https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552599366605

Judy Brown, проспект Степана Бандери, 11A, Kyiv (2025)

17/01/2025

SpaceX Starship test fails after Texas launch

The latest test of Space X's giant Starship rocket has failed, minutes after launch.

Officials at Elon Musk's company said the upper stage was lost after problems developed after lift-off from Texas on Thursday.

But the Super Heavy booster managed to returned to its launchpad as planned, prompting an eruption of applause from ground control teams.

The mission came hours after the first flight of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket system, backed by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
The two tech billionaires both want to dominate the space vehicle market.

"Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause," SpaceX posted on X.

"With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's flight will help us improve Starship's reliability."
Unverified footage shared on social media shows what appears to be the rocket breaking up in flames.

And footage showed orange balls of light flying across the sky over the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

"Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" Mr Musk posted on X, sharing a video showing a fiery trail streaking though the sky.

He also said "improved versions" of the ship and booster were "already waiting for launch".

"Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity," Musk said a short while later, adding that "nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month".

Footage of the launch clocked up 7.2m views, according to a SpaceX livestream.

The Starship system had lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas, at 17:38 EST (22:38 GMT) in the company's seventh test mission.

The Starship upper stage separated from its Super Heavy booster nearly four minutes into flight as planned.

But then SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot reported on a live stream that mission teams had lost contact with the ship.

The Super Heavy booster managed to returned to its launchpad roughly seven minutes after lift-off as planned, prompting an eruption of applause from ground control teams.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was aware "an anomaly occurred" during the SpaceX mission.

"The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling. Normal operations have resumed," it said in a statement.

It comes a day after a SpaceX rocket blasted off from Florida carrying two privately constructed lunar landers and a micro rover to the Moon.

The uncrewed Falcon 9 launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.

And Bezos' Blue Origin company successfully launched a rocket into orbit for the first time.

It was a huge step forward for Bezos and his company that has spent years getting to the point of sending a rocket into orbit.

04/12/2024

Wolves in EU lose safeguards, allowing culls as numbers soar

The first snow of winter has fallen in Sanmartin, a village in Romania’s eastern Carpathian mountains.

Shepherd József Rácz and his sons keep 500 ewes up on the high pasture here. It’s a hard life: when he’s not worrying about milking his sheep, which he does three times a day, he’s worrying about protecting them from predators.

Each year, József loses five or six of his herd to a wolf, or a bear. It’s why he keeps 17 dogs.

“A good dog is the best tool a shepherd has, to protect his flock at night, and in the daytime too,” the farmer says.

On Tuesday, 45 years of strict protection for grey wolves in Europe came to an end, after conservation officials adopted EU measures to downgrade the animal's protected status.

The news means that grey wolves will be moved from Annex II (strictly protected) to Annex III (protected) of the Bern Convention.

This will remove many of the safeguards that have allowed the animals to flourish in Europe and means that from the beginning of March next year, each EU country will be able to set an annual quota of wolves to kill.
The Commission argued that the number of wolves in the EU has almost doubled, from 11,000 in 2012 to over 20,000 today, and that they were causing too much damage to livestock.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has called the decision "extremely disappointing".

"Wolf populations have barely recovered after going extinct in most parts of Europe, and weakening their protection could jeopardise this fragile recovery," said the WWF in a statement.

The organisation also accused the Commission of prioritising political decisions over science, saying the decision was influenced by "personal reasons after Commission President Von der Leyen’s pony was killed by a wolf in 2022".

Wildlife campaigners have argued that improved protection methods, including trained sheep dogs, would be a better solution than removing safeguards. They say that wolves keep down numbers of deer and wild boar, which damage trees and crops. Wolves also prevent the spread of diseases by eating sick animals.

In the town of Baile Tusnad, in a valley near József’s village, wildlife experts met recently to discuss large carnivores. Most, though not all, oppose the hunting of wolves and bears.
“African swine fever is spreading all over Europe,” said Michal Haring, a biologist from Slovakia, “and the wolf is a very good ‘doctor’ for this, suppressing the disease. Wolves cannot catch it.”

Another argument against shooting wolves is that they hunt in packs of five to eight, usually a pair and their offspring. If the older wolves are shot, the pack fragments, making it harder for them to catch deer and wild boar.

