This year is the seventh warmest since records began in 1850 with a trend to weather extremes and the impact of storms such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines aggravated by rising sea levels, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) CEO Naoko Ishii approved a project coordinated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve the health and sustainability of tuna fisheries worldwide by reducing illegal catch and supporting related marine ecosystems and species.
At the slow-spreading mid-Atlantic ridge in the South Atlantic Ocean an iron cloud spreads for more than 1,000 kilometers across the Atlantic from west of Namibia, Africa, to northeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The iron-rich waters flow 1,500 to 3,500 meters beneath the surface of the ocean. The complete extent and shape of the iron plume remains to be discovered.
A special commission approved this week a plan to divert cruise ships away from Venice's historic center by 2016, but activists seeking to rid the city of the giant ships expressed reservations about the proposed new route.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has entered the fray surrounding Barrick Gold’s decision to temporarily suspend construction on its troubled Pascua Lama gold mine which straddles up in the Andes along Chile and Argentina, a move which activists slammed as a ploy.
The Uruguayan government announced it has renewed until 2016 Botnia/UPM pulp mill license so it can continue with production since it complies with the necessary environmental requisites and is committed to the additional standards demanded, said Housing and Environment minister Francisco Beltrame.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a private sector loan for up to 132.6 million to partially finance the construction of the Carapé I and II wind farms in Uruguay.
Russia, Ukraine and China are being blamed for a failure of plans to protect almost 3 million square kilometers of ocean in Antarctica. After two weeks of discussions behind closed doors, the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has failed to come to an agreement on new marine reserves.
VirtualTourist announced that after more than five million worldwide votes, Turismo Chile's entry of Torres del Paine National Park has been named the 8th Wonder of the World.
Barrick, the world’s largest gold mining company, is indefinitely suspending construction of its troubled gold mine straddling the Chile-Argentine border, part of a cost-cutting effort that also involves 10 other mining projects around the world.