Environment News
Pacific ‘pumice raft’ left ‘no water visible’
Sailors Shannon Lenz and Tom Whitehead have recalled their encounter with a huge sea of floating pumice in the Pacific Ocean in early August. They said the volcanic rocks stretched “to the horizon on all sides”. The “pumice raft”, likely to have formed from an underwater eruption, spans over 150 sq km (93 sq miles) …
Nuclear weapons and hurricanes don’t mix, NOAA advises
Image copyright PA Image caption Mr Trump reportedly made the suggestion during a meeting with top security officials Using nuclear weapons to destroy hurricanes is not a good idea, a US scientific agency has said, following reports that President Donald Trump wanted to explore the option. The Axios news website said Mr Trump had asked …
Sharks and rays to be given new international protections
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Guitarfish are one of the newly protected species Countries have agreed to strengthen protections for 18 threatened species of sharks and rays, including those hunted for their meat and fins. The proposal was passed at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) on Sunday. The newly protected …
Kenya northern white rhinos: Vets harvest eggs from last two females
Image copyright Ami Vitale Image caption There are only two northern white rhinos left in the world – both of them female and infertile A team of vets has successfully managed to harvest 10 eggs from the last two surviving female northern white rhinos in Kenya, in an unprecedented procedure. It is hoped the harvested …
Climate change: Should you fly, drive or take the train?
Image copyright Getty Images The climate campaigner Greta Thunberg chose to sail to a UN climate conference in New York in a zero-emissions yacht rather than fly – to highlight the impact of aviation on the environment. The 16-year-old Swede has previously travelled to London and other European cities by train. Meanwhile the Duke and …
Extinction: Last chance to save ‘rhinos of the oceans’
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Seized elephant ivory tusks, pangolin scales and shark fins Conservationists say a key wildlife summit could be the “last chance saloon” for saving sharks and rays pushed to extinction by the shark fin trade. About 100 million sharks are estimated to be killed each year for their fins and …
Nasa said to be investigating first allegation of a crime in space
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Anne McClain is helped from a space capsule after returning from the ISS in June Nasa is reported to be investigating a claim that an astronaut accessed the bank account of her estranged spouse from the International Space Station, in what may be the first allegation of a crime committed …
Amazon fires: Brazil sends army to help tackle blazes
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionWorldwide protests over Brazilian government inaction on Amazon fires Brazil’s leader has ordered the armed forces to fight record forest fires in the Amazon, amid international outrage over rising deforestation. President Jair Bolsonaro deployed soldiers in nature reserves, indigenous lands and border areas beset by fires. The …
Gloucestershire man walks tortoise to the pub every day
A Gloucestershire man has started walking Nancy Drew the tortoise to the pub and around town. Jason Smith says the African sulcata tortoise, which is actually male, needs to burn off energy, as in the wild he would ordinarily be looking for a mate at this time of year. The creature has become famous around …
The Amazon in Brazil is on fire – how bad is it?
Image copyright Planet Labs Inc Thousands of fires are ravaging the Amazon rainforest in Brazil – the most intense blazes for almost a decade. The northern states of Roraima, Acre, Rondônia and Amazonas have been particularly badly affected. However, images purported to be of the fires – including some shared under the hashtag #PrayforAmazonas – …
