Attempts to agree a compromise between whaling nations and their opponents at the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) annual meeting have failed. After two days of private discussions, delegates reported they had been unable to reach agreement on major issues. The deal would have put whaling by Iceland, Japan and Norway under international oversight for 10 [...]
Japanese scientists are celebrating the successful deployment of their solar sail Ikaros. The 200-sq-m (2,100-sq-ft) membrane is attached to a small disc-shaped spacecraft that was put in orbit last month by an H-IIA rocket. Ikaros will demonstrate the principle of using sunlight as a simple and efficient means of propulsion. The technique has long been [...]
US President Barack Obama has pledged to use “every resource” available to clean shores and help those affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. In his weekly address, Mr Obama said that BP appeared to be “making progress” in containing the leak after placing a cap over the well. But the company’s latest effort, [...]
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the worst environmental disaster the US has faced, a senior official has said. White House energy adviser Carol Browner also said the US was “prepared for the worst scenario” that the leak might not be stopped before August. BP is to try a new tactic after its latest [...]
Ten miles off the coast of Louisiana, where the air tastes like gasoline and the ocean looks like brownie batter, Louisiana State University professor Ed Overton leans out of a fishing boat and dunks a small jar beneath the surface of the oil-covered water. “God, what a mess,” he says under his breath, scooping up [...]
The Alaotra Grebe, a small diving bird native to Madagascar has been officially classified extinct, according to a leading bird conservation organization. BirdLife International reported that the species, once found on Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in Madagascar, declined rapidly due to carnivorous fish being introduced to the lake and the use of nylon gill [...]
