Environment

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Does sunlight rapidly destroy the coronavirus?

by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Does sunlight rapidly destroy the coronavirus? A White House presentation on a mysterious government study says so — but some scientists have called for caution as we await more evidence. An official from the Department of Homeland Security made the eye-catching announcement during President Donald Trump’s daily pandemic briefing Thursday, showing a dramatic reduction in the virus’ viability under the sun’s rays. But the […]

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Birds in paradise: Albania’s flamingos flourish in virus lockdown

by Briseida MEMA Agence France Presse NARTE, Albania (AFP) — With tourists home, boats docked and factories silenced under a coronavirus lockdown, Albania’s pink flamingos and curly pelicans are flourishing in the newfound tranquility of lagoons dotting the country’s western coastline. Beating their pink and black-lined wings, a growing flock of thousands of flamingos have recently been soaring over and splashing in the glistening waters of Narta Lagoon, an important site for migratory birds on […]

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‘Collapsology’: Is this the end of civilisation as we know it?

by Stéphane ORJOLLET Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — “The world will never be the same again,” has been the oft-repeated refrain since the coronavirus brought the global economy to a juddering halt. For many it has shown how fragile our civilization is. The crisis has come as a new movement called “collapsology” — which warns of the possible collapse of our societies as we know them — is gaining ground. With climate change exposing how […]

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Daimler, Volvo in 1.2-bn-euro deal to make hydrogen batteries: statement

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German automobile group Daimler said Tuesday it was partnering with Sweden’s Volvo to make hydrogen batteries for trucks, as car giants accelerate a push to wean vehicles from fossil fuels. The joint venture between the two, valued at 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion), is “a milestone in bringing fuel cell powered trucks and buses onto our roads,” said Daimler Truck chairman Martin Daum. “By forming this joint venture, we […]

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Humans to blame for spread of coronavirus and other ‘zoonoses’

by Stéphane ORJOLLET Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Whether it came from a bat or a pangolin is not certain, but one thing is: the coronavirus outbreak that has killed tens of thousands and turned the world upside down comes from the animal world. It is human activity enabled the virus to jump to people, and specialists are warning that if nothing changes many other pandemics of this nature will follow. The name given to […]

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China fish farmers harvest troubled waters with floating villages

by Lianchao LAN Agence France Presse XIAPU, China (AFP) — Fishermen like Zhu Chunfu have hauled their living from the seas off the Chinese province of Fujian for generations, but what happens when over-harvesting causes fish stocks to collapse? In the case of coastal Xiapu county, you turn to raising the fish yourself, a shift that has made it one of China’s most important aquaculture sites and spawned communities floating at sea. The water in […]

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DOH issues circular telling public to “avoid spraying and misting at this time”; no evidence it can kill virus

  (Eagle News) — The Department of Health has issued a department circular advising the public “to avoid spraying and misting at this time” saying that there is no evidence to support that this actually kills the COVID-19 virus. In Department circular no. 2020-0172, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that misting or spraying in fact poses an additional health and safety concerns. “There is no evidence to support that spraying surfaces or large scale […]

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Eurasian ice sheet collapse raised seas eight meters: study

by Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The melting of the Eurasian ice sheet around 14,000 years ago lifted global sea levels by about eight meters, according to new research published Monday that highlights the risks of today’s rapid ice cap melt. Earth’s last Glacial Maximum period began around 33,000 years ago, when vast ice sheets covered much of the Northern Hemisphere. At the time, the Eurasian ice sheet — which covered […]

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Alarms ring as Greenland ice loss causes 40% of 2019 sea level rise

by Marlowe HOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The kilometres-thick icesheet that covers Greenland saw a near-record imbalance last year between new snowfall and the discharge of meltwater and ice into the ocean, scientists have reported. A net loss of 600 billion tonnes was enough to raise the global watermark 1.5 millimetres, about 40 percent of total sea level rise in 2019. The Greenland icesheet — which, until the end of the 20th century accumulated […]

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