Sand from glacial melt could be Greenland’s economic salvation?
As climate change melts Greenland’s glaciers and deposits more river sediment on its shores, an international group of researchers has identified one unforeseen economic opportunity for the Arctic nation: exporting excess sand and gravel abroad, where raw materials for infrastructure are in high demand.
Myanmar: “Our land is collapsing around us”: population and environment at risk from rampant sand mining
Irresponsible sand mining in the Ayeyarwady River is destroying the livelihoods of farmers and fishers and placing environmental stress on the nation’s rice bowl.
Key West bans some sunscreens to protect coral reefs
Officials in Key West ave decided to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, blamed for harming the only living coral reef found in the continental US.
The hidden environmental toll of mining the World’s sand
Sand mining is the world’s largest mining endeavor, responsible for 85 percent of all mineral extraction. It is also the least regulated, and quite possibly the most corrupt and environmentally destructive.
From paradise to landfill: beloved California beach covered in trash
After a trio of winter storms dropped inches of rain on the area, the beach looked more like a landfill than a pristine paradise. That’s because Seal Beach lies at the mouth of the San Gabriel river, which drains runoff from more than 50 cities in the Los Angeles river basin.
Q&A: The Nature of Value vs the Value of Nature
Humans have long had a varied and complicated relationship with nature—from its aesthetic value to its economic value to its protective value. What if you could measure and analyse these values? One group is trying to do just that.
Bulgarians decry ‘eco vandalism’ on coast
After pictures emerged on social media earlier this month of a giant sand dune being bulldozed, there’s been an angry reaction among eco activists and the general public.
Study reveals island formation a key driver of penguin speciation
Ever since Darwin first set foot on the Galapagos, evolutionary biologists have long known that the geographic isolation of archipelagos has helped spur the formation of new species. Now, an international research team has found the first compelling evidence that modern penguin diversity is driven by islands, despite spending the majority of their lives at sea.
Sea rise along South Carolina coast accelerating faster than realized, researcher says
Within 50 years, the sea off Charleston will be rising about one inch every five years — twice as fast as it was rising about a century ago and one-third faster than it was in 2000.