Environmental activism gains a foothold in China
Protesters have pushed green issues on to the state agenda, despite a predictably heavy-handed response.
The Fatal Shore, Awash in Plastic
A recent typhoon off Hong Kong washed half a dozen shipping containers overboard, and it wasn’t long before the cargo, 150 tons of tiny plastic beads, began washing up on the beaches. Local fish farmers also started finding the plastic in the stomachs of their fish…
Carbon Release from Collapsing Coastal Permafrost, Arctic Siberia
Thermal collapse of the carbon-rich, permafrost-covered coasts may accelerate with warming of the Arctic climate.
Typhoon Bolaven reaches Korean Peninsula
After striking Japan, powerful typhoon Bolaven reaches Korean Peninsula. Bolaven was, reportedly the strongest typhoon to strike Okinawa in nearly 50 years, with winds of 259 kilometers (161 miles) per hour.
Strong earthquake hits off El Salvador coast
A strong magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador followed an hour later by a magnitude-5.4 aftershock; a tsunami alert off the central American coast was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Arctic Sea Ice Drops below 2007 Record
On August 26, 2012, the extent of Arctic water covered by sea ice fell below 4.17 million square kilometers (1.61 million square miles), the record minimum set in 2007. The new record low for sea ice in 2012 fits into a larger pattern of a changing Arctic. Regarding the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice, NSIDC director remarks, “What is perhaps most surprising is that we are no longer surprised…”
Florida Beaches and Dunes Face Erosion Risk During TS Isaac
Seventy-eight percent of Florida’s west central coast and 23 percent of the Panhandle are very likely to face beach and dune erosion as Tropical Storm Isaac moves into the area early next week.
Public Wave Energy Test Facility Begins Operation in Oregon
One of the first public wave energy testing systems in the United States began operation this week off the Oregon coast near Newport, and will allow private industry or academic researchers to test new technology that may help advance this promising form of sustainable energy.
Isaac drenches Haiti, Cuba, heads toward Florida
Tropical Storm Isaac pushed into Cuba on Saturday after sweeping across Haiti’s southern peninsula, where it caused flooding and at least three deaths, adding to the misery of a poor nation still trying to recover from the terrible 2010 earthquake. The latest track of Storm Isaac puts more than $36 billion in Gulf Coast residential property at risk of flooding from storm surges.