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☆ ‘Save the Whales’ was a shining success. Now can humpbacks save us from ourselves?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Antarctic Peninsula CNN —About 15 billion miles from where you sit, two 12-inch golden records are hurtling through outer space with multilingual greetings to the universe from 55 humans and one humpback whale. WWF's Johnson said the whales are not harmed by this -- to the whales, the dart feels like "a mosquito bite." It feels like “a mosquito bite” to the whales, Johnson said, but what they can test for is priceless: from stress hormones to toxins to — most importantly — pregnancy rates. Ten million copies were inserted into National Geographic magazine in 1979 — the largest single pressing in history — and a global movement to Save The Whales grew big enough to … save the whales. Seth Wenig/AP“I don’t think a wind turbine can kill a whale,” Friedlaender told CNN.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, Carl Sagan, ” Sagan, could’ve, “, Ari Friedlaender, Friedlaender, ”, Chris Johnson, ” Eva Prendergast, WWF's Johnson, Evelio Contreras, Bill Weir, Johnson, ” Friedlaender, Shepherd, WWF’s Johnson, Roger, Katy Payne, David Keyton, Frank Watlington, cetologist Scott McVay, Donald Trump, ” Trump, Seth Wenig, that’s, Biden, ” Johnson, Twain, CNN “, ” Brenda McCowan, Fred Sharpe, ” McCowan, ’ ” Sharpe, Natalia Botero, Acosta, ’, Maria Camila Medina Martínez, Julian Quinones, ” Carl Sagan Organizations: Antarctic Peninsula CNN, “, ” CNN CNN, University of California, International Monetary Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Endeavor, CNN, UC Santa Cruz, Shepherd Global, Norwegian Aker, United Nations, Geographic, Whales, International Whaling Commission, Atlantic, Republican, Templeton Foundation, Whale SETI, UC Davis Locations: Santa Cruz, Colombia, British, Antarctica, Norwegian, Southern, Orkney, Bermuda, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Atlantic, South Carolina, Lido Beach , New York, Davis, Alaska, Columbia, Colombian, Tribuga, United Nations, Palau, Chile, Maldives

☆ Apollo 17 astronauts collected rocks that reveal the moon’s true age
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The moon’s gravitational pull is also the force behind ocean tides and partly why our planet has a 24-hour day. Geologist and astronaut Harrison Schmitt used an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Zircon crystals formed as the moon cooled 4.46 billion years ago, and a new analysis traced them in the Apollo 17 samples. NASAAn ancient landscape has been discovered beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet, thanks to ice-penetrating radar. Understanding the hidden, well-preserved landscape could help scientists predict the evolution of the ice sheet and how it may fare as temperatures warm in the climate crisis.

Persons: Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, ”, Jennika Greer, Nick Gray, James Webb, Stewart Jamieson, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Apollo, University of Glasgow, JBA Consulting, Environment Agency Engineers, Environment, Durham University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, England's Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight, Orkney Islands, Denman, East Antarctica, Belgium, North Wales, Iraq, Syria

☆ Skeletons unearthed in ‘incredibly rare’ 5,000-year-old Scottish tomb
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The ruins of an “incredibly rare” 5,000-year-old tomb have been uncovered on one of the Scottish Orkney Islands, National Museums Scotland said in a statement on Tuesday. “In the Neolithic, it would have been an incredibly impressive 15 meter diameter, enormous mound, very substantial stonework, very impressive architecture. Those cells are real feats of engineering,” Hugo Anderson-Whymark, one of the excavation’s co-directors and senior curator of prehistory (Neolithic) at National Museums Scotland, told CNN. National Museums ScotlandOnly 12 other similar tombs are known to exist in Orkney, referred to as Maes Howe-type passage graves. There’s nothing on the surface to suggest this tomb ever existed there but it would have once been an incredible monument.

