Environmental News
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Wildlife News     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:14:33 GMT   Interest waning on logging issues? The latest survey seems to show the europeans are less concerned with illegal logging activities   UK restates it's stance against whaling As the whaling season begins the UK and other european countries have made a formal request to Norway to end it's activities   Minister shown future of biodiversity data sharing The NBN Gateway has been launched; a new online biodiversity database for Britain   Calls to halt development at Sakhalin There's concerns about some of the environmental mitigation measures proposed for the new oil and gas facility at Sakhalin   Frog species discovered in Laos Six new frog species have been discoverd in Laos over the lst 2 years ENN: Pollution     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:23 GMT   ISLAM’S GREEN INITIATIVE The UK-based the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), in working with the U.N., recently hosted 200 representatives from nine major world religions spanning over 60 different religious organizations. Baha’i, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Shintoists, Taoists and Sikhs all gathered at London’s Windsor Castle with a united environmental agenda. In an era of increasing religious divide, a once little thought of topic known as “the environment”� was able to bring together ancient faith groups to discuss a modern solution. And with Islam at the forefront of today’s news, Muslim leaders proved Islam’s ability to adapt and meet new needs.   Wide Range of Bisphenol A Found in Canned Foods The chemical Bisphenol A, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. The Food and Drug Administration will soon decide what it considers a safe level of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), which some studies have linked to reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.   USEPA Proposes One — Hour Sulfur Dioxide Standard, to Drop 24 -hr and Annual Primary Standards The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new one — hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) standard. The SO2 standard has not been changed since 1971. There has not been a health based standard shorter than 24 hrs for SO2 since short term acute effects have not been well known. A secondary standard of 3-hrs has been in effect. This was set to address welfare considerations, not health.   Increase in GM Crops, Resistant Weeds Lead to Dramatic Rise in Pesticide Use The widespread use of genetically modified (GM) crops engineered to tolerate herbicides has led to a sharp increase in the use of agricultural chemicals in the U.S. This practice is creating herbicide-resistant "super weeds" and an increase in chemical residues in U.S. food, according to a new report released today by The Organic Center, the Union for Concerned Scientists, and the Center for Food Safety.   Nanoparticles Used in Common Household Items Shown to Cause Genetic Damage Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in everything from cosmetics to sunscreen to toothpaste to paint to vitamins, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The TiO2 nanoparticles induced single- and double-strand DNA breaks and also caused chromosomal damage as well as inflammation, all of which increase the risk for cancer. BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:24 GMT  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:59:18 GMT Re-start for 'Big Bang' machine The Large Hadron Collider experiment, designed to shed light on the cosmos, re-starts after 14 months of repairs.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:13:41 GMT UK climate unit's e-mails hacked The e-mail system of one of the world's leading climate research units has been breached by hackers.  Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:07:50 GMT Mammoth dung clue to extinction A study of mammoth dung is helping unravel the mystery of what caused the great mammals to die out.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:09:23 GMT Hubble instruments sent to museum Two of the longest-serving instruments from the Hubble telescope have taken up residence in a museum in the US.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:06:41 GMT New skin 'may help burns victims' French researchers say they have found a way of using human embryonic stem cells to create new skin which could help serious burns victims. EarthWire UK     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:25 GMT  2009-11-20T00:00:00-05:00 Paleontologists Find Extinction Rates Higher in Open-Ocean Settings ... - Science Daily "Paleontologists now recognize that there were five particularly large, worldwide mass extinction events during the history of life, known among the cognoscenti as 'The Big Five,'" says Miller. "Much ink in research journals has been spilled over the ...  2009-11-20T00:00:00-05:00 Merkel, Sarkozy back Danes in last-minute climate diplomacy While it is still uncertain whether US President Barack Obama will attend the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, France and Germany rallied behind the Danish prime minister yesterday (19 November) "to make Copenhagen a success".  2009-11-20T00:00:00-05:00 After mastodons and mammoths, a transformed landscape Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals -- including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers -- began their precipitous slide to extinction.  