Page 12 - aruba-today-20210114

A12 SCIENCE
Thursday 14 January 2021
Environmentalists fight move to reduce beetle’s protections

By JOSH FUNK lawsuit because officials
Associated Press haven’t had a chance to
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An review it.
environmental group said The agency has acknowl-
Tuesday that it plans to sue edged that the beetle con-
the U.S. government over tinues to face threats from
a decision to reclassify a climate change and land
large scavenging beetle as use changes, but officials
threatened instead of en- have said the beetle no
dangered. longer meets the definition
The Arizona-based Cen- of endangered.
ter for Biological Diversity Over the years, the oil and
said it will sue the U.S. Fish gas industry has borne sig-
and Wildlife Services over nificant costs to protect the
its move last fall to list the beetle and other endan-
American burying beetle gered species. The large,
as threatened. It had been black, nocturnal beetle has
considered an endan- hardened protective wing
gered species since 1989, covers marked by two scal-
and the location of its habi- loped shaped orange pat-
tat in Plains states created terns.
issues for the Keystone XL oil The beetles are scavengers
pipeline and other oil and In a June 26, 2018, file photo, Lou Perrotti lets an American burying beetle crawl on his hand. that eat decaying animals.
gas projects. Associated Press They lay their eggs beside
“Far from having recov- a small carcass that they
ered, this striking orange- gas industry. homa, Rhode Island, South land. bury, then feed their larvae
and-black beetle is facing Federal officials have said Dakota and on Nantucket Fish and Wildlife Services from that carcass.
dire threats from climate that conservation efforts Island off the coast of Mas- spokeswoman Lesli Gray Mallori Miller with the Inde-
change and habitat de- over the past three de- sachusetts. At the time the said the agency “used the pendent Petroleum Asso-
struction,” said attorney cades have helped the beetle was termed endan- best available science in ciation of America trade
Kristine Akland with the beetle’s population re- gered, it was found only in its decision to downlist the group said she is confident
center. Akland said the cover, and it can now be small populations in eastern American burying beetle.” the new threatened list-
rule change was a result of found in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Block Island She declined to comment ing for the beetle will be
pressure from the oil and Missouri, Nebraska, Okla- off the coast of Rhode Is- about the threatened upheld.q

ICheers! French wine, vines headed home after year in space

By MARCIA DUNN the experiments, wanted me said agricultural prod-
AP Aerospace Writer the wine to age for an en- ucts like grapes will need
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) tire year up there. None of to adapt to harsher con-
— The International Space the bottles will be opened ditions. Through a series of
Station bid adieu Tuesday until the end of February. space experiments, Space
to 12 bottles of French Bor- That’s when the company Cargo Unlimited hopes
deaux wine and hundreds will pop open a bottle or to take what’s learned
of snippets of grapevines two for an out-of-this-world by stressing the plants in
that spent a year orbiting wine tasting in Bordeaux weightlessness and turn
the world in the name of by some of France’s top that into more robust and
science. connoisseurs and experts. resilient plants on Earth.
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo Months of chemical testing There’s another benefit.
capsule undocked with the will follow. Researchers are Gaume expects future ex-
wine and vines — and thou- eager to see how space plorers to the moon and
sands of pounds of other altered the sedimentation Mars will want to enjoy
gear and research, includ- and bubbles. some of Earth’s pleasures.
ing mice — and aimed for Agricultural science is the “Being French, it’s part of
a splashdown Wednesday primary objective, stresses life to have some good
n this Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 photo provided by Space Cargo night in the Gulf of Mexico Nicolas Gaume, the com- food and good wine,” he
Unlimited, researchers from the company prepare bottles of
French red wine to be flown from Wallops Island, Va., to the off the coast of Tampa. pany’s CEO and co-found- told The Associated Press.
International Space Station. The Atlantic had been tar- er, although he admits it Gaume said private inves-
Associated Press geted, but poor weather will be fun to sample the tors helped fund the ex-
shifted the arrival to Flori- wine. He’ll be among the periments. He declined to
Time Share Resales + Realty da’s other side. SpaceX’s lucky few taking a sip. provide the project cost.
Own or Rent a piece of the Rock supply ships previously “Our goal is to tackle the The wine hitched a ride to
For up to 70 % Off stay @5 Star Resort parachuted into the Pa- solution of how we’re go- the space station in No-
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to prevent breakage — able to feed humanity, Cabernet Sauvignon vine
For more info call:
For more info call:(297) 630-1307 remained corked aboard and we think space has snippets, called canes in
johnnypaesch@gmail.com the orbiting lab. Space the key,” Gaume said from the grape-growing busi-
also visit(new): Cargo Unlimited, a Lux- Bordeaux. ness, were launched by
www.halleyadventures.com embourg startup behind With climate change, Gau- SpaceX last March. q