Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 24 February 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The SA Weather Service’s aviation website is back online after a cyber-attack in January affected the entity’s information and communication technology infrastructure. This has enabled the aviation industry to once again access critical services, including international significant weather charts, wind charts, domestic and international flight documentation and radar images. Spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe, says other products, such as domestic significant weather charts, and atmospheric pressure charts are undergoing functionality tests and will be available soon:

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dion George, is urging the public to comment on the proposed regulations for the environmental management of offshore oil bunkering. Bunkering is the supply of fuel for use by ships, including loading and distributing fuel amongst available bunker tanks. George says the proposed regulations are intended to decrease the high risks associated with bunkering in the marine environment, which particularly threatens the endangered African penguin. He adds that the regulations also aim to reduce noise impacts and encourage wildlife monitoring.

# And finally: A new study has found that climate change is affecting estuarine crocodiles in Australia. Crocodiles are cold-blooded animals who rely on external environments to regulate their body temperature. The study published in the journal Current Biology, reveals that of the 203 crocodiles examined, 65-percent exceeded the 32-degree body temperature limit at least once. Forty-one percent exceeded 33 degrees and 22-percent exceeded 34 degrees. Lead author Kaitlin Barham says the crocodiles that were observed were less active during the hottest periods, reducing their hunting and feeding time.

Stay tuned for more news………….