2 211 articles
News KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian experts reportedly say they may have discovered a new species of Rafflesia, the world's largest flower which is famous for its putrid smell. Forestry officers in eastern Terengganu state said they had found a specimen which appeared to have the petals of one species but the internal form of another.
News by Ed Stoddard DINOKENG, South Africa - Tembo was a killer who faced the death sentence for his "crimes". But the six-tonne bull elephant won a reprieve after a vet approached animal trainer Rory Hensman and asked him if he could mend Tembo's wild ways. Now tourists are taking rides on Tembo's back in the bush at Dinokeng Game Reserve 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Johannesburg -- proving that grown elephants can learn new tricks. Tembo and some of his jumbo friends may also be put to work soon protecting their own kind as "all-terrain" vehicles in anti-poaching patrols.
News Guwahati, India – A state in northeast India plans to set up a pioneering environmentally-friendly power stations that run on bamboo to help meet the region's energy needs, officials said. Assam state will be the first in India to use the "green" power and one of the first places in the world to tap the energy potential of the fast-growing grass. The state plans to set up two one-megawatt capacity power plants that run on bamboo by February.
News SYDNEY - Raging bushfires destroyed several homes and threatened others north of Sydney on Sunday as scorching temperatures and dry winds fanned fires across southeastern Australia. Temperatures reached up to 44 degrees Celsius (111 F) in some areas, and firefighters were battling scores of blazes, although authorities said cooler weather and rain had brought relief to South Australia and Victoria.
News A major European Fair, first Fair of the year, the Paris Furniture Fair presents a showcase of the international offer on the furniture and home furnishings market. Three major sectors await you : - the Wide Market welcomes manufacturers of modern and classical furniture, large distribution and bedding, and in 2006 will move towards all home products following the evolution of the market. - the Village regroups classical furnishing products adapted to todays needs in a specially adapted scenography and presents the market’s trends. - the Métropole brings together industrial firms and editors dedicated to contemporary furniture and working with designers. In 2006 the Metropole will widen its offer: kitchen, bathroom, lighting.
News By Channel News Asia's China Correspondent Ca-Mie De Souza HUNAN, China: In many parts of the world, indiscriminate deforestation is a major environmental problem. But at least one Chinese province is working hard to plant trees and shrubs, to restore and expand the natural environment. Workers spent two months landscaping the entrance to a lake attraction in Hunan's Zhangjiajie National Park.
News 1 Million hectares of state forests FSC certified – WWF receives acknowledgements On November 2nd 2005 the National Forestry Administration received the certificate for the FSC certification of 1 million hectares of state forests from 8 counties of Romania.
News The first of January 2006 marks a significant milestone for food safety in the EU, with the entry into application of a large updated body of food and feed legislation.
The German government wants to push for a European tsunami early warning system for European coasts. Research minister Annette Schavan said that tsunamis were not impossible in Europe, especially under climate change. The CDU politician suggested to implement the system in the Mediterranean Sea and at the Atlantic coast.
News JACKSON, Wyo. – Managers of the Bridger-Teton National Forest say they want to set travel routes for skiers and snowboarders through mountainous bighorn sheep winter range to protect the state's smallest and most isolated herd. At just over 100 animals, the Targhee bighorn sheep population is all that remains of a herd that once roamed from the west side of the Teton Range to the valley bottoms of Jackson Hole. The Forest Service says human influences, including recreation, now pose the biggest threat to the stability of the herd.
News By James Madden FIREFIGHTERS have controlled dozens of blazes in three states, but heatwave forecasts have them still on high alert. Lightning strikes are believed to have started several fires early yesterday morning, including two large blazes in Victoria and another in South Australia.
News UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council renewed diamond and timber sanctions on Liberia for another six months and asked an expert panel to take a fresh look at the bans by June 7. In a resolution adopted unanimously, the council also extended an arms embargo for another year in the West African nation, founded by former American slaves.
By Peter Graff, LONDON — British hunters galloped through fields and forests on the year's biggest hunting day on Monday in a show of defiance at a newly introduced ban on the age-old custom of killing foxes with packs of dogs. Organisers laid trails with the smell of fox -- rather than allow dogs to chase real foxes -- to avoid falling foul of the ban imposed this year by Prime Minister Tony Blair's ruling Labour Party.
News Corrupt officers have undermined the police's largest crackdown on illegal logging ever this year and could further endanger the prospects for future operations, a top detective says.
News The Central Union of Finnish Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) is reforming its forest biodiversity programme. The Forest Owners' Union is reforming its biodiversity programme for private forestry. The new programme covers all aspects of sustainable forestry.
News By Nicola Jenvey (Durban) – Hundreds of rural families, many of whom are child-headed households, are securing sound incomes by growing indigenous trees from the seeds found in local forests and using the saplings as currency. The project, which aims to help people out of poverty, got a boost yesterday when 100 new bicycles, food, clothing and building materials became the anchor products for a range of stores that will barter trees for goods.
LONDON - Britain's organic food and drink market will increase 72 percent by 2010 to reach 2 billion pounds ($3.47 billion), research company Mintel said on Thursday. Organic products currently account for around one percent of overall food and drink sales, with market sales estimated at1.2 billion pounds ($2.08 billion) in 2005, the report said.
News By Lau Meisan JOHOR BARU – In a bid to hasten the planting of mangrove trees and create greater awareness of their importance, the Government will embark on a programme of community involvement. The public, especially those staying near mangroves, will be asked to "adopt" designated mangrove areas for replanting and monitoring the trees that helped reduce the impact of last year’s tsunami.