Persons: ” Hugo Anderson, Whymark, Vicki Cummings, Maes Howe, James Walls Cursiter, ” Anderson, “, they’ve, ” Organizations: CNN, National Museums Scotland, Cardiff University, Museums Scotland Locations: Scottish Orkney Islands, Holm , East Mainland, Orkney, Britain

☆ How seaweed shaped the past and could shape our future
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Too often seaweed is portrayed as a slimy, smelly nuisance that disrupts beach trips and ocean swims. In fact, seaweed, officially a type of marine algae, is an untapped resource that could transform the planet and our health. Farmer Jean-Marie Pedron picks edible seaweed along a beach of Le Croisic in western France in March 2021, for a three-starred chef. As well as offering hope for the future, seaweed indelibly shaped our past, as a fascinating finding released this week has revealed. Hassanain Qambari & Jayden Dickson/Nikon Small World Photomicrography CompetitionCaffeine crystals in a kaleidoscope of color.

Persons: CNN —, Farmer Jean, Marie Pedron, Loic Venance, Vincent Doumeizel, Karen Hardy, —, James Webb, Luke Farritor, Salvatore Laporta, ”, papyrologist Michael McOsker, Farritor, Svante Pääbo, hominins, Hassanain Qambari, Jayden Dickson, Mona Lisa ”, Leonardo da Vinci, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Getty, United Nations, Telescope, National, AP, University of Nebraska, University College London, Diabetes, Nikon, Lions Eye Institute, CNN Space, Science Locations: Le Croisic, France, AFP, Orkney, Scotland, Mount, Naples, Italy, Europe, Altai, Central Asia, Australia, Alaska

☆ Early Europeans thrived on seaweed, study of dental plaque reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Virtually absent from most present-day Western diets, seaweed and aquatic plants were once a staple food for ancient Europeans, an analysis of molecules preserved in fossilized dental plaque has found. Previously when researchers uncovered evidence of seaweed, they explained its presence as a fuel, food wrapping or fertilizer. In Europe, by the 18th century, seaweed was regarded as a famine food or only suitable for animal feed. And of those, 26 samples revealed that seaweed or aquatic plants had been on the menu. The scientists said they hoped that their research would highlight the potential for including more seaweeds and freshwater plants in present-day diets.

Persons: ”, Karen Hardy, ’ Hardy, ” Hardy, Stephen Buckley, ” Buckley, Buckley Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Glasgow, University of York, Corona Locations: Europe, United Kingdom, Scotland, Spain, Lithuania, Orkney, ”, Asia

Tiny but bountiful, Antarctic krill make up one of the planet’s largest biomasses, nourishing everything from fish to marine mammals and seabirds. At Steinberg’s lab, researchers are examining how warming oceans — Antarctic krill need water colder than 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit) to survive — are altering krill’s life cycle. However, a leading marine biologist the industry once relied on to burnish its environmental credentials has since denounced krill fishing. She accepted with the hope that she could help mitigate the effects of krill fishing on the Antarctic ecosystem. Today, she believes that krill fishing should be banned.

Persons: “ What’s, ”, Alistair Allan, Bob, it’s, Santa Cruz, Deborah Steinberg’s, ” Steinberg, Emma Cavan, Steinberg, Claire Christian, “ It’s, aren’t, Dirk Welsford, Matts Johansen, ” Johansen, Kjell Inge Røkke, Brett Glencross, “, Jesse Trushenski, Trushenski, Johansen, William Harris, he’s, Javier Arata, Helena Herr, CCAMLR, Ari Friedlaender, ” Friedlaender, Peter Hammarstedt, JoNel, Helen Wieffering, Fu Ting Organizations: Bob Brown Foundation, Soviet Union, Associated Press, Shepherd, Walton Family Foundation, AP, University of California, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, World Wildlife Fund, Imperial College London, Commission, Conservation, Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Antarctic, Southern Ocean Coalition, U.S, United Nations, Antarctic Provider, Aker BioMarine, Aker, Aker ASA, National Institutes of Health, University of South, Association, Pew, University of Hamburg, Foods, Amazon, Wildlife Fund, LCA, Sea Shepherd, Washington , D.C Locations: Antarctica, Chilean, Alaska, U.S, Soviet, Russia, China, South America, Orkney, Norwegian, Santa, Cavan, Tasmania, It’s, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Texas, Australian, Montevideo, Uruguay, dwarfing, Norway, American, Europe, Canada, Australia, Houston, Aker, Oslo, Brussels, Boise , Idaho, University of South Dakota, Salt Lake City , Utah, Santa Cruz, Virginia, Peruvian, Ski, Los Angeles, Washington ,, Investigative@ap.org

