Category: Environment

MANILA, October 3, 2009 (AFP) – The death toll from a week of catastrophes in the Asia-Pacific rose to 1,680 Saturday as the region struggled to cope with a freak series of earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons. At least 139 people were feared dead in Samoa alone, with 129 confirmed killed and 10 missing.Another 32 were […]

Oct 01, 2009 (LBO) – A coral reef described as the last remaining living, extensive reef on Sri Lanka’s south coast was cleaned up in an effort where international and local agencies worked together, the ministry of fisheries said.The initiative aims to improve the quality and condition of the Kapparathota coral reef in Weligama Bay, […]

BANGALORE, September 25, 2009 (AFP) – India on Friday hailed the discovery of water on the moon as a triumph for its lunar programme as the country aims to cement its reputation as a serious player in the space industry.“There could be much more interesting facts.We will talk about all of it once we have […]

SYDNEY, September 29, 2009 (AFP) – Almost 10 percent of the world’s mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are in danger of extinction due to climate change and other factors, according to an Australian report released Tuesday.“We have a long way to go, we have discovered and named only about a quarter of Australia’s estimated […]

July 09, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan policy makers should not over emphasize on pollution control as the economy is still at a early development stage, as it may hinder economic growth and slowdown job creation, a leading expert on carbon finance said. “Right now I think developing the economy and creating jobs should be […]

OTTAWA, June 22, 2009 (AFP) – Heart disease deaths dropped 30 percent in Canada between 1994 and 2004, likely as a result of fierce campaigns against smoking and bad cholesterol, a study said Monday. Researchers noted a rapid decline over 10 years in the number of related deaths from 360.6 to 252.5 per 100,000 people, […]

PARIS, June 17, 2009 (AFP) – Woolly mammoths survived in Britain until 14,000 years ago, around 6,000 years longer than previously thought, according to a study released Thursday.The study should settle a raging debate over the extinction of mammoths in Europe, unleashed when fossils from an adult male and four youngsters were found in the […]

WASHINGTON, (AFP) – The US Congress voted overwhelmingly Friday to grant the government historic powers to regulate cigarette makers, overturning decades of resistance by the powerful tobacco industry. The legislation, set to be signed into law later Friday by President Barack Obama, grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a regulatory body, the authority to […]

BRISBANE, June 11 (Asia Pulse) – More than 17,000 jobs could be created in Australia’s geothermal energy industry by 2050, a new report says. The geothermal industry, which involves extracting heat stored in the earth to generate power, is growing in Australia with almost 400 tenements for projects and around $A1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) in […]

June 10, 2009 (LBO) – Maldives has established three protected areas for whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, the Indian Ocean atoll state which is famed for its corals and marine resources, said. The marine protected areas have been declared in and around Baa atoll Hanifaru, Baa atoll An’gafaru and South Ari atoll Maamigili, to […]

MEXICO CITY, May 27, 2009 (AFP) – Mexico reported two more swine flu deaths on Tuesday, as World Health Organization scientists asked if it had moved too quickly to declare the outbreak a pandemic.Authorities in Mexico said the death toll had risen to 85, and infected cases rose to 4,721 with scientists advancing through a […]

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2009 (AFP) – Scientists said Monday they had reached the halfway point in a project to set up buoys across the Indian Ocean, helping farmers predict the monsoon in some of the world’s poorest areas.The buoys measure wind, rainfall, temperature and other figures around the Indian Ocean, which has lagged behind the […]