Archive for July 2021
Urban Heat Islands Making Summer Heat Waves Worse, Study Says
The sweltering heat endured by major American cities is being fueled by vast swaths of concrete and a lack of greenery that can ratchet up temperatures by nearly 9 degrees F (5 degrees C) compared with surrounding rural areas, new research has found.
Read MoreWill Russia’s Forests Be an Asset or an Obstacle in Climate Fight?
New research indicating Russia’s vast forests store more carbon than previously estimated would seem like good news. But scientists are concerned Russia will count this carbon uptake as an offset in its climate commitments, which would allow its emissions to continue unchecked.
Read MoreIndigenous Peruvians Use Smartphones to Monitor Deforestation
Members of nearly 40 Indigenous communities in Peru’s northern border region of Loreto have been using smartphone mapping apps to track deforestation in the Amazon, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported. Forest loss there has been driven by illegal gold mining and logging, and by drug traffickers clearing trees to plant coca crops, which are used to make cocaine.
Read MoreTwo Dozen Large Cities Produce 52 Percent of Urban Carbon Emissions
Indian Coal Mines Garner Few Bids at Auction
With Growth of Arctic Shipping, Canada Must Prepare for Major Oil Spills, Study Says
Melting sea ice is spurring a shipping boom in the Northwest Passage, raising the specter of oil spills in the Arctic. A new study evaluates the impact of such a disaster in Canada’s Rankin Inlet and finds an oil spill there would be uniquely devastating, owing to the challenge of mounting a cleanup in such a harsh environment.
Read MoreOnce a Rich Desert River, the Gila Struggles to Keep Flowing
The Gila was once a vibrant desert river, providing a lifeline for the riparian habitat and wildlife that depended on it in the U.S. Southwest. But population growth, agricultural withdrawals, and, increasingly, climate change have badly diminished the river and threaten its future.
Read MoreUK Aims to Dump Coal Early, While Asia Stays the Course
Britain announced that it is aiming to phase out coal power by October, 2024, one year earlier than its previous target date, Reuters reported. By contrast, Asia remains heavily committed to coal, with five countries — China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam — planning to build more than 600 new coal-fired power plants, accounting for 80 percent of planned coal projects globally, according to a new analysis from Carbon Tracker.
Read MoreUrban Refuge: How Cities Can Help Solve the Biodiversity Crisis
Cities have long been considered species deserts, devoid of wildlife beyond pigeons and squirrels. But with animals such as snowy owls, otters and bobcats now appearing in urban areas, scientists are recognizing that cities can play a significant role in fostering biodiversity.
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