Archive for March 2021
Washington’s Famed Tidal Basin and Cherry Trees Face Rising Waters
Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin, flanked by rows of the city’s celebrated cherry trees, is facing a growing threat from rising seas and land subsidence.
Read MoreThe Oil Well Next Door: California’s Silent Health Hazard
Unlike other oil-producing states, much of the drilling in California takes place in residential neighborhoods, often in Spanish-speaking communities. Despite mounting complaints about pollution from the wells, the state has failed to take action to address this public health problem.
Read MoreIndigenous Lands Contain Nearly Half of the Amazon’s Intact Forest
A comprehensive United Nations study says that 45 percent of the intact forests in the Amazon are in Indigenous territories, comprising an area that sequesters more carbon than all the tropical forests in either Indonesia or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Read MoreFisheries resilience in the Humboldt Current: one step closer to achieving sustainability
By Cayetana Aljovín and Erica Cunningham Evidence abounds showing that our world — and especially our seas — are changing. This is particularly notable in the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem, where we have seen changes in the distribution of fish stocks, temperature anomalies, wave surges, harmful algal blooms and much more. Yet, the Humboldt […]
Read MoreWhy a Big Mining Project Could Wipe Out Rural Villages in Indonesia
A mine tailings dam planned for a seismically unstable area of Sumatra’s rainforest would be at high risk of failure, experts warn. The dam’s collapse would be a disaster, they say, releasing a wall of slurry that would engulf and bury Indigenous villages and their inhabitants.
Read MoreDespite Pledges to Cut Emissions, China Goes on a Coal Spree
China is building large numbers of coal-fired power plants to drive its post-pandemic economy. The government has promised a CO2 emissions peak by 2030, but the new coal binge jeopardizes both China’s decarbonization plans and global efforts to tackle climate change.
Read MoreCost of Lithium-ion Batteries Has Fallen by 97 Percent, Study Says
A new MIT study shows that the cost of lithium-ion batteries — used to power phones, laptops, and electric vehicles — has fallen by 97 percent over the past three decades.
Read MoreUK Is Now Halfway Toward Meeting Its Zero-Carbon Goal by 2050
Greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom have plunged by 51 percent since 1990 and the country is halfway toward slashing its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050, according to the Web site Carbon Brief.
Read MoreStealth Chemicals: A Call to Action on a Threat to Human Fertility
In an interview with Yale e360, epidemiologist Shanna Swan talks about how falling sperm counts and other fertility problems are linked to chemicals in consumer products and explains why the Biden administration needs to follow Europe’s lead in restricting these substances.
Read MoreEV Turning Point: Momentum Builds for U.S. Electric Vehicle Transition
Driven by GM, Tesla, and the Biden administration, the U.S. is now poised to press ahead in the transformation to electric vehicles. Big challenges still loom, but technological advances, government support, and growing consumer appeal will drive the inevitable switch to EVs.
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