Cleanup of California Oil Spill Goes Low-Tech to Limit Environmental Impact
Because the Refugio state beach region is home to threatened shorebirds and cultural resources, a decision was made early on to clean oil-stained beaches the old-fashioned way by using hand tools instead of heavy equipment or chemicals.
Erosion Threatens Iconic NASA Launch Pads
The ocean ticks a countdown of its own, along this thin strip of beach where rockets blasted to space from NASA’s two iconic launch pads. Waves lap ever closer to the concrete pads at Kennedy Space Center, as the moon that man reached from these sands drives tides that threaten the pads’ foundations.
Sand Being Hauled Aways from the Cagayan Beaches in the Philippines, Shipped off to China
At least 2.5 million metric tons of the country’s magnetite were shipped to China from almost five years of controversy-ridden blacksand mining operations in the province of Cagayan, government records showed.
A Little Fish with Big Impact In Trouble on U.S. West Coast
Scientists are concerned that officials waited too long to order a ban on U.S. Pacific sardine fishing that goes into effect July 1. The dire state of the sardine population is a cautionary tale about overharvesting these and other forage fish that are a critical part of the marine food web.
The Race For Water Odyssey Arrives In Hawaii To Continue Its Fight Against Plastic Pollution In The Oceans
Having left Easter Island, the R4WO scientific team will continue the collection of data that started three months ago, in the Azores, to create a corpus that would allow a better understanding of marine pollution.
Documentary ‘Sand Wars’ Highlights Local, Global Sand Crises
The environmental documentary ‘Sand Wars’ was shown at The Center for Ocean Health in Santa Cruz on Thursday, preceded by a presentation by UCSC professor Gary Griggs. As Gary Griggs and “Sand Wars” demonstrate, sand has become a valuable resource worldwide due in large part to continuous construction.
Last Month Was Hottest May in Modern History: NOAA
Last month marked the hottest May in modern history, continuing a troubling trend of rising global temperatures, US government scientists said Thursday.
Tracing The Coastline
With each wave that breaks and washes ashore as well as with every gust of wind, the coast is altered. Sometimes the change is dramatic, but more often, the change is too small to be seen right away and it only becomes clear over time.
Pope Francis, in Sweeping Encyclical, Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change
Pope Francis on Thursday called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change. He calls on ordinary people, regardless of faith, to pressure politicians for change.