Environment

• Friday, October 18th 2019 - 09:44 UTC

  BAS technique to detect stranded whales from space

  

  A new technique for analyzing satellite images may help scientists detect and count stranded whales from space. Researchers tested a new detection method using Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images from Maxar Technologies of the biggest mass stranding of baleen whales yet recorded.  It is hoped that in the future the technique will lead to real-time information as stranding events happen.

• Friday, October 18th 2019 - 09:29 UTC

  Humpback whales in the SW Atlantic total some 25.000, NOAA survey

  

  One of the whale populations taken to the edge of extinction by commercial hunting in the early 20th Century has essentially recovered its numbers. It's estimated the humpbacks that frequent the southwest Atlantic once totaled perhaps 27,000 animals.

• Wednesday, October 16th 2019 - 08:41 UTC

  First China built icebreaker begins its maiden voyage to Antarctica

  

  China's first domestically built polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, will start its maiden voyage to the Antarctic from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen this week.

• Wednesday, October 16th 2019 - 08:10 UTC

  A “ghost ship” smuggling Venezuelan oil probable cause of the massive spill along Brazilian northeast beaches

  

  A huge oil spill off Brazil's northeastern coast may have involved a “ghost ship” carrying Venezuelan oil in breach of US sanctions, a Petrobras expert close to the probe into the disaster said on Tuesday.

• Wednesday, October 16th 2019 - 08:01 UTC

  Roche family member claims “short term profit maximization has destroyed the planet”

  

  A member of Swiss drug-maker Roche's controlling family said that short-term profit maximization has “destroyed the planet” and the world needs a new breed of capitalism putting long-term interests first.

• Tuesday, October 15th 2019 - 09:21 UTC

  
Typhoon and torrential rains kill 67 in Japan and cause havoc in 36 of 47 prefectures

  

  Fresh rain threatened to hamper efforts by tens of thousands of Japanese rescuers searching for survivors after a powerful typhoon that by early Tuesday had killed 67 people.

• Saturday, October 12th 2019 - 09:44 UTC

  Extinction Rebellion protestors block BBC's headquarters

  

  Extinction Rebellion protesters blocked the BBC's headquarters on Friday, calling on Britain's public service broadcaster to treat climate change with the same gravity as World War Two and tell the public the truth.

• Friday, October 11th 2019 - 09:47 UTC

  Venezuela denies responsibility in the massive oil spill of Brazilian beaches

  

  Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA on Thursday denied accusations by Brazil that it was responsible for a massive oil spill that has polluted beaches on its northeastern Atlantic coast.

• Friday, October 11th 2019 - 09:44 UTC

  “Third world” blackouts in California to prevent deadly forest fires

  

  More than a million Californians were without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday, but localized fires broke out as hot, windy conditions spread south toward Los Angeles.

• Thursday, October 10th 2019 - 09:55 UTC

  Oil spill in Brazilian beaches is of Venezuelan origin, claims environment minister

  

  Large blots of oil that have turned up on more than 130 Brazilian beaches are “very probably” of Venezuelan origin, Brazil's environment minister said on Wednesday. The oil began appearing in early September and has been seen along a 2,000-kilometre stretch of the northeastern Atlantic coast - with around 130 tons of oil residue collected by Monday.