Tag: environment
Climate scientist links Arctic melting to U.S. weather fluctuations
Ask Jennifer Francis about Hurricane Sandy and she'll point north. Ask her about this summer's midwestern drought, she'll point north, all the way to the Arctic. She's linked Arctic ice melting with fluctuations in global weather....
New Ken Burns documentary looks at Dust Bowl, 'worst sustained environmental disaster' in U.S. history
Ken Burns is widely celebrated for the incredible documentaries he brings to television. His latest work, set to air on PBS stations Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, looks at the conditions that led to the Dust Bowl -- an environmental disaster called the worst in our history, and how it happened....
Bike sharing programs taking off with cities, cyclists
Boston's Hubway bike sharing program is popular with commuters, who may use a bike to finish their commutes to their homes or offices. As the program in Boston looks to expand, bike sharing programs are taking hold in cities the world over....
New York City sees increase in bike commuters after Hurricane Sandy
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the problems with the New York subway system after Hurricane Sandy came ashore led thousands of people to pick up a bike to get to work. But all those extra bike commuters were exposed to the success and failure of New York City's effort to be more bike-friendly....
Urban planners see Sandy's aftermath as a chance to reopen old discussions
Hurricane Sandy roared ashore in New York just two weeks ago, destroying the homes of the wealthy and the poor alike. Elliott Sclar, from Columbia University's Earth Institute, says that will open the door to discussions of future land-use made critical by climate change....
After Sandy, looking at oysters as a way to protect vulnerable coastlines
Scientists are experimenting with rebuilding oyster reefs off the coast of New York City. One writer suspects that if these structures had been in place, Hurricane Sandy's massive storm surge would have been greatly reduced....
Chinese protesters force municipal government to back off from chemical plant plan
China's efforts to grow its economy and its manufacturing base are meeting resistance as the country's middle class burgeons. In Ningbo, a plan to build a petrochemical plant was beaten back by protesters in the street who say these plants are affecting their health....
Cost of getting energy to market rising as resources become more scarce
Getting a barrel of oil out of the ground takes energy. Years ago, you could get 100 barrels of oil out of the ground with just one barrel of oil spent. Now, it's more like 20 to one, or even five to one. That compares favorably with renewable energy sources -- but it all depends on how things are counted....
Locals concerned by local, global impact of increased coal exports
As coal demand around the globe increases, at the same time it moderates in the United States, coal companies are looking abroad to sell their commodity. But that means new facilities need to be built to get them abroad -- and they're looking to the Pacific Northwest....
Canadian First Nations group raises red flag on proposed oil mining
Shell in Canada wants to expand its tar sands, also known as oil sands, mining operation in Alberta. But a group from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation says not so fast. They're worried the project will do great environmental damage, and violate their rights....
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