Rise In Beaches Failing Safety Standards
The number of UK beaches failing to meet minimum standards for water quality has risen following last year’s wet summer.
More than half of U.S. rivers unsuitable for aquatic life, EPA
More than half of the country’s rivers and streams are in poor biological health, unable to support healthy populations of aquatic insects and other creatures, according to a new nationwide survey released Tuesday.
Scientists Call For Development Goals To Protect Earth
Development can no longer focus exclusively on improving people’s lives. Countries must now link poverty eradication to protection of the atmosphere, oceans and land, said a group of international scientists in a comment piece published in the journal Nature.
NOAA Considers Effects Of Oil And Gas Activities On Marine Animals And Alaska Native Communities,
NOAA announced that it is seeking comments on a supplemental draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for oil and gas activities in the Arctic Ocean. The draft includes analysis on how a broader range of potential offshore oil and gas activities could affect the environment, with a specific focus on marine mammals and the Alaska Native communities that depend on the animals for food and cultural traditions.
Pig Corpses Spark Questions, But Chinese Government Gives Few Answers
The pig carcasses, about 14,000 of them, have been floating down rivers that feed into Shanghai for nearly two weeks. The city’s residents have been told not to worry, and not much else..
New Water-Quality Test May Prevent Unnecessary Beach Closures
A new rapid water-quality test may prevent beaches from being closed by providing accurate same day results of bacteria levels, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Fish Near Fukushima Reportedly Contains High Cesium Level
The Japanese utility that owns the tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant says it has detected a record 740,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in a fish caught close to the plant. Most fish along the Fukushima coast are barred from market.
Pollution Kills Thousands of Fish in Brazil
Thousands of fish have been removed from the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, after oxygen levels dropped due to pollution, according to local media.
Green versus Gray: Nature’s Solutions To Infrastructure Demands
An emerging hypothesis in environmental management settings is that investment in ecosystem-based green infrastructure solutions provides economically superior environmental quality outcomes when compared to investments in technology-based or “gray” infrastructure.