“Individual wolves are more likely to attack sheep and other domesticated animals,” Mr Haring explains.
Campaigners also pointed to a 2023 EU report, which states that only around 50,000 of Europe’s 68 million sheep and goats are killed by wolves each year – 0.065% of the total number – adding that the overall impact of wolves on EU livestock is “very small”.

Moreover, it says there have been no fatal wolf attacks on humans for 40 years.

“If we expect countries like India or Indonesia to protect their tigers,” says Laurent Schley, head of the Wildlife department in the Luxembourg government, “and Africans to protect lions and elephants, then we as relatively rich Europeans should be willing to tolerate some wolves.” Luxembourg is one of the few western European countries where no wolves have been sighted yet, Mr Schley believes it’s only a matter of time.

“We have very high densities of deer and wild boar, so the conditions for the wolf are there.

"Of course, if individual wolves or packs start killing too much livestock, or were to show aggression towards humans, we would have to draw the line. Human safety always comes first.”
But back on the mountainside, József says wolves are dangerous because “they’re clever animals”. He favours tougher legal measures to cull the predators.

Bears approach through the forest, treading on branches and alerting his dogs, József says: if they break into the wickerwork enclosure where his herd stay at night, they will only grab one animal.

If a pack of wolves get in though, they can kill dozens of sheep at a time.

Last year, József’s favourite dog, Moody, was killed by wolves, in broad daylight, as they moved from one pasture to the next. All they found was his bloodied pelt.

The more wolves there are, József says, the more likely they will take his sheep.

And it takes a long time to train a good dog.

14/11/2024

World’s largest coral found in the Pacific

The largest coral ever recorded has been found by scientists in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The mega coral - which is a collection of many connected, tiny creatures that together form one organism rather than a reef - could be more than 300 years old.

It is bigger than a blue whale, the team say.

It was found by a videographer working on a National Geographic ship visiting remote parts of the Pacific to see how it has been affected by climate change.
“I went diving in a place where the map said there was a shipwreck and then I saw something,” said Manu San Felix.

He called over his diving buddy, who is also his son Inigo, and they dived further down to inspect it.

Seeing the coral, which is in the Solomon Islands, was like seeing a "cathedral underwater", he said.

"It's very emotional. I felt this huge respect for something that's stayed in one place and survived for hundreds of years," he said.

"I thought, 'Wow, this was here when Napoleon was alive'," he added.

Scientists on the expedition measured the coral using a type of tape measure under water. It is 34m wide, 32m long and 5.5m high.

Globally coral is facing severe pressures as oceans warm with climate change.

Often described as an “architect” of the seas, corals can join together to form vast reefs where fish and other species live.
This specimen was found in deeper waters than some coral reefs, which may have protected it from higher temperatures at the sea surface.

The discovery was announced at the same time as the UN climate talks COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan that are trying to make progress in tackling climate change.

Mr Trevor Manemahaga, climate minister for the Solomon Islands at the summit, told BBC News that his nation would be proud of the newly-found coral.

"We want the world to know that this is a special place and it needs to be protected," he said.

"We rely mostly on marine resources for economic survival so coral is very, very important [...] And it's very crucial and critical for our economy to make sure our coral is not exploited," he said.

Small island nations like the Solomon Islands are extremely vulnerable to climate change.
Many developing countries at the talks are calling for more cash from richer nations to help them pay for their strategies to tackle climate change.

Mr Manemahaga said that more finance for the Solomon Islands would help the country create more varied jobs that would mean fewer people worked in industries that damage coral reefs.

Currently logging is a major part of the country's economy - between 50-70% of the country's annual export revenue - but it cauuses high levels of water pollution that damages coral in the area.

Eric Brown, who is a coral scientist on the National Geographic research trip, says that the health of the coral was "looking pretty good".

“While the nearby shallow reefs were degraded due to warmer seas, witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope," he said.

The coral is a species called Pavona clavus and provides a home to shrimp, crabs, fish and other marine creatures.

The age of the specimen also means it acts like a window into the history into oceanic conditions in the past. Scientists hope to study it to learn more about how it has grown.

15/10/2024

Shropshire recycling sites - what you need to know

From 4 November, Shropshire Council is introducing a booking system across its household recycling centres.

The changes would reduce queues and prevent sites from being used by non county residents, the authority said, adding it would also mean financial savings.

Bookings can be made either online or over the phone, with the new system meaning users can no longer just turn up - a potential frustration the council said it recognised.

