- — Will Climate Change Upend Projections of Future Forest Growth?
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at 7/7/20 3:00amWhile the world’s forests can play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide and slowing climate change, new research indicates that elevated CO2 concentrations do not necessarily boost forests and that higher temperatures could cause changes in trees that reduce their ability grow.
- — South Pole Warming Three Times the Global Rate
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at 6/30/20 6:28pmThe South Pole has warmed at a rate three times the global average over the last three decades, according to a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change. Temperatures at the Amundsen-Scott research station in Antarctica rose by 1.8 degrees Celsius between 1989 and 2018. For comparison, global temperatures rose a total 0.5 to 0.6 degrees C during the same 30-year period.
- — Listening to Silence: Why We Must Protect the World’s Quiet Places
- at 6/30/20 3:00am
As more people push into once-remote areas, truly quiet spots — devoid of the noise of traffic or crowds of tourists — have become increasingly scarce. Now, a coalition of activists, scientists, and park officials are trying to preserve the last quiet places on the planet.
- — A New Tool Visualizes Environmental Changes During Pandemic
- at 6/25/20 2:10pm
Space agencies in the United States, Japan, and the European Union have collaborated to create a new tool that visualizes environmental changes during the Covid-19 pandemic, from air and water quality, to greenhouse gases, to agriculture. The system uses data from 17 satellites, monitoring 30 environmental indicators, 17 economic signals, and three agricultural indices.
- — From the Lab to the Field, Agriculture Seeks to Adapt to a Warming World
- at 6/25/20 3:00am
With rising temperatures, the world’s food supplies are at risk, with deceasing yields in key staple crops. Researchers and innovators are looking at more resilient crops and farm animals — from heat-resistant wheat, to drought-resistant rice, to Naked Neck chickens that stay cooler.
- — Temperatures Exceed 100 Degrees F North of the Arctic Circle
- at 6/23/20 3:33pm
Scientists with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are examining new data indicating that temperatures in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk — located north of the Arctic Circle — hit a record-breaking 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month. The region has experienced a prolonged heatwave, which started in January and is expected to last through at least August.
- — In Pandemic Recovery Efforts, Polluting Industries Are Winning Big
- at 6/23/20 3:00am
Oil and gas giants, mining interests, and coal-fired power plants have all received financial and regulatory relief as governments around the world enact pandemic recovery plans. These moves threaten to create a dirty, high-carbon legacy that long outlasts the current crisis.
- — Climate Change Tied to Increased Pregnancy Risks, Analysis Finds
- at 6/19/20 9:43am
More than a decade of overwhelming evidence links air pollution and heat exposure with negative pregnancy outcomes in the United States, according to a new review of dozens of studies. The investigation, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, identified 57 studies since 2007 showing a significant association between the two factors and the risk of pre-term birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth.
- — New Jersey Announces $400 Million Offshore Wind Port
- at 6/18/20 12:28pm
New Jersey is taking steps to become a major hub for offshore wind in the United States, announcing a plan to build a 30-acre port along the Delaware River for assembling and deploying turbines, plus an additional 25 acres for manufacturing facilities. Officials say the new port, which is expected to cost as much as $400 million, will create up to 1,500 jobs in southern New Jersey.
- — Parks vs. People: In Guatemala, Communities Take Best Care of the Forest
- at 6/18/20 3:00am
When Guatemala created a major reserve 30 years ago, environmentalists complained that too much land was entrusted to local people and not converted to parks. Now, the parks have been overrun by ranches linked to drug traffickers, while the community-run lands are well preserved.
- — Climate Models Underestimate CO2 Emissions from Permafrost by 14 Percent, Study Finds
- at 6/16/20 12:25pm
Climate change models have underestimated the amount of carbon dioxide that will be emitted from thawing permafrost by as much as 14 percent, according to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The research incorporates a key pathway for CO2 to enter the atmosphere that is missing from other models: when carbon from thawing permafrost is flushed into waterways and converted to CO2 by sunlight.