☆ In Scotland, Taking the Traditional and Making It New
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Amy Tara Koch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This being the Highlands, the great outdoors beckons. “Ghillies,” or local guides, are on tap for horseback riding, fly-fishing, birding and hiking in Cairngorms National Park (doubles from £600 per night). ToursWith its widely spread out attractions, wind-whipped landscape and lack of public transport, Scotland can be challenging to tackle on your own, especially if the thought of driving on the “wrong” side is daunting. Rabbie’s Tours offers one-day (£54) and four-day (£209‌ without lodging) “Outlander”-themed tours centered on filming locations. Beyond activities‌‌, the company can secure tucked-away lodging and car transfers‌ (starting at $1,000 per day for a couple, including hotel, guide and experiences, but excluding dining).

Persons: Manuela, Iwan Wirth, Wirth, Zhang Enli, Queen Victoria, Elsa Schiaparelli, Flora Macdonald, “, Harry Potter, Skye, Outlander, Ben Nevis Organizations: Hauser, Jacobite, brac, Hogwarts Express, Rabbie’s Locations: Fife, Highlands, Braemar, Scotland, Orkney, Isle

[1/3] A memorial to Lord Kitchener, who died when the HMS Hampshire hit a German mine on June 5, 1916, is seen at Marwick Head on the Orkney Islands, Scotland May 3, 2014. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis/File PhotoLONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Orkney Islands, an archipelago about 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland, is considering "alternative forms of governance" which could include becoming part of Norway, its council leader said on Monday. Orkney's historic Nordic connections give it options, Stockan believes. A row over funding for new ferries between the islands and Scotland has brought Orkney's situation to a head. Stockan wasn't clear about how Orkney's return to Norway, 250 miles across the North Sea, would work.

Persons: Lord Kitchener, Nigel Roddis, James Stockan, Stockan, Orcadians, Christian I, King of, Scotland's James III, Victoria Klesty, David Holmes Organizations: HMS Hampshire, REUTERS, Scottish, BBC Radio, Channel, England, Thomson Locations: Orkney Islands, Scotland, Orkney, Norway, Faroe Islands, Denmark, British, King of Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Oslo

☆ Scotland's iconic Orkney Islands considering quitting Britain to become part of Norway
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Stromness village in Scotland's Orkney islands. The iconic archipelago is considering the prospect of leaving Britain to become part of Norway. An iconic archipelago off the northeast coast of Scotland is looking at ways it might split off from the U.K. and potentially become a self-governing territory of Norway. Under new proposals brought forward by the local council, the Orkney Islands will explore "alternative forms of governance," including changing its legal status within Britain, as it seeks to provide more economic opportunities for islanders. Under the U.K.'s devolved system of government, Orkney, one of 32 council areas in Scotland, receives allotted funding from the Scottish government.

Persons: James Stockan, Stockan, We've Organizations: BBC Radio Scotland, Scottish Locations: Stromness, Scotland's Orkney, Britain, Norway, Scotland, Orkney, Scottish

☆ Bird Flu is Killing Off the World’s Birds - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( David Quammen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Any such bird flu, so deadly, is called highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H.P.A.I. Until this century, these kinds of viruses were virtually unknown among wild birds. For decades after that tern die-off, though, no other influenza so virulent was detected in wild birds. New influenzas did come from wild birds, yes, but in milder form, usually sickening domestic birds little or not at all. The ducks share the rice paddy with wild birds passing through, and some of the chickens are sent live to a local market.

