Shipping’s dirty secret: how ‘scrubbers’ clean the air – while contaminating the sea – the Guardian
Told to reduce air pollution, the shipping industry could have switched to cleaner fuels – instead, many vessels turned to special devices that simply dump the toxins into the water.
The toxins do not just disappear. Aside from being acidic, scrubbers contain heavy metals that accumulate in marine food chains…
NGO retracts ‘waste colonialism’ report blaming Asian countries for plastic pollution – the Guardian
Ocean Conservancy apologises for ‘false narrative’ of 2015 study that put blame for bulk of world’s plastic waste on five Asian states.
Many mangrove restorations fail. Is there a better way? – knowable MAGAZINE
In the aftermath of the (Indian Ocean) tsunami (of 2004), some scientists reported that settlements behind swampy, shoreline mangrove forests often suffered less damage, and fewer casualties…
Many took the lesson to heart: Mangroves had to return.
To Save America’s Coasts, Don’t Always Rebuild Them – New York Times
Federal and state taxpayers have spent billions of dollars over the past four decades pumping up beaches in front of coastal properties in what are known as beach nourishment projects. In Florida alone, almost $3 billion in public funds has been spent just to keep beaches in front of investment homes and oceanfront infrastructure…
Patagonia’s New Owner…is the Earth
One of the planet’s most dedicated individuals, who has spent nearly his entire life both exploring and experiencing the natural world and making novel and long-lasting contributions to saving it, has again stepped forward with a monumental effort that will have far-reaching impacts for decades to come. Yvon Chouinard, who has always said that Patagonia’s mission was to protect nature, along with his wife Malinda and children, are donating their company to planet Earth… literally.
The Earth is Heating Up
The entire planet is feeling the effects of a warming atmosphere and ocean, from Sudan to Siberia, and we are way passed denial or debate. Whether forest and brush fires, or droughts and water shortages, we are all in this together and we need to continue to take the steps needed now to get off of fossil fuels and move to renewables as fast as humanely possible. I think of action in terms of sober optimism and aggressive incrementalism…
Earth Is Running Out of Sand … Which Is, You Know, Pretty Concerning – Popular Mechanics
The world uses 50 billion metric tons of sand annually.
Sand is a key ingredient in all concrete and glass production.
There are already ongoing reports of a mafia-style black market for sand.
The world is in crisis yet again. This time around, it’s a sand shortage…
Nurdles: the worst toxic waste you’ve probably never heard of – the Guardian
Billions of these tiny plastic pellets are floating in the ocean, causing as much damage as oil spills, yet they are still not classified as hazardous
New CO2 Record Prompts a Scientist to Ask, ‘What’s It Going to Take for Us to Wake Up?’ – Discover Magazine
CO2 levels are now 50 percent higher than in pre-industrial times — a level not seen for 4 million years.