Wellington (AFP) Dec 20, 2021 A two-tonne rubber whale can take on a life of its own in the frigid shallows of a windswept New Zealand beach, particularly when a bedraggled group of would-be rescuers is trying to wrestle it into a harness. “Keep the blowhole clear… you’re too close to the tail, one swipe can do a serious injury to yourself and the whale,” … Continue reading Giant rubber whale helps Kiwi rescuers battle beachings

Bordeaux (AFP) Dec 19, 2021 An outbreak of bird flu has been detected in a duck farm in France’s Landes region, the heart of foie gras production, local officials said Sunday. “Clinical signs leave no doubt and it was decided to cull the flock” on Saturday, the day after the outbreak was identified, Marie-Helene Cazaubon, head of the Landes chamber of agriculture, told AFP. Local … Continue reading Bird flu outbreak in French foie gras region

Yangon (AFP) Dec 19, 2021 Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to hear the verdict in her trial for illegally importing walkie-talkies on Monday, the latest in a catalogue of judgements in a junta court that could see her jailed for decades. The Nobel laureate has been detained since the generals staged a coup against her government on February 1, ending the … Continue reading Myanmar’s Suu Kyi awaits walkie-talkie verdict

Paris (AFP) Dec 16, 2021 Several European supermarket chains are dropping Brazilian beef products linked to destruction of the Amazon rainforest and tropical wetland, the US activist group Mighty Earth said Thursday. Chains such as Carrefour Belgium have committed to pulling from their shelves corned beef, beef jerky and fresh prime cuts suspected to come from cattle raised in the Amazon and the Pantanal tropical … Continue reading European stores pull products linked to Brazil deforestation

Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 15, 2021 Just off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, thousands of gallons of oil seep through cracks in the seafloor and rise to the surface each day. But this isn’t a disaster zone: It’s one of the largest naturally occurring oil seeps in the world and is believed to have been active for thousands of years. The reliability of these … Continue reading NASA-NOAA tech will aid marine oil spill response

Luxembourg (SPX) Dec 10, 2021 Kleos Space S.A, a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a- service (DaaS) company, confirms its Patrol Mission (KSF2) satellites are on track to launch onboard the Transporter-3 SpaceX mission in January 2022, successfully passing the final technical milestone with satellite builder Innovative Solutions In Space (ISISPACE). The Patrol Mission satellites are travellinghttp://dlvr.it/SFj95J Continue reading Kleos’ Patrol Mission Satellites Ready and Shipped to Launch Site

Indianapolis IN (SPX) Dec 17, 2021 What did North America look like before ice-sheets streamed across it, carving out lakes and flattening fields? For the first time, a research team including IU scientists has reconstructed a view of North America’s mid-continent, before glaciers changed the landscape forever. The researchers say their findings enable better understanding of how ice and land co-evolve and illuminatehttp://dlvr.it/SFj94M Continue reading New study reconstructs preglacial topography of mid-North America for first time

West Lafayette IN (SPX) Dec 17, 2021 A newly completed solar microgrid system near Greensburg, Indiana, in Decatur County, is expected to generate enough emissions-free clean energy to offset nearly 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, the same amount produced from driving 5 million miles. Emergent Solar Energy, located in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, created the system for the Corya … Continue reading Solar-powered solutions on the farm

Kathmandu (AFP) Dec 18, 2021 Nepal’s largest stupa, one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Tibetan Buddhism, was festooned with biodegradable prayer flags on Saturday after devotees replaced the more common synthetic version with a greener alternative. Colourful prayer flags – which have auspicious symbols and prayers inscribed on them – are an integral part of Buddhist rituals. At the white-domed Boudhanath stuphttp://dlvr.it/SFff0N Continue reading Nepal’s biggest stupa turns to biodegradable prayer flags

Taipei (AFP) Dec 18, 2021 Taiwan on Saturday voted against reimposing a ban on US pork in a contentious referendum that tested trade ties with Washington as the island seeks to expand its international presence. President Tsai Ing-wen’s ruling party had campaigned against reinstating a block on all imports of pork containing ractopamine, an additive used by American farmers that enhances the growth of lean … Continue reading Taiwan votes against reimposing US pork ban