America’s First Climate Refugees are Native Alaskan Communities
May 16, 2013 by
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Alaska Glacier photo from Shutterstock For many years, climate change has displaced millions in the developing world – and now America is seeing its first climate refugees . Over 180 native communities in Alaska are under threat as ice melt, rising seas, and erosion threatens their traditional way of life. A new report by the US Army Corps of Engineers predicts that Alaskan villages such as Newtok (located on the western coast of Alaska and 400 miles south of the Bering Strait) could be completely underwater as soon as 2017. Read the rest of America’s First Climate Refugees are Native Alaskan Communities Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: alaska , Arctic Council , bering strait , Climate Change , climate refugees , erosion , glacial melt , global warming , newtok , ninglick river , obama administration , us army corps of engineers , water issues
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America’s First Climate Refugees are Native Alaskan Communities
Europe’s New Biomass Satellite Will Map Earth’s Forests And Calculate Carbon Stores
May 9, 2013 by
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Photo via Shutterstock Though they cover 30 percent of Earth’s total land area, we know remarkably little about how much biomass and carbon are contained in the planet’s forests . A new satellite will be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in an attempt to expand this area of knowledge, and learn more about the viability of current and future conservation tactics. The satellite, named Biomass , will use advanced sensors to map and monitor every tree-covered portion of the planet, “weighing” their biomass and hidden carbon. ESA scientists hope new data collected by the satellites will help researchers understand better the role trees play in the cycling of carbon on Earth and, by extension, the influence this has on the planet’s climate. Read the rest of Europe’s New Biomass Satellite Will Map Earth’s Forests And Calculate Carbon Stores Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: biomass , carbon storage , Climate Change , conservation , european space agency , global warming , Satellite , Trees
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Europe’s New Biomass Satellite Will Map Earth’s Forests And Calculate Carbon Stores
One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US
Bee photo from Shutterstock This past winter was a harsh one – particularly for bees and beekeepers across the United States. A recent survey by the Bee Informed Partnership and the Apiary Inspectors of America has shown that one in every three honey bee colonies collapsed this past winter. The staggering 31.1 percent loss is twice the percentage that beekeepers say is “acceptable” to maintain their business. Read the rest of One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Apiary Inspectors of America , bee deaths , bee Informed Partnership , bee populations , colony collapse disorder , eco design , green design , honey bee population , sustainable design
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One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US
One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US
Bee photo from Shutterstock This past winter was a harsh one – particularly for bees and beekeepers across the United States. A recent survey by the Bee Informed Partnership and the Apiary Inspectors of America has shown that one in every three honey bee colonies collapsed this past winter. The staggering 31.1 percent loss is twice the percentage that beekeepers say is “acceptable” to maintain their business. Read the rest of One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Apiary Inspectors of America , bee deaths , bee Informed Partnership , bee populations , colony collapse disorder , eco design , green design , honey bee population , sustainable design
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One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US
One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US
Bee photo from Shutterstock This past winter was a harsh one – particularly for bees and beekeepers across the United States. A recent survey by the Bee Informed Partnership and the Apiary Inspectors of America has shown that one in every three honey bee colonies collapsed this past winter. The staggering 31.1 percent loss is twice the percentage that beekeepers say is “acceptable” to maintain their business. Read the rest of One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Apiary Inspectors of America , bee deaths , bee Informed Partnership , bee populations , colony collapse disorder , eco design , green design , honey bee population , sustainable design
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One in Three Honeybees Died Last Winter in the US
Study Projects Over Half of World’s Population Could Rely on Food Imports by 2050
