Progress is underway to shift towards a low-carbon future – but more action is urgently required, the Climate Commission says in its report to government. The Commission stresses the technology and tools needed to transition to a low-emissions future .
Geographical Magazine ReconAfrica s plan to drill for oil in the Okavango draws the ire of environmentalists Written by Jacob Dykes 09 Jun 2021 One company’s plan to drill for oil in the Okavango Delta is raising the ire of environmentalists. As we find out, the promises of community uplift through oil extraction is not always a pathway to prosperity
In 2015, Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company ReconAfrica acquired the rights to explore about 8.5 million acres of the Kavango Basin in northeastern Namibia – one of the world’s great wilderness areas. Safe to say, this hasn’t gone down well with environmental groups. So far, however, their voices have gone largely unheeded. In January 2021, the company began to drill the first of two exploratory test wells, which will eventually be used to establish the region’s potential for oil production. The company has dubbed Africa the final frontier for oil
A new study in Scotland has found the Pfizer vaccine is not associated with a condition that affects the blood, and other clotting and bleeding events.
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A condition that affects the blood, known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), may be associated the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in rare cases, research suggests.
The very small increased risk of the condition - which is characterised by low platelet counts - is estimated to be 11 per million doses, similar to figures seen in vaccines for flu and MMR.
A low number of platelets - blood cells that help prevent blood loss when vessels are damaged - can result in no symptoms or can lead to an increased risk of bleeding or, in some cases, clotting.
Researchers say that the increased chance of developing ITP after receiving the vaccine remains smaller than the risk of developing it because of Covid-19 and should not deter the roll out of the vaccine programme.