Environment

Weather iffy for SpaceX astronaut launch

WASHINGTON D.C., United States (AFP) — Aside from a threat of bad weather, NASA and SpaceX confirmed Monday that everything is all-systems-go for their upcoming rocket launch with two American astronauts. Scheduled for Wednesday, the launch to the International Space Station will be the first US crewed space launch in nine years. “NASA and @SpaceX officials have given the ‘go’ for the launch on a mission that will return human spaceflight to the US,” NASA […]

Climate change is turning Antarctica green, study finds

by Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Parts of the Antarctic Peninsula will change color as “green snow” caused by blooming algae is expected to spread with increases in global temperatures, research showed Wednesday. Although often considered devoid of plant life, Antarctica is home to several types of algae, which grow on slushy snow and suck carbon dioxide from the air. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey […]

Oil collapse wipes out profits at Total

PARIS, France (AFP) — Total said Tuesday its quarterly profit fell by 99 percent because of dropping oil prices and announced it would slash investments in response to ongoing turmoil in crude markets. The French oil major reported a net profit of $34 million for the first quarter, against $3.1 billion a year earlier. Oil prices suffered a sharp drop in the first quarter due to overproduction and a price war between Saudi Arabia and […]

First giant panda born in Netherlands

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Wu Wen, a giant panda loaned to a Dutch zoo by China, has given birth in a first for the Netherlands, Ouwehands animal park announced Saturday. Mating took place in January and the cub, which belongs to Beijing just like the mother and father Xing Ya, was born on May 1. “The mother and her cub are staying in the maternity den and are doing well,” the zoo in the […]

Ukraine scientists navigate lockdown to reach Antarctica

by Olga SHYLENKO Agence France-Presse KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) — Yuriy Otruba was preparing for his sixth scientific expedition to Antarctica when the coronavirus pandemic hit, shutting borders, grounding flights and locking down countries he needed to travel through. After repeated trips since 2009, the 34-year-old Ukrainian scientist feared this year’s journey would be impossible due to strict lockdown measures imposed throughout the world to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The journey from Kiev to the Akademik Vernadsky […]

Virus pushes Indonesia zoo animals to brink of starvation

BANDUNG, Indonesia  (AFP) — Thousands of animals, including endangered Sumatran tigers and Bornean orangutans, are facing starvation at Indonesia’s zoos as the global pandemic pushes shuttered facilities toward collapse, officials say. Some 60 cash-strapped animal parks — home to roughly 70,000 creatures — across the Southeast Asian archipelago have been closed since mid-March and most say they have only enough food until the middle of May. “Most zoos relied on ticket sales so when they […]

Volkswagen dealt EU court setback over diesel pollution

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Volkswagen’s use of a device that can distort the results of pollution emission tests is prohibited by European law, an EU legal adviser warned Thursday, dealing a legal setback to the German auto giant. The technology “does not appear to be necessary to protect the engine against damage or accident and to ensure safe operation of the vehicle,” said Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston of the EU’s Court of Justice. The court is […]

COVID-19 to cause record emissions fall in 2020: IEA

by Patrick GALEY Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — COVID-19 is expected to cause global energy emissions to fall a record eight percent this year due to an unprecedented drop in demand for coal, oil and gas, the International Energy Agency said Thursday. The IEA’s Global Energy Review was based on an analysis of electricity demand over more than 100 days, during which much of the world has entered lockdown in a bid to control the […]

Washington state relaxes restrictions on recreational activities

Eagle News — Washington was the one of the first state to have reported cases of COVID-19, with the city of Seattle being the first to issue a lockdown in the United States. With 14,070 confirmed cases throughout the state of Washington, there’s a visible flattening of the curve. Because of these developments, Washington state government is confident in releasing and relaxing some of the lockdown restrictions when it comes to outdoor recreation. Although the […]

Despite virus outbreaks, US meat plants told to stay open

by Juliette MICHEL Agence France-Presse Video report by Eagle News International NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US slaughterhouses are being forced to stay open on government orders despite deadly coronavirus outbreaks among workers, as authorities move to ensure supermarkets are fully stocked with meat. President Donald Trump signed the executive order on Tuesday under the Defense Production Act, a law designed for use in wartime to divert private business for defense and security needs. Several […]

US govt reveals details of sunlight study on virus

by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Department of Homeland Security revealed to AFP on Tuesday new technical details regarding its highly anticipated study into how ultraviolet radiation destroys the new coronavirus, saying that its experiment had accurately mimicked natural sunlight. A summary of the research was presented last week at the White House, with some scientists calling for caution until a more comprehensive report was made public. US […]

Coronavirus calm reveals flourishing Venice Lagoon ecosystem

by Giovanna GIRARDI Agence France-Presse VENICE, Italy (AFP) — “The flora and fauna of the lagoon have not changed during lockdown. What has changed is our chance to see them,” says zoologist Andrea Mangoni, plunging his camera into Venice’s normally murky waters to observe life. A crab tries to grab the intruding lens, jellyfish propel themselves along near the surface, schools of fish swim peacefully by, crustaceans cling to the city’s famous jetties, and seaweed of […]