Two snowmobile drivers were killed Friday when they triggered an avalanche and were buried in the snow for nearly an hour, Alaska State Troopers said.
The two were driving their snowmobiles in the backcountry near Turnagain Pass, about 70 miles south of Anchorage, when the avalanche occurred, Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said.
They were buried for about 45 minutes before being located. Troopers initially reported that three people had died in the avalanche, but the third person was recovered, evaluated by medical professionals at the scene and released, Ipsen said.
Earth Changes
Arctic rivers transport huge quantities of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the Arctic Ocean. The prevailing paradigm regarding DOC in arctic rivers is that it is largely refractory, making it of little significance for the biogeochemistry of the Arctic Ocean. However, a recent study by R. M. Holmes of the Woods Hole Research Center and colleagues at collaborating institutions challenges that assumption by showing that DOC in Alaskan arctic rivers is remarkably labile during the spring flood period when the majority of annual DOC flux occurs.
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| ©NOAA |
| International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean. |
As vast and far-reaching as the world's oceans are, every square kilometer is affected by human activities, according to a study in the journal Science by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and others.
The international team of scientists integrated global data from 17 aspects of global change - from overfishing to global warming - that threaten 20 different marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and continental shelves. Similar to an online satellite map that lets you add layers of highways, retail stores, schools, parks, etc., to find the most congested areas or the highest concentration of fast food restaurants, the global threat map highlights areas in the ocean where threats overlap.
The international team of scientists integrated global data from 17 aspects of global change - from overfishing to global warming - that threaten 20 different marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and continental shelves. Similar to an online satellite map that lets you add layers of highways, retail stores, schools, parks, etc., to find the most congested areas or the highest concentration of fast food restaurants, the global threat map highlights areas in the ocean where threats overlap.
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| ©Unknown |
| The Science study showed that rising ocean temperatures are the most pervasive threat, and almost half of all the world's coral reefs have recently experienced medium- to high-level impacts. |
Colony Collapse Disorder: Researchers Work To Control Varroa Mites, Increase Longevity Of Queen Bees
In response to a fast-spreading syndrome called colony collapse disorder (CCD) that's striking honey bees nationwide, scientists at Agricultural Research Service (ARS) bee laboratories across the country are pooling their expertise. They want to learn what's causing the disappearance of the honey bees that add about $15 billion a year to the value of U.S. crops by pollinating fruit, vegetable, tree nut and berry crops. Some beekeepers have already lost one-half to two-thirds of their colonies to CCD.
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| ©Peggy Greb |
| Entomologist Jeffery Pettis assesses the health of bee colonies at the ARS Bee Research Lab in Beltsville, Md. |
Tens of thousands of fish found dead in Tiberias marine area. Health and Agriculture Ministries ban fishing until cause of mortality is determined, suspect fishermen might have been responsible for mass poisoning.
The Health and Agriculture Ministries warned the public Saturday no to purchase fish originating from the Tiberias marine, or other lake Kinneret fish bought from unknown sources, following the discovery of thousands of dead fish in the lake.
All fishing in the Kinneret has in the meantime been prohibited, and Health Ministry inspectors have been stationed in the area to enforce the ban.
Ministry teams sent to markets in the region have not found so far any poisoned fish that might have reached the stands. The teams also collected dead fish and transferred them for lab tests, the results of which are not expected before Sunday.
The Health and Agriculture Ministries warned the public Saturday no to purchase fish originating from the Tiberias marine, or other lake Kinneret fish bought from unknown sources, following the discovery of thousands of dead fish in the lake.
All fishing in the Kinneret has in the meantime been prohibited, and Health Ministry inspectors have been stationed in the area to enforce the ban.
Ministry teams sent to markets in the region have not found so far any poisoned fish that might have reached the stands. The teams also collected dead fish and transferred them for lab tests, the results of which are not expected before Sunday.
