Mapping the World’s Forests in Three Dimensions
Trees cool and moisten our air and fill it with oxygen. They calm the winds and shade the land from sunlight. They shelter countless species, anchor the soil, and slow the movement of water. They provide food, fuel, medicines, and building materials for human activity. The coastal Pacific Northwest of the USA has the tallest trees in North America, averaging as much as 40 meters in height. It has the densest biomass in the country, but for centuries, it also has been a much-tapped resource.
Minority Partner to Pay $90 Million Over Oil Spill
A minority partner in BP’s blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico agreed Friday to pay $90 million in a settlement with the federal government and Gulf states over the 2010 oil spill. It includes the largest civil penalty ever recovered under the federal Clean Water Act.
Hawaii Plastic Bag Fees Gain Support
A proposal to collect fees from customers who choose disposable paper and plastic shopping bags is gaining support as it works its way through Hawaii’s Legislature.
Staghorn Coral Transplanted to Threatened Reef
In a delicate operation at sea, healthy staghorn coral were transplanted to a threatened reef off the Broward County coast, Florida, by researchers at Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center and its internal National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI).
People Displaced by Climate Change Need Our Help, But So Do Those Who Cannot Leave
The environment is already affecting patterns of human migration. On the island of Hatia, along coastal Bangladesh, 22 percent of households have migrated to cities as a coping strategy following tidal surges. A recent UK report has shown that a focus on populations migrating away from environmental change neglects 2 key groups of vulnerable people: the many millions who will actually migrate into areas of environmental threat, and those who will be trapped there by economic, social or environmental challenges.
Microbial Oasis Discovered Beneath the Atacama Desert
Two metres below the surface of the Atacama Desert there is an ‘oasis’ of microorganisms.
Japan Firms Plan Wind Farm Near Fukushima
The energy-hungry nation has virtually no natural resources of its own and relied on atomic power for around a third of its electricity before devastating tsunami hit Japan’s coast. Seismic risk at the Fukushima nuclear plant increased after the magnitude 9 earthquake that hit Japan last March, scientists report.
Tracking Toxic Chemicals in Oil Spills
Does out of sight mean into the air or into fish? A study.
Australian Open Of Surfing: 2012
Pro surfing fans have much to look forward to this weekend as the Australian Open, making its debut on the shores of Sydney, is currently taking place until February 19th, 2012 at the revered Manly Beach, widely known as the birthplace of Australian surfing.