Environment
EnvironmentOlympic Rio do Janeiro collapses under heavy rains leaving at least 100 dead
Landslides and floods set off by the heaviest rains in decades killed at least 100 people in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, making hundreds homeless, flooding roads and paralyzing Brazil's second city, officials said.
Heavy fuel ban expected to halve Antarctic cruise-only passengers by 2012
Beginning in August 2011, most large cruise ships will no longer be able to sail in Antarctica. The International Maritime Organization last week adopted a ban on using and carrying heavy fuel oil on ships operating in Antarctic waters.
Solar power project to refine Chilean copper
Codelco, Chile’s nationally-owned copper company and one of the world’s largest, announced last week a plan to outfit some of their mines with solar power over the next few years, a move expected to save millions of dollars in energy costs.
Falklands join Earth Hour, the 125th country to participate in the global event
The Falkland Islands are to participate Saturday in ‘Earth Hour’, a global awareness campaign on climate change organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature which spans thousands of cities around the world.
German scientists find evidence of major tsunami in the Atlantic, 2000 years ago
German scientists said Thursday they discovered evidence that a major natural disaster occurred in the Atlantic Ocean around 2,000 years ago - possibly triggering a monster tsunami.
Chile’s earthquake, fifth largest ever says US Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported this week that Chile’s devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 27 has been officially ranked as the world’s fifth largest quake ever.
Die-off of whales along Argentine Patagonia alarm scientific community
The scientific community is alarmed by the die-off of southern right whales along the coasts of Argentine Patagonia. In the last three years some 300 specimens of these marine mammals have been found dead on the beaches of Valdes Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean, a number far beyond what would be considered normal, according to scientific experts.
UN admits “lopsided” conclusions to meat production-climate change report
United Nations specialists are to look again at the contribution of meat production to climate change, after claims that an earlier report exaggerated the link. A 2006 report concluded meat production was responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions - more than transport.
Climate change puts an end to India-Bangladesh island dispute
Once a flashpoint in India-Bangladesh ties the New Moore Island or Purbasha in the Bay of Bengal, which Dhaka called the South Talpatti, has ceased to exist consumed by hungry tides and the rising sea.
Chile creates Emergency Jobs Program to counter massive layoffs
With many Chilean companies using the ‘Fuerza Mayor’ clause to terminate contracts with their workers in the wake of the February 27 earthquake, Chile’s government this week announced creation of 13,000 new emergency jobs for the most devastated zones and the creation of special loans for the most damaged companies.
