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Over 100 Chinese held for environmental pollution

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:20:01 -0400

As many as 118 suspects have been detained in China for their involvement in environmental pollution cases, authorities said Tuesday. The ministry of public security said the suspects were detained since January, Xinhua reported. Most of the pollution cases involve mining or petrochemical factories. Some factories reportedly discharged toxic substances into the environment illegally, while ...

UNESCO inscribes East Rennell of Solomon Islands on list of world heritage in danger

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:10:04 -0400

Beijing, June 18 (Xinhua-ANI): The world heritage site of East Rennell has been inscribed on the list of world heritage in danger due to logging that is affecting the ecosystem of the Solomon Islands' world heritage site, according to a UNESCO press statement on Tuesday. "The World Heritage Committee determined that logging is threatening the outstanding universal value of East Rennell, and ...

Prenatal exposure to chemical in plastic could lead to obesity

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:40:03 -0400

Foetal exposure to common environmental chemical bisphenol A (BPA) causes increased inflammation in fat tissues after birth, which can lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome, a new research has suggested. BPA, found in plastic water bottles, older baby bottles and many other consumer products, is a known hormone disrupter with estrogen-like properties. Study's lead author, Almudena ...

UN General Assembly set to explore impacts of ocean acidification

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:15:13 -0400

17 June 2013 150 The United Nations General Assembly will begin today its consideration of the impacts that the increasing acidification of the world's oceans will have on the marine environment and on people. This year's informal Consultative Process on oceans, which opens today and runs through 20 June, will provide a forum for countries to discuss the challenges posed by rising ocean ...

Cheetah-Cub Robot Created See Other Nature-Inspired Machines

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:29:53 -0400

And like its real-world counterparts, the cheetah-cub robot is nimble and stable, providing a platform for future research in all types of efficient robot ...

Greenpeace asks Philippinegovernment to halt Bt eggplantex...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:04:06 -0400

MANILA, Philippines – The Greenpeace on Friday asked the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) to stop the field trials of the genetically engineered (GE) Bt eggplant because it won’t be helpful and there are a lot of safety ...

Country diary Wenlock Edge Could the psychedelic blueness of these bugle flowers help to heal the land

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:31 -0400

Blue as an ambulance light, the patch of bugle flowers in the wood. Once open, maybe a long-abandoned garden before trees took hold, this place becomes the dreamy point of midsummer, with its own reality surrounded by a pervading anxiety. At the entrance to the wood is a pull-in off the lane where cars stop for dog walkers, fly-tipping, canoodling. A man gets out. "A good day for a ...

Albino Gorilla Was Result of Inbreeding

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:18:41 -0400

Snowflake the gorilla gained notoriety for being the only known albino of his species. Now the late ape is making headlines again over the recent postmortem discovery that he was ...

New Female Astronauts Show Evolution of Women in Space

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:18:41 -0400

NASA announced that eight new astronauts would be joining the U.S. space program. Of the eight new recruits, four are women--marking the first time NASA has selected an equal number of men and women for an incoming astronaut class. ...

The weather may be grim but lets learn to enjoy it | Richard Mabey

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:24:11 -0400

Everyone bewildered by the seemingly unprecedented weirdness of this year's summer might spare a thought for those living in 1783, who went through another kind of trial by weather. Gilbert White of Selborne's account of the events of 23 June to 20 July is a masterpiece of deadpan gothic: "The sun, at noon, looked as blank as a clouded moon, and shed a rust coloured ferruginous ...

How Cities Compost Mountains of Food Waste

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:11:29 -0400

announced a plan to increase composting of food scraps generated by the city's eight million inhabitants. In a few years, separation of food waste from other refuse could be required of residents, the mayor ...

Is the future of clean energy a pond of algae in every backyard | Lou del Bello

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:08:07 -0400

The green credentials of biofuel crops have been sullied in recent years. Rienk van Grondelle believes the answer to the world's clean energy needs will be super-efficient ...

World heritage bid on track

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:11:04 -0400

THE federal Environment Minister has rejected claims the United Nations World Heritage Committee is set to knock back a bid to extend the Tasmanian World Heritage ...

How Dividend Chasers Are Missing The Forest For The Trees

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:33 -0400

Forest (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn) Conventional wisdom in the market these days says interest rates are going higher. Some investors have tried to get ahead of that trend by pouring money into dividend stocks in recent years, but to Meb Faber a laser-like focus on dividends is akin to missing the forest for the trees. Faber, chief investment officer at El Segundo, California's Cambria ...

Googles Loon Project Puts Balloon Technology in Spotlight

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:48:44 -0400

Google's Project Loon aims to bring remote parts of the globe online with a ring of floating balloons. The balloons will drift through the ...

Federal Reserve faces pressure to provide clarity in uncertain environment

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:57:46 -0400

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve officials begin a pivotal two-day meeting Tuesday facing a dilemma. The economy is showing enough improvement to justify dialing back some of the Feds life support, yet financial markets are terrified of what might happen and are taking it out on the housing sector. Members of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee are expected to announce on Wednesday ...

