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Environment
News Headlines Dec 21, 2024
Barack Obama to create world's largest ocean reserve in the Pacific
Barack Obama will use his presidential powers on Thursday to create the world’s largest marine reserve in the Pacific, banning fishing and other commercial activities across vast swaths of pristine sea populated by whales, dolph
Is fracking greener than solar power and wind turbines?
Is fracking greener than solar power and wind turbines? An easy one today... I don’t know. From this study it would be improper to draw a conclusion about which energy source causes less environmental damage. In the end, it
Nelson Mandela's widow calls for urgent climate action at UN
The widow of Nelson Mandela punctured the self-congratulatory mood of the UN summit on Tuesday, saying world leaders had failed to rise to the challenge of climate change. “There is a huge mismatch between the magnitude of th
Ozone Pollution in India Kills Enough Crops to Feed 94 Million in Poverty
In one year, India’s ozone pollution damaged millions of tons of the country’s major crops, causing losses of more than a billion dollars and destroying enough food to feed tens of millions of people living below the poverty l
Voyager: Why is China's Pollution Considered the "World's Pollution”?
China’s size and the magnitude of its industrial activities do indeed cause it to generate large amounts of air pollution, but every country contributes to the “world’s pollution.” The air travels across the Pacific Oc
Why U.S. airstrikes in Syria may be bad for the environment
The United States and its partners expanded its war against Islamic State on Tuesday, with airstrikes against the extremist group striking within Syria for the first time. It's a dramatic escalation: Strikes in Syria have been a s
Nearly 600 Years of Tree Rings Show Altered Ocean Habitat
Ocean currents that deliver important nutrients to shallow, coastal waters have become weaker and more variable over the last half-century, which could affect fish and other marine animals that nourish themselves in these nutrient
Greenland’s dark snow may start global warming ‘feedback loop’
Anyone who has ever slipped over on black ice in the dead of winter will attest to how dangerous it is. But a darkening of the Greenland ice sheet could impact upon the entire world, as the hastening trend reduces the Arctic’s a
High air pollution levels hit south-east England
Air pollution is expected to be high on Thursday over the south-east of England, leading to warnings to people with respiratory difficulties. The pollution is likely to be localised, with clear skies over Scotland as people cas
Global Warming Changes the Way Sharks Swim
Sharks exposed to ocean water acidified by too much carbon dioxide alter their behavior, swimming in longer spurts than sharks in typical ocean water, particularly during their nighttime wanderings. The new findings, published
State of emergency declared for Northern California counties hit by fires
California's governor has declared a state of emergency in two counties in the north of the state where wildfires have torched tens of thousands of acres, destroying some homes and threatening others. Thousands of firefighters
Climate change report: prevent damage by overhauling global economy
The world can still act in time to stave off the worst effects of climate change, and enjoy the fruits of continued economic growth as long as the global economy can be transformed within the next 15 years, a group of the world's
770-Pound Colossal Squid a 'Perfect' Specimen
Scientists said Tuesday a female colossal squid weighing an estimated 350 kilograms (770 lbs) and thought to be only the second intact specimen ever found was carrying eggs when discovered in the Antarctic. The squid had been k
Wild Chinese Sturgeon on the Brink of Extinction
The wild Chinese sturgeon is at risk of extinction, state media reported, after none of the rare fish were detected reproducing naturally in the polluted and crowded Yangtze river last year. One of the world's oldest living spe
Dino-Killing Meteorite Gave Way to Leafy Forests
The meteorite that killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago had more of an effect on evergreens and led plants that lose their leaves to dominate forests, reports a new study. The event wiped out about half of plant species,
Red card on environment for 'greenest government ever'
The government is failing to reduce air pollution, protect biodiversity and prevent flooding, a cross-party body of MPs has said. The Environmental Audit Committee dished out a "red card" on these three concerns after examining ef
Call for greater protection of endangered lynx in the US
The US federal government will extend protection to all imperilled Canada lynx in the lower 48 states, but wildlife advocates said on Thursday it was ignoring important parts of the rare cats’ range and vowed to challenge the mo
Marine reserves review: Coalition says recreational fishers have been left out
The Coalition has launched a review of the vast network of marine reserves set out by the previous Labor government, to deliver what it calls a more “sensible balance” between fishing and environmental concerns. In 2012 L
Three Years After Fukushima, Japan Approves a Nuclear Plant
For the first time since the Fukushima disaster three and a half years ago, Japan’s new nuclear regulatory agency declared Wednesday that an atomic power plant was safe to operate, in a widely watched move that brings Japan a st
WA government moves to approve 25 contentious resource projects
The WA government plans to retrospectively validate 25 contentious resource project approvals, a move the Australian Conservation Foundation says shows the proposal for “one-stop-shop” state environmental decisions is “deepl
Endangered Pupfish Could Vanish in 30 Years
An inch-long fish that sparked a Supreme Court battle could go extinct in less than 30 years, a new modeling study concludes. Fish don't ever seem to dress down -- they're as colorful as possible. That makes us wonder why.
