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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, November 27th 2024 - 04:51 UTC

Environment

  • Friday, May 12th 2017 - 06:59 UTC

    IAATO members vote to develop an Antarctic conservation plan

    “This was an important decision that reflects our members’ ongoing commitment to sustainable Antarctic tourism.” said Terry Shaller Chair of IAATO’s ExCo

    Members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) have agreed to develop a science based conservation plan for the Antarctic Peninsula in collaboration with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) to support decision making for tourism management.

  • Thursday, May 11th 2017 - 12:38 UTC

    Chile cuts steel for its new 13.000 tons icebreaker to be operational in 2022/23

    “It's a great day for Chile and a great honor for me to participate in the steel plate cutting ceremony of this new icebreaker”, said president Bachelet

    Chilean president Michelle Bachelet cut the first sheet of steel for the construction of the country's new icebreaker which is expected to be operational for the 2022/23 Antarctic season, replacing the ageing Almirante Oscar Viel. The US$ 200 million plus project based on a contract with naval architects and marine engineers Vard Marine, will be built at ASMAR Talcahuano, Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Company.

  • Monday, May 8th 2017 - 22:05 UTC

    A third of fish catches in worlds' oceans is unreported, claims Canadian report

    Zeller pointed out that the team was able to uncover the unreported fishing activity by restructuring the official data provided by the UN with external data

    A scientific research from the University of British Columbia (UBC)’s “The Sea Around Us Project”, indicates that nearly a third of fish caught in the world's oceans goes unreported. The scientists carrying out the analysis found that while as much as 120 million tons were fished from the oceans in 2015, the United Nations’ official capture reports revealed that in 81.2 million tons were harvested from the ocean, CBC reported.

  • Monday, May 8th 2017 - 17:50 UTC

    The Falklands penguins that would not explode

    Yorke Bay is particularly difficult, since mines were placed on top of the sand dunes, but, over 35 years, the dunes have changed shape and shifted with the wind. (Pic Peter Gibbs)

    The Falklands and the efforts to clear minefields left by the Argentine invasion in 1982, which have become de facto nature reserves for penguins, will be aired on BBC Radio 4 under the heading of “Listen to Exploding Penguins”, presented by Peter Gibbs and produced by Matthew Teller. The presentation will be Tuesday 9 May at 15:30 UK time.

  • Friday, May 5th 2017 - 10:53 UTC

    Falkland Islands basin shows signs of being among world's largest craters

    Depicted above are the Islands and a notable increase in the strength of Earth’s magnetism in the area (in red) (National Centers for Environmental Information).

    A basin in the Falkland Islands exhibits traits of a large impact crater, according to a new analysis by a team of United States, Argentine and Paraguayan scientists. The structure measures approximately 250 kilometers, or more than 150 miles, in diameter and is described in the latest issue of the journal Terra Nova.

  • Friday, May 5th 2017 - 07:47 UTC

    Falklands discusses Brexit impact on environmental funding with UKOTs

    MLA Michael Poole confirmed he joined remotely for a session about the ‘Green Economy’ and funding for environmental matters.

    The consequences of the UK leaving the European Union on environmental funding of UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) which includes the Falklands, was the subject of a meeting in Aldernay between representatives of 11 territories last week.

  • Tuesday, May 2nd 2017 - 22:31 UTC

    BAS describes how warm, dry winds weaken Antarctic ice shelves

    In 1995 and 2002, the Larsen A and B ice shelves collapsed, depositing an area the size of half East Falkland into the Weddell Sea.

    New research describes for the first time the role that warm, dry winds play in influencing the behaviour of Antarctic ice shelves. Making a presentation at a European conference scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) explain how spring and summer winds, known as föhn winds, are prevalent on the Larsen C Ice Shelf, West Antarctica and creating melt pools.

  • Thursday, April 27th 2017 - 10:17 UTC

    Argentine Icebreaker Irizar is back undergoing sea trials, readying for Antarctica sailing

    The “new” Irizar has state of the art technology, double Antarctic fuel capacity and has increased six fold the area dedicated to labs and other scientific activities

    Argentina's Navy icebreaker ARA Almirante Irizar is back on sea trials following almost ten years of recovery and refurbishing after she caught fire in 2007 when returning from Antarctica and was considered almost a wreck given the magnitude of the damages experienced.

  • Thursday, April 27th 2017 - 09:55 UTC

    Major cruise line fined US$ 40 million for deliberate vessel pollution

    The sentence imposed on Princess Cruise Lines by US District Judge Patricia Seitz is for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste overboard and falsifying official logs

    A major cruise line with ships that call on the Caribbean will have to pay a US$40 million penalty, the largest-ever for crimes involving deliberate vessel pollution. The sentence has been imposed on Princess Cruise Lines Ltd by US District Judge Patricia Seitz in Miami, for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste overboard and falsifying official logs to conceal the discharges.

  • Wednesday, April 26th 2017 - 08:10 UTC

    Twelve million penguins in Antarctica, according to the 2017 SOAP report

    SOAP report collected data from 660 or more sites across the Antarctic continent and draws on current scientific data, including 3,176 records from 101 sources

    April 25 is World Penguin Day, timed to coincide with the annual northward march to the sea of Antarctic penguins, as autumn edges toward winter in that part of the world. There are 12 million penguins in Antarctica, according to a new report – the inaugural State Of Antarctic Penguins 2017 (SOAP) report – also released on Tuesday.