Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
The western U.S. has been suffering from a series of wildfires in the last few months. The Black Forest Fire, the most destructive fire on record in Colorado, destroyed over 500 homes and charred more than 14,000 acres during a 10-day period. California has also been subject to a spate of wildfires with over 680
Friday, June 21st, 2013
Namib Sand Sea in Namibia, Xinjiang Tianshan in China, Tajik National Park in Tajikistan, Mount Etna in Italy, and El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, have been declared World Heritage sites, following the expert recommendations of IUCN.
Wednesday, June 19th, 2013
In a new report released today, the World Bank warned that climate change-driven increasing severe weather, sea-level rise, storm surges will threaten the food security and livelihoods of millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. According to the report, climate-related extremes events from current warming are already pushing the most vulnerable households below
Thursday, June 13th, 2013
In a first-of-its kind study examining the impact black carbon has on climate in California, researchers found the state’s efforts to reduce air pollution, particularly from diesel engines, has cut black carbon concentrations by 90% since 1966, without any noticeable disruption to the lives of the citizens of California, but with tremendous benefits to their
Friday, June 7th, 2013
USGS scientists took high-tech sensors typically found in devices such as smart phones and embedded them into a new method to monitor riverbed movements that can help protect spawning habitat for endangered salmon. Developed in cooperation with Seattle Public Utilities for the Cedar River, the new method is published in the Journal of Hydrology.
Thursday, June 6th, 2013
Air-related legislation in the EU aims to protect human health and the environment from pollution. But this legislation is not always fully implemented. Bridging this gap is the subject of a new publication from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The report is the result of collaboration between the EEA, the European Commission and 12 cities
Thursday, May 30th, 2013
Europeans live longer and healthier lives than in the past, partly due to successful environmental policies that have reduced the exposure to harmful environmental contaminants in air, water and food, according to a new report. However, these contaminants are still a problem, and several new health risks are emerging, for example, from new chemicals, new
Wednesday, May 29th, 2013
Greenhouse gases fell by 3.3 % in the EU in 2011, leading to the lowest level of emissions in reports going back to 1990. The decrease in 2011 was also the third largest over this period, according to official data compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and reported by the EU to the United
Tuesday, May 28th, 2013
In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook issued today, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting an active or extremely active season this year. For the six-month hurricane season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook says there is a 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
For decades, Landsat satellites have documented the desiccation of the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Once one of the largest seas in the world, it shrunk to a tenth of its original volume after Russia diverted its feeder rivers in the 1960s. Scientists studying the Aral Sea’s changing ecology and retreating shoreline have looked to
