Sandy Reminds Us of Coastal Hazards, by Robert Young

Hurricane Sandy will almost certainly join the pantheon of “costliest storms in history.”The impacts of the storm have been felt as far inland as Toronto, Ontario and coastal erosion and flooding affected beaches from South Carolina to southern Massachusetts. There has been massive damage to significant segments of the New Jersey and New York coastal infrastructure.

Sand mining: The High Volume – Low Value Paradox

Given the rapid rate of urbanization and the current rate of extraction of sand for construction, and the silent devastation left behind in its wake, the modern process of assigning value, economic or otherwise to this resource seems sadly inchoate and needs to be re-evaluated… By Kiran Pereira.

Response To Patrick Michaels Editorial

Patrick Michaels is a long time (and very effective) denier of the importance of global climate change. He provides the ammunition for those who are predisposed to ignoring Mother Earth’s realities…

The Sixth Extinction Menaces The Very Foundations Of Culture

Human activity endangers entire species, yet human culture is profoundly rooted in nature. The range of animals and plants threatened by extinction is such that it menaces the foundations of culture as well as the diversity of nature, and what we really lose when we lose a species is: the very meaning of life.

Sea-level Panel’s Mainstream Report

“It has been frustrating to watch the discussion over the issue sea-level rise here in North Carolina…” Geologist Dr. Rob Young of Western Carolina University wrote an op-ed in Raleigh’s News & Observer, that ought to be required reading for the state lawmakers who’ve decided to listen to the global warming deniers/pseudo-scientists on the matter of sea-level rise.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies; the Answer Lies in the Gulf

As the slow-burn of climate change spreads across the four corners of the globe, governments are fanning the global flames by dishing out a trillion dollars of fossil fuel subsidies each year, creating a perpetual pollution-pumping machine that’s poisoning the planet with ever-greater intensity. NRDC and other NGOs are demanding that world leaders focus instead on promoting rapidly developing clean energy technologies to protect our natural resources and maintain a sustainable planet. It’s not rocket science. But there are powerful special interests standing in the way…