In Global First Philippines to Destroy Its Ivory Stock

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:42:15 -0400

On June 21 the Philippines will destroy five tons of seized ivory, becoming the world's first ivory-consuming nation to destroy its national ivory ...

Germany leans on EU states to weaken car emissions law

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:33:32 -0400

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Senior members of the German government have warned EU member states that German automakers could scale back or scrap production plans in their countries unless they support weakened carbon emissions rules, according to diplomatic ...

China has arrested 118 linked to pollution investigations

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:22:27 -0400

Chinese police have arrested 118 people in investigations into environmental pollution cases since January, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday. Of the 118 arrests, 24 people have been charged by prosecutors and await trial, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry began a national campaign against environmental polluters earlier this year, and as part of that campaign, they said ...

Turkish police detain nearly 200 in search for protest organizers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:22:25 -0400

Protesters battle riot police in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey on June 11, 2013. Calm returned to the square on June 12, 2013 after the protesters were cleared from the area after two weeks of protests against the modernization of the square that quickly became an anti-government protest. UPI/Nasir ...

One month not enough for public consultation on BRAI Bill Greenpeace

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:43:54 -0400

The controversial Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha in April, has been released for public consultation on June 11. Once tabled in Parliament, BRAI will be a regulatory authority for all Genetically Modified Organisms including controversial genetically modified (GM) crops in the ...

Fukushima Nuclear Crisis Update for June 14th to June 17th 2013

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:21:28 -0400

After spending just 15 minutes on the fourth floor of reactor #1, Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) inspectors said they determined yesterday that a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake in March 2011 did not damage isolation condensers there (critical for emergency cooling), despite a Diet-sponsored investigative report that raised concerns about earthquake damage. Workers had reported that they saw ...

Medvedev calls for tougher penalty for concealing information about environmental crimes

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:39:29 -0400

LISTVYANKA VILLAGE /Irkutsk region/, June 18 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for tougher responsibility for concealing information about environmental crimes. "Concealing information /about such crimes/ is a graver offense," Medvedev said at a meeting on Tuesday with the expert council under the government over increasing the effectiveness of environmental ...

UNESCO removes Iranian World Heritage site of Bam from danger list

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:37:34 -0400

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided that given improvements in the management and conservation of the World Heritage site of Bam and its Cultural Landscape in Iran, the property could be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, according to a UNESCO press statement on Monday.Bam was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004, shortly after it was struck by a major earthquake, ...

Legarda calls for ‘environmental audit’

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:34:37 -0400

Senator Loren Legarda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MAKATI CITY, Philippines–Senator Loren Legarda said she will call for an ';environmental audit'; by three oversight committees when the next Congress convenes in July as she agreed with observations that the Philippines has now turned into a ';water world.'; The three are the oversight committees on clean water, clean air and ...

118 suspects detained in environmental pollution cases

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:33:42 -0400

Chinese police have detained 118 suspects involved in environmental pollution cases since January, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Tuesday.Of the total, 24 suspects in four major cases have been charged by prosecutors and are awaiting trial, said a ministry statement.There have also been breakthroughs in investigations into other cases, it added.Most of these pollution cases involved ...

UNESCOs World Heritage Fatehpur Sikri in Agra India

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:30:00 -0400

Photo taken on June 15, 2013 shows the Fatehpur Sikri in Agra, Uttar Predesh, India. Fatehpur Sikri, meaning the City of Victory, was built during the second half of the 16th century by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Due to the shortage of water, it served as the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The well-preserved complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural ...

Canberra windfarm protesters demand end to renewable energy scam

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:25:25 -0400

Three Coalition politicians and one candidate attended the "wind power fraud rally" in front of parliament house on Tuesday where around 150 protesters called for the abolition of the renewable energy target and a ban on all new windfarms. Signs at the rally urged: "Stop the wind power fraud," and referred to a "renewable energy scam", insisting that "wind ...

The energy bill debate is distorted by climate contrarians

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:25:24 -0400

energy bill resumes in the Lords on Tuesday and is set to be distorted by a small but influential group of global warming contrarians. This group arrogantly believe they have a better understanding of the complicated science ...

World Heritage Site ancient city Hierapolis in Turkey

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:16:50 -0400

Tourists enjoy themselves in an ancient pool of Hierapolis in Turkey on June 16, 2013. Hierapolis was an ancient city located on hot springs in classical Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia. The hot springs have been used as a spa since the 2nd century B.C., with many patrons retiring or dying there. The Hellenistic city was built on a grid with streets running parallel or perpendicular to the main ...

Coping In A Toxic Work Environment

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:16:38 -0400

Recently, I had the occasion to observe a group of employees who were working in a toxic work environment. I witnessed the decline of self-esteem in each one of them as they endured month after month of poor leadership and dysfunction in their workplace. I was truly amazed at the change to the countenance of each of these employees as their situation continually grew worse. If one could have ...

