People may be breathing in microplastics, health expert warns
People could be breathing in microparticles of plastic, according to a leading environmental health expert, with as yet unknown consequences on health.
Five Pacific islands vanish from sight as sea levels rise
Five of the Solomon Islands have been swallowed whole by rising sea levels, offering a glimpse into the future of other low-lying nations.
The Waves of the Pacific Are on Chile’s Energy Horizon
Chile, a country with 6,435 km of Pacific Ocean coastline, could find in wave and tidal power a solution to its need to diversify its energy mix. According to a study commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), this South American country has 164 MW in wave energy potential, which makes it unique in the world.
Illegal Chinese Sand Mining Causing Massive Land Reduction in Kinmen
From 2007 to 2012, the coastline in parts of Taiwan-governed Kinmen -located off the coast of southeastern China- has reduced more than 200 meters and the total land loss currently adds up to 250,000 square meters. Many experts and Kinmen locals, believe this ongoing phenomenon can be attributed to illegal Chinese sand miners operating along the coast.
Canada’s huge wildfires may release carbon locked in permafrost
More than 80,000 Canadians have been forced to leave their homes this week, in the largest evacuation of its kind in the country’s history. The effects may extend far beyond Canada and Alaska, because of the frozen organic matter under the forest permafrost. Wildfires can strip away the protective vegetative blanket and release all that stockpiled carbon into the atmosphere.
Continental drift created biologically diverse coral reefs
An international research team has studied the geographical pattern of the evolution of corals and reef fish. Their findings show that today’s geographical distribution of tropical marine diversity is the result of 100 million years of Earth history and the continental drifts that shifted the position of shallow reef habitats.
Where’s all the sand in La Jolla? CA
La Jolla beaches in Southern California, present an erosion level that has surprised residents and visitors this spring.
Rare Pink Dolphins Hang On in Urban Harbor, Video
Pink dolphins have long lived in the urban waters around the islands and in the harbor of Hong Kong, where they have earned a symbolic place in the city’s history and culture. However, there is rising concern among scientists that these rare dolphins will disappear from the bustling waters unless more is done to preserve them.
Tsunami risk: World’s shallowest slow-motion earthquakes detected offshore of New Zealand
New research indicates that slow-motion earthquakes or ‘slow-slip events’ can rupture the shallow portion of a fault that also moves in large, tsunami-generating earthquakes. The finding has important implications for assessing tsunami hazards.