News
November 25, 2013
From 20 to 22 November the Third International scientific-practical conference “Ecological Geology: theory, practice, and regional problems” was held at Voronezh State University (Voronezh, the Russian Federation). The event was hosted in the framework of the European Conservation Year and timed to the 95th anniversary of Voronezh State University. Scientists, representatives of researches and educational institutions, business communities, public authorities, local self-government, geological and ecological companies were attended the conference.
November 19, 2013
“Dirty history” which lasted for nearly 40 years is doted. “In this year the decision about the closure of the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM) can be called an indubitable major environmental victory of Russia and of the whole word,” – today said the Minister of natural resources and ecology (MNR) S. Donskoy on the Public Council under MNR meeting. According to him remediation measures and environmental renovation of the Baikal natural territory started in 2013 are pilot projects.
November 16, 2013
On 14 November the Appeal Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation agreed with the Supreme Court decision and recognized the gold mining in the Yugyd Va National Park (the Komi Republic) illegal.The Court recognized as not corresponding to the Russian legislation the adopted by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Park regulations that excludes from its territory the Chudnoye gold mining deposit.
November 8, 2013
The nations that make decisions about Antarctic fishing failed Friday for a third time to agree on a plan that would create the world's largest marine sanctuary. The U.S. and New Zealand had proposed creating a reserve in the pristine Ross Sea. At 517,000 square miles, the sanctuary would have been twice the size of Texas. The proposal, a decade in the making, had been scaled back from earlier plans. Many countries hoped that would be enough to entice previous objectors Russia and Ukraine to agree. Those countries are among several that have fishing interests in the region.
November 01, 2013
The interactive nature Museum was launched in Kronotsky National Biosphere Reserve (Kamchatka territory, RF). The opening ceremony took place on 1 November 2013, and was dedicated to «birthday» of the natural reserve. The exhibition presents the unique ecosystems of the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve and South Kamchatka Sanctuary. By virtue of the new Museum visitors will be able to take part in a guided tour and watch the video scenes in 3D. Students of Elisovsky boarding school # 1, children's educational center “Flash” and the children’s art school were the first visitors.
October 22, 2013
Publishing House “Routledge” published the monograph of David Groenfeldt “Water Ethics. A Values Approach to Solving the Water Crisis”. This book introduces the idea that ethics are an intrinsic dimension of any water policy, program, or practice, and that understanding what ethics are being acted out in water policies is fundamental to an understanding of water resource management. Thus in controversies or conflicts over water resource allocation and use, an examination of ethics can help clarify the positions of conflicting parties as preparation for constructive negotiations.
October 21, 2013
Canada-based Nautilus Minerals (21 % owned by Alisher Usmanov’s Metalloinvest) specializing in the mining of solid mineral resources localized on the ocean floor said it may start mining of mineral raw materials at the second deep water area in of the New Guinea sea (in the Papua New Guinea region) in the coming four years.
October 18, 2013
International Conference on Geoethics 2013 has been finished. The conference was held as a part of the 52nd Symposium “The Mining Příbram in science and techniques” under the umbrella of the Working Group for Geoethics of the International Association for International Development (AGID). Altogether 30 persons from the Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russian Federation and Senegal attended the meeting. The authors or registered participants included also colleagues from Algeria, Bolgaria, India, Germany, Mongolia and the USA.
October 17, 2013
Reuters reported police in the eastern Canadian province of New Brunswick arrested about 40 people on Thursday after efforts to dismantle a highway barricade turned violent and protesters against shale gas exploration set several police vehicles on fire. The incident came in response to a weeks-long protest by activists and local aboriginals, who blocked a road near the town of Rexton to try to slow work by SWN Resources Canada, a subsidiary of Southwestern Energy Co, which is exploring shale gas properties in the area.
October 11, 2013
Prof Jesus Martínez-Frías (Spain), Chair of IUGS Commission on Geoscience Education, Training and Technology Transfer and President of IUGS Affiliate International Association for Geoethics (IAGETH) has been awarded a NASA Group Achievement Award (2013). This NASA Award is received as part of the "MSL REMS Instrument Development and Science Team" For exceptional achievement defining the REMS scientific goals and requirements, developing the instrument suite and investigation, and operating REMS successfully on Mars. This is the second NASA award received by Prof. Martínez-Frías.