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“A new NatureServe Canada report on globally rare species in Canada shows an increase in the number of animals, plants and lichen facing threats to their existence. In fact, 517 species that occur in Canada are now classified as being globally at risk. The report, entitled On Guard For Them: Species of Global Conservation Concern …
Outside: “The days of regular “river fires” in America may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean the country’s waterways are clean. In its last nation-wide survey, the EPA found that more than half the US’s rivers are in “poor condition” and too polluted to adequately support marine life. “America’s streams and rivers,” the EPA …
“Columbia University’s Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health, located at its Mailman School of Public Health, and the City University of New York’s Graduate Center are proud to jointly present Toxic Docs. This dataset and website contain millions of pages of previously secret documents about toxic substances. They include secret internal memoranda, …
Potomac River Keepers – “The Maryland General Assembly passed a statewide fracking ban bill, HB 1325, with veto-proof majorities. Maryland is the third state to ban fracking, but the first state with gas reserves to pass a ban through the legislature. This victory was due to the massive statewide and people-powered grassroots campaign organized by the Don’t …
CRS Report – U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues, Linda Tsang, Legislative Attorney. April 3, 2017 [via FAS] : “On March 28, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order to encourage and promote energy development by modifying climate change policies. As the Trump Administration implements its environmental policies, various legal challenges to …
2017 UN World Water Development Report, Wastewater: The Untapped Resource – “Most human activities that use water produce wastewater. As the overall demand for water grows, the quantity of wastewater produced and its overall pollution load are continuously increasing worldwide. Over 80% of the world’s wastewater – and over 95% in some least developed countries – is released to …
Politico, Eric Wolff – “The Office of International Climate and Clean Energy is the only office at DOE with the words ‘climate’ in its name, and it may be endangered as Trump looks to reorganize government agencies. A supervisor at the Energy Department’s international climate office told staff this week not to use the phrases “climate …
Futurism – Google Earth’s Street View cars are being used for more than just maps: scientists have equipped them with pollution trackers so they can help spot natural gas leaks. “…A team led by researchers from the Colorado State University (CSU), the Environmental Defense Fund, and Google Earth Outreach came up with a creative way …
Influence of Anthropogenic Climate Change on Planetary Wave Resonance and Extreme Weather Events. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 45242 (2017). doi:10.1038/srep45242. “Persistent episodes of extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere summer have been shown to be associated with the presence of high-amplitude quasi-stationary atmospheric Rossby waves within a particular wavelength range (zonal wavenumber 6–8). The …
“iNaturalist is a place where you can record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world. From hikers to hunters, birders to beach-combers, the world is filled with naturalists, and many of us record what we find. What if all those observations could be shared online? You might …
The New York Times – What You Can Do About Climate Change – “Driving a more fuel-efficient car cuts greenhouse gas emissions. Which is why Trump would be making a mistake if he retreats on fuel economy.”
Gordon, Gwendolyn, Environmental Personhood (March 7, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2935007 “Environmental personhood is the nascent notion of designating parts of nature as legal persons entitled to independent regard and consideration. Several jurisdictions, including areas in the United States, have developed versions of legal regimes granting rights directly to nature in and for itself. Protecting …