"I'd just like the residents of Shropshire to work with us, engage with us, understand why this is - there are reasons we're doing this, it will help save money," said Ian Nellins, deputy leader and portfolio holder for climate change, environment and transport.
The centres are in Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Craven Arms, Bridgnorth, and Oswestry.

They will all remain open seven days a week until March 2025, when a review of operations will take place.

"We very much wanted to keep all the household recycling centres open, which is what our residents said in consultation," said Mr Nellins.

"We did look at closing them all one day a week, but they’ll stay open completely because we’ve had extra funding from Veolia."
The service will remain free and open to all residents from across Shropshire.

Mr Nellins said the new booking system would help the authority save money, as people often travelled from Staffordshire, Wales, Wolverhampton and Cheshire to use Shropshire's recycling centres.

"We have a lot of people come from outside of Shropshire to recycle their waste, and Shropshire residents are funding the processing of that waste at the tune of over £100 a tonne," he told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"We will save a lot of money by being able to police that, by people when they come to household recycling centres being checked [for] a booking."
When you book, you will be given a 15-minute slot, or 30 minutes if you have a van or trailer.

When you arrive, you will be asked to show photo ID, like a driving licence, and also show you have made a booking.

You will be turned away if you have not booked.

"Staff will be as flexible as possible to help people if they’re slightly earlier or slightly late," said Mr Nellins.
You will be able to use a recycling centre in Shropshire.

"There’s a few things to be ironed out there, but yes, in principal, as far as we’re concerned, Telford and Wrekin residents will still be able to use ours," said Mr Nellins.

"We’re negotiating with Telford and Wrekin that our residents that are closer to theirs, will use theirs."

You can book online or by phone.

Bookings begin from 26 October, and the new system comes into effect from 4 November.

You will be able to book a slot up to six days before your visit, and will also be able to book on the same day.

27/09/2024

'Everywhere I look, devastation': Floridians reel from Helene

Rising waters from Hurricane Helene had forced Briana Gagnier and her family to swim out of their home on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Ms Gagnier, who lives in Holmes Beach north of Sarasota, had stayed behind with her family to protect their one-storey home, placing sandbags at every door and moving belongings on to tall furniture to keep them dry. They even used towels to try to stop the water from creeping in.
Then came a loud bang. Their garage door broke open violently - caving in to the powerful storm surge of Helene. Water quickly rose to their shoulders, forcing them to escape quickly.
"Everyone was screaming and panicking," she told the BBC. "Whatever your worst idea of what this storm is - that is what we're seeing.”
Ms Gagnier is one of many Floridians living along the state’s Big Bend Coast that are now reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a powerful, deadly Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Thursday evening, before weakening to a tropical storm as it churned inland.
In one rescue, a man and his dog were saved by the US Coast Guard after his 36ft sailboat started taking on water.
The man, whom the Coast Guard did not name, was sailing 25 miles off the coast of Sanibel Island when he was caught by the hurricane. He called Channel 16 - the emergency channel for marine radios - to summon help.
On land, residents saw uncontrollable waters gushing into homes and businesses as the hurricane approached.
ML Ferguson, a resident of Anna Maria Island, told the BBC that the roads around had morphed into rivers.
When she returned to her home late on Thursday, she found it, too, had been flooded.
"Oh my gosh, it's literally up to the second step," she told the BBC in a phone interview, before quickly hanging up and rushing to stop more water from coming in.
Looking around, she said she saw couches, chairs, a bench and even a car float by. The water was above her mailbox for part of the evening, she added.
"I just can't believe this is real. The eye of the storm didn't even hit us straight on," said Ms Gagnier. "This island is completely devastated. Everywhere I look, devastation."
In Tallahassee, Florida, some residents like Cainnon Gregg had hunkered down to ride out the storm. Mr Gregg, who stayed at a friend’s shelter, said he wanted to remain close to the water to check on his oyster farm as soon as it was safe to do so.
He had spent the last few days trying to protect it by sinking it into the ocean bed. His farm was once destroyed before, during Hurricane Michael - a category five hurricane that hit the Florida panhandle in 2018 - and he said he was determined to learn from that lesson.
“Hopefully, and nothing is for certain, the farm is sitting nice and safe on the bottom,” he said ahead of the storm. “But anything could happen.”

