’s farmers, Starbucks has not taken the Ethiopian request seriously. It’s time for Starbucks to recognise Ethiopia’s right to the legal ownership of its own coffee names.

Link to Make Trade Fair - Oxfam International

LINK Starbucks case study

LINK Interactive diagrams on the ISSUES

Black Gold : The Official Site

Multinational coffee companies now rule our shopping malls and supermarkets and dominate the industry worth over $80 billion, making coffee the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil.

But while we continue to pay for our lattes and cappuccinos, the price paid to coffee farmers remains so low that many have been forced to abandon their coffee fields.

Nowhere is this paradox more evident than in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Tadesse Meskela is one man on a mission to save his 74,000 struggling coffee farmers from bankruptcy. As his farmers strive to harvest some of the highest quality coffee beans on the international market, Tadesse travels the world in an attempt to find buyers willing to pay a fair price.

Against the backdrop of Tadesse's journey to London and Seattle, the enormous power of the multinational players that dominate the world's coffee trade becomes apparent. New York commodity traders, the international coffee exchanges, and the double dealings of trade ministers at the World Trade Organisation reveal the many challenges Tadesse faces in his quest for a long term solution for his farmers.

Link to Black Gold : The Official Site

Fair trade

It is Fair Trade Fortnight 26 February - 11 March 2007. The theme is "Change Today, Choose Fairtrade". There are 2500 Fairtrade certified products are now available.

CLICK the image