Climate change are decimating the microscopic marine life

Microscopic marine life has an important role in oceanic ecosystems but also in the global terrestrial ecosystem, as these microscopic beings wage a daily battle against climate change â€" who are losing battle.

Whether 11 pairs of legs or fins, the marine animals play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2). The conclusion is a new study by the International Union for conservation of nature, which indicates that animals such as small fish, krill, and various forms of plankton are itinerant CO2 absorbers.

According to the study, these beings consume CO2, stored in their body and dissolve when they swim, float or are eaten. To keep the gas out of the atmosphere, these small animals catch the pace of climate change.

Although they are small, the amount of CO2 that these creatures absorb is significant. Plankton, for example, is a kind of "biological drinker" responsible for the storage of 150 tonnes of CO2 per year on the seafloor. Since krill can consume 22.8 million tons of CO2 per year.

However, the storage capacity of gas for these animals may have been compromised. Warmer seas, as a result of global warming, threatening the survival of krill. The eggs of these animals hatch only within a narrow range of temperatures and a 2013 study concluded that about 20% of the habitat of Antarctic krill is at risk of becoming too hot.

The International Union claims that attempts to control CO2 emissions have been focused on protecting the coasts and continents, but that the projects of protection and conservation of the oceans often forget. "The overlooks the ocean and asks if the ineffectiveness of measures or manages and restores the ocean to increase food security and reduce the impact of climate change," says Dan Laffoley, an expert on protected areas of the International Union, cites the Dodo.

Thus, the Organization argues that international intervention is needed and even the creation of a green background for the oceans.

Foto: moduplan2014/Creative Commons

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Quercus requires the demolition of all the buildings on the islands of Ria Formosa barrier

In a statement made to 27 years of creation of Ria Formosa Natural Park, which pointed out this Tuesday, Quercus argues that it is "imperative" to "immediate" demolition of all private buildings and public utility exist in free five Sandy barrier islands of Ria Formosa.

"It is essential to proceed immediately with the removal of all buildings which are not present in the public utility and barrier islands in the Ancão peninsula", indicates the Organization in a statement.

"Currently, many areas of the Natural Park are at risk due to strong tourist and urban pressure, comprising building in dune areas and the use of such parking areas, movement of vehicles and illegal camping," reads the document.

This situation, according to the environmental organization, "generates the destruction of dune cordon and loss of habitat, due to water pollution as a result of urban and industrial wastewater discharges, and also due to excess of boats and motors and washes the uncontrolled extraction of inert".

Quercus proposes, therefore, to adopt new management measures to protect the lagoon system and conserve the species and habitats of ria, which should be protected by the land-use plan of the Ria Formosa.

The Ria Formosa covers an area of about 18,400 hectares along 60 kilometres, extending from the Ancao River down to the beach of Manta Rota. The ria is protected by National Park status, granted in 1987. Previously, this wetland Natural Reserve status was established in 1978.

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BP loses appeal to reduce compensation by the spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, BP admitted an appeal in the Supreme Court of the United States to reduce the amount of consequential damages. However, the supreme organ of Justice made known this Monday the final verdict and ruled that the oil company will have to pay the compensation stipulated in the multi-million dollar agreement 2012.



The 2010 spill killed 11 people and was the largest maritime oil spill in history of the United States. Since then, the oil company paid compensation already amounting to €1,87 billion. The agreement with American Justice assumes a total compensation of €3,45 billion. Additionally, the company had to pay €3,66 billion in fines, writes the Inhabitat.

According to BP, the agreement was interpreted incorrectly by the administrator appointed by the Court, which resulted in the payment of any compensation to companies that failed to prove that their losses were caused by the stroke. Indicates that oil company paid € 366,000 a hotel which closed due to a fire that had no relationship with the stroke and € a 539,000 kindergarten which closed before the oil disaster.

However, the Supreme Court turned down the request by the company to reduce the value of any compensation and sentenced that BP will have to pay the amount agreed in 2012. BP has set aside € 35 billion to pay claims and fines resulting from the Deepwater Horizon platform spill.

"On behalf of all our stakeholders, we will continue to defend the investigation of suspicious orders or implausible and combat fraud," says oil spokesman, Geoff Morrell. In total, BP estimates pay €7,9 billion in compensation to businesses harmed by the spill, but false compensation claims may increase the value.

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Russia: Siberian reindeer wants to use police to fight crime

The large snowfalls and freezing temperatures, the order of -30 degrees Celsius, aren't enough to catch the criminals in northern Russia. Siberian police want to maintain order in the region but argues that the snowmobiling is not sufficient for this purpose. Thus, the police of Siberia want to trade the bikes by reindeer.

The police argued that the animals are more reliable machines and can run faster than the bikes in deep snow thanks to its adaptable hooves. Some areas of the Arctic region of Siberia are only accessible through the reindeer. The Siberian press reports that a gang of indigenous people are using these animals to escape quickly from the crime scenes, leaving the sleds and the police along the way. Of 163 crimes-mostly brawling among drunks, thefts and acts of vandalism-that occurred in the municipality of Yamalsky, in Western Siberia, 127 were committed by indigenous minorities.

