As Arctic Ice Melts, Polar Bears Find a New Menu
Starving polar bears, icon of the climate change movement, may be able to adapt to an ice-free summer season in the Arctic after all. Scientists have long thought that polar bears essentially starve during the summer, living off fat reserves until the sea ice returns and they can venture out to sea to capture their main source of calories: seals. B… Read More
Warming Puts Emperor Penguins at Risk of Extinction
The entire population of Antarctica's famous emperor penguins could fall by a third by the end of the century because of disappearing sea ice, putting them at risk of extinction, researchers said on Sunday. The finding justified protecting emperor penguins under the endangered species act – as America already does for polar bear – the researchers … Read More
Engineers Warn UK Infrastructure at Risk from Climate
Vital parts of UK infrastructure are being neglected, with potentially severe impacts on national competitiveness and quality of life, according to a new study by engineers. Energy networks, transport, waste and water are all at risk, while flood defenses are falling well behind where they need to be. This is happening while future risks to these e… Read More
Uncivil War Brews Over Summer Flounder as Waters Warm
The summer flounder – one of the most sought-after catches on the U.S. East Coast – is stirring up a climate change battle as it glides through the sand and grasses at the bottom of a warming North Atlantic. Also known as "fluke," the flat, toothy fish is remarkable for its ability to change color to adapt to its surroundings, rendering it almost i… Read More
Climate Change Puts World’s Energy Systems at Risk
Rising sea levels, extremes of weather and an increase in the frequency of droughts and floods will all play havoc with the world's energy systems as climate change takes hold, a new report has found. Energy companies are more often cited as part of the problem of climate change, generating the lion's share of the world's greenhouse gas emissions,… Read More
California’s Drought Just Got a Little Worse
Just when it seemed like California’s drought couldn’t get any worse, it did: A staggering one third of the state is now in the worst level of drought. The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, showed the amount of the state in “Exceptional Drought” — the highest category — expanding to about 33 percent from 25 percent.… Read More
Saving Marsh Protects Neighborhood from Sea Level Rise
Goreatha Johnson points toward Breuner Marsh across the train tracks in Parchester Village, a neighborhood of roughly 400 homes in North Richmond. It’s past 4 p.m. on a weekday and Johnson is knocking on her neighbors’ doors and passing out flyers to an event at the Parchester Village Community Center. “People used to swim in the channels there… Read More
Sea Level Rise Threatens Oakland’s Sewer System
The shoreline along Oakland is a checkerboard quilt of cement, steel and wetlands, with grassy estuaries sandwiched between walls of cement where old terminal buildings rise from the shore, steel pipes send effluent to the Bay and massive containership berths receive their payload. Just inland from this quilt lies a broad north-south strip of … Read More
