insert_link Environment By Anna Dulisse via Mongabay On an island chain in the middle of the Indian Ocean lies an invaluable treasure: “white gold.” While it may not be a gem to proposition a prospective fiancée with, it does protect the ocean’s most biodiverse ecosystem: coral reefs. Casey Benkwitt, a research fellow at Lancaster University in the U.K., says she couldn’t be more thrilled about it. “It’s exciting to learn and show something […] todayFebruary 29, 2024 8
insert_link Environment U.S. natural gas expansion would surrender world to fatal warming Specially designed vessels are required to transport LNG, which needs to be cooled to minus 162 °F (minus 260° F) in order to liquify and compress the gas while in transit. At destination terminals, the LNG is returned to its gaseous state and carried via pipeline to distribution companies. Image by photozou.jp via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.1 JP). By Shanna Hanbury via Mongabay As U.S. politicians, the oil industry and environmental […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 10
insert_link Environment ‘Healthy humans without a healthy planet is a logical fallacy’ A nomadic community preparing a meal in Ladakh, India. Image by Prabhu B Doss via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). By Sonam Lama Hyolmo via Mongabay Dr. Sakib Burza says his fondest memories are climbing the majestic pine trees in the Kashmir Valley where he spent most of his childhood with his family. On a normal day, he would go trekking up the hills into the mountains above the tree line, watching over […] todayFebruary 7, 2024 12
insert_link Environment From exporting coral to restoring reefs, a Madagascar startup rethinks business Koraï divers prepare to install a frame housing young hard corals in the protected waters of Antsoha Island, off northwestern Madagascar. Image courtesy of Koraï. By Valisoa Rasolofomboahangy via Mongabay With coral cover declining in Madagascar, Koraï, a Franco-Malagasy startup, has shifted its focus to coral reef restoration from its predecessor’s specialization in coral export. Jeimila Donty, its founder and CEO, is part of a young “pro-climate” generation keen to […] todayFebruary 7, 2024 11
insert_link Environment ‘A deeply troubling discovery’: Earth may have already passed the crucial 1.5°C warming limit By Malcolm McCulloch, The University of Western Australia Global temperatures have already exceeded 1.5°C warming and may pass 2°C later this decade, according to a world-first study I led. The worrying findings, based on temperature records contained in sea sponge skeletons, suggest global climate change has progressed much further than previously thought. Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions drive global warming. Obtaining accurate information about the extent of the warming […] todayFebruary 6, 2024 16
insert_link Sport Chamonix 1924: A legacy carved in snow Next week marks the 100th anniversary of the Closing Ceremony of the first Olympic Winter Games Chamonix 1924. We celebrate the occasion by looking at the impact the event had on its host city and region. Until 1924, Chamonix, a picturesque town in the heart of the French Alps, was primarily known to climbers and mountaineers attempting the ascent of Mont Blanc and exploring the surrounding mountains during the summer. The […] todayFebruary 5, 2024 5
insert_link Entertainment Wetlands are superheroes: expert sets out how they protect people and places By Jacqueline L Raw, Nelson Mandela University In the past, wetlands were often seen as undesirable landscapes – waterlogged areas that were difficult to navigate, impossible to build on or farm, and a source of pests such as mosquitoes. But the view on wetlands has shifted as we have learnt how important these ecosystems are for essential “services”. They purify water and provide habitats for plants and animals. […] todayFebruary 1, 2024 15
insert_link Environment Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet By Elizabeth Claire Alberts via Mongabay New research shows that ocean temperatures are hotter than ever in the modern era due to human-driven global warming. High ocean temperatures are placing a strain on marine life and biological processes while also increasing extreme weather events on land. The world is also seeing an escalation in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves, events in which sea temperatures exceed a certain […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 7
insert_link Environment Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet A lemon shark in the mangroves in the Bahamas. Image by Anita Kainrath / Ocean Image Bank. By Elizabeth Claire Alberts via Mongabay Human actions are rapidly changing the world’s oceans, whether through overfishing, pollution or coastal development. But among the most intense pressures placed on the seas right now is humanity’s ongoing burning of fossil fuels, pumping dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn has pushed sea temperatures to record levels. […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 2
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
