Federal report suggests Gulf oil spill beach cleanup is about over
Federal officials released a report Friday that suggests cleanup operations have removed as much oil as is practical from most shorelines in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. “Environmental impacts of remnant oil found on or near beaches after cleanup operations are relatively minor,” reads the report. At least one researcher questioned the Coast Guard’s report.
Whole coastline of Namibia is designated a national park
Namibia has become what is thought to be the first country to designate its entire coastline a national park. Namibia designates its entire 976-mile coastline a national park, consolidating several existing preserves into the 26.6 million-acre Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park.
Artist and scientist make a natural pair: united, they are an educational force
World-renowned coastal geologist Orrin H. Pilkey and artist Mary Edna Fraser, an internationally recognized master of the textile art of batik, bring an understanding of coastal geology and global change to the public in a way that is scientifically astute and visually intriguing.
Dirty Secrets Behind Jeans: China blighted by industrial pollution
A Greenpeace report has called on the Chinese textile industry to clean up its processes after finding high levels of pollution in the southern industrial towns of Xintang the “jeans capital of the world” and Gurao.Toxic runoff from China’s textile industry has made its way into rivers and other waterways. Many are now heavily polluted with chemicals used for dying, printing, bleaching and washing.
North Australia set to face more weather extremes, corals show
Like pages in a book, near shore corals can help scientists go back in time by revealing years that were unusually wet or dry, and are providing another piece of evidence that maybe suggests that we are seeing some consequences already of global warming.
Singapore Extends Its Coastlines With Illegally Dredged Sand
Singapore, one of the world’s most prosperous and fastest growing economies, is being accused of expanding its coastline with illegally dredged sand from neighboring states.
UK’s Prince Charles blasts climate-change skeptics
Many doubters have dismissed scientific evidence supporting warming of the earth due to human activity, arguing that the large majority of scientists are wrong, or the consequences of warming overstated.
Drilling May Kill Mediterranean Ecosystem: WWF
The recently discovered Leviathan gas field, 135 kilometres off the Israeli coast, is the world’s biggest gas discovery in a decade, with an estimated volume of 16 trillion cubic feet of gas. Earlier this year, the West Nile Delta gas field was discovered as well, lying in Egyptian waters only 80 kilometres off Alexandria.
New Light on Polynesian Migration
The migratory story of the Polynesians may be more ancient and complicated than previously thought and may have had to do with sea level rises occurring at the time, and the formation of an archipelago.