Global news summary 11 september 2009
Japan promises 25% cut in gas emissions
Japan’s new leader, Yukio Matoyama, has announced he is aiming for a 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions. His predecessor, Taro Aso had only pledged a cut of 8%. This percentage is far greater than other industrialised nations; the United Nations had recommended a cut of 25-40% in developed countries by 2020. Japan is the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and it is thought many industrial business groups will oppose the new plan.
Nine killed in ferry accident
Passengers on the Superferry 9 travelling in the Southern Philippines on 6 September, were forced to abandon ship and jump into the dark sea after the ferry capsized off Zamboanga del Norte province. On Monday, coastguards reported that nine passengers had died trying to escape the ship and a further 30 were still unaccounted for. The ferry rotated onto its side late Sunday evening. An exact reason for the capsize has not been established, but it is believed the age and worn structure of the vessel gave way and started to take too much water on board. The rescue mission lasted the whole night and involved nearby commercial ships, as well as a navy gunboat.
Moscow to banish snow
The Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, has announced that snow in the Russian capital Moscow should be banished in order to save money and improve life. Clearing up the snow in the city is more costly than it would be to implement Yuri Luzhkov’s programme of managing the weather. He believes a cloud-seeding programme would have multiple benefits, such as increasing the harvest for farmers through the increased moisture that would be in the air. Currently, similar techniques are used on important public holidays to make sure the sun is shining; however neighbouring regions suffer from surplus precipitation on those days. It is these regions that are objecting to this weather controlling method for fear of being flooded.
Great Whites join Labor Day celebrations
Beaches on the northeast coast of the US were shut last weekend after great white sharks were spotted. Good weather during Labor Day weekend brought hundreds of visitors to the beaches but authorities were forced to close five at Cape Cod. Patrolling aircraft spotted three great white sharks near the coast of Chatham. After a rainy summer in New England good weather was predicted for the whole weekend, so the sharks had perfect timing with hundreds of swimmers flocking to the beaches. Visitors were left stranded on the beach searching the waters for a glimpse of the predators.
Queen expresses anger at troop’s inadequate equipment
The Queen has expressed anger over the latest equipment shortages being experienced by the British troops in Afghanistan. The Queen was said to have spoken personally to Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the issue. According to Andrew Roberts, who has close links with the Royal Family, the lack of vital equipment such as armoured vehicles and helicopters has also angered the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales who have both already expressed their concerns to the PM.
Aviation growth means increased emissions cut
In order to support the continued growth of the aviation industry the UK will have to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050 according to government officials on the Climate Change Committee (CCC). The committee has also suggested that global aviation emissions should be capped ahead of further discussions on the subject during the Copenhagen climate talks. However, the 90% target is so ambitious that some sectors may find it easier and cheaper to operate at a zero carbon emissions rather than a reduced level.
McCurry defeat McDonald’s in name battle
A Malaysian restaurant has won an eight-year battle against fast food giant McDonald’s to use the ‘mc’ prefix in its own name. Malaysia’s high court ruled that McDonald’s cannot appeal against the decision further and now all legal avenues for McDonald’s to overturn the decision have ended. The restaurant chose its name as an abbreviation for Malaysian Chicken Curry and they successfully proved their product was sufficiently different from the McDonald’s menu.
Drought is threatening elephants in Kenya
A drought in Kenya, which is causing rivers to dry up, is threatening the lives of the country’s elephants. Reports of dying elephants young and old are coming in from all over the country and it is believed the draught is the cause. Both cattle and crops have also been slowly dying, affecting those families relying on them for food. Experts believe this to be the worst drought for 12 years. Zoologist and founder of Save the Elephants, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, explained that when elephants suffer from dehydration their immune system starts to weaken and subsequently collapses, after which they then become susceptible to dangerous diseases.
Japanese death row prisoners driven to insanity
Amnesty International, the human rights group, has reported that due to harsh living conditions Japanese death row prisoners are being driven to insanity. Altogether 102 prisoners are due to be executed in Japan, but Amnesty International is calling for a moratorium on all future executions. The prisoners, many of whom are now elderly, live in near isolation, in silence, with an extremely limited exercise regime and only restricted movement in their cells. They are only given a matter of hours notice before they are executed and family members are only informed of the death after the event.
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