The southwest Indian state of Karnataka has ordered all resorts within its wildlife sanctuaries to be shut down following the Supreme Court's decision to lift the countrywide ban on tiger tourism and require individual states to present plans to protect their tiger populations. Forest Minister C.P. Yogeeshwara announced that the plan to shutter all commercial resorts and state-run guesthouses located in Karnataka’s forests was in response to a study that indicated a detrimental effect on... Read More
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that it has received five reports tying highly caffeinated energy drinks to sudden deaths. The reports came to light when a family filed suit last week against the makers of Monster Energy. Wendy Crossland says her 14-year-old daughter died of heart arrhythmia after drinking two large cans of the beverage on two consecutive days. Under current FDA guidelines, companies are not required to disclose caffeine levels in their beverages. A large ... Read More
Pesticides are killing worker bumblebees vital to plant pollination, according to a recent study in Nature. Two commonly used pesticides, the study found, make bumblebees twice as likely to die and make them less effective at pollen gathering when they don’t die. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of London, helps shed some light on the worldwide decline of the insects, which holds widespread consequences. According to the United Nations, around one-third of all plants ... Read More
Officials from Saudi Arabia last week announced plans to become 100 percent powered by renewable energy within the next several decades. Speaking at the Global Economic Symposium in Brazil, Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud of the Saudi Arabian royal family said that by converting the country to renewable energy, Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves could be used to produce other goods such as plastic and polymers. The Prince specifically cited the countries vast potential for solar power, as well a... Read More
Lance Armstrong lost his final hope of beating doping charges today when the International Cycling Union agreed to strip the American cyclist of his seven Tour de France victories. Speaking to a press conference, UCI President Pat McQuaid said he was "sickened" by the contents of USADA's report, in which 26 witnesses testified that Armstrong was one of the main protagonists behind a long-running doping conspiracy on the U.S. Postal Service cycling team. "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling... Read More
