Oil versus fish in idyllic Norwegian islands
The question of whether Norway should allow prospecting in the waters around Lofoten’s 1,000 or so islands, has pitted environmentalists and some fishermen against the country’s mighty energy sector.
A North Carolina Lifeline Built on Shifting Sands
Last August, when Hurricane Irene sliced across the Outer Banks, it cut Highway 12, Hatteras Island’s lifeline, in two places. Engineers rushed to repair the damage, but very soon after completion, the winds and waves that shape the coast were already gnawing at the new bridge.
Voyage to Pitcairn
A National Geographic Expedition to the remote Pitcairn Islands, including the famous Pitcairn and its 57 inhabitants, descendants from the Bounty mutineers, will embark in March-April 2012. This expedition is part of NG Pristine Seas project to explore, survey and help protect the last wild places in the ocean.
Oldest Arctic Sea Ice is Disappearing
A new study by NASA scientist Joey Comiso has found that the oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a faster rate than the younger and thinner ice at the edges of the ice cap.
Ocean Acidification Rate May Be Unprecedented
The world’s oceans may be turning acidic faster today from human carbon emissions than they did during four major extinctions in the last 300 million years, when natural pulses of carbon sent global temperatures soaring…
Rising Seas To Have Uneven Consequences For California Beach Towns
There will be winners and there will be losers as Southern California beaches erode unevenly in response to rising sea levels over the next century, according to a new study. Using models to project how climate change would alter the width of the sand, attendance and visitor spending at 51 public beaches in Los Angeles and OC counties, a team of researchers examined the physical and economic effects of permanent beach loss…
Floods in Northwestern Tunisia
A combination of melting snow, overflowing rivers, and heavy rains flooded parts of coastal northwestern Tunisia.
France Taken to Court for Failing to Combat Water Pollution by Nitrates
The EU Nitrates Directive aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nitrates from agricultural sources polluting ground and surface waters and by promoting the use of good farming practices. Although the Nitrates Directive has been in force since 1991, France has still not designated a number of zones that are vulnerable to nitrates pollution.
Australian Government’s Great Barrier Reef Plans’ Questioned
A monitoring mission from the UN educational and cultural arm, UNESCO, will visit Queensland next month to examine concerns about major port developments and other potential threats to the World Heritage listed reef, as WWF challenged the Australian Government’s view that the Great Barrier Reef is being sustainably managed, citing publications showing that coral had declined by up to 50 per cent.