2009-11-20T00:00:00-05:00 Sustainable farming may help maintain healthy climate Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers.  2009-11-20T00:00:00-05:00 Dr Ego vs The Elements in climate change video A video explaining climate change by presenting it as a good versus evil battle of superheroes is being released ahead of the Copenhagen summit to try to educate people about the problem. Press releases by RSS     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:26 GMT  Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:01:01 +0100 Obama and Hu agree to aim for climate targets in Copenhagen Friends of the Earth welcomed today's joint statement by the US and Chinese Presidents which declared they aimed to make real progress in Copenhagen.  Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:01:01 +0100 World leaders at food summit must feed people, not big business Comment on the World Food Summit in Rome, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN to tackle rising hunge  Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:01:01 +0100 We can eat meat, ditch factory farming and save the planet - new research We don't need to go veggie to feed a booming world population and save the planet from climate change and forest destruction - and can produce enough food for everyone without factory farming  Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:01:01 +0100 Thumbs up for Bristol's serious climate target Last night, Bristol Council signed up to Friends of the Earth's Get Serious About CO2 campaign, committing to reduce the area's emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020 and produce an action plan showing how the cuts will be made.  Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:01:01 +0100 Government unveils plans to fast-track major developments Friends of the Earth reacts to Government plans to fast-track the building of major developments such as nuclear power plants. NASA Earth Observatory     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:27 GMT   Tehran Urbanization Explosive urban growth is documented in this pair of images of Tehran from 1985 and 2009.   Fire in Western Australia's Nuytsland Nature Reserve A thick plume of brownish smoke billowed from the Western Australia coast and over the Great Australian Bight on November 19, 2009.   Snow in Ontario Acquired November 18, 2009, this true-color image shows a broad band of snow stretching across Ontario. Snow appears thickest near James Bay and thinnest north of Lake Superior.   Mid-November Colorado Snowstorm Acquired November 17, 2009, this true-color image shows snow nearly covering the northeastern quadrant of Colorado and stretching into neighboring states.   Spring Bloom in the South Atlantic Ocean Intense streaks of blue and green colored the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina on November 15, 2009. Animal Concerns News Service     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:28 GMT  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Chef criticized for foie gras on menu A Charlottetown restaurant owner says he would consider permanently taking foie gras off his menu if there were a large group of people who wanted it removed.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Catalina bison going on birth control The Catalina Island Conservancy has been rounding up the herd so females can get a reversible contraceptive vaccine. The goal: Control the size of the herd to keep it and the environment healthier.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner It's hard to believe it's been a year since Turkey-Gate - Sarah Palin's infamous interview in front of a turkey slaughter days before Thanksgiving.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Roger Moore named 'Person of the Year' by PETA LONDON: Former James Bond star, Roger Mooore has been named the 'Person of the Year' by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in UK for actor's campaign to ban controversial French delicacy 'foie gras'.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Buddhists and animal rights activists against Hindu sacrifice to Gadhimai Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of Buddhists and animal rights activists are protesting against the Hindu festival of Gadhimai Mela in Bayapur, Bara district (southeastern Nepal). EnviroLink News Service     updated: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:29:28 GMT  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Money is the key to the success of Copenhagen. In brutally simplistic terms, the essence of any deal will be to pay the developing countries of the world, led by China and India, to cut back on the carbon dioxide pouring out of their now-mushrooming economies.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST America's most toxic cities. While it may be the U.S. metro in the worst environmental shape, Atlanta isn't the only place whose residents contend with contamination. Top spots for toxicity are distributed throughout the country, with Detroit, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Los Angeles right behind it.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Study cites prevalence of BPA. A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found bisphenol A leaching into food from nearly all cans, including those marked "BPA-free" and "organic." The levels detected were comparable to those found to cause cell damage and behavioral effects in animal studies.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Feds say Muni workers let fuel spill into bay. Muni workers disabled an alarm system that would have notified them that at least 39,000 gallons of diesel fuel were leaking from a refueling station and endangering the bay, according to a complaint released Monday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:24 EST Mandela leads global elders coalition to halt climate change. The Elders, a group of eminent global leaders, urged all heads of state to attend the climate change talks in Copenhagen and reach a binding agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2050 to halt global warming.

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