Graph of the Day: U.S. measles cases, 2010 to 24 May 2019

24 May 2019 (CDC) – From 1 January 2019 to 24 May 2019, 940 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 26 states. This is an increase of 60 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in […]

Sea level rise could displace millions of people within two generations

By Jonathan Bamber and Michael Oppenheimer 20 May 2019 (The Conversation) – Antarctica is further from civilisation than any other place on Earth. The Greenland ice sheet is closer to home but around one tenth the size of its southern sibling. Together, these two ice masses hold enough frozen water to raise global mean sea […]

Millions of songbirds are vacuumed out of trees and killed each year during the nocturnal Mediterranean olive harvest. Iconic British birds like robins, greenfinches, warblers and wagtails are among the highest casualties. Photo: Todolivo

Millions of songbirds vacuumed to death every year during Mediterranean olive harvest – 2.6 million birds are sucked out of trees and killed every year in Andalusia

By Phoebe Weston 16 May 2019 (The Independent) – Millions of songbirds are vacuumed out of trees and killed each year during the nocturnal Mediterranean olive harvest, researchers have warned. Vast numbers of legally protected birds from central and northern Europe seek refuge in the Mediterranean basin during winter months. At night they roost in […]

Texas state bill would make protesting pipelines a felony on par with attempted murder – “It’s an anti-protest bill, favoring the fossil fuel industry, favoring corporations over people”

By Eoin Higgins 17 May 2019 (Common Dreams) – A bill making its way through the Texas legislature would make protesting pipelines a third-degree felony, the same as attempted murder. H.B. 3557, which is under consideration in the state Senate after passing the state House earlier this month, ups penalties for interfering in energy infrastructure […]

Climate activists win necessity defense case in London

By Isabella Kaminski 10 May 2019 (Climate Liability News) – Two climate change protesters were acquitted of criminal damage in the United Kingdom in a rare success using what has been called the necessity defense to justify civil disobedience. A jury in Southwark Crown Court in London took the minimum time of two hours to […]

Emma Howard Boyd, UK Environment Agency Chair. Photo: Environment Agency

UK Environment Agency Chair says coastal communities may need to relocate due to rising sea levels – “We can’t win a war against water”

9 May 2019 (Environment Agency) – Launching a major, long-term strategy to tackle flooding and coastal change, Environment Agency Chair, Emma Howard Boyd has said ‘we cannot win a war against water’ by building higher flood defences and called for a new approach to ensure communities are resilient to the threat of flooding posed by climate change. […]

A quarter of West Antarctic ice is now unstable – “A wave of thinning has spread rapidly across some of Antarctica’s most vulnerable glaciers, and their losses are driving up sea levels around the planet”

A quarter of West Antarctic ice is now unstable – “A wave of thinning has spread rapidly across some of Antarctica’s most vulnerable glaciers, and their losses are driving up sea levels around the planet”

16 May 2019 (University of Leeds) – In only 25 years, ocean melting has caused ice thinning to spread across West Antarctica so rapidly that 24 percent of its glacier ice is now affected, according to a new study. By combining 25 years of European Space Agency satellite altimeter measurements and a model of the […]

In 1982, Exxon predicted 2019’s ominous carbon dioxide milestone

By Brian Kahn 14 May 2019 (Gizmodo) – Atmospheric carbon dioxide sets a new record every year. This year’s cracked the ominous milestone of 415 parts per million (ppm) thanks to ever rising emissions from human activities. The sharp rise might seem like something nobody could’ve predicted but there’s at least one group of scientists that were […]

Occurrence of back-to-back heat waves likely to accelerate with global warming – “Compound heat waves are projected to grow more rapidly than simple heat waves”

Occurrence of back-to-back heat waves likely to accelerate with global warming – “Compound heat waves are projected to grow more rapidly than simple heat waves”

By Joseph Albanese 8 May 2019 (Princeton Environmental Institute) – As the planet continues to warm, multi-day heat waves are projected to increase in frequency, length and intensity. The additive effects of these extreme heat events overwhelm emergency service providers and hospital staff with heat-related maladies, disrupt the electrical grid and can even cause delays […]

Trump border wall to go up in national monument, wildlife refuge – Department of Homeland Security waives dozens of environmental and other laws

By Astrid Galvan and Nomaan Merchant 14 May 2019 PHOENIX (AP) – The U.S. government plans on replacing barriers through 100 miles (161 kilometers) of the southern border in California and Arizona, including through a national monument and a wildlife refuge, according to documents and environmental advocates. The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday again […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial