Department of Conservation fines 50-year-old after seeing footage of stunt on social media, and described his behaviour as ‘a blatant example of stupidity’
The actions of a New Zealand man filmed jumping off a boat in what appears to be an attempt to “body slam” an orca have been described as “shocking” and “idiotic” by the country’s Department of Conservation.
In a video shared to Instagram in February, a man can be seen jumping off the edge of a boat into the sea off the coast of Devonport in Auckland, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to touch or “body slam” the orca, the department said. He leaps into the water very close to a male orca, as a calf swims nearby, while someone on board the boat films it. Others can be heard laughing and swearing in the background.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
05/21/2024 - 20:51
05/21/2024 - 20:47
The New Zealand Department of Conservation has released vision of a man appearing to attempt to 'body slam' an Orca, describing the behaviour as 'shocking and stupid'. The 50-year-old Auckland man has been fined $600. Hayden Loper, a principal investigator at the department, says the man showed reckless disregard for his own safety and that of the orca. “The video speaks for itself, it is shocking and absolutely idiotic behaviour."
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05/21/2024 - 17:30
Electric and hybrid vehicles are quieter than cars with combustion engines, making them harder to hear, especially in urban areas
Hybrid and electric cars are more likely to strike pedestrians than petrol or diesel vehicles, particularly in towns and cities, according to an analysis of British road traffic accidents.
Data from 32bn miles of battery-powered car travel and 3tn miles of petrol and diesel car trips showed that mile-for-mile electric and hybrid cars were twice as likely to hit pedestrians than fossil fuel-powered cars, and three times more likely to do so in urban areas.
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05/21/2024 - 13:31
Report calls for curb on many activities and recommends making protest organisers pay towards policing
Protest groups have condemned a long-awaited report on their activity that recommends a review of undercover surveillance of activists and making protest organisers pay towards policing.
The 292-page report by John Woodcock, now Lord Walney, entitled Protecting Democracy from Coercion, calls for a curb on many activities, including a blanket ban on face coverings at protests and making it easier for businesses to claim damages from protesters who cause disruption.
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05/21/2024 - 13:18
High temperatures in Mexico have been linked to dozens and perhaps hundreds of deaths of howler monkeys
It’s so hot in Mexico that howler monkeys are falling dead from the trees.
At least 83 of the midsize primates, who are known for their roaring vocal calls, were found dead in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. Others were rescued by residents, including five that were rushed to a local veterinarian who battled to save them.
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05/21/2024 - 13:00
Environmental Protection Agency says brownfield revitalization spending has quadrupled under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $300m in new funding to clean up and redevelop 200 industrial sites across the country.
Speaking on Monday from what was once an oil station in south-west Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood, the EPA’s administrator, Michael Regan, said his agency would allocate $2m to transform the site – which officials say is contaminated with lead and semi-volatile organic compounds – into a waterfront bike trail and office buildings. “With this funding, Philadelphia will be able to work with this site and reconnect Kingsessing to the riverfront,” Regan said.
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05/21/2024 - 10:34
First-time exhibitor Ula Maria scoops best in show for garden designed for muscular dystrophy charity
A garden demonstrating the joys of forest bathing has won best in show at the Chelsea flower show.
Designed by the first-time exhibitor Ula Maria, the garden was inspired by the ancient Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which means being calm and quiet among trees, breathing deeply and observing nature.
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05/21/2024 - 10:00
Eight of 21 cars tested underperformed against their marketed efficiency rates, Australian Automobile Association says
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Cars driven by Australians are consistently consuming more fuel than their marketed efficiencies, investigations have found, with the latest tranche of “real-world” testing finding one car used 31% more petrol than its advertised rate.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) testing – funded by the federal government – found that eight of the 21 cars examined in its latest round of testing consumed more petrol in real road driving conditions compared with the efficiency rates calculated by their manufacturers in laboratories.
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05/21/2024 - 10:00
Report finds nuclear energy more expensive than renewable alternatives and calculates costs for large-scale reactors for first time
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Electricity from nuclear power in Australia would be at least 50% more expensive than solar and wind, according to a report from the CSIRO that has for the first time calculated costs for large-scale reactors.
The federal Coalition, which has claimed nuclear would provide cheap electricity, is still to reveal any details on its nuclear policy after initially promising it would make an announcement in time for last week’s federal budget.
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05/21/2024 - 07:10
Also on Sunday, in Alaska, a man was killed as he tried to photograph newborn moose calves when their mother attacked
A grizzly bear attacked and seriously injured a man in western Wyoming’s Grand Teton national park, prompting closure to the public of a mountain there on Monday.
That mauling was one of at least two serious animal attacks on people in the US wilderness on Sunday. Elsewhere, in Alaska, a 70-year-old man who was attempting to take photos of newborn moose calves was attacked and killed by their mother, authorities said.
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