By Brian Resnick, Vox The climate change scenario that could chill parts of the world, explained. Of all the potential consequences of global warming, one of the most unexpected is that temperatures in some parts of the world could plummet. A recent paper in Science Advances outlined a scenario where, given enough ice melting …
Swept away: $500,000 sand dune built to protect US homes disappears in days
By Erum Salam, The Guardian Property owners dumped 15,000 tons of sand in a Massachusetts town to fend off dangerous tides, but it was swept away in 72 hours. A sand dune that cost homeowners on a Massachusetts beach more than half a million dollars to construct has washed away …
Scientists Discovered the World’s Oldest Forest Hiding in England
By Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics Britain’s hidden trove of botanical fossils offers a glimpse into life before the dinosaurs. Since 2019, a fossil forest in upstate New York has been regarded as the oldest-known forest in the world. A new discovery in southwestern England shows that forests developed in the …
U.S. SEC waters down its climate reporting rule under legal threats
By Eugene Ellmen, Corporate Knights Will Canada align itself with weaker U.S. standard, or will it go further and adopt full-scope climate reporting like Europe, California and China? The sustainable investment industry in the United States has grudgingly endorsed a watered-down regulation on climate disclosure, acknowledging a barrage of lobbying …
Effects of geoengineering must be urgently investigated, experts say
By Fiona Harvey, The Guardian Impact on ecosystems must be predicted before technology is used, US atmospheric science agency chief says. Scientists must work urgently on predicting the effects of climate geoengineering, the chief of the US atmospheric science agency has said, as the technology is likely to be needed, at …
Argentine court in key lithium region halts new permits over environmental concerns
By Lucila Sigal, Reuters BUENOS AIRES, March 14 (Reuters) – An Argentine court in the northwestern province of Catamarca has suspended the issuance of new mining permits, demanding fresh environmental impact studies be carried out looking at local lithium projects, a judgment seen by Reuters showed. The ruling involves the …
Why is the idea of the Anthropocene so contentious?
By Sachi Mulkey and Kate Yonder, Grist The question of whether humans created a new epoch has been stirring up drama for almost 25 years. The scientist Paul Crutzen grew tired of the Holocene 24 years ago. The geologic epoch had reigned for 11,700 years, ever since the sprawling ice …
Legal action could end use of toxic sewage sludge on US crops as fertilizer
By Tom Perkins, The Guardian Intent to sue federal regulators charges they have failed to address dangerous levels of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ known to be in sludge New legal action could put an end to the practice of spreading toxic sewage sludge on US cropland as a cheap alternative to fertilizer, and …
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon down 30% in February
By Reuters SAO PAULO, March 8 (Reuters) – Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell 30% in February from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government worked toward a pledge to end illegal deforestation by 2030. According to preliminary satellite data from …
Why the US has artificial reefs made from sunken ships and voting machines
By D’Amy Steward and Avery Paxton, Freethink After a reef is created, fish can appear within minutes. When people hear about underwater reefs, they usually picture colorful gardens created from coral. But some reefs are anchored to much more unusual foundations. For more than a century, people have placed a …