As mass timber takes off, how green is this new building material?
Mass timber construction is on the rise, with advocates saying it could revolutionize the building industry and be part of a climate change solution. But some are questioning whether the logging and manufacturing required to produce the new material outweigh any benefits.
Melting glaciers causing sea levels to rise at ever greater rates
Melting ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic as well as ice melt from glaciers all over the world are causing sea levels to rise. Glaciers alone lost more than 9,000 billion tons of ice since 1961, raising water levels by 27 millimeters, an international research team has now found.
Artist replaces sand with microplastic found on beaches in contemporary hourglass
Designer Brodie Neill has created a contemporary hourglass filled with microplastic instead of sand to highlight the issue of ocean plastic pollution. The Capsule hourglass, which is filled with microplastic collected by Neill from beaches in Tasmania where he grew up, is an open-edition piece.
Sea turtles struggle years after unexplained die-off
New research is detailing how environmental stressors, including heavy metals, brought on by human activity are harming coastal green sea turtle populations – work that researchers hope will inform conservation efforts going forward.
Can 475 ‘sand cubes’ protect Capo Beach, CA from further erosion?
An estimated 475 sand cubes — 3-by-3-foot white plastic bags filled with sand — were being stacked next to one another along the eroding Capo Beach, CA where strong waves, high tides and a rising sea level have battered the area for years.
80 Percent of New Arctic Sea Ice Melts Before Leaving Russian Coast
The northern coast of Russia is largely considered the most important spot for the formation of new sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. But scientists have discovered that 80 percent of this new sea ice now melts before it can leave coastal waters, up from 50 percent in 2000.
Coral study traces excess nitrogen to Maui wastewater treatment facility
A new method for reconstructing changes in nitrogen sources over time has enabled scientists to connect excess nutrients in the coastal waters of West Maui, Hawaii, to a sewage treatment facility that injects treated wastewater into the ground.
Marine heat waves threaten the survival of dolphins and other mammals
A marine heat wave in Western Australia that had lasting impacts on dolphin populations may be a disturbing sign of things to come, according to a new study. The researchers have determined that climate change will have more devastating consequences for marine mammals than what was previously realized.
Pregnant whale washed up in Italian tourist spot had 22 kilograms of plastic in its stomach
The carcass of a pregnant sperm whale that washed up in Sardinia, Italy, last week had 22 kilograms (49 pounds) of plastic in its stomach, and was carrying a dead fetus, the country’s environment minister and a marine life non-profit organization said.