5 best news for April

Shame in front of the whole world: Google will show all methane polluters on the maps

In April, the average monthly air temperature in the capital of Ukraine was 12.8 °C, which is 2.8 °C above the climatic norm.

This was reported by the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory.

“According to the observations of the weather station of the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory, the average monthly air temperature in Kyiv in April was 12.8 °C, which is 2.8 °C higher than the climatic norm,” the report says.

It is noted that April became the third warmest in the rating of observations for 144 years.

At the same time, April 20 was the coldest, when the minimum temperature dropped to -0.2 °C in the morning. The warmest was on the 2nd, when the maximum temperature rose to +26.9 °C, thus setting a temperature record.

In total, 13 temperature records were set in Kyiv from April 1 to 11.

China has created the most detailed geological map of the Moon in history

 The atlas, which nearly 100 researchers spent more than a decade creating, maps the lunar surface in exquisite detail, showing 14 categories of structures, 17 rock types, 81 impact basins, and 12,341 craters.

Researchers began the mapping project back in 2012 intending to facilitate the selection of landing and resource extraction sites for China’s future lunar missions. The scientists who created the atlas, which is available in Chinese and English, say it will be useful for other countries as well.

The release of this atlas coincides with the growing ambitions of China’s space programs. China recently landed probes on the moon and Mars and completed construction of the Tiangong space station in 2022. In addition, the country plans to build a lunar research station, which is scheduled to be completed by 2030.

Ukrainian scientists are investigating the distribution of silicones in the Antarctic

This project is implemented together with Silicones Europe – a non-profit trade organization representing all major silicone manufacturers in Europe.

The purpose of the research is to determine whether cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes are present in various environments on the Antarctic Peninsula and around it (Akademik Vernadsky station area).

Ukrainian scientists selected the following samples:

– air. In January, 5 passive air samplers were installed on our island of Galindez, as well as on neighboring islands. After 3 months, the scientists removed the filters from them for further analysis in the laboratory;

– bottom deposits. Using a bottom scoop, 5 samples were taken from the seabed near our station;

Antarctic soils and mosses. 5 samples were taken on different islands around the station;

– Phytoplankton. From aboard the “Noosphere” and from motor boats, scientists filtered 10 samples of these plant organisms from the ocean waters;

– Antarctic krill. Finding places of concentration of krill in the Southern Ocean is not an easy task, even if you chase it with a large research vessel 🙂 But in the end, our scientists determined the areas of its concentration with the help of an echo sounder and selected 4 samples of this organism, which is important for the food chain of the Antarctic, with special nets.

All samples were properly recorded and are now on board the “Noosphere” heading to Cape Town (South Africa). After the ship arrives in May, they will be sent to Norway. There, scientists will analyze whether cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes are present in the samples and in what concentrations.

“McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd”, which develops the chain of fast-service restaurants McDonald’s in Ukraine, plans to develop partnership programs with chains of gas stations (gas stations), the director of development of McDonald’s in Ukraine, Vitaly Stefurak, said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency. “This is an example of a partnership project, the essence of which is that at a certain point on the route, the entire necessary complex of services that motorists and travelers need is formed. The same applies to the opportunity to eat. This is not a competition, but a complement to each other and an opportunity for visitors to choose. This this year, we plan to implement such projects in regional centers, million-dollar cities or their satellites. In the following years, we continue to consider locations to open McDonald’s establishments in connection with gas stations on key routes,” said Stefurak. At the same time, he emphasized that none of the key players or gas station chains does not have an exclusive right to work with McDonald’s. “We focus solely on the location and consider how well it meets our requirements. Of course, first of all, we work with the key players. This is the WOG company that you mentioned, and we already cooperate with the KLO company. And now the construction of our establishment is underway next to the OKKO gas station in Odesa, but this restaurant will be located in the city, not on the highway,” said Stefurak. Such projects are not experimental, but are part of a developed strategy, which determines in which places it will be appropriate to build a new McDonald’s.