Citizens Climate Lobby pushes for a carbon tax and dividend | Dana Nuccitelli

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:13:45 -0400

The US Capitol Building, home of the Congressmen CCL is trying to put pressure on to implement a carbon fee and dividend. Photograph: J. Scott ...

No plans to close Environment Court - PM

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:09:16 -0400

The Prime Minister says there are no plans to close the Environment Court. Mr Key has rebutted speculation the court will be canned saying yesterday he believed it would remain a stand alone court. "There's been talk about desire to get rid of the Environment Court. There ...

Local government 457 visas and coal seam gas parliamentary video highlights

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:09:04 -0400

Liberal MPs Bronwyn Bishop and and Dennis Jensen call for the government to review their approach to the local government referendum. Shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison declares the opposition won't support the government's 457 visa bill. Labor MP Grahame Perrett praises Liberal MP Judy Moylan. Greens Senators Larrissa Waters and Scott Ludlam discuss coal seam gas and ...

States environmental groups delay suit against EPA watch for climate plan

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:45:27 -0400

WASHINGTON -- Environmental groups and a dozen states and cities said Monday they will delay planned legal action against the Environmental Protection Agency, saying they will wait to see if the White House soon presents a climate policy ...

What lies behind the power price increases in Australia | John Quiggin

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:58:43 -0400

big increases in the price of electricity averaging 20%. This was a particularly bitter pill for a government that came to power promising to cut the cost of living, and particularly for a treasurer keen to persuade an already hostile public that selling electricity assets is a good idea. There’s nothing unusual about Queensland’s experience. Average Australian electricity prices for ...

Environmental group sues feds over Idaho water

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:57:58 -0400

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- An environmental group is suing federal water and wildlife agencies, contending that the agencies have long delayed taking the steps needed to protect Idaho's water quality.Northwest Environmental Advocate filed the lawsuit in Boise's U.S. District Court against the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday. The environmental ...

Electrofuels Charged Microbes May Poop Out a Gasoline Alternative

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:43:04 -0400

Derek Lovley, a microbiologist at the University of Massachusetts, led a U.S. government-supported project to make the gasoline substitute, butanol, from microbes in the ...

Grants help city replace 50 ash trees and more

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:35:01 -0400

Grants help city replace 50 ash trees A $14,000 grant from the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus will help the city of Wheaton remove 55 ash trees infested with the emerald ash borer in the parkway of East Loop Road and replace them with swamp white oak, accolade elm, Kentucky coffee and common hackberry trees. The area is the gateway to Wheaton businesses off Butterfield Road. The pest was confirmed in ...

Abdurrahman Dilipak said incidents at Taksim Gezi Park weren`t an environmental …

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:31:10 -0400

Abdurrahman Dilipak said incidents at Taksim Gezi Park weren`t an environmental movement but rather had outlook of insurgency against the government SAKARYA - Journalist-author Abdurrahman Dilipak in relation to Gezi Park incidents has said, "When you examine indictments of Ergenekon and February 28, it is clear such scenarios were prepared back then and applied on March 12 and September ...

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality planted about 25 mature trees and flowers to …

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:31:10 -0400

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality planted about 25 mature trees and flowers to make arrangements in destroyed parts of Taksim Gezi Park ISTANBUL - Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality planted about 25 trees and flowers to make arrangements in destroyed parts of Taksim Gezi Park.Tents were removed and banners were taken down. The municipality has been continuously doing works in the park since ...

Natural gas spiked with cinnamon scent for pipe work in New York

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:25:42 -0400

The New York Office of Emergency Management said it spiked the scenting agent added to natural gas with cinnamon to prevent 911 calls during work. The office said Sunday it was masking the smell of mercaptan, an odor added to natural gas to allow residents to detect leaks, with cinnamon along a pipeline in Harlem to prevent an influx of 911 calls during work Sunday morning. "There's ...

More Than 400 Animals Offered to Aztec Gods

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:36:45 -0400

Templo Mayor towered above a ceremonial precinct. Beginning in the 14th century, the Aztecs made offerings to their gods there, ritually interring the bodies of animals that held great symbolic meaning for them. Today the ruins of this holy space lie in the heart of Mexico City. Archaeologists have labored there for more than three decades, uncovering a wealth of information about the culture ...

X-rays and Operas A Collaborative Restoration

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:36:44 -0400

Science and art don't always go hand in hand. In fact, the two subject areas are often painted as academic opposites. But on Tuesday, Stanford University announced the successful restoration of a 200-year-old opera at ...

Last years Western Washington dry spell claims some trees

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:41:33 -0400

STEVE BROWN Capital PressDying Douglas fir trees bear witness to the drought that hit Western Washington last summer.Trees between 5 and 15 years old appear to be the most commonly affected, but some larger trees also show symptoms, including entirely red crowns, red tops and red branches.Glenn Kohler, forest entomologist with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, said the ...

Why Novelist Jonathan Franzen Loves Birds

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:32:59 -0400

But birds and their conservation claim much of his attention. He encountered the joys of bird-watching more than a decade ago. Now, he says, "I'm making up for lost time and spending the second half of my life as a ...