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VIKING EXPEDITION TEAM ANNOUNCES DISCOVERY OF NEW PENGUIN COLONY IN ANTARCTICA

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New Chinstrap Penguin Colony Recorded Following Survey at Astrolabe Island by Viking and Oceanites

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Viking® (www.viking.com) today announced its expedition team supported the discovery of a new colony of chinstrap penguins not previously known to science on Diaz Rock, near Astrolabe Island, in Antarctica. The finding took place in January 2024 when Viking’s expedition vessel, the Viking Octantis®, visited Astrolabe Island, a three-mile-long island, located in the Bransfield Strait of the Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica. Astrolabe Island is home to a colony of chinstrap penguins that had not been surveyed since 1987. During the visit, Viking’s scientific partner, Oceanites, the leading field research entity in Antarctic penguin monitoring, conducted a visual and thermal aerial survey. The fieldwork documented the first survey in nearly 40 years of the known chinstrap penguin colony of Astrolabe Island and in the process, discovered the additional colony on Diaz Rock. Oceanites will share additional details from the survey in a scientific paper to follow in due course.

Today’s announcement is an example of Viking’s commitment that every expedition voyage on the Viking Octantis and her identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris®, should provide opportunities for meaningful scientific discovery. The findings also come one year after Viking published its first scientific paper in Polar Research, the scientific journal of the Norwegian Polar Institute, following its expedition team’s encounters with rare giant phantom jellyfish in Antarctica.

“With our third season in Antarctica underway, we are pleased to have supported another significant scientific development that will allow for further understanding of the region,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “From the thoughtful design of our expedition vessels, each with a well-appointed Science Lab, to our partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, our intention has always been to provide our guests and scientists with opportunities for meaningful discovery during each voyage. We look forward to supporting other critical research opportunities on future voyages.”

Viking Expedition Team & Scientific Partners
Viking has created the world’s leading scientific enrichment environment in an expedition setting with the help of partnerships with esteemed academic institutions. During each expedition, visiting researchers from partner institutions are part of the multidisciplinary 36-person expedition team. This group of experts leads guests through meaningful scientific research, providing guiding and interpretation during shore excursions and delivering world-class lectures.

For 30 years, Oceanites, an American not-for-profit field research entity, has led on Antarctic penguin monitoring. As scientific partners, Viking supports the fieldwork of Oceanites through mobilizing teams of penguin researchers on its Antarctic expedition voyages and providing thermal cameras.

“The Antarctic peninsula is well-traveled and explored, and it is not often we find a new penguin colony,” said Dr. Grant Humphries, Director of Science at Oceanites. “Our partnership with Viking opened a new opportunity to not only count the chinstrap penguins on Astrolabe Island for the first time since the 1980s, but it also allowed us to locate and map a colony of chinstrap penguins previously unknown to us. This work will allow us to get a better understanding of how Antarctic penguin population dynamics are shifting in an ever-changing world.”

“Viking’s expedition vessels continue to showcase the potential of reimagined ‘ships of opportunity’ and the research capabilities available for scientific efforts,” said Dr. Damon Stanwell-Smith, Head of Science and Sustainability at Viking. “With scientists from our partner organizations on board, like Oceanites, we can conduct real, meaningful research in the regions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Oceanites and other science partners to bring more findings forward in the future.”     

In addition to Oceanites, Viking’s other scientific partners include:

The University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI): Scientists from SPRI undertake fieldwork on board Viking’s expedition ships and join voyages to share expertise with guests. Cambridge University’s SPRI played a significant role in developing the scientific enrichment program for Viking Expeditions. Specialists from the Institute were also consulted in the development of The Science Lab on Viking’s expedition vessels; the 380-square-foot lab is comprehensively appointed with wet and dry laboratory facilities and supports a broad range of research. Julian Dowdeswell, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Cambridge, and former director of SPRI, serves as the Chair of the Viking Research Advisory Group, a consortium of scientific leaders from Viking’s partner institutions who have been actively involved in overseeing the field research being undertaken on board.
     In 2022, Viking announced the Viking Polar Marine Geoscience Fund which endows the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) with its first-ever fully funded professorship—the Viking Chair of Polar Marine Geoscience. This post enables the development of new lines of research into the behavior of polar environments, including polar ice sheets, sea ice and ocean circulation.The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ornithologists are regularly on board Viking’s expedition vessels, undertaking post-doctoral research on new observation methods and providing guest advice and interaction.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL): Conducts innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for resource use and management decisions that lead to safe and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities. Viking’s expedition ships have been designated official NOAA / US National Weather Service weather balloon stations, from which regular launches are undertaken.Norwegian Institute of Water Research (NIVA): Scientists from NIVA are engaged in cross-disciplinary research programs on water-related issues. On Viking’s expedition ships, NIVA “FerryBox system” of automated oceanographic instruments are installed to sample the marine and freshwater regions where the vessels sail, to provide continuous information about chlorophyll, oxygen, temperature, salinity, microplastic presence and complementary meteorological data.Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego: Viking hosts Fjord Phyto, a NASA-funded program of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, that provides the opportunity for guests to engage in research and public education through novel citizen science sampling of polar phytoplankton, for genetic population analyses.The IUCN Species Survival Commission Species Monitoring Specialist Group: Viking coordinates with this international group of experts to develop marine biodiversity monitoring systems that enable Viking expedition vessels to collect valuable species population data.Norwegian Polar Institute: The permitting authority for Viking’s Norwegian flagged expedition vessels, who review and approve all of Viking’s expedition and science activities in Antarctica.

