Aqua-Explore

EUROPE-DEVELOPMENT: Mapping Out the EU's Harmful Projects (external link)

Dozens of European Union-funded projects across several countries are ?environmentally or socially unsound', according to a map created by a joint effort between CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe.

Chinese Feed Illegal Ivory Trade (external link)

The illegal trade in ivory continues in Egypt, with ivory products sold openly in local tourist markets by traders who operate with impunity, a new study by the conservation group Traffic has found.

ARGENTINA: Fair Trade Going Strong Amid Global Crisis (external link)

With a steady growth in production and exports, fair trade in Argentina is proving that socially and environmentally sustainable practices can be much more than a refuge from external crises.

UNICEF Funding Falls Short Leaving Millions of Children at Risk (external link)

If the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had 1.28 billion dollars it could help 97 million people around the world.

Spate of Spills at Sea for Brazilian Oil Industry (external link)

An accident at an ultra-deepwater drilling platform spilled 160 barrels of crude off the coast of Brazil this week, deepening fears about safety in this new frontier of oil and gas production.

Deadly Malaria on the Decline (external link)

A new research study has found that malaria is killing twice as many people that previously believed. However, as efforts to combat the deadly steam have picked up, the total number of deaths is declining. In 2010, 1.2 million people died of malaria, twice as much as the last survey suggested. Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington believe that the discrepancy is due to the previous studies assuming that malaria only kills children under age five. In actuality, 42 percent of malaria deaths are people aged five and older.

London falls behind on targets to become electric car capital of Europe  (external link)

London faces an uphill battle if it is to deliver on the target of 100,000 electric vehicles on the streets of the capital, a new report from the London Assembly warns today. Charging Ahead?, by the Assembly's Environment Committee, says progress has been made since 2009, when the Mayor committed to making London the electric car capital of Europe, but he faces a formidable challenge ahead to achieve his targets.

Are Nuisance Jellyfish Really Taking Over the World's Oceans? (external link)

In recent years, media reports of jellyfish blooms and some scientific publications have fueled the idea that jellyfish and other gelatinous floating creatures are becoming more common and may dominate the seas in coming decades. The growing impacts of humans on the oceans, including overfishing and climate change, have been suggested as possible causes of this apparently alarming trend.

Ancient Lake Vostok (external link)

After 20 years of drilling, a team of Russian researchers is close to breaching the prehistoric Lake Vostok, which has been trapped deep beneath thick ice layers (2 miles thick) in Antarctica for the last 14 million years. Lake Vostok is actually the third largest lake in the world, measured by the amount of water it holds. In the early 1990s, the Russians re-created a history of the Earth's atmosphere throughout the past 400,000 years — a record of our planet's air during the past four ice ages. The lakes are rich in oxygen (making them oligotrophic), with levels of the element some 50 times higher than what would be found in your typical freshwater lake. The high gas concentration is thought to be because of the enormous weight and pressure of the continental ice cap.

Donna Resevoir and Canal (external link)

During the week of February 6-12, 2012, representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) will be in the area of South Alamo, Texas, to speak with residents about the contamination in the Donna Reservoir and Canal. This effort is being made to provide local residents with information about the health risks of consuming fish taken from the Donna Reservoir and Canal. The possession of contaminated fish taken from the reservoir is prohibited by the TDSHS and has been since 1993.

China bans airlines from paying EU carbon charges (external link)

China said Monday it has banned its airlines from complying with an EU scheme to impose charges on carbon emissions opposed by more than two dozen countries including India, Russia and the United States.

Thai police arrest rare wildlife 'butchers' (external link)

Thai police busted a grisly exotic wildlife slaughterhouse in Bangkok when officers caught four men in the act of chopping up a tiger in a residential home, officials said Monday.

Environment agency becomes crunch issue in Rio talks (external link)

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is emerging as a hot issue in preparations for June's Rio conference, styled as a once-in-a-generation chance to restore a sick planet to good health.

Greenpeace chief warns of 'perfect storm' of crises (external link)

The head of environmental pressure group Greenpeace warned Friday the world faced a "perfect storm" of crises and was heading for what he termed a crisis of "epic proportions."

Eight executives detained in China pollution case (external link)

China has detained another company official, bringing the total to eight, over a massive river pollution case in the country's south, the government and state media said Thursday.