Environment

Monday, March 26th 2012 - 09:18 UTC
BP given permission to drill controversial deep-water well west of Shetland

Oil giant BP has been given consent to drill a controversial deep-water well west of Shetland. The North Uist well is about 125km to the north west of the islands, at a depth of nearly 1,300m. The UK government's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said it had thoroughly examined BP's environmental impact and emergency response plans.
Sunday, March 25th 2012 - 10:17 UTC
Expedition will try to recreate 1916 Shackleton epic in replica of the James Caird

Two Royal Navy servicemen, Warrant Officer Barry 'Baz' Gray of the Royal Marines and Royal Naval Petty Officer Seb Coulthard will form part of a crew of Antarctic adventurers recreating Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1916 epic and extraordinary double mission.
Wednesday, March 21st 2012 - 21:29 UTC
Falklands’ penguin population rising: Gentoo doubled and Rockhopper remains stable

According to the most recent count in the Falklands, the number of Gentoo penguin breeding pairs has doubled when compared with the number counted during the last census in 2005. Rockhopper penguin numbers are reported to be stable.
Monday, March 19th 2012 - 14:42 UTC
HMS Protector dares ice pack to pick up scientists in remote Antarctic island

The Royal Navy’s Antarctic patrol ship HMS Protector had to punch her way through ice to first deliver, then pick up a team of scientists as the pack ice threatened to trap them – and the ship.
Monday, March 19th 2012 - 06:49 UTC
Greenland’s ice sheet melting much faster that forecasted

Greenland’s ice sheet is more sensitive to global warming than previously thought, according to Spanish and German researchers. The ice sheet may lose its ability to grow once warming reaches 1.6 degrees, a study published in Nature Climate Change found.
Monday, March 19th 2012 - 06:37 UTC
Funds from Santiago to put Punta Arenas back on its feet, and loans to small businesses

Chilean Minister of Economy Pablo Longueira announced on Sunday that Punta Arenas in the extreme south of the country which recently suffered a barrage of flash floods will be declared “catastrophe zone”.
Sunday, March 18th 2012 - 19:53 UTC
Top executives from Chevron barred from leaving Brazil because of oil spills case

A Brazilian court barred 17 executives from Chevron and Transocean from leaving Brazil, pending criminal charges related to a high-profile oil spill last November. A second oil spill detected last week further complicated the situation.
Sunday, March 18th 2012 - 19:50 UTC
HMS Illustrious, command ship in tough Arctic weather training

Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious is in the midst of NATO Exercise Cold Response, based in the Arctic. Illustrious is the command ship for Major General Ed Davis, Commandant General Royal Marines, who, with his Commander Amphibious Forces staff, is directing the movements of allied warships.
Sunday, March 18th 2012 - 19:48 UTC
Unasur supports Argentine Malvinas and call on UK to resume negotiations

Foreign ministers from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) reaffirmed their support for Argentina over the Malvinas Islands sovereignty dispute at the annual meeting held in Asunción, Paraguay.
Saturday, March 17th 2012 - 06:10 UTC
US confirms ‘neutral position’ in Falklands’ dispute; hopes for cooperation on practical issues

United States stated that it maintains its “neutral position” over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands dispute between Argentina and UKand hopes for an agreed solution, an official source of the US government assured after the three day visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron which included several meetings at the White House