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Winter Warm Spell Stifles Skiing in Swiss Alps
The Alps are seeing a dearth of snowfall this winter amid unseasonably warm temperatures, forcing closures at some slopes. On New Year’s Eve, temperatures in parts of Switzerland were 29 degrees F (16 degrees C) above normal, according to MétéoSuisse, the national weather agency. In Delémont, a ski destination in the Jura Mountains, the daily high reached 70 degrees F (20.9 degrees C).
Stunning Satellite Images of Our Changing Planet in 2022
Humans are reshaping the Earth in unprecedented ways, both by turning vast tracts of wilderness into farms and cities and by altering the global climate, fueling more intense fires, floods, heat, and drought. Scientists at NASA have captured the astounding breadth of humanity’s impact in stunning satellite images. The photos below, all published in the past year by NASA’s Earth Observatory, reveal the profound changes now underway. Click photos to enlarge.
Coal Prevailed in 2022, but Renewables Remain Ascendant
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine roiling energy markets, 2022 saw countries burning unprecedented amounts of coal — but also making massive investments in renewables. Experts are projecting the world will add as much renewable power in the next five years as it did in the last 20, with renewables rapidly overtaking coal to become the world’s largest source of electricity.
Ten Remarkable New Plants Discovered in 2022
The world’s largest waterlily, a long-lost relative of the sweet potato, and an herb that grows exclusively in rapids and waterfalls are among more than 100 new species of plant and fungi recorded by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this year. “It’s easy to think we have...
College Biology Textbooks Make Little Mention of Climate Change, Study Shows
A study of U.S. college biology textbooks revealed they contained little information about climate change, and that textbooks published in the 2010s contained even less information than those published the decade before. Researchers examined 57 introductory biology textbooks published between from 1970 and 2019, finding that the average number of...
‘Degraded’ Tropical Forests Surprisingly Rich in Wildlife, Study Finds
Though much thinner than old-growth woodlands, logged tropical forests in Borneo are more abundant in plant and animal life, according to a new study that argues against converting such “degraded” forests to oil palm plantations. “We had not expected the logged forest to be so ecologically vibrant,” Yadvinder...
For U.S. Companies, the Race for the New EV Battery Is On
Sixteen years have passed since engineer Martin Eberhard unveiled his futuristic custom-designed sports car before a crowd of investors, journalists, and potential buyers in a Santa Monica Airport hangar. The Roadster, as it was called, contained a lot of innovative engineering, but nothing about it mattered more than the 6,831 lithium-ion battery cells packed into its rear compartment, which gave the vehicle its range and speed. “The battery system is the secret,” Eberhard explained at the time, “behind our four-second 0-60 mph acceleration.”
In Historic Deal, Countries Agree to Protect 30 Percent of Earth to Halt Biodiversity Loss
Nearly 200 countries have pledged to protect 30 percent of the Earth’s land and sea by the end of this decade as part of a historic deal that aims to stem the rising tide of extinctions. Delegates agreed to the target early Monday in the final hours of the UN biodiversity conference in Montreal.
Tokyo to Mandate Rooftop Solar Panels on New Homes
Tokyo is mandating that all new homes in the city be built with rooftop solar panels starting in 2025. Tokyo is the first Japanese city to require rooftop solar on new homes. The mandate, which goes into effect in April of 2025, applies to roughly 50 large construction companies, which will be required to install solar arrays on homes with up to 2,000 square meters of floor space.
Forest Equity: What Indigenous People Want from Carbon Credits
In a world where carbon credit markets are taking advantage of Indigenous people and their forests, the United Nation is losing its leadership on combating climate change, says Indigenous leader Levi Sucre Romero. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Romero, who is from Costa Rica and is coordinator of...
