Another power outage hits Puerto Rico, leaving about 840,000 in the dark, officials say

By Marwa Eltagouri 12 April 2018 (The Washington Post) – About 840,000 people across Puerto Rico were without power Thursday as the U.S. territory continues to struggle after the damage caused by Hurricane Maria last fall, according to island’s Electric Power Authority.The power company, in tweets Thursday, said that a tree had fallen onto the […]

Study finds warning signs for mass extinction do exist, contrary to previous assumptions – “We should take these signs very seriously”

14 March 2018 (FAU) – Mass extinctions throughout the history of the Earth have been well documented. Scientists believe that they occurred during a short period of time in geological terms. In a new study, FAU palaeobiologists and their research partners have now shown that signs that the largest mass extinction event in the Earth’s […]

Most expensive weather disaster of 2018: a $3.9 billion drought in Argentina and Uruguay

Dr. Jeff Masters 30 March 2018 (Weather Underground) – A severe lack of rainfall during over southern South America during the summer of 2017 – 2018 has led to the worst drought in decades over portions of Argentina and Uruguay. According to insurance broker Aon Benfield, total losses are near $3.9 billion, making the drought […]

At least seven countries break monthly records as heat wave hits Asia

By Andrew Freedman 3 April 2018 (Mashable) – It may be unusually cold in the eastern U.S. right now, but in parts of Asia, dangerous, scorching heat has been breaking records.At least seven countries set monthly high temperature records at the end of March, according to national weather authorities and tracking by Etienne Kapikian, a […]

No nation currently meets its citizens’ basic needs at a globally sustainable level of resource use – “The more social thresholds a country achieves, the more planetary boundaries it exceeds”

5 February 2018 (University of Leeds) – A study led by the University of Leeds has found that no country currently meets its citizens’ basic needs at a globally sustainable level of resource use. The research, published in Nature Sustainability, is the first to quantify the sustainability of national resource use associated with meeting basic […]

Leaked memo: EPA shows workers how to downplay global warming

By Alexander C. Kaufman 28 March 2018 (Huffington Post) – The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday evening sent employees a list of eight approved talking points on climate change from its Office of Public Affairs ― guidelines that promote a message of uncertainty about climate science and gloss over proposed cuts to key adaptation programs. […]

When nature says “Enough!”: the river that appeared overnight in Argentina – “The roar was terrifying”

By Uki Goñi 1 April 2018Villa Mercedes, Argentina (The Guardian) – After a night of heavy rainfall, Ana Risatti woke to an ominous roar outside her home. Mistaking the noise for a continuation of the night’s downpour, she stepped outside to look. “I nearly fainted when I saw what it really was,” said Risatti, 71. […]

Biodiversity and nature’s contributions to humanity continue dangerous decline, scientists warn – “We must act to halt and reverse the unsustainable use of nature”

23 March 2018 (IPBES) – Biodiversity – the essential variety of life forms on Earth – continues to decline in every region of the world, significantly reducing nature’s capacity to contribute to people’s well-being. This alarming trend endangers economies, livelihoods, food security and the quality of life of people everywhere, according to four landmark science […]

Trump environment head expected to limit science used to make EPA pollution rules – “It really hamstrings the ability of the EPA to do anything, to fulfill its mission”

By Scott Waldman and Robin Bravender 16 March 2018 (E&E News) – U.S. EPA chief Scott Pruitt is expected to roll out plans soon to restrict the agency’s use of science in rulemakings, pitting him against critics who say it would threaten public health and environmental protections. In a closed-door meeting at the Heritage Foundation […]

Warm Arctic means colder, snowier winters in Northeastern U.S. – “This is no coincidence”

By Ken Branson 13 March 2018 (Rutgers Today) – Scientists from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) have linked the frequency of extreme winter weather in the United States to Arctic temperatures.Their research was published today in Nature Communications.“Basically, this confirms the story I’ve been telling for a couple of years now,” […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial