Sand mining: The High Volume – Low Value Paradox
Given the rapid rate of urbanization and the current rate of extraction of sand for construction, and the silent devastation left behind in its wake, the modern process of assigning value, economic or otherwise to this resource seems sadly inchoate and needs to be re-evaluated… By Kiran Pereira.
Evidence of Sea Level Acceleration at U.S. and Canadian Tide Stations, Atlantic Coast
Sea level is rising all over the world thanks to the heat-trapping effect of greenhouse-gas emissions, but according to a new study published in the Journal of Coastal Research, the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada have seen the ocean rise at an accelerating rate in recent decades.
Why Are U.S. Eastern Seaboard Salt Marshes Falling Apart?
Salt marshes have been disintegrating and dying over the past two decades along the U.S. Eastern seaboard and other highly developed coastlines, without anyone fully understanding why.
Antarctic Seas In The Balance
Next week, negotiators at a meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources may try to contain the accelerating rush to access the region’s natural resources. At stake is one of the planet’s last great wildernesses, as well as the credibility of the international body set up to protect Antarctica’s marine life…
Alexandria Originally Aligned With Sun on King’s Birthday
The Egyptian city of Alexandria, home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, may have been built to align with the rising sun on the day of Alexander the Great’s birth, a new study finds.
Wings Of Waste Flight: Using Plastics For Fuel
Discarded plastics choke our oceans and waterways, but what if they could be used to fly over the oceans instead? That’s the idea behind Australian pilot Jeremy Rowsell’s upcoming On Wings of Waste flight, which will take him 12,000 miles from Australia to England using fuel made from old plastics.
Prestige Oil Tanker Spill: Three Go On Trial in Spain
A Spanish court will on Tuesday start trying three people accused of causing one of Europe’s worst oil spills when the Prestige tanker went down off north-west Galicia in November 2002.
Scientists Say Billions Required To Meet Conservation Targets
Reducing the risk of extinction for threatened species and establishing protected areas for nature will cost the world over $76bn dollars annually… Researchers say the daunting number is just a fifth of what the world spends on soft drinks annually.
Megacities Pose Serious Health Challenge
Rapid urbanization will take a heavy toll on public health if city planning and development do not incorporate measures to tackle air pollution. There are now 23 megacities in the world, compared with just two 60 years ago.