By Colin I. Bradford “The Earth in the coming decades could cease to be a ‘safe operating space’ for human beings,” concludes a paper by 18 researchers “trying to gauge the breaking points in the natural world,” published in Science in January 2015. That our planetary environment seems to be approaching “breaking points” is but one of several systemic threats looming on…
By Robert Scribbler “The IPCC indicated in its fourth assessment report that achieving a 2 C target would mean stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at around 445 to 490 ppm CO2 equivalent or lower. Higher levels would substantially increase the risks of harmful and irreversible climate change.” –Johan Eliasch (NOAA’s greenhouse gas index shows that CO2e concentration for 2015 averaged 485…
Climate change is badly degrading coral reefs far from human settlements. Cover photo-ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies / Terry Hughes The outlook for the world's coral reefs "keeps getting gloomier," according to the authors of a new study which shows that reefs far from human settlements are no healthier than those in more densely populated areas. The study shows,…
By Rachael Bale PUBLISHED July 12, 2016 A new analysis of satellite imagery shows extensive coral reef damage in the South China Sea for the first time. Cover Photograph by John McManus -Giant clam poachers left this reef left broken and barren. More than 40 square miles (104 square kilometers) of coral reefs—some of the most biodiverse on Earth—have been destroyed by…
By Laura Parker PUBLISHED July 14, 2016 Underground water is being pumped so aggressively around the globe that land is sinking, civil wars are being waged, and agriculture is being transformed. Cover Photograph by Manish Swarup, AP--A shepherd drinks water on the dry bed of Manjara Dam, which supplies water to Latur and nearby villages in the Indian state of Maharashtra. India…
By Brian Clark Howard PUBLISHED July 18, 2016 More than 800,000 volunteers pitched in to help the country fight climate change. Volunteers plant trees in Allahabad, India, on July 11, as part of an effort to restore 50 million trees in a day. Cover Photograph by Rajesh Kumar Singh, Associated Press Although the feat has yet to be certified by Guinness World…
By WILLIAM J. BROADJUNE 20, 2016 SCIENCE By NATALIA V. OSIPOVA 1:00Mysterious Rite of Reproduction Mysterious Rite of Reproduction Watch corals in their procreative dance, a spectacular event that happens once a year after a full moon. By NATALIA V. OSIPOVA on Publish Date June 20, 2016. Cover Photo by Courtesy of Emma L. Hickerson/NOAA. At night, just after the full moon, teams of scientists dive beneath…
By Dr. Mercola The Chinese Loess Plateau regeneration project proves that in a mere decade, a community can transform a desert landscape into a lush, thriving landscape capable of producing abundant amounts of food Floods, mudslides, droughts and famines are not inevitable. They’re the result of improper land management. Poverty is also closely connected to land degradation, and is therefore not an…
By William Sosinsky June 20th 2016 Steven Lee is on a mission. Unlike other 23 year olds who spend their time going out with friends or starting a new job, Steven is setting out to change the minds and attitudes of his countrymen about climate change. Starting in the summer of 2016 he will embark on a two year journey to convince…
By Graham Readfearn Wednesday 8 June 2016 Cover Photograph: Essential Media Policies and rhetoric around the Great Barrier Reef have rarely matched reality as the natural wonder suffers under the stress of pollution Coral bleaching at Loomis Reef, off Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. In late November 2015, as corals across the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef started to bleach…