Environment
EnvironmentAntarctic Treaty Governments Progress on Climate Change and Marine Protected
Punta del Este, Uruguay. Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition welcomed steps at the 33rd Antarctic Treaty meeting to make climate change a major item on the agenda, and to keep momentum going on a network of Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean.
European summer of volcanic ash disruptions to air travel, warn geophysicists
Europe should brace itself for a summer of sudden flight disruptions caused by the Icelandic volcano, experts have warned. Air-control authorities and geologists agree there are likely to be more cancellations to come as computerised projections try to pinpoint where the ash clouds will float next at the whim of shifting winds.
Chile Embroiled in Whaling Conservation Controversy
Chilean Foreign Minister, Alfredo Moreno, said that Chile will maintain a position “in favour of conservation and against whaling,” and that Chilean Ambassador Cristián Maquieira, though he now chairs the International Whaling Commission, “is not the person who represents Chile” in this forum.
Seafood Prices May Rocket Due to Louisiana Oil Slick; Ten Day Fishing Ban In
United States officials have announced a ban on fishing for at least ten days in waters off Louisiana spanning to parts of the Florida panhandle as the oil slick from a leak spreads across the Gulf of Mexico. Rough weather conditions are complicating crews’ efforts to contain the oil slick.
Annual Antarctic Treaty Conference Opens Monday in Uruguay
Uruguay is hosting two Antarctic Treaty meetings which will officially be opened Monday May 3 in Punta del Este by Foreign Affairs minister Luís Almagro. Uruguayan authorities expect an attendance of over 350 foreign officials at the Thirty three Antarctic Treaty Consultative and the Thirteenth Committee on Environmental Protection meetings.
Organizers Confirm Argentina and Chile will Host the 2011 Dakar Rally
Organizers have unveiled the route for the 2011 Dakar Rally which will start and finish in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires and include a section through Chile. The 33rd edition of the “the world's toughest motor-sport event” will be the third to be run in South America after concerns about terrorists moved the rally in 2009 from its traditional route through the Sahara desert in North Africa.
As BP Oil Spill Advances; Florida Declares State of Emergency
State of Florida Governor Charlie Crist declared on Friday a state of emergency in coastal counties because of the threat from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Lab Production of Green Hamburgers is “No Longer Science Fiction”
The lab production of meat without the need of slaughtering animals is no longer science fiction and could be producing “green” hamburgers in less than ten years according to the list of Time Magazine fifty main inventions of the year.
Iceland Displeased with Whale Hunting Quota Threatens to Pull Out of IWC
Twelve member countries of the International Whaling Commission (IWC)—an 88-country organization created in 1946 to monitor the whaling industry—have proposed catch quotas for the next ten years for countries that hunt whales.
Out of Control Oil Spill Reaches Louisiana Coastline; BP Shares Plunge
Oil started washing ashore on the US Gulf Coast from a leaking offshore well, the US Coast Guard reported. Up to 5,000 barrels of oil a day are thought to be spilling into the water after last week's explosion on a BP-operated rig (NYSE:BP), which then sank.