13/09/2024

Coal mine plan quashed by High Court

Plans to build the UK's first deep coal mine in more than 30 years have been quashed.
At the High Court, judge Justice Holgate said environmental assumptions underpinning the development at Whitehaven in Cumbria were "legally flawed".
The proposal by West Cumbria Mining (WCM) had received the go-ahead from the previous Conservative government in December 2022.
Victoria Marson from Friends of the Earth said campaigners had won "a massive victory". WCM said it would "consider the implications" of the judgement before commenting further.
Legal challenges to the decision to approve the mine were submitted by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC).
They claimed permission for the mine did not take into consideration the environmental impact of burning the coal extracted, rather it focussed only on running the facility.
Duncan Pollard, a trustee at SLACC, said the ruling was a "huge relief", adding: "We sincerely hope that any re-examination of the coal mine proposal considers all relevant issues and this ill-conceived idea is permanently shelved.
"Central and local government need to concentrate on secure and sustainable jobs for west Cumbria."
Professor in energy and climate governance at the University of Lancaster, Rebecca Willis, said she hoped the decision would "set an example to other countries and show how you can get your national law in line with the climate science".
She said: "Surely the writing's on the wall?
"Surely we've realised, through today's judgement, that there's no way you can open a new mine and keep within climate targets."
At a previous hearing in July, the newly elected Labour government decided not to defend the decision of its predecessor to grant permission for the project, citing "an error in law".
But WCM fought its case, arguing it could build a "unique" net zero mine.
The court heard the mine would extract what is known as metallurgical coal, which is used in steel-making.
In written submissions, Paul Brown KC, for Friends of the Earth, argued there is "no significant need for the coal" in the UK given statements from British Steel and Tata over their moves to electric arc furnaces.
Friday's High Court judgement said a recent decision regarding the Horse Hill oil well in Surrey lay "at the heart of these proceedings".
In June, the Supreme Court ruled granting permission for that project had been unlawful because the local authority should have considered the emissions from burning the oil, not just the impact of constructing the well.

19/08/2024

'Stunning' burial chamber unearthed on Dartmoor

Archaeologists have unearthed a "stunning" Bronze Age burial chamber on one of Dartmoor’s most isolated hills.
Experts discovered a stone-built box, sometimes known as a cist, at Cut Hill during a three-day dig earlier this month.
Radiocarbon dating of charcoal found inside suggests the chamber, used to bury the dead during prehistoric times, is about 3,900 years old.
Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA), which led the project, said the discovery was prompted by reports of a feature being visible in the peat.

'Fascinating'
The authority said the find has parallels to the cist unearthed at Dartmoor's Whitehorse Hill in 2011, which uncovered items including cremated human bone, a woven bag and amber beads.
Excavation director and archaeologist, Dr Lee Bray said: "We were all pretty speechless when we lifted the capstone and looked inside.
"Not only is the cist bigger than we expected, but it contained multiple pieces of wood that appear to have been deliberately shaped and cut.
"This prompts more questions - could the wood have been an object that was dismantled and deliberately placed inside the grave? If so, what was it and who did it belong to?"
Dr Bray said there was every chance the chamber could contain further objects and artefacts once the team explores further.
"It’s a stunning discovery with the potential to be every bit as fascinating as the finds at Whitehorse Hill," he added.
DNPA said the contents of the cist have now been removed for further examination.

03/08/2024

Concerns over record-low butterfly and moth numbers

Missing the sun this summer? It turns out we're not the only ones.
Butterflies need dry weather and heat to flourish, something they just have not been getting enough of this year.
And that has conservationists worried.
With just one day left to go in the annual Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, participants have so far recorded the lowest number ever in the 14-year history of the biggest citizen science project in the UK.

Figures 'not promising'
Inge Muller combines her love of moths and butterflies with her day job.
As a butterfly and moth recorder, she makes a mental note of the butterflies she sees as she does her County Londonderry postal round and fills in the results when she clocks off.
She says this year’s results are not promising.
“It is definitely not good," she tells BBC News NI.
"In three weeks in July and August, there are so many days that there is nothing to report.”

Butterflies aren't the only insects which are absent.
“We see the same in the numbers of moths," Ms Muller explains.
"We monitor some species that are very numerous that you would expect to see 30 or 40 in one night in your moth trap, you are only seeing two or three.
“That tells you something, that some of the common species are not doing well.”
Conditions not favourable
Rosie Irwin of Butterfly Conservation says habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change are all impacting the population numbers.
This year’s fall in numbers has been exacerbated by the wet spring and late arrival of summer temperatures.
Butterflies also need some warm and dry conditions to be able to fly around and mate.