Weight of Microplastics Raining on Auckland Equal to 3 Million Plastic Bottles, Study Finds
Some 74 million metric tons of microplastics, the equivalent of more than 3 million plastic bottles, are falling on Auckland yearly, new research finds. These tiny plastic fragments — shed from car tires, synthetic fabrics, plastic bottles, and other products — make their way into the atmosphere, waterways, and the sea. Scientists suggested that ocean currents may be ferrying microplastics from afar, and that crashing waves off the coast of Auckland are casting these particles into the air. The particles pose a risk to public health, according to the paper, which follows on a recent study that found microplastics buried deep in the lungs of human cadavers.
Which Wetlands to Protect? Supreme Court Will Soon Decide
In 2007 an Idaho couple, Mike and Chantell Sackett, bought a building lot across the road from a wetlands complex that drains into a creek and then into Priest Lake, with plans to build a new home. They began to fill in a spot on the property with gravel and sand until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stopped them under authority of the Clean Water Act, claiming it was a wetland adjacent to the lake. They were told to remove the fill and reclaim the site by fencing it off for three growing seasons. Failure to do so would cost them more than $30,000 in fines each day.
U.S. to Curb Private Ownership of Big Cats
The U.S. is set to enact a new law that prohibits private citizens from obtaining lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, and other big cats as pets. Congress has approved the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. The law limits new ownership of big cats to accredited zoos and universities while prohibiting Americans from acquiring these creatures as pets or attractions in petting zoos.
Americans Flocking to Fire-Prone Regions, Study Finds
Americans are moving away from parts of the Midwest that are prone to heat waves, but are moving into regions in the West that are increasingly vulnerable to wildfires, according to a 10-year study. “These findings are concerning, because people are moving into harm’s way — into regions with wildfires...
In Bolivia, Mercury Pollution Spreads Amid a Surge in Gold Mining
Across Bolivia, even in protected areas recognized by the United Nations for their diversity of wildlife, more than 1,000 artisanal mining operations are razing trees, diverting waterways, and reshaping the land in their search for gold. While miners are making a living, though, they are also dispersing mercury through the air, water, and soil. Their use of mercury has helped propel Bolivia to become the world’s biggest importer of the toxic substance.
The 30 Percent Goal: Is Bigger Always Better for Biodiversity?
In 2009, the U.S. government turned more than 190,000 square miles of pristine ocean centered on the Mariana Trench in the remote Pacific into one of the world’s largest protected areas. The same year, Mexico completed a management plan for the Cabo Pulmo coral reef in the Gulf of California, covering just 27 square miles.
U.S. Commits $75 Million to Relocate Three Tribes Threatened by Climate Change
The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs will grant three tribes $25 million each to relocate homes, schools, and critical infrastructure threatened by sea-level rise, flooding, and erosion. These are the first grants distributed under a program aimed at helping tribes cope with climate change. “Helping these communities move to safety...
Los Angeles City Council Moves to End Oil and Gas Drilling
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Friday to ban all new oil and gas drilling within the city and to phase out existing wells over the next 20 years. “The half a million Angelenos who live within a quarter mile of our remaining oil wells suffer greater adverse health effects, including respiratory ailments, cancer, and problem pregnancies,” tweeted City Council President Paul Krekorian. “Today’s vote is a victory for community activism and environmental justice.”
UK, Germany, France on Pace for Their Hottest Year on Record
Following a summer marked by devastating heat waves, the UK, Germany, and France are on track for their hottest year on record, weather officials say. Barring an exceptionally cold December, the UK will see its warmest year since 1884, according to the Met Office. “All of the top 10 warmest years on record for the UK have occurred since 2002; a clear indicator of our warming climate,” Mike Kendon of the National Climate Information Centre said in a statement.
Amid the Sprawl, a Long Island Prairie Makes a Quiet Comeback
The Hempstead Plains Preserve is a place where you can imagine the presence of creatures past. Birdfoot violets, now gone, once colored the landscape with a wash of purple in spring. The heath hen, a large grouse that went extinct 90 years ago, performed its elaborate courtship dances on the Plains.
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Yale Environment 360 is an online magazine offering opinion, analysis, reporting, and debate on global environmental issues.
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