5 sperm whales die after beaching on Dutch island
Five sperm whales that beached on the Dutch island of Texel, northern Netherlands, have died before anyone could attempt a rescue operation. The whales were first spotted stranded on a beach on Tuesday. Experts confirmed on Wednesday that all five were dead. It was not clear how the whales came to beach themselves on the island in the shallow Wadden Sea off the northern coast of the Netherlands.
Landmark Global Warming Decision in Netherlands Court
In a landmark case that may set a very important precedent for other countries around the world, especially within Europe, the Dutch government has been ordered by the courts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent.
The ruling came from a class-action lawsuit that was brought before the Dutch courts by Urgenda in 2012. The case, rather magnificently, was based on human rights laws. Specifically, Urgenda asked the courts to "declare that global warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius will lead to a violation of fundamental human rights worldwide," and that the Dutch government is "acting unlawfully by not contributing its proportional share to preventing a global warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius."
Today, a Dutch court at The Hague ruled in favour of Urgenda, ruling that the Netherlands' plans to cut emissions by only 14-17 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 were illegal. Moreover, the wording used by the judges in the ruling is incredibly strong and clear-cut: “The state should not hide behind the argument that the solution to the global climate problem does not depend solely on Dutch efforts ... Any reduction of emissions contributes to the prevention of dangerous climate change and as a developed country the Netherlands should take the lead in this.”
Global Top 10 Greenhouse Gas Emitters
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global
5.1 Earthquake hits northern Algeria.
5.1 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
A second 5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
Gas Extraction in the Netherlands Causes Earthquakes
As earthquakes become more intense and more frequent in the north of the Netherlands, there is mounting pressure on the government to reduce the amount of gas being extracted there. It is a curse for thousands of inhabitants of an area blessed with vast mineral wealth. Homes are crumbling as the country profits from the Groningen gas fields, the largest in Europe.
There exists a consensus among all parties - including the gas companies - that the process of extracting the gas is causing earthquakes, but the country is thriving on the proceeds. In 2012 the Dutch government made about 14bn euros (£12bn; $18bn) from the Groningen gas fields. Without these revenues, the Netherlands' deficit would be similar to that of crisis-struck Cyprus (6.3%).
Snowstorm in Shiojiri city, Japan
-Heavy snow in Shiojiri city (Kanto-Koshin region) of Japan killed one and injured 900 others.
-Storm caused eight centimeters of snow in nine hours in Tokyo. It is the heaviest snowfall in Tokyo since January 2006.
-Around 13 centimeters of snow was accumulated in Yokohama while 30 centimeters was seen in the mountainous areas around Tokyo.
-All domestic flights of Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines were cancelled.
Flooding in East Jakarta, Indonesia
-Train services between Bogor and Jatinegara, East Jakarta was closed due to floods.
-Floodwaters also inundated the Kampung Badan station on the border between North Jakarta and Central Jakarta.
Flash floods in Nelson, New Zealand
-Flash floods in Nelson, Southland, New Zealand washed away two vans of tourists. However tourists escaped the flood.
-Nelson received about 100mm of rain. Maitai valley road at Sharlands Creek was closed because of flood waters.
-Heavy rain in Christchurch also caused surface flooding around the Avon River in New Brighton.
Tornado in Blackall, Australia
-A tornado touched down in Blackall, State of Queensland, Australia.
-Storm also damaged 15 houses in Jundah.
Heavy snow fall in Netherlands
-Heavy snow in Netherlands caused traffic jam of more than 1,000 kilometers.
-It is regarded as the longest ever traffic jams in Netherlands because of snow.
-Several flights were canceled at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport of Netherland.
