MYSTERIOUS: 21 - What They Never Told You

Organic eggs have worse impact on climate than eggs from caged chickens

Adopting organic free-range model in UK could lead to greenhouse emissions equivalent to 2,316,000 tonnes of CO2, study suggests

The Guardian - UK · Jul 29

Japan coral protectors race to save reefs from heat 'bomb'

ONNA (JAPAN) - From "heatwave simulators" to ecological bootcamps, scientists and conservationists are trying ways to revive and reinforce the famous coral reefs off Japan's Okinawa, decimated by climate-driven bleaching two summers ago.

Bangkok Post · Jul 29

Meta drops major climate pledge after a decade of membership, says it is still committed to renewable energy

As it apparently expands reliance on fossil fuels, Meta has parted company with the RE100 initiative.

TechRadar · Jul 28

In 2012, New York pumped 375,000 cubic yards of harbor sand onto a vanishing Jamaica Bay island; 44 acres of salt marsh returned

Jamaica Bay's salt marsh islands are being restored using dredged sand. The Yellow Bar Hassock Island project successfully rebuilt a vital natural defense. This restoration effort added significant acreage and marsh habitat to the island. Wildlife returned quickly, indicating the wetland's successful functioning. This nature-based approach serves as a model…

The Times of India · Jul 28

Since the 1950s, China has restored vegetation across the Loess Plateau; some studies have found that forestation could reduce water yield in drier areas

Restoring vegetation on China's Loess Plateau reduced soil erosion significantly. However, increased plant cover in this semi-arid region lowered water flow in rivers. Researchers found that water yield declined in some areas after extensive forestation efforts. Other regions experienced increased water yield due to higher precipitation and moisture recycling. The…

The Times of India · Jul 28

Costa Rica covered a dead pasture with 12,000 tonnes of orange peel. Sixteen years later, scientists found a thriving forest

For most people, discarded orange peel is little more than food-processing waste. In Costa Rica, one abandoned environmental experiment showed it could become something very different. During the late 1990s, around 12,000 tonnes of leftover citrus peel were spread across a worn-out cattle pasture beside the Guanacaste Conservation Area as…

The Times of India · Jul 28

In 1901, conservationists began buying land to protect Mount Desert Island; their first 6,000 acres helped create Acadia National Park

More than a century before Acadia National Park officially existed, a small group of conservationists began quietly buying land on Mount Desert Island to protect its forests, mountains and coastline from unchecked development. Their grassroots effort, launched in 1901 through the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations, eventually secured thousands…

The Times of India · Jul 28

For decades, zinc smelters polluted Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain; crews later used mushroom compost and aircraft seeding to help vegetation return

Palmerton's Blue Mountain suffered severe environmental damage from zinc factory emissions. Heavy metals altered the landscape, harming vegetation and wildlife habitats. Restoration efforts focused on improving soil conditions and re-establishing plant cover. Aircraft distributed materials to treat difficult-to-access contaminated areas. The long-term work demonstrates ecosystem recovery after careful land treatment.

The Times of India · Jul 28

By 2050, the US could generate about 2.2 million tons of retired wind-turbine blade waste, as tough fiberglass composites remain difficult to recycle

Wind turbine blades pose a growing waste problem as they are difficult to recycle. By 2050, millions of tons of these composite materials will require disposal. Current methods often involve burying them in landfills, which is not ideal. However, new recycling technologies and repurposing efforts are emerging to address this.…

The Times of India · Jul 28

NOAA report finds Gulf of Maine warming slowed for now, but ecosystem remains unstable

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that Maine's fishing ports are thriving, but climate change is destabilizing the Gulf of Maine

The Independent UK · Jul 27