Environment

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 13:50 UTC

  Up to 10% of rice sold in Chinese markets tainted with heavy metals

  

  Recent research has concluded that 10% of the rice sold in China’s markets is likely to be tainted with heavy metals, but agricultural experts said the pollution is confined to particular regions and there is no call for panic.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 13:23 UTC

  Japan cuts short whaling season; Greenpeace says whale-meat market overstocked

  

  The Japanese whaling fleet has called an early end to its whaling season in Antarctica a move which conservationists tentatively say could spell an end to whaling in the Southern Ocean. But Greenpeace Japan said there were other reasons to halt “scientific whaling”.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 06:01 UTC

  Chevron will appeal 8.6 billion ‘extortive’ fine imposed by Ecuador judges

  

  US oil giant Chevron says it will appeal against an 8.6 billion US dollars fine imposed by Ecuador judges, carrying on a long-running row over pollution. Chevron's Kent Robertson told the BBC the case was an “extortion scheme”, and accused Ecuador's state-run firm of polluting the country's Amazon region.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 05:45 UTC

  Latinamerican countries call on Japan to cease “scientific whaling”

  

  Nine Latinamerican countries that make up the “Buenos Aires Group” have called on Japan to put an end to “scientific whaling” as vessels take off for the new hunting season in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 23:33 UTC

  FAO admits illegal fishing remains major threat; calls for a global record of fishing vessels

  

  Countries are making progress in implementing the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, which is now 15 years old, but still extremely relevant. However, additional efforts are needed, declared participants at the close of the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries.

• Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 02:58 UTC

  Wind farms programmed to supply 25% of Uruguay electricity grid

  

  Uruguay intends to develop as many wind farms as its electricity grid can support, effectively diversifying its energy supply beyond hydropower and fossil fuels. At present, the country is in the process of installing 500MW of wind power projects.

• Tuesday, February 8th 2011 - 19:53 UTC

  Australia natural disasters costs forecasted to wipe growth in two quarters

  

  Floods in Australia have dragged business conditions particularly in Queensland to depths not seen since the global financial crisis, according to a local analysis that offered a more pessimistic view than the government’s assessments.

• Tuesday, February 8th 2011 - 18:13 UTC

  Reported shark attacks increased globally 25% during 2010

  

  The number of reported shark attacks in 2010 increased globally but declined in the state of Florida, the shark capital of the world, according to an annual report released Monday by the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.

• Tuesday, February 8th 2011 - 17:36 UTC

  Shell crushing king crabs move into Antarctica Peninsula warming waters

  

  Warming waters along the Antarctic Peninsula have opened the door to shell-crushing king crabs that threaten a unique ecosystem on the seafloor, according to new research by a US-Sweden team of marine researchers.

• Sunday, February 6th 2011 - 20:43 UTC

  Droughts could turn Amazon basin from greenhouse gas eater to source of gases

  

  A long-lasting drought that affected the Amazon Rain Forest last year was worse than the once-in-a-lifetime drought that the region suffered in 2005, and a team of British and Brazilian scientists say it may have a bigger impact on global warming than the US does in a year.