In statements to the press in the region, writes the Daily Mail, the police claim that their snowmobiling can be damaged and running out of fuel, which does not happen with the reindeer. The police believe that the animals will bring advantages in policing remote areas and for two years asking for higher authorities to "recruit" reindeer.

The reindeer hooves are unique because they can adapt to the seasonal weather conditions. In the summer, when the ground is softer, the funds of the hoofs of reindeer act as sponges to provide traction. In winter, the ends of the hooves are protruding, allowing them to drill into the ice and prevent from slipping. During the winter, the reindeer actually use the hooves to dig the deep layers of snow to search for one of his favorite foods: lichens.

Additionally, the sight of reindeer is also quite better than the lights of the sleds because the animals can see ultraviolet lights. Snow reflects about 90% of the UV rays and this vision help the animals and see clearly in low light and very white environments, where the objects overlap with the landscape.

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Giraffes are phasing out silently

As the human population continues to expand and the poaching is decimating African animal life, giraffes â€" as the Lions, elephants and rhinoceroses â€" are one of the animals in danger.

According to Julian Fennessy, director of Giraffe Conservation Research, an organization of animal conservation, the giraffes are facing a "silent extinction". According to Fenessy, the populations of these animals are smaller than previously thought.

Giraffes are hunted for their meat, skin and bones â€" the inhabitants of Tanzania, for example, believe that the use of bones and brains of giraffes can cure diseases such as HIV. In the last 15 years, the overall number of giraffes decreased 40%, of 140,000 animals to 80,000, according to the data collected by Fennessy and his colleagues.



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8 million pieces of trash entering the oceans and seas every day

Every day, the seas and oceans are polluted with eight million pieces of junk, according to a study by the OSPAR Commission, an International Convention founded in 1992 to prevent maritime pollution and that counts with the participation of 14 European countries, including Portugal.

According to OSPAR, this number, even grotesque, continues to grow, mainly due to increased use of reusable plastic parts â€" packaging, bags for storing newspapers or plastic film that protects the clothes have come online, for example.

Much of the responsibility of retailers over when your product arrives in stores, but there are companies that cannot stay immobile watching the natural resource which makes them live, the sea, being destroyed day by day. "it's no surprise that some of the brands that are leading this [raising] are linked to the surf," he explained, in a text of opinion published in The GuardianThomas Callan, freelance investigator specializing in environmental and social policies.

Callan refers to Surfers Against Sewage (SAS-opens PDF), which wants a greater responsibility of brands across the supply chain, which enables greater control of pollution that their products can cause and thus keep the healthier oceans.

According to the charge, the EPR (Extended producer responsibility) can have many forms, including innovative products, packaging design, instructions for recycling the product when this ceases to be useful or even financial incentives to recycle.

The Finisterre, which draws durable clothing from certified textiles, uses packaging made from corn being composted with very little non-biodegradable plastic. Although more expensive, the packaging ensures the Finisterra is go against the natural resource that maintains your business profitable.

"If we're going to until the end of the world to get a product to be as responsible as possible, so it makes no sense to wrap it in something that goes against all its purpose", explained to The Guardian Ernie Capbert, director of brand of Finisterre.

Only in the United Kingdom, approximately 350,000 tons of used clothing is sent to the trash every year, as well as their packaging. When drawing clothes lasting several years and include a packing virtually biodegradable, the Finisterre ensures your part in protecting the oceans.

Another of the Coalition marks is the Riz Boardshorte, a surf brand of London which uses 100% recycled and recyclable textiles for their shorts. As the raw material is hard to find, the Riz encourages customers to send the ones you don't use, offering a 25% discount on the purchase of the next couple who said the maketing and sustainability cannot walk hand-in-hand?

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The beauty of a American Ghost Town

The song "After the Gold Rush", one of the biggest hits of Neil Young's career, this is the author's concerns with nature and planet Earth, metaphorical perspective of gold rush-Gold Rush-, which from the mid-19th century led millions of people to migrate to dozens of destinations worldwide, building new cities and civilizations.

One of those destinations â€" probably the most known â€" is the u.s. State of California, which received thousands of workers and their families, building cities that ended up forgotten in time, when the "fever" ended.

One of them is Bodie, Mono County, which grew from 1859 and arrived to have a population of 10,000, until the gold that was holding the place began to run low in the mid-80 of this century. Later, a fire reduced the population to 698, in 1910. From the 60 years of the 20th century, the town was integrated into the State Park.

Today, Bodie is just another of the American ghost towns â€" and there are dozens of them in California-but continues to draw people from all over the world. As the British Cat Burton, author of these photos.

"The most fascinating part of the city is the interior of buildings. After abandoned for so long, I was hoping they were destroyed and empty. Instead, there are various buildings full of furniture, "explained Burton to the Daily Mail.

"If it weren't for the dust until we would think that someone there lived," continued the British, who explained that many of the buildings appeared to have been left behind from one day to the next, as the coroner's Office and the school.

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