Melting Arctic sea ice will allow ice-strengthened vessels to sail directly over the pole by 2050

By John Vidal 4 March 2013 (guardian.co.uk) – Ships should be able to sail directly over the north pole by the middle of this century, considerably reducing the costs of trade between Europe and China but posing new economic, strategic and environmental challenges for governments, according to scientists. The dramatic reduction in the thickness and […]

Stanford scientists help shed light on key component of China’s pollution problem

By Rob Jordan 25 February 2013 (Stanford Report) – It’s no secret that China is faced with some of the world’s worst pollution. Until now, however, information on the magnitude, scope and impacts of a major contributor to that pollution – human-caused nitrogen emissions – was lacking. A new study co-authored by Stanford Woods Institute […]

Q and A: The Angry Economist – ‘Natural gas gives America an excuse not to do anything now’

By Lisa Palmer1 March 2013 (The New York Times) – Dieter Helm has long been frustrated that, despite more than two decades of international negotiations, the world has failed to tackle climate change. So he got angry, he said, and decided to write a book about it: The Carbon Crunch: How We’re Getting Climate Change […]

Shark kills number 100 million annually, research says – ‘They are not reproducing fast enough to keep up with the rate we are pulling them out of the ocean’

By Matt McGrath, Environment correspondent, BBC News1 March 2013 (BBC) – The most accurate assessment to date of the impact of commercial fishing on sharks suggests around 100 million are being killed each year. The researchers say that this rate of exploitation is far too high, especially for a species which reproduces later in life. […]

Sandstorm pushes Beijing pollution levels off the charts

By Ed Flanagan, Producer, NBC News28 February 2013 BEIJING (NBC News) – Beijing and other parts of northern China were stung by hazardous air pollution levels Thursday as strong winds blew a sandstorm through the region. Air in the capital turned a yellowish hue as sand from China’s arid northwest blew in, turning the sky […]

China admits pollution-linked ‘cancer villages’ – ‘Poisonous and harmful chemical materials have brought about many water and atmosphere emergencies’

22 February 2013 (AFP) – China’s environment ministry has acknowledged the existence of “cancer villages”, after years of assertions by academics and domestic media that polluted areas experience higher rates of the disease. The use of the term in an official report, thought to be unprecedented, comes as authorities face growing discontent over industrial waste, […]

Smog causes surge in heart deaths: study – ‘We found that for every 10 microgrammes per cubic meter in PM2.5, there was a 20-percent increase in the death rate’

PARIS, 20 February 2013 (AFP) – Exposure to higher levels of fine particulates — the airborne pollution that is an emerging problem in many Asian cities — causes a sharp rise in deaths from heart attacks, a study published on Wednesday said. Research published in the European Heart Journal pointed the finger at so-called PM2.5 […]

Eagle heads, bear penises, cougar meat part of Washington State wildlife black market – ‘For them, it’s not a living animal, it’s a way to make a buck’

13 February 2013 (KIRO TV) – An exclusive KIRO 7 Investigation uncovers stunning proof of animals being killed illegally to sell their parts for profit. South Sound reporter Richard Thompson shows how state Fish and Wildlife detectives caught criminals out to make a buck, even if it meant wiping out wildlife critical to the Northwest […]

China’s thick smog arrives in Japan – ‘This is dangerous pollution, like poison, and we can’t protect ourselves’

TOKYO, 4 Feb 2013 (AFP) – The suffocating smog that blanketed swathes of China is now hitting parts of Japan, sparking warnings Monday of health risks for the young and the sick. The environment ministry’s website has been overloaded as worried users log on to try to find out what is coming their way. “Access […]

China jails pollution protesters: state media

Shanghai, 7 February 2013 (AFP) – A Chinese court has jailed three people and given 13 others suspended sentences over their roles in a violent anti-pollution protest last year, state media said. A court in Qidong on Wednesday sentenced the individuals, who were among thousands who protested against a planned waste water pipeline at a […]

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