Photo via Shutterstock With tomatoes from Chile, salmon from Norway, chocolate from Africa, and coffee from Indonesia, a trip to the local grocery store can seem like a journey around the world. But food security is a serious issue in the 21st century, as countries around the world struggle to produce enough food to feed their growing populations. A new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany that was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters suggests that over half of the world’s population could depend on imported foods by 2050. Read the rest of Study Projects Over Half of World’s Population Could Rely on Food Imports by 2050 Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: central america , Climate Change , diet , food security , germany , imported food , marianela fader , Middle East , North Africa , Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research , self sufficiency
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Study Projects Over Half of World’s Population Could Rely on Food Imports by 2050
Study Projects Over Half of World’s Population Could Rely on Food Imports by 2050
Photo via Shutterstock With tomatoes from Chile, salmon from Norway, chocolate from Africa, and coffee from Indonesia, a trip to the local grocery store can seem like a journey around the world. But food security is a serious issue in the 21st century, as countries around the world struggle to produce enough food to feed their growing populations. A new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany that was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters suggests that over half of the world’s population could depend on imported foods by 2050. Read the rest of Study Projects Over Half of World’s Population Could Rely on Food Imports by 2050 Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: central america , Climate Change , diet , food security , germany , imported food , marianela fader , Middle East , North Africa , Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research , self sufficiency
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Study Projects Over Half of World’s Population Could Rely on Food Imports by 2050
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to Be Downgraded From World Heritage Site
May 6, 2013 by
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Photo via Shutterstock The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) warned the Australian government on Saturday that it may downgrade the World Heritage status of the Great Barrier Reef as early as next year. UNESCO is assessing 43 federal and local government projects that could cause further destruction to the reef, and has cautioned that the site may be reclassified as a “World Heritage Site in Danger,” unless “urgent and decisive action” is taken to preserve the surrounding environment. Read the rest of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to Be Downgraded From World Heritage Site Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: australia , environmental destruction , Great Barrier Reef , reef rescue , UNESCO , United Nations , water pollution , water runoff , world heritage site , world heritage status
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Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to Be Downgraded From World Heritage Site
Chemicals from Personal Care Products Are Polluting Chicago’s Air
Photo via Shutterstock When the gales blow across the Windy City, residents may have more to worry about than mussed hair. According to a new study led by Keri Hornbuckle from the University of Iowa , chemicals found in a myriad of personal care products are polluting Chicago’s air. Known as cyclic siloxanes, these compounds have been found to be toxic in aquatic life as well as posing a possible threat to other organisms. The airborne chemicals in downtown Chicago were recorded at levels ten times higher than in West Branch Iowa, and four times higher than in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. No studies have been completed yet to determine whether or not breathing the substances is harmful to humans, but their concentrations might be cause for concern. Read the rest of Chemicals from Personal Care Products Are Polluting Chicago’s Air Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: air pollution , California , canada , Cedar Rapids , chicago , cyclic siloxanes , d4 , d5 , England , Food Chain , great lakes , keri hornbuckle , norway , personal care products , toxic , university of iowa , US EPA , water issues , west branch
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Chemicals from Personal Care Products Are Polluting Chicago’s Air
Global Carbon Emissions Set to Hit Alarming 400 Parts Per Million Milestone
Photo via Shutterstock For the first time in up to five million years, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is about to reach 400 parts per million (ppm). Former NASA scientist James Hansen warned that levels over 350ppm would destabilize the earth’s climate, but now we have far exceeded that figure with a record-breaking weekly average of 398.5ppm recorded on Monday, The Guardian reports. Researchers at the Earth Systems Research Laboratory in Hawaii expect we will hit the 400ppm milestone in May, 2013. Read the rest of Global Carbon Emissions Set to Hit Alarming 400 Parts Per Million Milestone Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: atmospheric concentration of CO2 , carbon dioxide , Earth Systems Research Lab , emissions , environmental destruction , fossil fuels , global warming , globalization , greenhouse gases , hawaii , heat trapping greenhouse gases , james hansen , Mauna Loa Station , Meat , nasa , Scripps Institution of Oceanography , usa
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Global Carbon Emissions Set to Hit Alarming 400 Parts Per Million Milestone
