THE latest developments and innovation on corrosion control and conservation of material resources will be the focus of the 15th Asian-Pacific Corrosion Control Conference (APCCC15) from October 19 to 21.

The three-day conference that the Philippines will host for the first time will be held at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. It is being organized by the Philippine Corrosion Society Inc. (PhiCS) and will feature top international corrosion experts.

The conference speakers include Dr. Graeme Jones, managing director of Structural Healthcare Ltd.; Tony Keane, National Association of Corrosion Engineers executive director; Kyoo Young Kim, Pohang University of Science and Technology professor; V.S. Raja, Indian Institute of Technology professor; and Jun’ichi Sakai, Japan Society of Corrosion Engineering president.

More than 100 delegates from 15 countries already confirmed to attend the conference that will also showcase 40 scientific papers on corrosion in chemical processing, semiconductor, oil and gas, nuclear power, utilities, construction and medical industries.

Other topics to be covered are atmospheric corrosion, environment-assisted cracking, localized corrosion, corrosion monitoring, organic and inorganic coatings, inhibitors and cathodic protection.

PhiCS president Raul Sabularse said corrosion control must be given attention by domestic industries, considering that as much as 10 percent of economic losses is attributed to the effects of corrosion.  

In the aftermath of natural calamities, for example, corrosion of appliances, equipment, cars and building structures, among others, may occur. 

DR. WILLIAM DAR, director general of the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Alumnus award by the University of the Philippines Los Baños Alumni Association (UPLBAA) on October 9 at UPLB’s Baker Hall.

BANGKOK—A new financial mechanism to help the developing world deal with the challenges posed by climate change looms as a major hurdle on the road leading up to a United Nations summit in Copenhagen in mid-December.

Negotiators from the developing and the developed worlds have only five days of climate talks in Barcelona, Spain, from November 2 to 6, to bridge stark differences that have emerged between the developed and developing nations before they head to the Danish capital for the pivotal UN climate-change summit in December.

The only consolation, for now, seems to be hints that “there was some convergence in language” between negotiators from the two camps over the need for climate-change funds for the developing world during the two weeks of the UN climate-change talks that ended here on Friday evening.

“Developed-world negotiators came here and shared beautiful language, but we want those words to be translated to real commitments in finance,” Su Wei, chief negotiator for China, told Inter Press Service (IPS). “We have to set up a new financial mechanism that will be boosted by public funds from the developed world.”

“Creating this new financial mechanism will be a crucial part of the Copenhagen agreement,” he added. “The burden is on the developed world to help bridge the differences between them and the developing world.”

“We came here with hope and confidence, but have to leave here with disappointment and deep concern,” Su told negotiators during the closing session of the Bangkok talks. “In Barcelona we need to agree on financing.”

His views were echoed by Bernarditas Muller, a leading climate-change negotiator for the Philippines.