Environment

A monkey has been blamed for a nationwide blackout across Kenya. A wayward primate fell onto a transformer at the Gitaru Power Station and tripped the circuit at around 11.30am Tuesday . The whole of Kenya was without power for a few hours causing paralysis across the nation. Gitaru Power Station is the largest hydroelectric station in East Africa.  The Daily Record reports: KenGen released a statement explaining the power blackout, and the unusual reason for it.

US exports of goods and services may be decreasing, but one export that appears to be hanging in there is hazardous electronic waste.

According to a recent investigation conducted by the Seattle-based e-waste watchdog group Basel Action Network (BAN), much of the hazardous electronic waste discarded in America is not being recycled properly - and by not recycled properly he means dumped in a junkyard in southeast Asia.

Scotland have taken a bold stand against fracking and permanently banned the controversial practise in the country.  The Scottish parliament voted in favor of outlawing fracking permanently following a temporary ban implemented in January 2015. Activistpost.com reports: Members of the ruling Scottish National Party abstained from the vote, which passed 32 to 29, though SNP Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse claimed the government remains “deeply sceptical” of fracking and none would be allowed to proceed unless distinct evidence proved the practice ‘causes no harm,’ the Guardian reported.

The governor of Florida has declared a state of emergency in 34 of the state’s 67 counties, as Tropical Storm Colin made landfall in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Governor Rick Scott said the state’s National Guard is ready to deploy up to 6,000 personnel to areas affected by the hurricane. The storm hit land near the Big Bend area about 2 a.m. Tuesday with 50 mph winds, flooding roads and knocking out power to thousands. Press TV reports: Colin approached Florida from the southeast, knocking down power lines and trees in the Tampa Bay area and dumping up to 16 centimeters of rain.

Norway has become the first country in the world to commit to zero deforestation. Last month the Norwegian parliament pledged that the government’s public procurement policy would become deforestation-free after a committee of MPs recommended imposing regulations to ensure the state did “not contribute to deforestation of the rainforest”. Norway is a major funder of forest conservation projects worldwide and supports human rights programmes for forest communities as well.