☆ A tidal power 'mega project' in one of Europe's iconic waterways could power 1 million homes. But costs are huge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Authorities in Liverpool want the river to be home to a huge tidal power project which, they say, could power as many as 1 million homes, generating thousands of jobs for the region in the process. Speaking to CNBC, Martin Land, director of the Mersey Tidal Power Project, outlined how the system would work in practice. Tidal barrage systems in operation today include EDF's 240 megawatt La Rance tidal power plant in France, and South Korea's 254 MW Sihwa Lake tidal power plant, currently the world's largest. The agreement, it added, would see "K-water and the Combined Authority working closely together to explore possibilities for tidal power." "Once operational, Mersey Tidal Power would have the potential to become the world's largest tidal power scheme," he said.

☆ Rolls-Royce uses hydrogen produced with wind and tidal power to test jet engine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The test used a converted regional aircraft engine from Rolls-Royce, with hydrogen produced at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. LONDON — Plans to reduce the significant environmental effects of aviation took a step forward this week after Rolls-Royce and easyJet said they had carried out the ground test of a jet engine that used hydrogen produced from tidal and wind power. The test, which was carried out at an outdoor site in the U.K., used a converted regional aircraft engine from London-listed Rolls-Royce. "This is a true British success story, with the hydrogen being used to power the jet engine today produced using tidal and wind energy from the Orkney Islands of Scotland," Shapps added. Using hydrogen to power an internal combustion engine is different to hydrogen fuel cell technology, where hydrogen from a tank mixes with oxygen, generating electricity.

☆ A new four-year project will test the viability of large-scale wave energy in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This image shows waters off the coast of Orkney, an archipelago north of the Scottish mainland that's home to the European Marine Energy Centre. A 19.6 million euro (around $19.3 million) initiative centered around commercializing large-scale wave energy projects will be officially launched later on Wednesday, in a move that marks another step forward for the emerging sector. The collaboration, called WEDUSEA, involves 14 partners from academia and industry, with funding coming from Innovate UK and the European Union's Horizon Europe program. WEDUSEA is being coordinated by OceanEnergy, an Irish firm that's developed the OE35, a piece of kit that's been dubbed "the world's largest capacity floating wave energy device." "This will be followed by a two-year grid connected demonstration at the European Marine Energy Centre's … Billia Croo wave energy test site in Orkney, Scotland," the statement added.

☆ U.S. to provide millions in funding for tidal energy and river current systems
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Laro Pilartes / 500Px | 500Px | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Department of Energy said $35 million in funding would be made available "to advance tidal and river current energy systems" under plans it hopes will provide a shot in the arm to a sector whose current footprint is tiny. In a statement Tuesday outlining the move, the DOE said the funding opportunity — which is slated for release in 2023 — represented the "largest investment in tidal and river current energy technologies in the United States." The DOE said it proposed "to develop a tidal or river current research, development, and demonstration site and to support in-water demonstration of at least one tidal energy system." Alejandro Moreno, who is acting assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, said oceans and rivers represented "a huge potential source of renewable energy." "The U.S. tidal and river current energy industry requires long-term and substantial funding to move from testing devices one at a time to establishing a commercial site," it said.

☆ Fair Isle, cel mai sigur teritoriu britanic. Toți adulții s-au vaccinat în câteva ore
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-14 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Fair Isle, o insulă scoțiană izolată, a devenit săptămâna aceasta cel mai sigur teritoriu britanic. Insula are doar 48 de locuitori și toți adulții au fost vaccinați, motiv pentru care poate pretinde că este cel mai sigur teritoriu britanic, potrivit BBC, citează digi24.ro. A fost o soluție practică la o problemă dificilă, pentru că vaccinarea celor care trăiesc în comunități îndepărtate și izolate este o provocare. Cutia a fost preluată de la avion de mașina asistentei și dus la singurul cabinet medical de pe insulă. În vremuri normale, Fair Isle sfidează clișeele asociate cu aceasta, de loc „sălbatic” și „izolat”, fiind, de fapt, un loc foarte vizitat de turiști, foarte vesel.

Persons: John Best, David Parnaby Organizations: BBC Locations: Isle, Orkney, Shetland

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