Environment

• Friday, October 23rd 2020 - 09:20 UTC

  Scientists found plastic debris in the digestive track of southern right whale stranded in Argentina

  

  Scientists found plastic debris in the digestive tract of a southern right whale stranded in Argentina, according to a study from the Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, co-led by the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine; and Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas in Argentina.

• Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 08:50 UTC

  Britain's new polar ship Sir David Attenborough begins sea trials

  

  Britain's new polar ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, has left her Merseyside construction yard. Sirens and accompanying tugboats marked the Attenborough's departure from builder Cammell Laird's wet dock at Birkenhead. Four years in the making, the £200m vessel is about to venture out on a series of sea trials.

• Wednesday, October 21st 2020 - 09:40 UTC

  Venezuelan tanker listing dangerously: fears of a catastrophic spill of 1,3 million barrels of crude

  

  Concerns are growing that an oil tanker carrying millions of gallons of oil could spill its load into the sea between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, causing an ecological catastrophe.

• Tuesday, October 20th 2020 - 09:38 UTC

  CCAMLR: 287 women scientists call for a Marine Protected Area in western Antarctic Peninsula

  

  Climate change and human activity are harming Antarctica and threatening wildlife from humpback whales to microscopic algae, more than 280 scientists and conservation experts say in urging protections for the icy region.

• Tuesday, October 20th 2020 - 06:22 UTC

  A 7.5 magnitude quake off Alaska triggers small tsunami waves

  

  A major 7.5-magnitude quake off the coast of Alaska triggered small tsunami waves on Monday, US agencies said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

• Monday, October 19th 2020 - 09:00 UTC

  New Zealand manages to refloat half a pod of stranded pilot whales

  

  More than a dozen pilot whales have died in New Zealand after becoming stranded on the country's North Island, the Department of Conservation said on Sunday.

• Friday, October 16th 2020 - 09:20 UTC

  Switzerland bans the export of five toxic chemicals, including paraquat

  

  Starting from next year, Switzerland will not allow the export of five hazardous plant protection products already banned in the European country. The Swiss government approved the amendment to the law on chemical substances this week as part of measures to reduce risks associated with toxic chemicals. It added that the move is intended to help protect health and the environment in importing countries, particularly in the developing world.

• Thursday, October 15th 2020 - 09:49 UTC

  Pandemic restrictions reflected an unprecedented fall in greenhouse gas emissions

  

  Covid-19 pandemic restrictions saw an unprecedented fall in greenhouse gas emissions in the first half of 2020 – larger than during the 2008 financial crisis and even World War II – experts said on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2020 - 09:26 UTC

  Ozone hole over Antarctica peaks at 24 million square kms, the highest for the last decade

  

  The annually occurring ozone hole over the Antarctic is one of the largest and deepest in recent years. Analyses show that the hole has reached its maximum size. The 2020 ozone hole grew rapidly from mid-August and peaked at around 24 million square kilometers in early October. It now covers 23 million km2, above average for the last decade, and spreading over most of the Antarctic continent.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2020 - 08:57 UTC

  Climate change emergencies and consequences forecasted to double by 2030, UN report

  

  In the wake of heat waves, global warming, forest fires, storms, droughts, and a rising number of hurricanes, the UN weather agency is warning that the number of people who need international humanitarian help could rise 50% by 2030 compared to the 108 million who needed it worldwide in 2018.