Shifting Sands, Shifted Rights: The Beach as Contested Space
Determining rights to Florida’s sandy beaches has presented a thorny set of issues. But for many years, the public and private interests have co-existed. Now, along with population growth, sea level rise and relentless erosion have become an uncomfortable reality. The infinite variety of scenarios that sea level rise is presenting and will present along the coast will challenge our legal system in many ways.
El Niño Erosion Leaves Pacifica Apartments On The Brink Of Collapse, Video
Erosion blamed on El Niño rains is tearing away at the cliffs of Pacifica, just outside San Francisco, California. Drone footage shows how volatile the situation is, and how close to the literal edge some apartments are.
Spain court finds captain, British insurer liable for Prestige oil spill
Spain’s Supreme Court said Tuesday it had found the captain, British insurer and owner of an oil tanker that broke up off northwestern Spain in 2002 liable for one of Europe’s worst environmental disasters.
Climate change: Ocean warming underestimated
To date, research on the effects of climate change has underestimated the contribution of seawater expansion to sea level rise due to warming of the oceans. A team of researchers has now investigated, using satellite data, that this effect was almost twice as large over the past twelve years than previously assumed. That may result in, for example, significantly increased risks of storm surges.
Bill Introduced to Cap Old Oil Wells
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson has just introduced a bill to monitor and cap California’s old, abandoned and leaking oil wells. It is estimated that there are more than 200 of these so-called ‘legacy’ wells in California, the majority located along the Summerland and Ellwood beaches in Santa Barbara County and along the Central Coast.
Mid-Atlantic coastline flooded by blizzard’s storm surge
While the snow piled up in the Washington region, the ocean raged on the coast. For three high tides, the storm known as Snowzilla thrust a hurricane-like surge of water into the coast, producing historic flooding.
Plastic now pollutes every corner of Earth
Humans have made enough plastic since the second world war to coat the Earth entirely in clingfilm, an international study has revealed.
Obama’s offshore drilling plan meets heavy resistance along Atlantic coast
Irate residents in small coastal towns say Obama’s plan to open a new fossil fuel frontier would harm endangered marine life – as politicians warn of ‘tragedy’.
From oil use to ocean pollution: five facts about the plastics industry
The world of plastics is in drastic need of reform. A new report released at Davos highlights some startling facts about the huge environmental and resource impacts of a fast growing plastics industry.