Environment

• Wednesday, June 1st 2011 - 09:33 UTC

  Gibraltar: Major disaster in port

  

  An oil storage tank exploded in the port of Gibraltar Tuesday afternoon around 3.30pm, just metres from where a cruise ship Independence of the Seas was berthed. Two people who were carrying out welding work on the tank were injured in the blast. One of them, a 40-year old Spanish national from La Linea, suffered serious, extensive and life threatening burns.

• Wednesday, June 1st 2011 - 09:09 UTC

  South Georgia ordinance gives new powers to protect unique natural environment

  

  Tuesday afternoon on May 31st saw the signing of the Wild Life and Protected Areas Ordinance for the Government of the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI).

• Tuesday, May 31st 2011 - 22:44 UTC

  Falklands stamp release features the unique but endangered Southern sea lion

  

  The Southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens) features in the latest Falkland Islands stamp release, which became available for sale this week.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2011 - 08:18 UTC

  Germany plans to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022 and double renewable energy to 35%

  

  Germany plans to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022, Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition announced Monday, in a policy reversal drawn up in a rush after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.

• Monday, May 30th 2011 - 00:41 UTC

  “Fish pedicure” in the UK fuels health and animal welfare concerns

  

  One of the fastest-growing beauty treatments in Britain, fish pedicures – during which tiny toothless carp smooth down feet by eating dead skin – has come under new scrutiny from health experts and animal rights campaigners, reports the Sunday UK media.

• Friday, May 27th 2011 - 08:16 UTC

  South Georgia marine biodiversity richer than the Galapagos Islands

  

  Sea spiders the size of dinner plates and two-meter-long ribbon worms that eat prey several times their own size were among the 1,400-plus species cataloged by the British Antarctic Service in a comprehensive study of marine life around South Georgia Island.

• Friday, May 27th 2011 - 02:00 UTC

  OIE declares the world free of rinderpest, one of the deadliest cattle diseases

  

  The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) declared rinderpest, one of the deadliest diseases of cattle and of several other animal species, eradicated from the surface of the earth.

• Wednesday, May 25th 2011 - 06:50 UTC

  Israel desalination plant will provide 20% of the country’s households water needs

  

  Israel's Finance Ministry has approved funding for the construction of the largest water desalination plant in the world. Under construction in Sorek, central Israel, the plant is scheduled to be completed in 2013 at a cost of 400 million US dollars.

• Wednesday, May 25th 2011 - 06:44 UTC

  Brazil plans to invest heavily in wind farms natural gas fired plants

  

  Brazil which gets about 80% of its energy from hydroelectricity is considering a record investment of 4.1 billion Real (2.5 billion USD) for wind farms this year to diversify its power supply.

• Tuesday, May 24th 2011 - 22:04 UTC

  New York Times says sacrificing Chilean Patagonia for a power is an irreparable mistake

  

  The New York Times has joined the Aysén region project controversy in Chilean Patagonia which was recently approved but has triggered massive protests from environmentalists and an overwhelming rejection from the majority of the population according to public opinion polls.