Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News

December 21, 2015

Judge blocks Brazil assets of Vale, BHP Billiton after dam disaster
Brasilia (AFP) Dec 20, 2015
A judge has blocked the Brazilian assets of mining giants Vale and BHP Billiton to make sure they pay reparations for the toxic waste dam burst that killed 17 in November. The Brazilian and Anglo-Australian mining companies are joint owners of Samarco, a firm that operated an iron ore tailings dam that burst in Minas Gerais state on November 5. The accident unleashed a tsunami of toxic waste that buried a nearby village, then rushed into the Doce, Brazil's second most important river, ravaging f ... read more

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China landslide leaves 59 missing, sparks gas explosion: Xinhua A landslide which swept through an industrial park in southern China buried more than 30 buildings in a sea of mud, left 59 people missing and triggered a gas explosion on Sunday, state media reported. ... more		Death toll rises to 45 in storm-hit Philippines The death toll from two storms which battered the Philippines rose to 45 Sunday as several towns remained under water and rain kept falling in northern regions, disaster monitoring officials said. ... more		Vessel discovery a major step toward growing kidneys In a significant step toward growing replacement kidneys, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified the cells that give rise to the blood vessels within the kidney ... more
				A wax shield to conquer the Earth Having emerged late during evolution, seeds have transformed many plants into miniature travelers, contributing greatly to their colonization of terrestrial habitats. Researchers at the University o ... more		Special collection explores origin and evolution of play Research on the evolution and function of play at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) has culminated in a special issue of the journal Adaptive Behavior. The p ... more

North Slope permafrost thawing sooner than expected New projections of permafrost change in northern Alaska suggest far-reaching effects will come sooner than expected, scientists reported this week at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Uni ... more		Anger, fear at Delhi's pollution ground zero For 12 hours a day, Raju Misra stands at his snack stall in the world's ultimate pollution blackspot, inhaling toxic fumes and railing against India's politicians for failing to clean up the filthy air. ... more		Rise of the robots: the promise of physical AI Amazon robotics lead casts doubt on eye-catching humanoids 'Western tech dominance fading' at Lisbon's Web Summit		Two killed, several injured in Norway Arctic avalanche An avalanche in the Svalbard archipelago in the heart of the Norwegian Arctic claimed a second life Sunday as a child died from injuries sustained in the disaster, medical authorities said. ... more
				Firefighters battle a hundred wildfires in Spain Spanish firefighters were battling around 100 wildfires in the northwestern Asturias region on Sunday, where flames fed by strong winds forced the closure of roads and a rail line, officials said. ... more		Ancient 4-flippered reptile flapped like a penguin The puzzle of the plesiosaur has been revealed by computer simulations showing how the ancient animals used their unusual four-flippered body to swim through the ocean. The study published thi ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

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Senegalese migrant with thirst for improving lives When mathematician Lassana Koita left the "thirst zone" of Senegal to make his way in the world, he never forgot his duty to give something back to his beloved homeland. ... more		Beijing issues second red alert as choking smog sets in again Beijing issued its second-ever red alert for smog and put its emergency response plan into action once again as severe pollution hit China's capital on Saturday. ... more		Tanzania jails 4 Chinese for 20 yrs for smuggling rhino horns A Tanzanian court jailed four Chinese men for 20 years after they were caught smuggling 11 rhino horns, one of the largest seizures ever made in the east African nation, a lawyer said Friday. ... more		Nigeria commutes troops' death sentences for refusing to face Boko Haram Nigerian military has commuted the death sentences handed to 66 soldiers for mutiny over claims they refused to fight Boko Haram Islamists, a spokesman said on Saturday. ... more

	Australia's Turnbull tells Abe of 'deep disappointment' over whaling Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of his "deep disappointment" over Tokyo's resumption of whaling in the Antarctic Ocean, though held out hope for a resolution of the highly charged issue. ... more		Top China exec in New York after disappearance: company The billionaire boss of one of China's largest private companies, who was last week was rumoured to be detained by authorities, has traveled to New York, his company said Friday. ... more

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