Pacific Ocean

Company making detergent bottles out of ocean plastic

Environment

The Pacific Ocean is filling with discarded plastic. One company wants to use that plastic to create recycled bottles.

The island formed after an eruption at the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, a two hour boat ride from the island of Tonga.

What do you do when a new volcanic island arises from the great blue ocean? You climb it.

Environment
Pete Knutson and his son Dylan sell local Pacific salmon at outdoor markets around the Seattle area. The sign on their stall at a recent market in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood reads, “In response to multiple customer inquiries regarding the Fukushima i

Worried about radioactive ‘Fukushima’ fish in the US? Don’t be, scientists say

Environment
SS Kroonland is seen on 2 February 1915 at the Culebra Cut while transiting the Panama Canal. Kroonland was the largest passenger ship to that time to transit the canal.

The Big Canal

Excavator at work, in Bas Obispo, Panama Canal (1886).

Panama: A historical perspective

palau

In Palau, a glancing blow from Typhoon Haiyan prompts a glance toward climate change

Environment

Before slamming into the Philippines, Typhoon Haiyan blew across the northern part of the Pacific island nation of Palau, wreaking havoc and elevating concerns about climate change.

Residents walk along the coastal village while strong winds from Typhoon Haiyan battered Bayog town in Los Banos, Laguna, south of Manila November 8, 2013.

Monster storm Haiyan batters the Philippines

Environment

Typhoon Haiyan, the world’s strongest storm of the year, has battered the central Philippines with sustained winds of up to 199 mph.

Research suggests ocean garbage patches may be bigger than once believed

Environment

New science is pointing to the ocean garbage patches being larger than previously believed. That’s because scientists think a lot of the plastic and other bits of trash in the ocean is actually swirling underwater, rather than collected along the surface.

Giant mass of plastic threatens marine life in Pacific

Environment

Scientists want to clean up region of the Pacific known as the Plastic Vortex where soupy mass of plastic debris cover an area twice the size of Texas.

Australia’s, and America’s, Convict Pioneers

January 18th is the day the first European settlers arrived in Australia, 225 years ago. They were convicts, deported from Britain. You may be surprised to hear this was not a new practice for the Brits.