Rising Sea Levels Seen as Threat to Coastal U.S.
About 3.7 million Americans live within a few feet of high tide and risk being hit by more frequent coastal flooding in coming decades because of the sea level rise caused by global warming, according to new research.
Landslide raises questions about $15.7 billion Exxon plan
A deadly landslide in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, near where U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil is building a $15.7 billion gas project, is raising fresh questions about the global energy industry’s scramble for ever harder-to-reach resources…
In Patagonia, Caught Between Visions of the Future
Two competing visions of Patagonia stirring a national debate over the future and the soul of Patagonia itself…
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.
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…
Global Permafrost Zones in High-Resolution Images On Google Earth
Thawing permafrost will have far-reaching ramifications for populated areas, infrastructure and ecosystems. A geographer from the University of Zurich reveals where it is important to confront the issue based on new permafrost maps.
Palm Beach County’s new beach erosion fight reignites sea turtle concerns
About two-thirds of Palm Beach County’s 46 miles of beach is considered “critically eroded,” according to state standards, and environmentalists question proposed beach erosion-fighting structures.
Beach Erosion Causes 18-Foot Cliffs In Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey, is blocking access to a half-mile stretch of beachfront after erosion created cliffs as high as 18 feet. It will be at least four months until the beaches will be open to the public again.
Oil Spill Brings Attention to Delicate Gulf Coast
For decades, farmers and fishermen along the Gulf of Mexico watched as their sensitive ecosystem’s waters slowly got dirtier and islands eroded, all while the country largely ignored the slow, methodical ruin of an ecosystem vital to the U.S. economy…