The prospect that the King penguin will go extinct as a result of climate warming is rising inexorably, scientists say today.
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| ©Yvon Le Maho |
| King penguin: The study says they at high risk under current global warming conditions |
Cities act like giant contraceptives and could help curb the Earth's explosive population growth that drives climate change, according to two studies.
The United Nations estimates that in the past year the majority of the world's population will, for the first time in human history, live in town and cities.
Cities are now home to half of the world's 6.6 billion humans and by 2030 that urban fraction will rise to 60 per cent as nearly 5 billion people will live in cities of the projected global population of 8.2 billion.
The United Nations estimates that in the past year the majority of the world's population will, for the first time in human history, live in town and cities.
Cities are now home to half of the world's 6.6 billion humans and by 2030 that urban fraction will rise to 60 per cent as nearly 5 billion people will live in cities of the projected global population of 8.2 billion.
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| ©BS Halpern |
| World map showing Man's effect on the planet's oceans |
Almost half of the world's oceans have been seriously affected by over-fishing, pollution and climate change, according to a major study of man's impact on marine life.
An earthquake shook Lebanon, Israel and the Gaza Strip on Friday, sending panicked people in several towns in the south of Lebanon out on to the streets.
The tremor -- the second in the region this week -- hit at around 1030 GMT, but its intensity was not immediately known.
Friday's quake was felt throughout Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, where many buildings shook.
In the southern coastal city of Tyre, residents ran toward the seashore and began reciting verses of the Koran after the tremor struck, an AFP correspondent witnessed.
The tremor -- the second in the region this week -- hit at around 1030 GMT, but its intensity was not immediately known.
Friday's quake was felt throughout Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, where many buildings shook.
In the southern coastal city of Tyre, residents ran toward the seashore and began reciting verses of the Koran after the tremor struck, an AFP correspondent witnessed.
Maude Barlow's new book about the water crisis is a call to arms to protect a fundamental human right.
From Chile to the Philippines to South Africa to her home country of Canada, Maude Barlow is one of a few people who truly understands the scope of the world's water woes. Her newest book, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, details her discoveries around the globe about our diminishing water resources, the increasing privatization trend and the grassroots groups that are fighting back against corporate theft, government mismanagement and a changing climate.
If you want to know where the water is running low (including 36 U.S. states), why we haven't been able to protect it and what we can do to ensure everyone has the right to water, Barlow's book is an essential read. It is part science, part policy and part impassioned call. And the information in Blue Covenant couldn't come from a more reliable source. Barlow is the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians and co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, which is instrumental in the international community in working for the right to water for all people. She also authored Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop Corporate Theft of the World's Water with Tony Clarke. And she's the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (known as the "Alternative Nobel") for her global water justice work.
She took a moment to talk to AlterNet in between the Canadian and U.S. legs of a book tour for Blue Covenant. (Barlow just kicked off her U.S. tour; for a list of tour stops and dates, click here).
From Chile to the Philippines to South Africa to her home country of Canada, Maude Barlow is one of a few people who truly understands the scope of the world's water woes. Her newest book, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, details her discoveries around the globe about our diminishing water resources, the increasing privatization trend and the grassroots groups that are fighting back against corporate theft, government mismanagement and a changing climate.
If you want to know where the water is running low (including 36 U.S. states), why we haven't been able to protect it and what we can do to ensure everyone has the right to water, Barlow's book is an essential read. It is part science, part policy and part impassioned call. And the information in Blue Covenant couldn't come from a more reliable source. Barlow is the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians and co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, which is instrumental in the international community in working for the right to water for all people. She also authored Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop Corporate Theft of the World's Water with Tony Clarke. And she's the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (known as the "Alternative Nobel") for her global water justice work.
She took a moment to talk to AlterNet in between the Canadian and U.S. legs of a book tour for Blue Covenant. (Barlow just kicked off her U.S. tour; for a list of tour stops and dates, click here).
