Friday, November 11th, 2011
Emissions of many pollutants from transport fell in 2009. But this reduction may only be a temporary effect of the economic downturn, according to the latest annual report on transport emissions from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM) explores the environmental impact of transport. For the first time, the
Friday, November 11th, 2011
In the year that severe flooding and landslides claimed over 800 lives in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil has joined the international space organisation that makes timely satellite data available to rescue authorities during disasters. Read More
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
In the Atlantic Ocean, off the Canary Island of El Hierro, 20-meter high jets of water are being spat into the air as the sea boils amid the stench of sulfur. The undersea volcano, which is set to create new land, is growing ever-nearer to the surface — but is the existing island at risk from
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
The Caspian Sea, the largest land-locked enclosed body of water on Earth, has been an exclusive economic zone of Russia and Iran for nearly 300 years. Originally, the status of the Caspian Sea was enshrined in the Treaty of Rasht signed by the Russian Empire and Persia in 1729. It was then specified by a
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
UBC master’s students Samantha Brennan and Aidan Whiteley—with the guidance of their cartography and society professor, Jon Corbett—are still engaged in the research project they began as undergraduate students in 2009. When the Okanagan campus undergrads realized that forest fire maps were inaccessible to the public, they enlisted Corbett’s help in building a fire-mapping tool
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
The astonishing story of a Norman town lost for centuries is being brought back to life. Cutting edge LIDAR technology, deployed by armed forces to detect underground bunkers, has uncovered the streets, towns and dwellings of an early Norman settlement known as Newtown just outside Thomastown. Within 15 miles of Kilkenny, the medieval settlement has been the
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
A new joint agreement has been struck between Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Shell UK Limited (Shell) for the development of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project at SSE’s gas-fired power station in Peterhead. The agreement will enable the project to accelerate a programme of pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) studies, with the intention that
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
While Putin has just launched the North Stream, linking Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, two other major projects are under consideration: South Stream to bypass Ukraine, and for Nabucco provide access to Iranian gas to Europe. Read More
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
As interest in high-speed rail (HSR) surges around the world, the number of countries running these trains is expected to nearly double over the next few years, according to new research by the Worldwatch Institute for Vital Signs Online. By 2014, high-speed trains will be operating in nearly 24 countries, including China, France, Italy, Japan, Spain,
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
The wildlife in England’s seas is facing a serious threat, warns The Wildlife Trusts. The long-awaited network of Marine Conservation Zones, promised by Government for 2012, is in danger, according to the conservation organisation, which has been instrumental in marine campaigning and research. It is urging the public to write to Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries,
