Maine researchers explore link between climate change and Lyme disease

by Joe Lawlor, Press Herald The changing climate in Maine caused by global warming is potentially creating new tick habitats and accelerating the spread of Lyme disease, according to research being done in the state. Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough is partnering with the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute to study how […]

Fighting climate change, one laundry load at a time

by Stanley Reed, New York Times COPENHAGEN — A Danish biotechnology company is trying to fight climate change — one laundry load at a time. Its secret weapon: mushrooms like those in a dormant forest outside Copenhagen. In the quest for a more environmentally friendly detergent, two scientists at the company, Novozymes, regularly trudge through […]

Southern California wildfires trigger mass destruction, hurting families, economy

by Madeline Farber, Fox News After nearly a month of battling the so-called “Thomas Fire,” fire personnel have nearly reached full containment. As of Dec. 31, the wind-whipped fire, which is the biggest blaze in California’s history since detailed record-keeping began in 1932, was 92 percent contained. The massive blaze started on Dec. 4 about […]

Sea water & scrap metal could sequester 850 million tons of carbon dioxide

by Steve Hanley, Clean Technica People are beginning to understand that lowering carbon dioxide emissions will not save the planet from overheating. It will be necessary to actually remove much of the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere to keep global temperatures from rocketing past the 2º Celsius mark considered critical by most climate scientists […]

Polluted groundwater eroding Hawaii coral reefs, study shows

by Olivia Trani, Lahaina News WEST MAUI - Local land-based pollution makes coral reefs more vulnerable to ocean acidification and could trigger coastal coral reef ecosystem collapses sooner than projected, according to new research. Coral reefs are threatened globally by ocean acidification caused by rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide influx heightens the […]

Mapping how to feed 9 billion humans, while avoiding environmental calamity

by Rhett A. Butler, Mongabay News The “Safety Net” initiative aims to map the best opportunities for conservation and ecosystem restoration globally. That means incorporating data on variables ranging from species richness to climate trends to deforestation rates for every point on Earth’s surface. That task is being taken up by a consortium of groups […]

Very hungry snails are guarding coastal ecosystems against climate change

by Marlene Cimons, Nexus Media The fate of aquatic ecosystems in a warming climate may well rest upon the appetite of a tiny snail-like herbivore you’ve probably never heard of: the limpet. The behavior of the little limpet, in fact, is a perfect model for what scientists see as a defense strategy against the pressures […]

Senate

Senators reject budget cuts to science and energy programs

by E360 Digest U.S. senators have rejected efforts by the White House to slash funding for energy and scientific research, calling the cuts “short-sighted” in a reportpublished by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The report, written by the Senate appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development, recommends continuing funding for most programs at or near current […]

Are cities leading on climate?

Since President Trump withdrew from the Paris Accord, we have been hearing a banquet of news about how cities are leading on climate action. The Guardian recently devoted an article to showcasing New York City, Houston, Miami and San Francisco as good examples of climate leadership. According to the article, New York City has already […]

Could artificial reefs save our oceans?

by Marlene Cimons, Nexus Media News The Smithsonian Institution calls coralline algae “the unsung architects of coral reefs.” These pink-colored seaweed, with a skeletal structure that resembles honeycomb, live in harmony with coral. They strengthen the corals’ foundation by growing over and between gaps in coral reefs, essentially gluing sections of coral together. They provide a […]