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Palawan’s Underground River Among New7Wonders

November 12, 2011 by ·

The Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Underground River has been declared as one of the provisional winners in the search for the new seven wonders of nature.

A day before the voting ended yesterday night, the Philippine government mounted a “last ditch” effort through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) by ordering all local government officials from governors down to barangay captains to urge Filipinos around the country to cast their vote for the underground river.

Agencies under the DILG, including the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, were also ordered to urge their members and linked groups to vote for the underground river. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ecology, Environment, Wildlife ·

Italy Scientists On Trial Over L’Aquila Earthquake

September 22, 2011 by ·

The trial of six Italian scientists and a former government official for manslaughter over the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila has opened in the city.
The 6.3 magnitude quake devastated the city and killed 309 people.
Prosecutors allege the defendants gave a falsely reassuring statement before the quake after studying hundreds of tremors that had shaken the city.
The defence argues that there is no way to predict major earthquakes even in a seismically active area. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Change, Environment, Global Warming, Nature ·

Coral Reefs ‘Will Be Gone By End Of The Century’

September 12, 2011 by ·

They will be the first entire ecosystem to be destroyed by human activity, says top UN scientist

Coral reefs are on course to become the first ecosystem that human activity will eliminate entirely from the Earth, a leading United Nations scientist claims. He says this event will occur before the end of the present century, which means that there are children already born who will live to see a world without coral.

The claim is made in a book published tomorrow, which says coral reef ecosystems are very likely to disappear this century in what would be “a new first for mankind – the ‘extinction’ of an entire ecosystem”. Its author, Professor Peter Sale, studied the Great Barrier Reef for 20 years at the University of Sydney. He currently leads a team at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Environment, Nature ·

Forest Expert Turns Butterfly Man

September 10, 2011 by ·

He spent his entire life protecting animals and vegetation in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Godavari districts roaming along with dangerous beasts. But, only after his retirement did Yerneni Gouthama Siddhartha take a liking to butterflies.

It was his little Pomeranian puppy that drew his attention to these dainty beings. “The puppy always went after them and played with them when I took it out for a morning walk,” Mr. Siddhartha told The Hindu. As a nature lover he soon became interested in them and started photographing them. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Environment, Nature, Wildlife ·

Small Trees Can Put On A Big Show

September 9, 2011 by ·

The importance of small trees in gardens of any size simply can’t be measured.

Large trees are magnificent monuments in the landscape, but small trees can be equally significant landmarks in your own backyard. Big trees take your eyes to the sky; small trees shade a space, such as a patio, without dominating it. They define the flow of the eye and the feet through a garden, and punctuate the views. Small trees have a way of keeping the experience of a garden intimate and inviting.

“Most people want to look at things that are in scale with them, at their eye level, and if you choose the right small tree with the right form, you can create a great sense of place,” says Brian Kissinger, a garden designer and the director of horticulture at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ecology, Environment, Nature ·

Geologists Study Energy Source Underground

August 29, 2011 by ·

Geologists and energy experts say that using heat from the earth as a power source, and to heat and cool houses and businesses, might prove to be a clean-energy alternative for Ohio and other states.

To determine whether it will work, state geologists are using a $21.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to look for geothermal prospects throughout the country. Exploration efforts include studying underground temperatures, heat flow and thermal conductivity of rocks to determine whether geothermal energy is the right answer.

“Every state has potential,” said Lee Allison of the Arizona Geological Survey, who is principal investigator for the three-year study. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ecology, Energy, Environment, Research & Study ·

Gold Mine Worth £9 Billion Discovered In Germany

August 28, 2011 by ·

A massive seam of pure gold worth at least nine billion pounds has been discovered in one of the poorest regions of eastern Germany.

The precious metal was found nearly 4,000ft down in Lausitz region where one-in-five are jobless.

Eight hundred miners have already been called to sign on for jobs and there are estimates that double that number could soon be on the payroll, the Daily Mail reports.

The KSL mining company also struck the intended copper-bearing rock laden with an estimated 2.7 million tons, as well as lesser deposits of silver and platinum. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ecology, Environment, Precious Metals ·