Earth Overshoot Day 2013
There are only so many natural resources the earth can supply and today we’ve gone over our annual limit. August 20 is Earth Overshoot Day 2013, marking the date when humanity exhausted nature’s budget for the year. We are now operating in overdraft. For the rest of the year, we will maintain our ecological deficit by drawing down local resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Climate Panel Cites Near Certainty on Warming
An international panel of scientists has found with near certainty that human activity is the cause of most of the temperature increases of recent decades, and warns that sea levels could conceivably rise by more than three feet by the end of the century if emissions continue at a runaway pace.
Radioactive Water Leaks at Japanese Nuclear Plant
The operator of Japan’s tsunami-crippled nuclear power plant said Tuesday that about 300 tons (300,000 liters, 80,000 gallons) of highly radioactive water have leaked from one of the hundreds of storage tanks…
Task Force: More And Worse Floods Are Coming, So Prepare
A presidential task force charged with developing a strategy for rebuilding areas damaged by Superstorm Sandy has issued a report recommending 69 policy initiatives…
Future Flood Losses in Major Coastal Cities: Costly Projections
Climate change combined with rapid population increases, economic growth and land subsidence could lead to a more than nine-fold increase in the global risk of floods in large port cities between now and 2050.
People on Coastline Suffering Due to Sand Mining, India
Beach Sand Mining activities in Tamil Nadu, are not only destroying the environment but also creating health issues for the people living on the coast line.
Sand Shortage Leaves South Florida Beaches Vulnerable to Erosion
Some of South Florida’s most popular beaches will be particularly vulnerable to erosion and major damage if the state experiences a series of hurricanes, as it did in 2004 and 2005, because officials have run out of an important material: sand.
South Africa Dune Mining Whips Up Sandstorm
For centuries, the massive sand dunes overlooking the warm waters off the South African east coast have created a majestic scenery, acting as a natural wall between the sea and the land environment. In recent years, mining companies have been eager to dig inside these dunes to extract the valuable minerals they contain.
Norway’s Weird Waves Traced to Japan Earthquake
On a calm winter’s day in Norway two years ago, the sea suddenly started to boil and rise, sending freak waves rolling onto nearby shores and mystifying residents. Turns out, the massive magnitude-9.0 earthquake that shook Japan in 2011 also triggered these surprise seiche waves, a new study shows.