- — How Global Regulators Are Selling Out the World's Largest Tuna
- at 6/16/20 3:00am
The international commission responsible for managing Atlantic bluefin — prized for high-quality sushi — is failing to protect this magnificent fish. The regulators’ focus on fishing industry profits points up the need to change the way we view, and value, the lives of wild creatures.
- — How Global Regulators Are Selling Out the World's Largest Tuna
- at 6/16/20 3:00am
The international commission responsible for managing Atlantic bluefin — prized for high-quality sushi — is failing to protect this magnificent fish. The regulators’ focus on fishing industry profits points up the need to change the way we view, and value, the lives of wild creatures.
- — Elephants Are Mysteriously Dying in Botswana
- at 6/15/20 3:11pm
Wildlife officials in Botswana are investigating the mysterious deaths of 154 elephants over a three-month period in the Okavango Delta, in the northwest corner of the country. Both poaching and poisoning have been ruled out as causes of the die-off, Reuters reported.
- — 90 Percent of U.S. Could Be Power by Renewables by 2035
- at 6/12/20 12:40pm
Despite America’s continued reliance on fossil fuels as its primary source of energy, the plummeting costs of alternative energy sources — like power harnessed from the sun or wind — is making them an increasingly viable choice on the competitive market. So much so, that a University of California, Berkeley report released on Tuesday argues that by 2035, 90 percent of the United States could be powered by renewables.
- — 90 Percent of U.S. Could Be Powered by Renewables by 2035
- at 6/12/20 12:40pm
Despite America’s continued reliance on fossil fuels as its primary source of energy, the plummeting costs of alternative energy sources — like power harnessed from the sun or wind — is making them an increasingly viable choice on the competitive market. So much so, that a University of California, Berkeley report released on Tuesday argues that by 2035, 90 percent of the United States could be powered by renewables.
- — Environmental Activists Worldwide Face High Risk of Criminalization and Violence, Report Finds
- at 6/11/20 7:28pm
In one-fifth of environmental conflicts around the world, activists face criminal charges or imprisonment as a result of their work defending natural resources, according to a new analysis by researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
- — Building Back Better: Why Europe Must Lead a Global Green Recovery
- at 6/11/20 3:00am
With the global economy reeling from the pandemic, most nations are focusing stimulus programs on reviving employment. But Europe is moving forward with a Green Deal initiative that provides a framework for decarbonizing its economy and spurring the rest of the world to follow.
- — Russian Oil Spill Reaches Pristine Arctic Lake
- at 6/9/20 3:51pm
Diesel fuel from a 21,000-ton oil spill in the Russian Arctic has reached a freshwater lake that serves as a gateway into the Arctic Ocean, Russian officials announced. The spill, one of the largest in Russian history, has contaminated several rivers and tributaries so far, triggering a major clean-up effort and prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of emergency.
- — Unequal Impact: The Deep Links Between Racism and Climate Change
- at 6/9/20 3:00am
Activist Elizabeth Yeampierre has long focused on the connections between racial injustice and the environment and climate change. In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the outsized impact of Covid-19 on communities of color, she hopes people may finally be ready to listen.
- — President Trump Signs Executive Order Waiving Key Environmental Laws
- at 6/4/20 3:49pm
President Trump has signed an executive order to expedite the permitting of new infrastructure and energy projects as a way to address the economic downturn driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, several news outlets report. The order waives several long-standing environmental laws to allow for the faster approval, including the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), according to The Washington Post.
- — How Small Family Forests Can Help Meet the Climate Challenge
- at 6/4/20 3:00am
As efforts grow to store more CO2 emissions in forests, one sector has been overlooked — small, family-owned woodlands, which comprise 38 percent of U.S. forests. Now, a major conservation initiative is aiming to help these owners manage their lands for maximum carbon storage.
