World Economic Forum: “The average person living in Europe loses two years of their life to the health effects of breathing polluted air, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal on March 12. The report also estimates about 800,000 people die prematurely in Europe per year due to air pollution, or roughly… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
Tidal Basin is falling prey to foot traffic, climate change as groups seek funds to restore historic area
Washington Post – “With the sun out and Washington’s cherry blossoms at peak bloom, visitors on Wednesday thronged the Tidal Basin, eating picnic lunches and taking selfies beneath some of the Mall’s 3,800 cherry trees. A few yards from the Jefferson Memorial, a pathway that rings the basin was under nearly a foot of water… Continue Reading
The butterflies that could stop Trump’s wall
BBC News – “The obstacles to President Donald Trump’s border wall are not confined to the four walls of Congress. As areas are cleared to start building new sections, some landowners, including a butterfly sanctuary, have sued to stop the construction…The butterfly centre…sits on 110 acres near the southern tip of Texas – an area… Continue Reading
Near Eastern Landscapes and Declassified U2 Aerial Imagery
Near Eastern Landscapes and Declassified U2 Aerial Imagery, Advances in Archaeological Practice, https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2018.38. Published online: 12 March 2019: “Recently declassified photographs taken by U2 spy planes in the 1950s and 1960s provide an important new source of historical aerial imagery useful for Eurasian archaeology. Like other sources of historical imagery, U2 photos provide a window… Continue Reading
Our nights are getting brighter, and Earth is paying the price
National Geographic – Electric lights have revolutionized our lives, but as illumination increases, the toll on wildlife and human health is becoming harder to ignore …But if light bulbs have a dark side, it’s that they have stolen the night. The excess light we dump into our environments is endangering ecosystems by harming animals whose… Continue Reading
NOAA – Historic, widespread flooding to continue through May
“Nearly two-thirds of the Lower 48 states face an elevated risk for flooding through May, with the potential for major or moderate flooding in 25 states, according to NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook issued today. The majority of the country is favored to experience above-average precipitation this spring, increasing the flood risk. Portions of the United… Continue Reading
More than 26,500 species are threatened with extinction
“Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a… Continue Reading
How Elizabeth Hargrave turned a passion for ornithology and spreadsheets into a popular game about birds
The New York Times – She invented a board game with scientific integrity, and now it is taking off: “..Elizabeth Hargrave, a health-policy consultant in Silver Spring, Md., is an avid birder, and her favorite local winter birding spot is the Lake Artemesia Natural Area. Fringed with woods, the lake is artificial, excavated during the… Continue Reading
9 Ways to Cut Down on Plastic – focus on reducing single-use plastics.
The New York Times: “Drowning in plastic, but not sure how to set yourself free? Plastic purgers say you can drastically reduce, if not eliminate, your plastic consumption by changing a few daily habits. Here are nine steps to get you started….” Continue Reading
The mobility revolution may be here – is it too late?
Bloomberg BusinessWeek – This is what peak car looks like [see also the movement called peak oil]: “The automobile — once both a badge of success and the most convenient conveyance between points A and B — is falling out of favor in cities around the world as ride-hailing and other new transportation options proliferate… Continue Reading
Heat death of the universe with loss of cloud cover
Fortune Data Sheet: “New computer simulations reported in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience show that the atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide could dissolve stratocumulus clouds. Scientists forecast that, with less cloud cover, the world’s surface temperature could rise as high as 8 to 10 degrees Celsius in addition to the warmth caused by the greenhouse… Continue Reading
China has control of strategic metals and minerals in emerging 5G market
Wired: ‘You may have heard that China has cornered much of the world’s supply of strategic metals and minerals crucial for new technology, including lithium, rare earths, copper, and manganese used in everything from smartphones to electric cars. As of 2015, China was the leading global producer of 23 of the 41 elements the British… Continue Reading
