Climate Change & Environment
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Earth, Wind and Reindeer: Lapland Herders See Red over Turbines

On a gusty mountain crest, the Jama brothers weave between wind turbines that stretch as far as the eye can see, on what used to be their animals' winter pasture. Climate emergency or not -- for these reindeer herders, the turbines have to go.

"Before, the area was perfect for our reindeer. The place was pristine, unspoiled by human activity. Now, everything has been ruined for years to come," laments Leif Arne, the younger of the brothers, at the wheel of his 4x4.

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Pipeline Spills 300,000 Gallons of Diesel Near New Orleans

A severely corroded pipeline ruptured and spilled more than 300,000 gallons (1.1 million liters) of diesel fuel just outside New Orleans after the operator delayed needed repairs, according to federal records.

Most of the fuel drained into two artificial ponds called "borrow pits" and thousands of fish, birds and other animals were killed, state and local officials said Wednesday. The spill also contaminated soil, according to state and federal officials.

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Vets in Poland Hope Antibiotics will Save Brown Bear Cub

A veterinarian has said that a brown bear cub found exhausted in snowy woods in southeastern Poland has been diagnosed with a disease that will be treated with antibiotics.

The young male named Ada has been diagnosed with anaplasmosis, a dangerous disease that has affected the cub's lungs and is probably behind the neurological symptoms like the shaking of the head.

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Rat Who Detected Land Mines in Cambodia Dies in Retirement

A land mine-detecting rat in Cambodia who received a prestigious award for his life-saving duty has died in retirement, the charity for which he had worked has announced.

Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, passed away last weekend, said an announcement on the website of APOPO, a Belgium-headquartered non-profit group. The organization trains rats and dogs to sniff out land mines and tuberculosis.

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Athletes Flag the Dangers of Manmade Snow

A British skier crashes through wooden fencing on a downhill corner and slams into a pole, breaking his leg. An American hits an icy patch at the bottom of a hill and crashes into a fence, breaking one ski and twisting the other, also breaking his leg.

Another American, training before a biathlon race, slides out on an icy corner and flies off the trail into a tree, breaking ribs and a shoulder blade and punctures a lung.

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Romania Pushes to Add Climate Change Education in Schools

Romania's president wants to add sections on climate change and environmental issues to the national school curriculum to enable students to learn more about the challenges the world faces from climate change.

President Klaus Iohannis has launched a public debate over a 141-page proposal and attended a meeting at the presidential palace on it with Prime Minister Nicolae Cuica, Romania's environment and education ministers, teachers, students and nongovernmental organizations.

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Twin Panda Cubs Debut at Tokyo Zoo, Woo Devoted Fans

Twin panda cubs made their first public appearance Wednesday before devoted fans in Tokyo, but they will be on display only briefly for now — over three days — due to a spike in COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant.

The twins, male cub Xiao Xiao and its sister Lei Lei, which were born at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo in June, took their first steps as beaming fans held up their smartphones to film the cuddly pair as they played together.

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Iran Says only 12 Asiatic Cheetahs Left in the Country

Iran is now home to only a dozen Asiatic cheetahs, the deputy environment minister has said, describing the situation for the endangered species as "extremely critical".

"The measures we have taken to increase protection, reproduction, and the installation of road signs have not been enough to save this species," Hassan Akbari told Tasnim the news agency.

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Weather Expert Predicts More Disasters Looming for Brazil

The tragic collapse of a cliff that left 10 dead in Brazil on Saturday was caused by torrential rains and more disasters could be on the way, meteorologist Estael Sias told AFP.

Two months of downpours have caused deadly flooding in several Brazilian states, including Bahia in the northeast and Minas Gerais in the southeast, where a huge column of rock crashed down on tourists boats on Furnas Lake.

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Electric Vehicles Drive Rebound in China Auto Sales

China's automobiles sales grew for the first time since 2018 last year, a trade association said on Tuesday, as demand for new energy vehicles continues to rise.

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