18/07/2024

Grangemouth closure 'most likely outcome'

An expert body set up to protect communities from the economic impact of tackling climate change says the closure of Scotland's only oil refinery is now "the most likely outcome".
It was announced in November that Petroineos, the owner of the Grangemouth refinery, intended to cease operations by 2025, putting 400 jobs at risk.
The Scottish and UK governments are now exploring how the site can continue to play a role amid the switch away from fossil fuels.
But the Just Transition Commission - appointed by the Scottish government - said that despite the refinery's closure being "clearly foreseeable" inadequate planning had left the town unprotected.

The report called for "an accelerated schedule of intensive work" from the two government so they "can each still play a positive role in reshaping Grangemouth's economy".
Unions representing workers at the site say talks in recent days involving the Scottish and UK governments have given them fresh cause for optimism.
'Unjust transition'
The Just Transition Commission includes experts and leaders from trade unions, voluntary organisations, environmental groups, business and industry.
Its purpose is to advise the Scottish government on how to cut carbon emissions in a fair way.
The term "just transition" means shifting from one industry to another - in this case a greener one - without the devastating impact on communities which was felt when the coal mining and steel industries ended.
When the announcement of the intention to close Grangemouth was made, the commission said it would be a key test of whether a just transition could be a reality.
However, its report says the lack of effective planning by governments means the current path will deliver a "disorderly and unjust transition".
It concludes that the Scottish government’s strategy for ensuring industrial operators deliver on their commitments is “unclear”.

08/07/2024

'Agroforest' trial begins at RSPB's arable farm

More than 1,000 apple, cobnut and broadleaf trees have been planted on an RSPB farm to discover whether agroforestry could be a "useful tool for farmers".
The trees were planted on an 11 hectare (27 acre) site at the charity's arable farm, between Papworth Everard and Cambridge, in 2022.
The long-term project will be monitored for biodiversity, greenhouse gas fluxes and business viability, said assistant farm manager, Sophie Arnold.
She said not enough was known about what an agroforest does or does not deliver in terms of "trade-offs and benefits" within the UK's farming system

"The long term hope would be that by putting agroforestry on the farm, we have diversified the farm business so that it could actually be a useful tool for farmers to be a little bit more resilient when farming's becoming increasingly more difficult," said Ms Arnold.
"We've planted three different types of trees - 13 varieties of apples, all juicing varieties, three varieties of cobnuts, which is a commercial type of hazel which can hopefully be pressed for cobnut oil, and eight species of native broadleaves."
The native trees will help protect the cropping species from "the big rolling winds that come through our flatland Cambridgeshire landscape", she added.

They have been planted in eight six-metre (26ft) alleys, 24 metres (78ft) apart, on the RSPB's Hope Farm, which it bought in 2000.
The charity took on the 181 hectare (447 acre)-farm to provide research-led evidence it was possible to encourage wildlife-friendly farming in one of the most intensively farmed bread baskets of England, alongside producing food and making a profit.
Today, 18 farmland birds are based on the farm, such as the linnet, yellowhammer and skylark, while others like lapwings, grey partridges and corn buntings have returned.
All are on the UK "red list" of endangered species.

21/06/2024

Nature reserve hosts events for 40th anniversary

A host of free activities are being held at RSPB Frampton Marsh to celebrate 40 years since it was established.
The anniversary celebrations will launch on Friday 21 June before events are in place for visitors throughout the weekend.
Activities will include walks and talks on birds and the history of the marsh, face painting, woodcarving and a competition to find 40 different species of birds in under 40 minutes.
The Royal Society for Protected Birds (RSPB), a charity for the conservation of birds and nature, first purchased Frampton Marsh in Boston in 1984.
A free park and ride is available four miles away at Thomas Middlecott Academy, with a shuttle bus running at regular intervals throughout the day.
Outside the Len Medlock Centre, there will also be a free coach to catch.
The reserve, which has a visitor centre and a cafe, will be serving food and hot and cold drinks throughout the weekend.
On both days, the free activities will run from 10:00 until 16:00 BST.

Judy Brown

17/01/2025

04/12/2024

14/11/2024

15/10/2024

27/09/2024

13/09/2024

19/08/2024

03/08/2024

18/07/2024

08/07/2024

21/06/2024

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category