Tree recycling program to help Island beaches

Recycling doesn’t have to be a beach, but in this case, it’s going to protect one. The City of Harlingen is requesting residents dispose of their Christmas trees, where they will be deployed along the dunes to prevent erosion of beach sand.

After a Long Boom, an Uncertain Future for Big Dam Projects

The rise of wind and solar power, coupled with the increasing social, environmental and financial costs of hydropower projects, could spell the end of an era of big dams. But even anti-dam activists say it’s too early to declare the demise of large-scale hydro.

Portugal to demolish buildings threatened by coastal erosion

The Portuguese Environment Agency’s new coastal plan involves demolishing dozens of buildings and houses along a 122 kilometre strip of coastline, deemed at severe risk from coastal erosion aggravated by climate change. In the next ten years Portugal plans to spend almost 470 million euros to try to reduce the risks to it population from coastal erosion.

Unintended consequences of dams and reservoirs

An international team of drought scientists show that while many dams and reservoirs are built, or expanded, to alleviate droughts and water shortages, they can paradoxically contribute to making them worse.