Environment
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012 by
Paul Portelli
When time stands still
Nature photography is a most rewarding experience practised by different people for different reasons, but in all cases what probably draws one to this activity is a love of nature and the pleasure of being outdoors. Naturalists take pictures of...
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector
What is the trend in Malta’s greenhouse gas emissions? Greenhouse gases arising from human activities trap heat within the atmosphere, giving rise to increasing global temperatures. As a small Mediterranean island with a large coastal area, Malta is...
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Monday, January 16, 2012 by
John von Radowitz
Hotter Arctic causes colder winters
Warmer Arctic summers may be bringing colder winters to the UK, new research suggests. Global warming in northern polar regions could be having a surprising knock-on effect further south, scientists believe. High pressure in the Arctic is thought...
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Monday, January 16, 2012 by
Emma Hallett
UK cold snap set to attract more birds
A sudden cold snap is set to bring a late influx of wintering birds on to reserves in the UK, wildlife experts said. Slimbridge Wetland Centre, in Gloucestershire, added that while the mild winter has so far kept some birds further north, a change...
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Warmer winds a boost to albatross
Stronger winds over the Southern Ocean around Antarctica have helped the wandering albatross fly faster and breed more successfully, European scientists said. However, the study published in the US journal Science cautioned that those benefits...
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Cut back on soot and methane to save earth
There are simple, inexpensive ways to cut back on two major pollutants – soot and methane – and taking action now could slow climate change for years to come, international scientists said. When it comes to fending off global warming, the focus is...
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Sunday, January 15, 2012 by
Alan Deidun
Three cheers for clientelism
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s decision on Enemalta’s application to build a substation at L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa last week was a tonic for all those who are appalled by the sheer gall of the squatters hiding behind the façade of...
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Probing the 1908 tsunami
Marine geologists are currently searching for the source of a tsunami that impacted the Maltese coastline more than a century ago. Southern Italy is one of the areas that are most prone to geo hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,...
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Seminar, exhibition on persistent pollutants in everyday products
The presence of chemical substances called ‘Persistent Organic Pollutants’ (Pops) in many of the products people consume, their effect on health and the environment, and what can be done to reduce their presence in everyday life was the subject of a...
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Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sulphur dioxide concentrations
Do sulphur dioxide concentrations in Malta meet EU air quality standards? Sulphur dioxide (SO2) adversely affects the human respiratory system and damages water bodies, soils, vegetation and limestone buildings. It originates both from natural...
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
Nitrogen dioxide concentrations
Do nitrogen dioxide concentrations in Malta meet EU air quality standards? Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a toxic gas at short-term concentrations exceeding 200µg/m3, and long-term exposure at lower concentrations. It forms acids when it interacts with...
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012 by
Paul Portelli
Plant with thick leaves in the shape of a heart
Ice plants belong to a large family of species most of which are indigenous to southern Africa. A few can be found in Australia and the Central Pacific. Some species have been cultivated in Maltese gardens for many years and because of their ability...
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Concentrations of benzene and other volatile organic compounds
Do concentrations of benzene and other volatile organic compounds meet EU air quality standards? Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are airborne compounds generated through combustion, but also by products containing solvents. They cause respiratory...
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Monday, January 9, 2012 by
Robert Saiget
Beijing to release new smog data after outcry
Beijing’s government has bowed to a vocal online campaign for a change in the way air quality is measured in the Chinese capital, one of the world’s most polluted cities. Authorities said they would start publishing figures this month showing the...
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Monday, January 9, 2012
Fidel Castro warns of climate change
Cuba’s iconic revolutionary Fidel Castro warned that the world was on an “inexorable” march into the abyss this year because of climate change and the threat of nuclear war. In an article published last week – General Castro’s first since November...
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Sunday, January 8, 2012 by
Anne Zammit
Environmental ethics
A flurry of environment-related events were sprinkled across December, not least among them the Church Environment Commission’s three-day symposium with participatory workshops. Covering a span of resources with the theme “Enough for everyone”, the...
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Sunday, January 8, 2012
Reducing waste is easy
Malta recently participated for the second time in the European Week for Waste Reduction. With the co-ordination of 34 organisations from 19 countries, a record 7,035 actions were registered, more than 50 per cent the previous year. Malta, with the...
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Sunday, January 8, 2012 by
PA
‘Lost world’ of marine life found
A “lost world” of previously unknown species is thriving in a deep sea hotspot near Antarctica, scientists have discovered. Researchers operating a robot submersible found a plethora of unidentified creatures including crabs, starfish, barnacles,...
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Sunday, January 8, 2012 by
AFP
Rebuilding of listed ancient cathedral infuriates Unesco
Bagrati cathedral, a world-renowned but crumbling masterpiece of mediaeval Georgian architecture, is suffering not only from wear and tear but also from the impact of human meddling. Keen to please the influential Orthodox Church, the government in...
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Saturday, January 7, 2012
Ozone concentrations
Do ozone concentrations in Malta meet EU air quality standards? Ozone (O3) is formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in sunlight. It is a harmful pollutant at ground level since it impairs respiratory systems and reduces...