Viking Expeditions
Viking offers destination-focused expeditions in Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes, with an expedition fleet that includes the Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Designed for discovery by the same team that designed the award-winning Viking Longships® and ocean ships, the 378-guest vessels are specifically built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety, comfort and to support an unrivalled range of activities in remote destinations. With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth.

Media Assets
For more information about Viking, or for images and b-roll, please contact vikingpr@edelman.com.

About Viking
Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences for The Thinking Person™. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated at the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors by both publications. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Edelman for Viking
vikingpr@edelman.com

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HUAWEI CONNECT 2024 | Huawei Unveils the Brand-New Xinghe Intelligent Fabric Solution, Powering the AI Era

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — At HUAWEI CONNECT 2024, over 300 industry leaders, experts, and scholars gathered for the data center network session themed “Xinghe Intelligent Fabric, Powering the AI Era.” The event featured discussions on the evolution and technological advancements of data center networks. During the session, Arthur Wang, President of Data Center Network Domain at Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, introduced the newly upgraded Xinghe Intelligent Fabric solution. This cutting-edge solution aims to establish a data center network characterized by one map for intelligent operations and maintenance (O&M), one network for diverse computing, and one platform for simplified deployment, providing a robust network infrastructure to support enterprises’ digital and intelligent transformations.

In his keynote speech, Arthur Wang outlined the emerging trends in data center network development. He emphasized that in the AI era, data center networks require both a “brilliant brain” and “resilient bones.” The newly launched Xinghe Intelligent Fabric solution is designed to deliver a powerful network infrastructure tailored for the AI era, featuring:

One Map for Intelligent O&M: Zero Management Concerns

Huawei’s exclusive network digital map enables rapid cross-data center and cross-vendor fault identification within minutes. Additionally, the NetMaster network large model facilitates AI-driven O&M, eliminating manual intervention and ensuring zero management concerns.

One Network for Diverse Computing: Zero Service Interruptions

The Xinghe Intelligent Fabric supports various application scenarios, including intelligent computing, general-purpose computing, and storage. The innovative Network Scale Load Balancing (NSLB) algorithm increases network throughput to 95% and boosts AI training efficiency by over 10%. With the exclusive iReliable three-level fast switchover capability, it achieves sub-millisecond switchover, guaranteeing zero service interruptions.

One Platform for Simplified Deployment: Zero Configuration Errors

By employing digital twins to simulate networks in advance and verify configurations post-deployment, the solution ensures 100% accuracy in network changes. By harnessing network-security convergence capabilities, AI creates an intelligent security matrix to analyze millions of security policies, achieving zero configuration errors.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to collaborate with industry partners to enhance research and innovation in data center networks, promote intelligent upgrades, and create greater value for the industry.

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Cultivating a Culture of Peace: International Day of Peace Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif

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NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2024 /CNW/ — The longing for peace transcends time, geography and religion. Based on justice, human rights and universal values outlined in the UN Charter, a culture of peace brings us all together in our common agenda for humanity. We can only co-exist by aligning ourselves with such a world order.

On today’s International Day of Peace, we call on world leaders to end conflict and embrace a culture of peace as enshrined in the UN Charter and related international law.

As the UN General Assembly outlined in the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace  a quarter of a century ago, this must include: “Respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.”

Educating for peace starts at home and continues in school through years of education. This takes place during the most formative years of a child learning about their identity, ethics, values, conscience, courage and compassion. Wherever there has been a failure in imparting on children the imperative for peace, the world is turned upside down. This is a global failure with no geographical boundaries.

Today, we live in a world of unprecedented violence, armed conflict and chaos. All the genuine and heartfelt commitments made in 1945 in the UN Charter seem to be fading away. Children and adolescents are the most vulnerable, the least protected, and the most impacted. They bear the brunt. 