Researchers want to attach cheap sensors to sailboats and other vessels to collect data on the impact of climate change on the world's oceans.
The ocean is vast—so huge that scientists struggle to collect adequate amounts of data on its health, even with the aid of satellites, autonomous robots, and networked buoys. Now scientists are proposing a simple solution to
Amazon deforestation jumps 29%
The destruction of the world’s largest rainforest accelerated last year with a 29% spike in deforestation, according to final figures released by the Brazilian government on Wednesday that confirmed a reversal in gains seen sinc
Shark cull rejected by Western Australia Environmental Protection Authority
Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority has recommended that the state’s controversial shark culling program not be extended, citing “a high degree of scientific uncertainty” about the impact of baited druml
Audubon Report Names Birds at Climate Risk
The National Audubon Society has released the Audubon Birds and Climate Report, a study that predicts how climate change could affect the ranges of 588 North American bird species, mapping where each bird's ideal climatic range wi
Rising carbon dioxide emissions push greenhouse gases to record high
Surging carbon dioxide levels have pushed greenhouse gases to record highs in the atmosphere, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said. Concentrations of carbon dioxide, the major cause of global warming, increased
Red tide still lingers off coast of Hernando County
large bloom of red tide continues to linger about 20 miles off the coast of Hernando County. Satellite images from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida showed a patchy bloom at least 20 miles offs
Will Iconic Sequoias Fall to Climate Change?
California's iconic trees, the giant sequoias, may sail through the state's current extreme drought. The huge trees survived even drier conditions during their long lives, studies show. The oldest sequoias live for more than 3,000
Norway whale catch reaches highest number since 1993
hermen in Norway have caught 729 whales this year, the highest number since it resumed the controversial practice in defiance of international pressure, industry sources said on Monday. "The season is more or less finished and
Labor attempts to strengthen regulation of UK fracking industry
The Labor party believes the rules covering fracking – or hydraulic fracturing – for gas are not tight enough and will attempt to strengthen regulation of the controversial drilling method by tabling a series of amendments to
Ocean circulation explains why the Arctic affected by global warming more than the Antarctic
Over recent decades, scientists have watched a climate conundrum develop at the opposite ends of Earth: The Arctic has warmed and steadily lost sea ice, whereas Antarctica has cooled in many places and may even be gaining sea ice.
