Environment

• Saturday, August 31st 2013 - 01:02 UTC

  Zoe Davies wins British Ecology Society photo competition

  

  The British Ecology Society has named the winners of its annual photography competition.

• Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:27 UTC

  Gibraltar will bring in construction materials by sea, skirting Spanish ban

  

  Gibraltar will sidestep an ‘illegal’ Spanish ban on overland cross-border shipments of rock, sand and aggregates by shipping the vital building materials in by sea. The ban was announced at the weekend by the Spanish authorities, which are denying export permission for these commodities and say they are being used to reclaim land in breach of EU environmental rules.

• Thursday, August 29th 2013 - 02:20 UTC

  Freezing frosts kill 4.000 cattle in landlocked Paraguay

  

  Freezing cold temperature from heavy frosts are estimated to have killed at least 4.000 head of cattle in landlocked Paraguay, according to the primary reports from the country’s National Animal Quality and Health service, Senasa.

• Monday, August 26th 2013 - 08:25 UTC

  Rising sea temperature will reduce krill growth habitat in Antarctica

  

  Antarctic krill are usually less than 6 cm in length, but their size belies the major role they play in sustaining much of the life in the Southern Ocean. They are the primary food source for many species of whales, seals, penguins and fish.

• Saturday, August 24th 2013 - 18:28 UTC

  Gibraltar criticizes latest incident at artificial reef; Picardo opens window for talks

  

  Gibraltar has strongly criticised Spanish police for sending divers to inspect an artificial reef in waters claimed by the British territory. Governor Sir Adrian Johns said the action constituted a serious violation of UK sovereignty over Gibraltar.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 23:43 UTC

  China will build and finance two dams in Patagonia equivalent to 10% of Argentine power demand

  

  Argentina's government this week awarded a 4 billion dollars contract for the construction of two hydroelectric dams to a consortium led by China Gezhouba (Group) Co. and which includes Argentine firms Electroingenieria SA and Hidrocuyo SA.

• Thursday, August 22nd 2013 - 00:35 UTC

  Rio do Janeiro mayor questions Brasilia’s 2016 Olympic Games policy

  

  The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has said it is a shame his city will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2016 because Brazil lacks a sports policy. Eduardo Paes said that his city should not pay for high performance athletes.

• Friday, August 16th 2013 - 17:46 UTC

  Ecuador ‘forced’ to drill for oil in pristine Amazon rainforest; ‘rich countries have failed us’

  

  Ecuador has abandoned a conservation plan that would have paid the country not to drill for oil in previously untouched parts of Yasuni National Park in the Amazon rainforest. President Rafael Correa said rich nations had failed to back the initiative, leaving Ecuador with no choice but go ahead with drilling.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 20:21 UTC

  Shackleton’s Endurance could still be in good conditions on the Antarctic sea bed

  

  Ernest Shackleton's famous ship, the Endurance, which he had to abandon in 1915 on his ill-fated Antarctic expedition, is probably still in very good condition on the ocean floor. This is one conclusion from research that studied how sunken wood degrades in southern polar waters.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 03:13 UTC

  Chevron-YPF partnership splits the Argentina/Ecuador ‘progressive’ entente

  

  US petroleum giant Chevron has warned that the continuing legal battle with Ecuador's government over pollution charges could put in jeopardy the company's partnership with YPF to exploit the Vaca Muerta shale reserves in the Patagonian province of Neuquén, Argentina.