December 05, 2014 By Zachary Slobig. Take Part A little-noticed expansion of hydraulic fracturing of deepwater oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico is unnerving environmental watchdogs as federal regulators keep a lid on information about the operations. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves the injection of highly pressurized, chemical-laced water into wells. The technique […]
19 November 2014 .Smithsonian Magazine A new study by Florida State University and Smithsonian Institution biologists shows that bleaching events brought on by rising sea temperatures are having a detrimental long-term impact on coral. Bleaching—a process where high water temperatures or UV light stresses the coral to the point where it loses its symbiotic algal […]
Johannes Luetz. Theguardian.com, Monday 13 October 2014 19.18 EDT Islanders from the Tulun Atoll where forced relocation is presently underway are reporting what some believe is the beginning of the end. Breadfruit trees have been destroyed, the soil isn’t good enough to grow crops. The sea water is eating away at the land. Tulun […]
ABC Environment 8 Oct 2014 Scientists warn that the acidity of the oceans has risen by more than a quarter over the last 200 years, posing danger for shellfish. OCEAN ACIDIFICATION has risen by a quarter since pre-industrial times as a result of rising carbon emissions, casting a shadow over the seas as a future source of […]
By Timothy Cama – 10/15/14 10:35 AM EDT The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling out federal agencies for not implementing part of a 2009 law meant to reduce ocean acidification. The GAO said a federal task force has outlined a plan to increase the government’s understanding of ocean acidification, a process caused by carbon […]
By Elke Nagy Aug 24, 2014 in Environment. www.digitaljournal.com Once again, serious questions are being raised about the decision to allow the dumping of dredge spoil in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Last January, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) approved a plan to dump three million cubic metres of […]
By CORAL DAVENPORT AUG. 26, 2014. New York Times WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is working to forge a sweeping international climate change agreement to compel nations to cut their planet-warming fossil fuel emissions, but without ratification from Congress. In preparation for this agreement, to be signed at a United Nations summit meeting in 2015 […]
By JUSTIN GILLIS AUG. 26, 2014. New York Times Runaway growth in the emission of greenhouse gases is swamping all political efforts to deal with the problem, raising the risk of “severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts” over the coming decades, according to a draft of a major new United Nations report. Global warming is […]
Reposted from Waterkeeper Alliance, August 4 2014 This is an invitation to change everything. In September, world leaders are coming to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. With our future […]