Environmental News Network

Beaver, Dam it!
As climate change brings more rain, there will be more catastrophic flooding; flooding of crops, homes and businesses, particularly in urban areas where there is simply no place for the water to go. One British writer has identified the beaver as the would-be hero to restore hydrological normalcy. Louise Ramsey writes about the beaver in Britain where reintroductions of the rodent have shown the vital role they once had in reducing flooding and how they could take up that mantle once more. >> Read the Full Article
Scotland's tidal energy potential is greater than a nuclear power plant
Renewable tidal energy harnessed from a single stretch of water off the northern tip of Scotland could produce enough energy to power half of the nation, engineers say. >> Read the Full Article
Oil production in Greenland? Maybe not.
None of the oil companies that have a license to drill in the seas surrounding Greenland have applied for one in 2014, according to the environment NGO Greenpeace. Oil companies that want to drill in Greenland will have to apply before 1 February, but according to Greenland's Mining Agency, no applications have been received thus far. This will be the 3rd year in a row that no company has expressed interest in oil drilling around the Arctic country. >> Read the Full Article
Coastal erosion concerns in Southern New England
Southern New Englandâ€™s coastline â€” the region's economic engine â€” is under siege, and this relentless enemy is gaining force. It can't be subdued by 20-foot-high seawalls or controlled by old-school hay bales. Itâ€™'s allies include parking lots, beachfront development and climate change. Coastal communities here are increasingly experiencing the impacts of an encroaching ocean. Storm waves are eroding beaches and flooding developed areas. Rising sea levels are taking land. The oceanâ€™s power even when it's seemingly tranquil is unmatched, but when it's angry our continued disrespect proves costly. >> Read the Full Article
Land conflicts complicate effort to spare forests from palm oil in Borneo
A widely-heralded effort to spare carbon-dense rainforests and peatlands from palm oil development in Indonesian Borneo is facing new criticism after an investigation by rights groups found evidence of unresolved conflicts over community land. >> Read the Full Article
Finding Arctic Cyclones
From 2000 to 2010, about 1,900 cyclones churned across the top of the world each year, leaving warm water and air in their wakes â€“ and melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. That's about 40 percent more of these Arctic storms than previously thought, according to a new study of vast troves of weather data that previously were synthesized at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC). A 40 percent difference in the number of cyclones could be important to anyone who lives north of 55 degrees latitude â€“ the area of the study, which includes the northern reaches of Canada, Scandinavia and Russia, along with the state of Alaska. >> Read the Full Article
Carbon Emissions in U.S. Rise 2 Percent Due to Increase in Coal
Carbon dioxide emissions rose two percent in the U.S. last year, according to preliminary data from the Energy Information Administration. Emissions rose largely due to increased coal consumption, the first such rise in U.S. emissions since 2010. Still, the annual emissions remain well below the peak hit in 2007 when emissions hit 6 billion tons. >> Read the Full Article
Plants and wildlife adapting to climate change in Switzerland
Wildlife in Switzerland is seeking relief from warming temperatures by moving higher up the mountains, reports Tim Radford. Animals and plants are already today adapting to the rising temperatures at a surprising pace. Alpine ecosystems are on the rise. Between 2003 and 2010, plants have managed to scramble up another eight metres of mountain slope. On the way up, they were overtaken by butterflies, which collectively gained another 38 metres of higher ground. Alpine birds in turn fluttered an average of 42 metres higher. >> Read the Full Article
The girth of a tree
Thank goodness human growth rates don't match that of trees. For if it did then we would tip the scales of well over a ton by the time we reach retirement! Consider this new research from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) recently published in the journal Nature. According to the new study, trees put on weight faster and faster as they grow older. Because most trees' growth accelerates as they age this suggests that large, old trees may play an unexpectedly dynamic role in removing carbon from the atmosphere. >> Read the Full Article
Waste Facility to Triple the Amount of Trash Recycled
A new plant in Glendale, Arizona promises to triple the amount of trash the city recycles each year when it begins operations in April. The facility, which is being built by Chicago-based company, Vieste, will be located on 6 acres of Glendale's landfill, just a few miles west of the University of Phoenix stadium. About two-thirds of the city's waste will be diverted to Vieste's facility where it will be sorted to find recyclables. The company's 40 to 50 employees will help sift through the piles of trash to find small recyclables such as plastic or glass. A large magnet will help pull metal objects from the garbage and screens will help sort through paper products. The building, which spans the size of three basketball courts, will also have ample room to sort through large recyclables and cardboard. Through its efforts, Vieste expects to recover 26,000 tons of recyclable products each year, which is more than double what the city recycles. Currently, Glendale only recycles items that residents place in recycling bins, which amounts to about 12,000 tons of materials each year. >> Read the Full Article