Via Dialogue Earth, a report on how hard structures are still being built for erosion control in India, despite a national court ruling against them: Arichal Munai Beach lies at the eastern tip of Rameswaram Island, in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state, just past the abandoned village of Dhanushkodi. Looking out onto the Gulf of […]
Read more »Via Anthropocene Magazine, commentary on the first comprehensive global study of the effect of trees on urban temperature, in which researchers discovered that in hot, compact cities, narrow species and sparse planting strategies work best: Urban trees need to be planted strategically to maximize their ability to help keep cities cool, according to a new […]
Read more »Via Grist, an interesting look at a growing body of research shows the nation’s coral reefs protect $1.8 billion in economic assets each year and should be protected for our sake and their own: Days after hurricanes Irma and Maria tore through Puerto Rico in 2017, Ernesto Diaz formed a team to survey what the Category […]
Read more »Via MIT Technology Review, a look at how adapting old, energy-inefficient buildings is less sexy but far greener than many high-tech solutions: The scars and pockmarks of the aging apartments and housing units under the purview of the New York City Housing Authority don’t immediately communicate the idea of innovation. The largest landlord in the […]
Read more »An interesting comment in Nature Water on how to help stabilize the climate by moving towards a Sponge Planet. Humans have degraded 75 percent of Earth’s land, destabilizing the water cycle, amplifying effects of excess CO2. The water cycle is a key climate stabilizer but overlooked by policymakers. Restoring wetlands, floodplains, forests, recreating a Sponge […]
Read more »Via Wired, a report on the growing importance of designing cities around green spaces: If current global trends are correct, in 2025, around 41 million people will die from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—which include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness, and severe mental illness—representing around 74 percent of all deaths globally. Despite major advances in medicine […]
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