"Half of the world’s children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards threatening their health, education and survival, according to a Unicef report."
"African and Commonwealth nations called Tuesday for a swift implementation of a landmark treaty protecting the high seas, warning that despite record commitments to marine conservation, much of the world’s ocean protection still exists only on paper."
"Guided by floating barriers, the Interceptor has already stopped more than 143,000lbs of rubbish from entering the Pacific from one LA river"
"If protected, researchers say these coral strongholds may help repopulate more degraded reefs across the Central Pacific."
The news has been full of warnings about a larger-than-normal El Niño, the periodic weather pattern that portends drastic fluctuations in everything from temperatures and precipitation to ocean currents and hurricanes. The latest Issue Backgrounder takes a step back to help explain exactly how this phenomenon works and what its impacts may be, while offering a parting thought on smart coverage.
Small-scale fisheries on the wane in an obscure region of the world, and a unique ethnic group trapped between being a tourist attraction and surviving a failing industry. Read how award-winning Polish journalist Tadeusz Michrowski turned this small, unsexy story into something bigger, a complex and nuanced portrait of a community of individuals in transition.
"The Trump administration struck down prohibitions on commercial fishing Thursday across more than 500,000 square miles of marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean, as environmental groups vowed to challenge the action in federal court." "The president has now signed orders to eliminate commercial fishing bans in all five national marine monuments."
"A hidden circulatory system pulses just beneath the planet’s surface. There, embedded in the soil, are dense networks of microorganisms known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi attach themselves to the roots of plants, sending long, thin filaments out through the soil. These ferry water and nutrients to plants and whisk away carbon, helping to keep vast quantities of it out of the atmosphere."
"A year after a shipwreck flooded India’s beaches with tiny plastic pieces, scientists fear the environmental damage has just begun."
"More than 230 clergy and faith leaders representing congregations and faith communities across all 21 New Jersey counties are urging lawmakers to pass legislation that would require major fossil fuel companies to help pay for climate-related damage and infrastructure costs."
