Paris (ESA) May 15, 2023 Kelvin waves, a potential precursor of El Nino conditions in the ocean, are rolling across the equatorial Pacific toward the coast of South America. The most recent sea level data from the U.S.-European satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich indicates early signs of a developing El Nino across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The data shows Kelvin waves – which are roughly 2 … Continue reading International Sea Level Satellite Spots Early Signs of El Nino

Guildford UK (SPX) May 15, 2023 Improved cookstoves, which are widely used for cooking in developing countries, produce twice as many harmful ultrafine air pollution particles (PM0.1) as conventional stoves, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Researchers from Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) found that while improved cookstoves can reduce fine particles (PM2.5) by up to 65%, theyhttp://dlvr.it/Sp2fPz Continue reading Improved cookstoves emit more ultrafine particles than conventional stoves

Mansfield CT (SPX) May 15, 2023 Charles Towe, associate professor of agricultural and resource economics in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, started noticing a change in land use in Columbia County, New York where his family farms. Towe saw a lot of potential agricultural land in New York state going unused. He also personally knew farmers who couldn’t find land in their … Continue reading UConn researcher explores impact of recreational homes on agricultural land use

London (AFP) May 12, 2023 London’s High Court on Friday postponed a trial against Australian mining giant BHP over a deadly dam collapse that was one of the worst environmental disasters Brazil has ever seen. The trial, over the 2015 tragedy at an iron ore tailings dam that killed 19 people, had been due to start on 9 April 2024 but will now begin six … Continue reading UK postpones BHP trial over Brazil dam disaster

Beirut (AFP) May 12, 2023 Amnesty International called on the United Nations Friday to keep delivering crucial aid to quake-stricken Syrians via two crossings into rebel-held areas even if authorisation from Damascus expires. On February 6, a devastating earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than 55,000 people across both countries. The UN chief said on February 13 that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hahttp://dlvr.it/SnzBch Continue reading UN must keep moving quake aid to Syria after deadline: Amnesty

Teknaf, Bangladesh (AFP) May 13, 2023 Bangladesh Saturday moved to evacuate Rohingya refugees from “risky areas” to community centres and hundreds fled an island as the most powerful cyclone in nearly two decades barrelled towards the country and neighbouring Myanmar, officials said. Cyclone Mocha was packing winds of up to 175 kilometres per hour (109 miles per hour) and meteorological officials in Dhaka classed it … Continue reading Bangladesh evacuations ahead of ‘very severe’ Cyclone Mocha

Khartoum (AFP) May 12, 2023 Warplanes roared overhead as explosions rocked Khartoum on Friday, just hours after Sudan’s warring parties agreed to respect humanitarian principles in their spiralling conflict, without a truce in sight. Nearly one month after the outbreak of the fighting that has killed more than 750 people and displaced hundreds of thousands, the two sides signed the agreement late Thursday at talks … Continue reading Sudan warring sides make humanitarian pledge without truce

Shining Bank, Canada (AFP) May 12, 2023 Rancher BJ Fuchs hasn’t been able to let his guard down as wildfires advanced in Canada’s Alberta province, so far sparing his farm in Shining Bank but scorching forests and grasslands all around it. Paddocks that usually hold up to 1,000 cows sit empty and a haze of smoke has reduced visibility to less than five meters (16 … Continue reading Ranchers fear for livestock as Canada wildfires rage

Montreal, Canada (SPX) May 11, 2023 Surveying the body sizes of Earth’s living organisms, researchers from McGill University and University of British Columbia found that the planet’s biomass – the material that makes up all living organisms – is concentrated in organisms at either end of the size spectrum. The researchers spent five years compiling and analyzing data about the size and biomass of every … Continue reading Nature favors creatures in largest and smallest sizes

Pasadena CA (JPL) May 11, 2023 For the past few decades, scientists have been observing natural ocean fertilization events – episodes when plumes of volcanic ash, glacial flour, wildfire soot, and desert dust blow out onto the sea surface and spur massive blooms of phytoplankton. But beyond these extreme events, there is a steady, long-distance rain of dust particles onto the ocean that promotes phytoplankton … Continue reading How desert dust nourishes the growth of phytoplankton at sea