Environmental Glance
The world is hurtling towards an era when global concentrations of carbon dioxide never again dip below the 400 parts per million (ppm) milestone, as two important measuring stations sit on the point of no return.
The news comes as one important atmospheric measuring station at Cape Grim in Australia is poised on the verge of 400ppm for the first time. Sitting in a region with stable CO2 concentrations, once that happens, it will never get a reading below 400ppm.
World's carbon dioxide concentration teetering on the point of no return
Rising sea levels: five Solomon Islands have disappeared underwater
Five islands have disappeared in the Pacific's Solomon Islands due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion, according to an Australian study that scientists said Saturday could provide valuable insights for future research.
A further six reef islands have been severely eroded in the remote area of the Solomons, the study said, with one experiencing some 10 houses being swept into the sea between 2011 and 2014.
"At least 11 islands across the northern Solomon Islands have either totally disappeared over recent decades or are currently experiencing severe erosion," the study published in Environmental Research Letters said.
March 2016 Smashes Another Monthly Global Warmth Record
Earth's global temperatures in March 2016 set another monthly record, continuing an almost year-long streak of records shattered, according to three recent independent analyes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) calculated the global mean March 2016 temperature was 0.62 degrees Celsius (about 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit) above the March 30-year average from 1981-2010.
A second analysis released Friday from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies also concluded March anomalies were the highest in their period of record dating to 1880, a whopping 1.28 degrees Celsius above the 1951-1980 average period.
U.S. Issues New Rules on Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
With new offshore rules in place, a U.S. energy group said jobs and safety are at risk, though environmentalists said the BP spill in 2010 was still impactful.
The Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement released new rules aimed at preventing loss of life and environmental harm resulting from a potential failure at an offshore well. Almost six years to the day after the disaster at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the government said it was enacting a number of reforms to strengthen offshore oversight.
Millions at risk from man-made earthquakes; fracking primary cause
California isn't the USA's only earthquake hot-zone anymore.
7 million people in the central and eastern U.S. live where damaging man-made earthquakes are likely to occur, according to a first-of-its-kind report released Monday by federal scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Arkansas are the most at-risk states from man-made quakes, according to the report.
World-Renowned Climate Scientist Makes Dire Warning About Sea Level Rise, Storms
If global temperatures on our planet continue to go up, ferocious super-storms could become more frequent and sea levels could rise several meters over the next century, drowning coastal cities along the way.
That’s the ominous warning put forth in a new, peer-reviewed paper penned by former top NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen and 18 co-authors, which was published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics on Tuesday.
Earth Hour 2016: UN goes dark to spotlight climate change
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– The United Nations will go dark later this evening as the Organization shuts off the lights at its iconic Headquarters complex in New York and other facilities around the world in observance of 'Earth Hour,' an annual global event to put the spotlight on the issues facing the planet and to inspire millions across the world to live more sustainably.
In a video message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said: “This year's Earth Hour comes at a pivotal moment. Last December, all the world's Governments came together to adopt the Paris Agreement on climate change. This is a historic achievement for people and the planet – but only if we follow through on the promises made.”
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