West Bengal: Green hopes run dry as rampant mining goes unchecked
Rampant illegal sand mining and excavation of boulders from river beds are threatening the ecology of several rivers and all the three major river basins in West Bengal. Estimates suggest that there are at least 500 quarries in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts alone.
A new power plant could devastate the world’s largest mangrove forest
The planet’s largest mangrove forest could be facing serious trouble in the form of two new coal-fired power plants, environmentalists say — and they’re urging the United Nations to draw greater attention to the issue.
What It’s Like to Be a Professional Sand Sculptor
Despite the careful artistry and heavy manual labor, being a professional sand sculptor really is fun. “It’s living the dream.” “I’m making sandcastles for a living. Who the hell does that?”
Projects selected for $9 million in community-based habitat restoration funding
NOAA is recommending $9 million in funding for 17 coastal and marine habitat restoration projects for its 2016 Community-based Restoration Program, as part of agency efforts to support healthy ecosystems and resilient coastal communities.
EPA gives $91,000 to help educate about beach erosion
Battling the beach erosion in places like Greenbackville, Va is nothing short of team effort. The Chincoteague Bay Field Station (CBFS) has been working to fight erosion using living shorelines, and now the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stepped in to help them out with a $91,000 grant.
Global Economy Becoming Less Energy Intense
The amount of coal, oil, gas and renewable energy used by the global economy is falling quickly, a clear sign that economic growth is having less of an impact on climate change than in the past, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Global climate breaks new records January to June 2016
Global temperatures for the first six months of this year shattered yet more records, and mean that 2016 is on track to be the world’s hottest year on record. Arctic sea ice melted early and fast, another indicator of climate change. Carbon dioxide levels, which are driving global warming, have reached new highs.
Castles made of sand
How big industries’ use of sand has compromised the health of California’s beaches and what recent action against the CEMEX plant means for the Monterey Bay.
Tanzania: Mangrove Project Bears Fruit
Thanks to a mangrove planting project, villagers have managed to protect their areas, where seawater had been regularly spilling over the farms destroying their crops, and conserve the environment by involving members of the public in planting mangroves.