News
June 2, 2017
The White House on Wednesday night released 14 ethics waivers — documents that exempt some top presidential aides from important ethics rules. The disclosures came after a quiet but tough battle between Trump administration officials and the Office of Government Ethics. The waivers are considered public documents, but for weeks after President Trump took office, they weren't made public.
In April, the Office of Government Ethics began to push the issue.
June 2, 2017
Massive craters formed by methane blow-outs from the Arctic sea floor. Even though the craters were formed some 12,000 years ago, methane is still leaking profusely from the craters. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and of major concern in our warming climate. "The crater area was covered by a thick ice sheet during the last ice age, much as West Antarctica is today. As climate warmed, and the ice sheet collapsed, enormous amounts of methane were abruptly released.
June 1, 2017
Apparently, even the most advanced apocalypse bunkers aren't safe from climate change. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was established near the North Pole by the Norwegian government. It aims to preserve the seeds of nearly a million different kinds of crops from every country on Earth. The massive vault was buried under the arctic permafrost to safeguard seeds in case of war or natural disasters. But rising temperatures near the pole melted the ice and flooded the entrance to the vault.
May 29, 2017
At least 11 people died when a severe thunderstorm hit the Russian capital Moscow, health officials say. Hundreds of trees were toppled by the storm, and more than 150 people sought medical help. Reports say that electrical cables were damaged as Moscow was lashed with high winds, hail and torrential rain.
The winds of up to 110 km/h (70 mph) were described by meteorologists as extremely rare for the city, and caused structural damage to buildings.
May 28, 2017
President Trump has privately told multiple people, including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, that he plans to leave the Paris agreement on climate change, according to three sources with direct knowledge. Publicly, Trump's position is that he has not made up his mind and when we asked the White House about these private comments, Director of Strategic Communications Hope Hicks said, "I think his tweet was clear. He will make a decision this week."
May 27, 2017
Atlas of the Human Planet 2017 – how exposed are we to natural hazards? One out of three people in the world is exposed to earthquakes, a number which almost doubled in the past 40 years. Around 1 billion in 155 countries are exposed to floods and 414 million live near one of the 220 most dangerous volcanoes. The 2017 edition of the JRC Atlas of the Human Planet looks at the exposure of people and built-up areas to the six major natural hazards, and its evolution over the last 40 years.
May 22, 2017
The United Nations proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity.
May 19, 2017
Our Cold War history is now offering scientists a chance to better understand the complex space system that surrounds us. Space weather—which can include changes in Earth's magnetic environment—are usually triggered by the sun's activity, but recently declassified data on high-altitude nuclear explosion tests have provided a new look at the mechansisms that set off perturbations in that magnetic system. Such information can help support NASA's efforts to protect satellites and astronauts from the natural radiation inherent in space.
May 18, 2017
China successfully extracted natural gas hydrate for the first time in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea on Thursday, China Geological Survey announced. This means China has become the first country in the world that can produce steady gas continuously.
May 18, 2017
Is a war possible in Central Asia for water resources? On the 17th of May 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Aslov tried to protect construction of the Rogun Power Dam on the Vakhsh River in front of European authorities in Brussels. A question may arise here as to why EU would bother about an unknown electric power station in a remote mountainous country and why a Dushanbe representative flew to the European Union capital for an approval. However, this regular and boring protocol event gives evidence to a threat of real war in the centre of Eurasia.