science & Technology - Briefs

CHEMISTRY …and now 117 Periodic table posters in science labs need to be updated. Scientists from Russia and the US have synthesized a super heavy radioactive element with atomic number 117. They have named it ununseptium or Uus, until the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry decides on a name.

According to report

US car fleet shrinks: The US, the world’s biggest petroleum user, scrapped 14 million automobiles and bought 10 million in 2009, shrinking the country’s car and light duty truck fleet to 246 million from a record 250 million, said a report by non-profit Earth Policy Institute.

South Asia

Building freeze: Bangladesh has banned construction activities on St Martin’s island to save the ecology of its lone coral island. The environment ministry has ordered an inventory of all existing buildings; those threatening the island’s ecology will be demolished. The island receives about 1¤500 tourists daily. This has led to construction of hotels and restaurants and a jetty which threaten the island’s biodiversity.

News 360° - Briefs

labour Provident fund feud Goa's regional provident fund commissioner has initiated an investigation against the Salgaocar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd after employees complained that they were not enrolled under the provident fund (PF) scheme. More than 130 employees working with the mining company for the past 16 years filed the complaint on December 29, 2008.

Breathing life in corals

Researchers of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa have artificially repopulated corals in the Lakshadweep islands. Three years ago, the scientists started experimenting to develop a cost effective method to regrow corals. About 60 per cent of them had died in 1998 in the islands. After trying different substrates including natural rocks, the researchers zeroed in on cement slabs.

Rough weather ahead for wetlands committee

THE MINISTRY of environment and forests (MEF) has merged the two separate committees on wetlands and mangroves to constitute a National Committee on Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs.