by Mariëtte Le Roux MARRAKESH, Morocco (AFP) –Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have been nearly flat for three years in a row — a “great help” but not enough to stave off dangerous global warming, a report said Monday. Emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide stayed level in 2015 at 36.3 billion tonnes (GtCO2) and were projected to rise “only slightly”, by 0.2 percent in 2016, according to the annual Global Carbon Budget report compiled […]
Life
New York braces for the looming threats of climate change
New York, United States ( AFP ) -by Catherine TRIOMPHE On calm days, waters innocently wash against the aging seawalls at Manhattan’s southernmost park, but in decades to come they could inundate the island’s lower districts. If the latest apocalyptic climate change projections come true — with sea levels rising upwards of 28 inches (70 cm) by 2050 — Wall Street and Ellis Island could be swallowed up. The wrath of Superstorm Sandy — which killed more than […]
Climate change affects nearly all life on Earth
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Most life on Earth is already being changed by the warming climate, even though the rise in global temperature since pre-industrial times has been rather slight, researchers warned on Thursday. The study in the journal Science found that 82 percent of key ecological processes — including genetic diversity and migration patterns — are being altered by global warming. These effects extend to land, oceans and freshwater environments, even though temperatures have […]
Leprosy found in red squirrels of Britain, Ireland: study
by Kerry SHERIDAN MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Some red squirrels in Britain and Ireland are infected with the bacteria that causes leprosy in humans, though the risk of transmission to people is low, researchers said Thursday. Still, scientists were surprised to uncover signs of the infectious disease that ravaged Europe in medieval times but which has dramatically declined in the modern era. “This has never been observed before,” said Stewart Cole, a researcher with […]
Tobacco linked to 40 percent of US cancers
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of cancer, and 40 percent of diagnosed US cancer cases may have a link to its use, health authorities said Thursday. Lung cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and tumors of the mouth and throat, voice box, esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, liver, bladder, cervix, colon and rectum are all caused by tobacco use, according the report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. […]
Last 5 years were the hottest on record – UN
MARRAKESH, MOROCCO (Reuters) — The past five years were the hottest on record with mounting evidence that heat waves, floods and rising sea levels are increasing because of man-made climate change, the United Nations weather agency said on Tuesday (November 8). A report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed 2015 was the first year in which temperatures were one degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, partly because of an El Niño weather event […]
There’s an ‘extra-super’ Moon on the rise
by Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France (AFP) — An unusually large and bright Moon will adorn the night sky next Monday — the closest “supermoon” to Earth in 68 years and a chance for dramatic photos and spectacular surf. Weather permitting, the phenomenon should appear at its most impressive at 1352 GMT, when it will be at its fullest just as night falls over Asia, astronomers said. Provided there are no clouds and not too much […]
Kept the secret long enough – my review of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
QUEZON City,Philippines (November 8) – At the time of writing this review, 100, 000 seats were added to accommodate Harry Potter fans clamoring to see “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. Before we truly begin, a standard warning: here be spoilers! For those of you living under a rock, the latest installment in the Harry Potter universe is a two-act play about an adult Harry Potter and his interaction with his middle child, Albus Severus […]
Human antibody shields mouse foetuses against Zika
PARIS, France (AFP) – by Mariëtte Le Roux An antibody produced by the human body shielded unborn mice against Zika, a study said Monday, raising hopes for thwarting the virus known to cause brain damage in human foetuses. The antibody neutralised all known Zika strains in lab experiments, and “markedly reduced” virus levels in infected pregnant mice and their foetuses. “This is the first antiviral that has been shown to work in pregnancy to protect […]
Aussie police find baby koala in woman’s bag
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australian police uncovered a baby koala hidden in the bag of a woman they stopped in the street. The 50-year-old, who was being spoken to on unrelated matters on Sunday evening, stunned Brisbane officers when she revealed she had the creature in her canvas satchell. “Not quite believing their ears, the officers cautiously unzipped the bag and found this gorgeous boy,” Queensland police said. “The koala — believed to be about […]
Climate change challenges authoritarian China: experts
by Matthew KNIGHT SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — The gleaming towers of Shanghai belie the Chinese commercial hub’s vulnerability to climate change, and the city is spending billions to try to protect itself, but experts say the country’s authoritarian system is a hidden weakness. According to a report last year by Climate Central, a US-based research group, the low-lying megacity is, in population terms, the world’s most at risk from rising sea levels. A two degree […]
How to be a responsible social media user?
QUEZON City, Philippines (November 11) – A lot of people are into social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Why not? Such sites have proven to be the best way to communicate with friends and family. Also, they proved to be the easiest way to keep updated on trending topics. They’re so convenient, one often forgets to use them responsibly. And in this day and age, one should be a responsible social media user. With the touch […]