Global conflicts killed three times as many children in 2023 than in the previous year, according to the United Nations. The number of forcibly displaced people reached an unprecedented 120 million in May 2024.

“In 2023, the United Nations verified a record 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children in 26 conflict zones, a 35% increase from the previous year,” according to recent analysis by the UN.

We can end these violations and invest in a constructive co-existence globally. We can use our resources for education, rather than for wars. In classrooms around the world, girls and boys who have withstood the wrath of war can rebuild their hopes and their lives. Cultivating a culture of peace is possible. The financial resources exist. The choice as to how we use them is ours.

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Niutech at the Forefront: U.S.-China Circular Economy Forum Tackles “White Pollution”

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BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On September 6, 2024, the inaugural U.S.-China Circular Economy Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing. The forum, guided by the U.S.-China Climate Action Working Group Circular Economy Task Force, was co-organized by the China Circular Economy Association and the US-China Business Council. The forum brought together approximately 460 distinguished guests from the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Market Regulation, the US State Department, the US Department of Energy and other government departments, as well as industry experts, business representatives and scientific research institutions of the two countries. As the domestic leader in continuous pyrolysis technology, Niutech was invited by the China Circular Economy Association to attend the forum and gave an insightful speech on the topic of waste plastic recycling, and the issues of ‘white pollution’ that can result from it.

Enhancing Quality and Efficiency in the Circular Economy with Innovative Forces

The forum was strategically designed to advance the goals outlined in the U.S.-China “The Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis” (hereinafter referred to as the Sunnylands Statement). It aimed to create a collaborative platform for the business community, social organizations, and research institutions from both countries to foster exchanges and drive tangible cooperation in the circular economy.  

Zhao Chenxin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the U.S. President on International Climate Policy, Liu Zhenmin, China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs, Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador to China, and Xie Zhenhua, former Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs of China, attended the opening ceremony of the Forum and delivered a speech, and Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., made a video message. Deputy Director Zhao Chenxin said that addressing climate change is a common cause for all mankind and cannot be separated from the cooperation between the two global forces, China and the United States.

The China-US Circular Economy Cooperation Forum, held as an initiative to implement the Sunnylands Statement, marked another significant milestone in China-US cooperation on the circular economy. This collaboration is crucial for both nations as they join forces to tackle the climate crisis. On the afternoon of September 6, the forum organized four parallel meetings, where representatives engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics such as using the recycling economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the application of recycled materials, addressing plastic pollution and enhancing recycling, and increasing the recycling value of waste in the context of new industries and consumption patterns.

Niutech: International Experts on Continuous Pyrolysis Technology and Pioneers in solving the global “white pollution” problem

Globally, hundreds of millions of tons of waste plastics are generated annually, yet only about 30% undergo recycling. Traditional physical methods are typically limited to high-value, single-category, and relatively clean waste plastics. However, repeated recycling can degrade the quality of the plastics. Chemical recycling, on the other hand, offers a transformative approach by converting waste plastics into high-value products or fuels through chemical processes, thus overcoming the limitations of physical recycling.

Pyrolysis technology, a cornerstone of chemical recycling, addresses the challenges associated with the material recycling of waste plastics. It is adept at processing various types of low-value, mixed, and contaminated waste plastics. The products of pyrolysis can be further processed to manufacture new plastics, achieving a closed-loop system where waste plastics are repurposed into high-value new plastics. This not only retains the material’s utility at a high level but also converts “white pollution” into a “white oil field,” signifying a major shift in the management and valorization of plastic waste.

At the forum, as the international expert in continuous pyrolysis technology, the corporate representative of Niutech shared the cases of waste plastic chemical recycling projects deployed with international giants BASF and Quantafuel in Denmark, Thailand and other countries. Niutech has developed its own pyrolysis technology and equipment, which they fully own the intellectual property rights to. This technology enables the transformation of low-value, mixed, and contaminated waste plastics—including various polymers such as PP, PE, PS, ABS—into high-quality fuel oil.  

The fuel oil derived from this process can undergo further refining into naphtha, a critical raw material in the production of new plastics. This advanced recycling process not only diverts plastics from landfills and the environment but also contributes to a circular economy by turning waste into a valuable resource.

In the future, Niutech will continue to champion the principle of “green, recycling and low-carbon” waste plastics pyrolysis. Armed with advanced technology, reliable equipment, abundant high-value solutions and proven experience, Niutech is committed to enhancing communication and cooperation with domestic and foreign partners. Together, they will drive forward the chemical recycling of waste plastics and the sustainable development of the global waste plastics recycling industry.

 

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