Le Japon bien décidé à poursuivre la chasse à la baleine

Le Premier ministre japonais Shinzo Abe a réitéré mercredi la volonté de son pays de poursuivre sa très controversée chasse à la baleine dite "scientifique" dans l'Antarctique et de reprendre à terme la pêche commerciale, tandis que l'Agence de la pêche envisage de moderniser son principal navire baleinier.

Icebreaker sets sail on China's 34th Antarctic expedition

China's research icebreaker Xuelong set sail from Shanghai early Wednesday beginning the country's 34th Antarctic expedition.

Antarctic capacity will be boosted: China

China published its first white paper on its Antarctic explorations on Monday, pledging to boost its capabilities in the exploration and study of the continent.

Japan fleet returns, hunt 333 whales

Japan's whaling fleet returned on Friday from its months-long Antarctic hunt in the name of scientific research with a take of more than 300 minke whales, a hunt that prompted complaints from Australia.

Japanese whalers have been caught with a dead minke whale in protected waters

A Japanese whaling ship has been caught with a dead minke whale on board while sailing through protected Australian waters, according to anti-whaling group, Sea Shepherd.

US Scientists: Melting Polar Caps Could Spell Danger For Coastal Cities

Climate scientists have reported that sections of Antarctica’s ice shelf, previously relatively unaffected by rising global temperatures, have begun to melt.

Japan whaling ships set out for Antarctic

Japanese whaling ships departed Friday on the annual Antarctic hunt, the government said, defying a worldwide moratorium and international opposition.

Russian researchers say there might be life in biggest subglacial Antarctic lake

Russian researchers do not exclude possible existence of living organisms at the bottom or in the waters of Lake Vostok, the biggest subglacial lake in Antarctica, but water samples they have are not pure enough to be sure of that.

Japan vessels return to port after killing 333 whales

Japanese whaling fleet returned to port on Thursday after killing over 300 minke whales in its first Antarctic hunt since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled its whaling program to be illegal in 2014.

New Zealand leads 33-nation protest against Japanese whaling plan

The New Zealand government has led a joint diplomatic protest over Japan's decision to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean, Prime Minister and Acting Foreign Minister John Key said Monday.

Australia Launches New Protest Against Japanese Whale Hunt

Australia is threatening to take legal action against Japan over its resumption of its controversial whale hunt in the Antarctic Ocean.

Japan whaling fleet will sail to Antarctic Ocean Tuesday

Japan said it will dispatch a whaling fleet to the Antarctic Tuesday after a one-year suspension, defying international criticism and a UN legal ruling that the "research" expedition is a commercial hunt in disguise.

DekoEco Geo climate news (December 2015)

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La Nasa vient de faire un beau cadeau aux climatosceptiques… en apparence. Une étude publiée samedi 30 octobre “contredit les conclusions notamment du Giec [Groupe d'experts intergouvernemental sur l'évolution du climat, NDLR] qui affirme que l’Antarctique perd en surface de glace”, affirme l’agence spatiale américaine.

Au contraire, la masse totale de glace aurait augmenté grâce à une accumulation continue de neige depuis 10 000 ans. Cet enneigement serait plus important que les pertes dues à la fonte des glaciers........Plus il fait chaud, plus il neige
4/11/15
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 NovaGea eco News (November 2015)

WMO plays down fears over ozone hole

The United Nations weather and climate agency said yesterday there was no cause for alarm about a record-size hole this month in the ozone layer, that shields life on earth from the sun, as it should shrink again.

2015 Antarctic ozone hole approaches annual max

The Antarctic ozone hole, which typically reaches its annual peak area between mid-September and early October, formed more slowly this year but quickly expanded to cover a larger area of low ozone values than the past few years, according to NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists.

Russian-American expedition to study climatic changes in Arctic

A Russian-American expedition is sailing to the Arctic to study changes in the atmosphere, ice fields and waters of the Arctic Ocean. The Academician Tryoshnikov expedition vessel of the Russian Institute of Arctic and Antarctic Studies will leave the northern port of Arkhangelsk on Sunday.

Glaciers in northern Antarctic Peninsula melting faster than ever despite increased snowfall

An international team of researchers, led by Dr Bethan Davies, from Royal Holloway, University of London, has discovered that small glaciers that end on land around the Antarctic Peninsula are highly vulnerable to slight changes in air temperature and may be at risk of disappearing within 200 years.

Temperatures are currently rising rapidly in the Antarctic Peninsula. Because warmer air holds more moisture, the amount of snowfall has also increased. Some researchers have suggested that this may offset the melting of the glaciers, however this study found that just a small rise in air temperature increased melting so much that even large amounts of extra snowfall could not prevent glacier recession.

Soviet-era satellite burns up in atmosphere after 34 years of service

The Kosmos-1151, a Soviet-era satellite appears to have burned up upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, Russian Aerospace Defense Forces spokesman Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin said Tuesday.

“The data analysis … has proven that the Kosmos-1151 spacecraft left its orbit,” Zolotukhin said.

Ice Loss from Antarctic Glacier Unstoppable

A large portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting rapidly, and appears to be in an irreversible state of decline. That assessment, from a new study by researchers at NASA and the University of California, Irvine, finds that there is nothing to stop the glaciers in the area from melting into the sea.

Glaciologist and lead author Eric Rignot told a news conference Monday that the melting will be a major contributor to sea level rises in the decades and centuries to come.

NO EXCUSES: WE NEED TO PROTECT THE ANTARCTIC. - Only less than one percent of the world’s oceans are currently set aside as “protected”

Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries:

"Did you know that only less than one percent of the world’s oceans are currently set aside as “protected”? Only a handful of those areas are spared human interference altogether. Today’s International Penguin Day reminds us of the need to protect Antarctic habitats before it’s too late. If we are to save the last remaining pockets of pristine ocean and the thousands of unique species living there, we need to act fast.