Cuba to begin oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico This Summer

Experts say the country might have 20 billion barrels oil reserves along Cuba’s north coast. Ocean scientists warn that a well blowout similar to the BP disaster could send oil spewing onto Cuban beaches and then the Florida Keys in as little as three days. If the oil reached the Gulf Stream, a powerful ocean current that passes through the region, oil could flow up the coast to Miami and beyond.

Nags Head beach nourishment approved

With the blessing of a state oversight commission secured last week, the project to nourish Nags Head’s eroded beaches will officially get under way as early as mid-June. The total cost of the project is between $36 million and $37 million

After the Quake: Japan’s Balance of Technology and Nature

As Japan marks the first month after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the country’s struggle between its technological heart and natural soul continues. In a country where technology is omnipresent, the unpredictability of nature, with its mercurial seasons or weather patterns, can seem like a reprieve. And even if it is not always welcomed, nature will still inflict itself on a country that has tried in vain to rise above it.