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First
Images of Venus’s South Pole Revealed
April
14, 2006
It
has been an eventful few days for the Venus Express spacecraft. After entering
orbit around its target planet on Tuesday, the observatory turned on its
instruments and snapped the first images ever taken of the swirling atmosphere
above the Venusian south pole on Wednesday.
Source:
New Scientist.com
Greenpeace
Arctic Mission to Spotlight Polar Bears
April
14, 2006
Two
U.S. explorers plan to start a four-month summer expedition to the North Pole
next month to gather information on the habitat of an animal they believe could
be the first victim of global warming -- the polar bear. Lonnie Dupre and Eric
Larsen plan to travel 1,100 miles by foot and canoe over the Arctic Ocean to
test the depth and density of the ice in summer in a mission sponsored by
Greenpeace, the environmental group said Thursday. According to some scientific
predictions, the Arctic Ocean could become ice-free in the summer within a
hundred years.
Source:
Environmental News Network
3
Degrees: Chief Scientist Warns Bigger Rise in World's Temperature Will Put 400
Million At Risk
April
15, 2006
The
world's temperature is on course to rise by more than three degrees Centigrade
despite efforts to combat global warming, According to computer-modelled
predictions a three-degree rise in temperatures could put 400 million more
people at risk of hunger; leave between one and three billion more people at
risk of water stress; cause cereal crop yields to fall by between 20 and 400
million tons; and destroy half the world's nature reserves.
Source:
Independent.co.uk
Spotting
Weak Eggs before They Crack
April
16, 2006
WHETHER
it will work on chocolate Easter eggs is unclear. But down on the farm, a new
technique could soon help poultry farmers to spot which newly laid eggs will
later crack before they get anywhere near the packing plant.
Source:
New Scientist.com
Activists March against France's Plans to Build New Generation of Nuclear Reactors
April
17, 2006
More
than 10,000 French activists marched in silence to honor victims of the Chernobyl disaster 20 years ago, part of a larger protest denouncing
France's plans to build more nuclear reactors. The new type of plant is billed as more efficient, safer and environmentally friendly than
current models. However, French environmental activists argue that nuclear power is inherently dangerous, and say the development of a new
generation of plants will slow the search for alternative energy sources. France is the only European country that continued making new
nuclear plants after the April 26, 1986, Chernobyl disaster.
Source: Environmental
News Network
Rabbit
Restoration Effort under Way
April
18, 2006
The
numbers of New England cottontail rabbits are on the decline in Maine, with only
300 of the animals remaining in a small range in the southern end of the state.
Efforts are under way to increase their numbers by preserving habitat where they
live. The numbers have fallen as development pressures have claimed shrub-filled
farm fields where the rabbits live.
Source:
Environmental News Network
Mercury
Fillings: are They Safe?
April
18, 2006
For
close to 150 years, dental fillings that contain mercury and other metals have
been used to fill cavities. these fillings, known as amalgam, have maintained a
good safety record. But mercury is a known neurotoxin, and little medical
research has been done investigating whether the trace amounts of mercury that
fillings slowly release could produce any sort of negative cognitive effects,
especially when used in children's mouths. However, several new studies
published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Association offer some reassurance that amalgam fillings are safe.
Source:
Abc news
Next-Generation
DVD Battle Begins
April
19, 2006
The
first HD DVD players and discs have gone on sale in the US. The release marks
the start of the format wars between the Toshiba-led HD DVD and the Sony-led Blu-ray
systems. The first Blu-ray discs are expected in late May, while the first
players will be available in June.
Source:
BBC News
SA
Prisoners Sue for Aids Drugs
April
20, 2006
A
group of South African prisoners with HIV have launched a court action to force
the government to give them free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). The prisons
ministry said the move was "opportunistic" and the government was
working to provide them treatment.
Source:
BBC News
Red
Cross Red Crescent Launches Avian Influenza Appeal
April
20, 2006
The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has, today,
launched an appeal for Swiss francs 17.4 million (USD 13.4 million/EUR 11
million) to fund its response to the increasing worldwide spread of avian
influenza and the potential risk of this leading to pandemic human influenza.
Source:
Reuters News Agency
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