Catastrophic Oil Spill Threat to Canadian River Basin
The Mackenzie River Basin, a vast globally important area in Canada, is at great risk from climate change and a catastrophic oil spill from the tailing ponds of tar sands mining, according to a panel of nine Canadian, American and British scientists. The warning came just days after the Canadian Oil Producers Association says it expects oil produc… Read More
Coral Fights Back Gradually From Ocean Heating
Marine biologists’ worst fears seem to be confirmed: coral colonies take a long time to recover from catastrophic climate events. British and Brazilian biologists report in the Public Library of Science One – better known simply as PLoS One – that the richest habitats of the sea could also be among the most vulnerable to climate change. For more … Read More
Jellyfish Surge in Mediterranean Threatens Environment
Scientists across the Mediterranean say a surge in the number of jellyfish this year threatens not just the biodiversity of one of the world's most overfished seas but also the health of tens of thousands of summer tourists. "I flew along a 186-mile stretch of coastline on April 21 and saw millions of jellyfish," said Professor Stefano Piraino of … Read More
Squid Threatened by Ocean Acidity Caused by Rise in CO2
That jet-propelled cephalopod of the seas, the squid, could be in for a hard time. As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, so the oceans become more acid, and this is not good news for one of the most important animals of the ocean ecosystem. Aran Mooney of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the U.S. and other colleagues decided to take… Read More
Severe Storms, Water Woes and Hurricane Season
How climate change changes everything dominates the slideshow of the week’s top climate news. … Read More
Warmer Seas Could Lead to More Dolphin Deaths
Dead dolphins and rotting fish could become a frequent feature on South Australian beaches due to warming seas. Record high sea surface temperatures from summer to April caused thousands of small fish to wash up dead in SA gulf waters. It stressed 33 dolphins to the point they succumbed to a virus normally suppressed by immunity. Biosecurity SA aqu… Read More
Majority Face Water Shortages ‘Within Two Generations’
The majority of the 9 billion people on Earth will live with severe pressure on fresh water within the space of two generations as climate change, pollution and over-use of resources take their toll, 500 scientists have warned. The world's water systems would soon reach a tipping point that "could trigger irreversible change with potentially catas… Read More
Congo Waits on Funding for Largest Hydropower Project
The dream of harnessing the mighty Congo with the world's largest set of dams has moved closer, with the World Bank and other financial institutions expected to offer finance and South Africa agreeing to buy half of the power generated. In the past 60 years French, Belgian, Chinese, Brazilian and African engineers have all hoped to dam the river. … Read More
