Blogging the End of the World™
July 11 (NHK) – Radioactive cesium far exceeding the legal limit has been detected in hay that was fed to cattle at a farm in Fukushima Prefecture. The prefecture has been investigating why the cattle were contaminated with the radioactive substance. On Sunday, officials took samples of feed and well water at the farm located […]
Freetown (AFP) July 4, 2011 – Massive piles of seaweed have washed ashore along Sierra Leone’s coastline, covering the white sand and raising fears for tourism and the fishing industry, officials said Monday. “People should stay away until we determine through lab tests whether the weeds are toxic and harmful to human beings. We are […]
By arevamirpal::laprimavera8 July 2011 These cattle were allowed to be sold, as long as they were scrubbed clean of radioactive materials on their skin, thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the same ministry that is pushing to have the Japanese cuisine recognized as UNESCO’s “world intangible cultural heritage”. According to Asahi Shinbun […]
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 234 points in June 2011, 1 percent higher than in May and 39 percent higher than in June 2010. The FFPI hit its all time high of 238 points in February. A strong rise in international sugar prices was behind much of the increase in the June value […]
Paris (AFP) July 7, 2011 – The reference organisation for the conservation status of Earth’s animals and plants said for the first time Thursday that most species of tuna are urgently in need of protection. Five of eight tuna species are now threatened or nearly threatened with extinction due to overfishing, according to the Red […]
ABSTRACT: Culturing experiments, simulating a projected future rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, were performed with the benthic foraminifer Ammonia aomoriensis from Flensburg Fjord, southwestern Baltic Sea. The experiments simulated a future rise in atmospheric CO2. We exposed living specimens to five seawater pCO2 levels ranging from 618 µatm (pH 7.9) to 3130 µatm (pH 7.2) […]
New Study Details Changes in Soil Chemistry and Devastation of Trees and Plants Contact: Kirsten Stade (202) 265-73376 July 2011 Washington, DC — A new study has found that wastewater from natural gas hydrofracturing in a West Virginia national forest quickly wiped out all ground plants, killed more than half of the trees and caused […]
July 6 (mongabay.com) – 180 hectares (450 acres) of rainforest in the Brazilian Amazon were defoliated using Agent Orange, reports IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental law enforcement agency. The affected area, which is south of the city of Canutama and near the Mapinguari Jacareúba / Katawixi indigenous reservation in Rondônia, was first detected by Brazil’s deforestation monitoring […]
By John Carey 30 June 2011 Editor’s note: This article is the last of a three-part series by John Carey. Part 1, “Storm Warning: Extreme Weather Is a Product of Climate Change,” was posted on June 28. Part 2, “Global Warming and the Science of Extreme Weather,” was posted on June 29. Extreme weather events […]
By Rob Evans, Richard Cookson, and Terry Macalister, www.guardian.co.uk 5 July 2011 Serious spills of oil and gas from North Sea platforms are occurring at the rate of one a week, undermining oil companies’ claims to be doing everything possible to improve the safety of rigs. Shell has emerged as one of the top offenders […]
