Polar bears could become extinct faster than was feared, study says
Polar bears could be sliding towards extinction faster than previously feared, with the animals facing an increasing struggle to find enough food to survive as climate change steadily transforms their environment.
Whale and shark species at increasing risk from microplastic pollution – study
Whales, some sharks and other marine species such as rays are increasingly at risk from microplastics in the oceans, a new study published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, suggests.
“We have one ocean,” Josh Stein says, threatening offshore drilling legal action
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has assembled a coalition of attorneys general from 11 other coastal states calling for the U.S. Interior Department to cancel the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore drilling.
Scientists Pinpoint How Ocean Acidification Weakens Coral Skeletons
The rising acidity of the oceans threatens coral reefs by making it harder for corals to build their skeletons. A new study identifies the details of how ocean acidification affects coral skeletons, allowing scientists to predict more precisely where corals will be more vulnerable.
Climate change threatens half of US bases worldwide, Pentagon report finds
Nearly half of US military sites are threatened by wild weather linked to climate change, according to a new Pentagon study whose findings run contrary to White House views on global warming.
Life’s a beach: Cannes ships in sand for film festival
Every year the French Riviera town of Cannes rolls out the red carpet to A-list celebrities at the world’s most glamorous film festival. Now it wants to roll out a bigger beach too. The Mediterranean resort is shipping in 80,000 cubic meters of white sand – enough to fill 32 Olympic swimming pools – to widen the beach along a 1.4 kilometer (0.9 mile) stretch of seafront.
Chile creates five national parks over 10m acres in historic act of conservation
The creation of the parks marks the latest in a flurry of environmental protection laws which have brought Chile to the forefront of worldwide conservation efforts.
Plastic in the Oceans Increasing Risk of Disease in Coral Reefs
More than 11 billion pieces of plastic are lodged within coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific region. According to a new study published in the journal Science, as this plastic gets tangled, it often cuts the coral, increasing the risk of infection and disease outbreaks by as much 89 percent.
The EPA made a surprise move that could protect the world’s largest salmon fishery
In a surprise reversal, the EPA announced it is withdrawing its plan to suspend environmental protections for the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska, that is home to the world’s most valuable wild salmon fishery.