Q&A: ‘There’s a Lot More Climate Finance Available than People Think’
While growth in the green economy looks promising, government regulation and a business-as-usual approach are among the hurdles inhibiting cleaner energy production.
As Disease Ravages Coral Reefs, Scientists Scramble for Solutions
As oceans warm, coral reefs are suffering not only from bleaching but from deadly outbreaks of disease. Researchers are developing remedies, but the key question is whether these solutions can work on a large-enough scale to save vast reef systems from Florida to Australia.
Why more female penguins are washing up dead in South America
Every year, thousands of penguins become stranded on South America’s coast – with females three times more likely to wash up dead or injured than males.
Sunscreen and cosmetics compound may harm coral by altering fatty acids
Researchers say that one such chemical, octocrylene (OC), which is also in some cosmetics and hair products, accumulates in coral as fatty acid esters that could be toxic to the marine organism.
The concrete blocks that once protected Britain
Photograph: © SAF — Coastal Care Excerpts; More than 100 years ago acoustic mirrors along the coast of England were built with the intention of using them to detect the sound of approaching German zeppelins… Read Full Article; BBC News (01-07-2019)
Sprouting Mangroves Restore Hopes in Coastal Myanmar
In most places, mangrove forest’s density is wafer thin thanks to rampant clearing of the mangroves for space to breed shrimps and for firewood etc. According to a recent study, Myanmar loses about 21 square km of its mangrove forests each year. But thanks to restoration efforts, the story is changing.
From destruction, creation: A new black sand beach is born on the island of Hawaii
The eight-mile-long river of lava that poured down the slopes of Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii last spring destroyed nearly everything in its path. But part of what it left behind offers a glimmer of hope for the battered land and economy: a new black sand beach.
Microplastics and plastic additives discovered in ascidians all along Israel’s coastline
A new study finds that microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic ingested by aquatic life — are present in solitary ascidians, sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders, all along the Israeli coastline. The research also confirmed the presence of plastic additives, i.e. ‘plasticizers,’ in ascidians.
In India, Nature’s Power Overwhelms Engineered Wetlands
The picturesque Kerala backwaters in southern India, increasingly popular with tourists, form a network of engineered canals, lagoons, lakes, and rice paddies. But a fatal monsoon deluge has highlighted the global problem of how developed wetlands often lose their capacity to absorb major floods.