Environment

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:46 UTC

  Brazil inaugurates first commercial ethanol-fuelled power plant

  

  Brazil inaugurated this week the world’s first ethanol-fuelled power plant in the state of Minas Gerais. The flex-fuel turbine, which was converted from running solely on natural gas, began operating on December 31 and is currently in its optimization and testing phase.

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:44 UTC

  Seismologists’ call to prepare for a “great earthquake” in Western Sumatra

  

  The earthquake which rocked Padang, western Sumatra in September last year killing more than 1000 people was not the 'great earthquake' which earth scientists are waiting for. In fact, it may have made the next massive earthquake more likely.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 13:37 UTC

  Haiti: Situation less chaotic but magnitude of human lives loss still unknown

  

  Up to 200,000 people are feared dead as a result of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has destroyed much of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, according to officials. Trucks have been trying to collect the bodies that have been visible on the streets across the city for burial in mass graves outside the capital.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 13:31 UTC

  US and NZ share the biggest wind farm in Antarctica

  

  The biggest wind farm in ice covered Antarctica and which can generate enough electricity to power 500 homes, was formally switched on this weekend.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 11:25 UTC

  Strong earthquake to the south east of Ushuaia in the Drake passage

  

  An earthquake 6.3 magnitude in the Ritcher scale was recorded Sunday off the coast of Ushuaia, Argentine Tierra del Fuego, but apparently too deep and far from land to cause any damage.

• Saturday, January 16th 2010 - 16:04 UTC

  Mild earthquake strikes coast of Venezuela

  

  A moderate earthquake measuring struck near the coast of Venezuela Friday, the US Geological Survey said, just three days after massive quake devastated Haiti.

• Saturday, January 16th 2010 - 15:58 UTC

  NASA satellites image Haiti areas hardest hits by the earthquake

  

  NASA's considerable Earth-observing and data analysis and distribution capabilities have been mobilized to provide information to support disaster recovery efforts in Haiti after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.

• Saturday, January 16th 2010 - 15:43 UTC

  Haiti: World Food Program estimates it must feed one million survivors

  

  United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is appealing to the international community for 550 million US dollar to meet Haitian earthquake victims' most urgent needs. Some three million people have been affected by the quake and Red Cross officials estimate the death toll at 45,000 to 50,000. Right now, the most important priority is to get water, food and tents to the survivors.

• Saturday, January 16th 2010 - 15:38 UTC

  Chilean team rescue 23 survivors from the rubble of Haiti’s main hotel

  

  Rescuers dug out 23 survivors out of the rubble of the biggest hotel in Haiti's capital, which collapsed in this week's quake, the head of a Chilean team at the site said Friday.

• Friday, January 15th 2010 - 09:40 UTC

  Haiti sits on two seismic fault lines and a major disaster was expected

  

  Seismologists have known for years that a devastating earthquake was likely to hit Haiti. They just did not know when. Although Tuesday’s devastation was wreaked by the most severe quake to hit Port-au-Prince since 1751, the island has been the victim of major seismic activity several times since.