International Convention Moves To Limit Shark 'Finning' Trade
by Scott Neuman
The CITES convention agrees in principle to limit the trade in five types of shark and two types of manta ray in a crackdown on the trade in shark meat and fins.
Environment
The Two-Way posts about Environment
Antarctic Penguin Turns Up In New Zealand; Vets Say Condition 'Touch And Go'
by Scott Neuman
The Royal penguin that washed up on a beach in New Zealand is the second from Antarctica to arrive there in as many years.
Chinese Students Wore Uniforms With Cancer-Causing Dyes
by Krishnadev Calamur
Students in 21 schools in Shanghai were ordered to stop wearing uniforms that were found to contain the dye. The incident is the latest in quality-related hazards in the country.
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Powerful Quake Rocks Northern Japan; No Reported Damage
The U.S. Geological Survey reports the tremor's magnitude was 6.9 and was centered very deep in the earth.
Beijing's Smog Is So Bad They're Cancelling Flights
Air quality readings put the Chinese capital's air in the hazardous zone; visibility is less than 200 yards in some parts of the city.
Bad Even For Beijing: Smog Hits Extreme Levels
by Dana Farrington
The air quality level in China's capital, already famously poor, literally went off the charts on Saturday. Officials are warning people to stay indoors.
U.S. Will Be 2-4 Degrees Hotter In Coming Decades, New Climate Report Says
By 2100, U.S. temperatures are projected to rise 3 to 5 degrees, under the most optimistic estimates — and 5 to 10 degrees if global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase.
Stranded Killer Whales Escape Ice Trap Near Hudson Bay
Ice shifted overnight near Inukjuak, Quebec, allowing a pod of orcas to escape the dwindling hole they used for air and swim away.
Kulluk Drilling Rig Being Towed To Shelter In Alaska
The Kulluk, the Shell oil-drilling rig that washed aground last weekend, is afloat and being towed to shelter on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. The craft began its 30-mile trip late Sunday night. Examinations of the vessel have not found any signs of a leak.
Loose Oil Rig Still Grounded On Alaskan Island
Salvage crews are waiting for better weather to closely inspect the grounded Kullak oil drilling rig, stuck onshore near Kodiak Island, Alaska.
Brazil Claims Success In Protecting Amazon Rainforest
by Krishnadev Calamur
The pace of destruction of the Brazilian Amazon is at its lowest rate in more than two decades, says a new government report. According to data, 4,656 square kilometers of the rainforest were deforested in the 12 months through July 2012 — a 27 percent decrease from the previous year.
Coal Mine Inspection Sweep Targets Cause Of Black Lung
One of the 13 coal mines singled out by inspectors was once owned by Massey Energy, the company that owned the Upper Big Branch mine, the scene of a deadly 2010 explosion. Two others are owned by Murray Energy, whose Crandall Canyon coal mine experienced two collapses in 2007, killing nine miners and rescuers.
Synchronized Flushing In Zimbabwe Is Not A New Olympic Sport
by Shula Neuman
Residents of Zimbabwe's second largest city are flushing the toilets at the same time tonight. The action isn't some form of protest, but the result of 72 hours of water restrictions thanks to a severe drought.
Persistent U.S. Drought Is Also Costing Homeowners
The growing drought in the U.S. makes soil so dry it's pulling away from house foundations. That leads to cracks and gaps underneath the ground, prompting expensive home repairs to shore up houses.
Shuttle Endeavour's Trip To L.A. May Cause 400 Trees To Be Cut Down
The space shuttle Endeavour will make its final trip next month, to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. But at 78 feet wide, Endeavour can't squeeze through highway overpasses. So its planned 12-mile route must be cleared of trees in the medians and sidewalks.
Drought's Still Deep In Nation's Midsection
by Mark Memmott
More than three-quarters of the land in the lower 48 states is suffering through conditions ranging from "abnormally dry" to "exceptional drought."
More Of The Nation Is Getting The Worst Of The Drought
by Mark Memmott
There's been another increase in the area of the lower 48 states suffering "exceptional" drought conditions.
VIDEOS: Another Dust Storm Blankets Phoenix
by Mark Memmott
Haboobs — huge dust storms — are hitting the city more often than they used to. Scorching temperatures, even by Arizona standards, and unusually dry conditions are combining to create more of the dirt clouds.
7,500 Square Miles Of Pumice Floating In Pacific Is 'Weirdest Thing I've Seen'
by Mark Memmott
The rocks, floating in the waters near New Zealand, must have been created by an underwater volcano. The floating mass is about 200 square miles larger than New Jersey.
Gibson Guitar Settles Criminal Case Over Exotic Wood Imports
by Mark Memmott
The company was accused of illegally importing ebony and rosewood. It turned the case into a high-profile debate about government regulation. But now it has settled and agreed to pay penalties.
