Our oceans broke heat records in 2018 and the consequences are catastrophic
Last year was the hottest ever measured, continuing an upward trend that is a direct result of manmade greenhouse gas emissions. The key to the measurements is the oceans. Oceans absorb more than 90% of the heat that results from greenhouse gases.
Why don’t U.S. nuclear regulators acknowledge the dangers of climate change?
When America’s fleet of nuclear reactors was designed some four-plus decades ago, few people had ever heard the phrase “climate change.” Today, the global threats of worsening weather patterns and natural disasters are well recognized, commanding concern and responses across the board. Except, apparently, at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Tropical Species Moved Hundreds of Miles North During Marine Heatwave
Between 2014 and 2016, parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean warmed as much as 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average during what has been characterized as the worst marine heatwave on record. During the event, scientists began discovering a record number of tropical sea species along the northern California and Oregon coasts, more than 700 miles north of their usual range.
Fatal horizon, driven by acidification, closes in on marine organisms in Southern Ocean
Marine microorganisms in the Southern Ocean may find themselves in a deadly vise grip by century’s end as ocean acidification creates a shallower horizon for life. The steep drop, which could happen suddenly over a period as short as one year in localized areas, could impact marine food webs significantly and lead to cascading changes across ocean ecosystems.
Accelerating the Caribbean’s Climate Resilience
The Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator launched last year June with the backing of Virgin’s Richard Branson has given itself five years to help the region become climate resilient.
Lawsuit could put U.S. government’s role in climate change on trial
A lawsuit filed on behalf of 21 kids alleges the U.S. government knowingly failed to protect them from climate change. If the plaintiffs win, it could mean massive changes for the use of fossil fuels.
Coastal waters are unexpected hotspots for nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is surprisingly high in the ocean’s coastal waters and may play a larger role than expected in carbon dioxide uptake, a new study shows.
Rapa Nui’s Stone Statues and Marine Resources Face Threats from Climate Change
On this island in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, 3,800 kilometers from the coast of Chile, to which it belongs, the effects of climate change are already evident.
Sand from glacial melt could be Greenland’s economic salvation?
As climate change melts Greenland’s glaciers and deposits more river sediment on its shores, an international group of researchers has identified one unforeseen economic opportunity for the Arctic nation: exporting excess sand and gravel abroad, where raw materials for infrastructure are in high demand.