- — As Mining Continues During Coronavirus, Local Indigenous Communities at High Risk
- at 6/2/20 3:03pm
Mining sites across the globe have become hot spots for coronavirus infections, threatening thousands of workers and indigenous and rural communities, according to a new report by a coalition of environmental watchdog groups. Outbreaks of the virus have occurred in and around mine sites in 18 countries, including Panama, Brazil, Russia, Canada, and Peru.
- — The Pandemic Has Taken Cars Off Urban Streets. Will It Last?
- at 6/1/20 5:46am
With a sharp drop in auto traffic due to the coronavirus, cities around the globe have closed streets to cars and expanded pedestrian thoroughfares and bike lanes. But as life edges back to normal, will these initiatives survive, especially if virus-wary citizens shun mass transit?
- — The World’s Forests Are Getting Younger and Shorter, Research Finds
- at 5/29/20 1:23pm
Climate change is altering the age and structure of the world’s forests, driving an increase in younger and shorter trees over the last century, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Since 1900, the world has lost more than a third of its old-growth forests.
- — Mississippi River Delta Marshes Have Hit a Tipping Point, Study Finds
- at 5/26/20 2:10pm
New research finds that marshes in the Mississippi River Delta have hit a tipping point and will likely drown this century due to sea level rise. The study, which examined 8,500 years of marsh paleorecords, contradicts other research that suggests Louisiana’s remaining 5,800 square miles of marshes could survive climate change.
- — Will Floating Turbines Usher in a New Wave of Offshore Wind?
- at 5/26/20 3:00am
As locations for wind energy fill up onshore and near-shore, companies are deploying floating turbines that can be sited in deep waters, out of view from the coast. Proponents contend the new technology could boost the wind industry, but daunting challenges, including costs, remain.
- — A Major Oil Pipeline Project Strikes Deep at the Heart of Africa
- at 5/21/20 3:00am
Despite the global plunge in oil prices, a major pipeline that would carry oil 900 miles across East Africa is moving ahead. International experts warn that the $20 billion project will displace thousands of small farmers and put key wildlife habitat and coastal waters at risk.
- — Global Emissions Fell 17 Percent Due to Coronavirus Shutdowns
- at 5/19/20 3:00pm
Daily global greenhouse gas emissions declined 17 percent by early April compared to 2019 levels due to coronavirus-related shutdowns around the world, according to new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Daily emissions from cars and trucks fell 36 percent, and aviation emissions declined by 60 percent.
- — In California, A Push Grows to Turn Dead Trees into Biomass Energy
- at 5/19/20 3:00am
As forests in California and the Western U.S. are hit by rising numbers of fires and disease outbreaks related to climate change, some experts argue that using dead and diseased trees to produce biomass energy will help to restore forests and reduce CO2 emissions.
- — One Billion People Will Suffer From “Unliveable” Heat Within 50 years, Study Finds
- at 5/15/20 3:01pm
The human cost of the climate crisis will hit harder, wider, and sooner than previously believed, according to a study that shows a billion people will either be displaced or forced to endure insufferable heat for every additional 1 degree Celsius rise in the global temperature.
- — To Get Covid-19 Relief, Companies in Canada Will Have to Disclose Climate Impacts
- at 5/14/20 3:11pm
Canada announced that in order for businesses to receive Covid-19 economic aid, they will be required to disclose their climate impacts and commit to making environmentally sustainable decisions, E&E News reported. The condition is part of the country’s new Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility, which has been created to provide bridge loans to Canada’s largest employers struggling during the pandemic.
- — When Social Distancing Ends, Will We Rethink the World We Want?
- at 5/14/20 3:00am
Long before the virus, Americans had become socially isolated, retreating into sprawling suburbs and an online world of screens. When we emerge from our pandemic-mandated separation, can we reconnect with each other and reconsider how the way we live impacts the natural world?
As of 7/7/20 6:45am. Last new 7/7/20 6:45am.
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