Unpacking unpaused global warming – climate models got it right
Although the global climate has continued to build up heat at an incredibly rapid rate, there has been a keen focus among climate contrarians and in the media on the slowdown of the warming at the Earth’s surface. The slowdown i
More than 100,000 Elephants Killed in 3 Years
The insatiable demand for ivory is causing a dramatic decline in the number of African elephants. Poachers are hunting the animal faster than it can reproduce, with deaths affecting more than half of elephant families in the Sambu
West Coast waters still safe from radioactivity, but testing continues
emember all those headlines after the Fukushima reactor disaster in 2011? “The Coast Is Toast.” “Holy Fukushima – Radiation From Japan Is Already Killing North Americans.” “28 Signs That the West Coast Is Being Absolut
Cause of global warming hiatus found deep in the Atlantic Ocean
Following rapid warming in the late 20th century, this century has so far seen surprisingly little increase in the average temperature at the Earth’s surface. At first this was a blip, then a trend, then a puzzle for the climate
Epic Drought in West is Literally Moving Mountains
Climate change is driving the Greenland Ice Sheet to melt, which is contributing to sea level rise. But imagine that the same amount of water melting from Greenland each year is being lost in California and the rest of the West be
Animal activists vow to stop planned wild boar cull in Forest of Dean
Drew Pratten was walking home through the forest by the light of a low moon when he found himself in the middle of a sounder – a group of wild boar. "It was a primeval experience," he said. "I was face to face with a big male. H
UK's warmest period record sparks call for greater climate action
An expert on climate change policy has called for more action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as it emerged the country saw the warmest period from January to July since records began in 1910. It was also the third-equal
Hot and Cold: Crocodile Evolution Based on Ocean Temps
Ancient crocodiles colonized the seas during warm phases and became extinct during cold phases, according to a new study, demonstrating a link between crocodile evolution and ocean temperature. For more than 140 million years,
Report: 46% of Forest Service budget to fight fires
The rising cost of fighting wildfires is forcing the U.S. Forest Service to transfer money from other critical programs year after year, hampering efforts to protect people, property and endangered species, Agriculture Secretary T
Beautiful New Species of Tree Frog Discovered in Madagascar
A multinational team of scientists headed by Dr Goncalo Rosa of the University of Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology has described a new species in the tree frog genus Boophis from the hidden streams of Ankaraf
Taking Up Arms Where Birds Feast on Buffet of Salmon
The salmon here in the Columbia River, nearly driven to extinction by hydroelectric dams a quarter century ago, have been increasing in number — a fact not lost on the birds that like to eat them. These now flock by the thousand
Government scientists 'warned against dumping' in Great Barrier Reef park
The government’s marine scientists warned against dumping millions of tonnes of sediment inside the Great Barrier Reef’s marine park, only to be overruled, according to a former government official. Jon Day, who was until r
Norway's sneaky seismic attack on the Arctic
The Esperanza has been in the Arctic near Svalbard, for a few weeks now and we recently became aware of something urgent and disturbing. A seismic company called Dolphin Geophysical, commissioned by the Norwegian Petroleum Directo
Fracking protesters superglue themselves to environment department
Anti-fracking protesters have superglued themselves to the doors at the main entrance of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). A related protest is also underway at the offices of iGas, the UK’s biggest
Study: Thinning Arctic Snow Could Alter North Pole Ecosystem
Snow has thinned significantly in the Arctic, especially on the sea ice near Alaska, finds a new study. Researchers at the University of Washington and NASA confirmed their findings by combining data collected by ice bouys and air
3,500 Pounds of Trash Will Burn Up in Earth's Atmosphere This Weekend
After hanging out at the International Space Station for a month, a commercial cargo ship is diving toward Earth — and it's filled to the brim with more than 3,000 pounds of garbage. Astronauts living on board the ISS used a rob
Environment minister Greg Hunt admits Great Barrier Reef is in trouble
They say the first way to treat a problem is to admit the problem exists. In that respect, the Australian government may be coming to terms with what it will take to turn around the worrying state of the Great Barrier Reef. A
Tony Abbott adviser warns of threat of 'global cooling'
The Abbott government’s chief business adviser, Maurice Newman, has warned that Australia is ill prepared for global cooling owing to widespread “warming propaganda” in his latest critique of mainstream climate science.
Save one dying lake, save the Middle East?
Lake Urmia in Iran used to be a site to reckon with. Twenty years ago, it ranked as the sixth largest saltwater lake in the world, and the largest in the Middle East. Tourists would revel in the lake's buoyancy (like the Dead Sea,
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