The many lifetimes of plastics
Infographics strive to give us a sense of how long plastic goods will last in the environment. But is this information reliable?
Coal-burning in Siberia led to climate change 250 million years ago
A team of researchers has provided the first ever direct evidence that extensive coal burning in Siberia is a cause of the Permo-Triassic Extinction, the Earth’s most severe extinction event.
Liberia: residents decry illicit sand mining in Schiefflin township
Residents are pleading with the government to come to their aid as illegal miners continue to mine sand and causing grave environmental hazard to the community. They say that there is continuous 24-hour, 7-day beach mining taking place.
Could we run out of sand? Scientists adjust how grains are measured
We are astounded to discover there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on our beaches.
More than 1000 tons of plastic rains into Western US protected lands annually
Watershed researchers estimate more than 1000 tons of microplastics (equal to more than 123 million plastic water bottles) are deposited in national parks and wilderness areas each year.
Global Climate Report – May 2020: Earth ties record high heat May reading
The global land and ocean surface temperature for May 2020 tied with 2016 as the highest in the 141-year record at 0.95°C (1.71°F) above the 20th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F). The 10 warmest Mays have all occurred since 1998
North Korea might be making millions — and breaking sanctions — selling sand. Yes, sand.
North Korea is barred from exporting earth and stone under United Nations sanctions passed in December 2017. Trading North Korean sand is a violation of international law. Despite those measures, North Korea raked in at least $22 million last year using “a substantial sand-export operation,” UN investigators said in a report released in April.
Fuel from Russian Arctic spill reaches large lake, says governor
Diesel fuel from a major spill in Russia’s Arctic has reached a pristine lake which is the basin for a river flowing into the Arctic Ocean, a regional official said on Tuesday, but the mining giant embroiled in the scandal rejected his allegation.
Report: European bathing water quality remains high
The quality of bathing waters in Europe remains high according to a study by the EU environment agency that found that minimum water quality standards were met at 95 percent of the sites monitored across the continent last year.