India is soon projected to become the world’s most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion people. But behind that statistic lies a more complex reality: Population growth is leveling off in most areas due to rising affluence and advances in women’s education and family planning.
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Solutions
Could Abandoned Agricultural Lands Help Save the Planet?
Agriculture’s global footprint is decreasing — more land globally is now being abandoned by farming than converted to it. This, some researchers contend, presents an opportunity for ecological restoration that could help fight climate change and stem the loss of biodiversity.
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Analysis
As Climate Change Worsens, A Cascade of Tipping Points Looms
New research warns that the earth may be approaching key tipping points, including the runaway loss of ice sheets, that could fundamentally disrupt the global climate system. A growing concern is a change in ocean circulation, which could alter climate patterns in a profound way.
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Energy
Aiming for Climate Targets, Germany Taps Its Geothermal Potential
The German state of Bavaria is embracing an ambitious program of tapping into geothermal reservoirs, with Munich hoping to make its heating system carbon-neutral by 2040. But given the expense of geothermal power, can it ever rival wind and solar as a renewable energy source?
Opinion
The New Climate Math: The Numbers Keep Getting More Frightening
Scientists keep raising ever-louder alarms about the urgency of tackling climate change, but the world’s governments aren’t listening. Yet the latest numbers don’t lie: Nations now plan to keep producing more coal, oil, and gas than the planet can endure.
E360 Digest
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Surge in Global Methane Emissions Traced Back to East African Wetland
Scientists believe they have found one of the key drivers behind a spike in global methane emissions in recent years. Satellite data captured a large influx of water entering the Sudd wetland in South Sudan, fueling plant growth and soil microbial activity and producing extra methane, BBC News reported. More about Surge in Global Methane Emissions Traced Back to East African Wetland →
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Nevada Approves 1.2 Gigawatts of New Solar Capacity
Nevada recently approved more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of new solar capacity and 590 megawatts (MW) of energy storage — more than 37 other U.S. states currently have combined, PV Magazine reported. The new capacity is part of the Nevada Public Utilities Commission’s pledge to double its renewable energy production by 2023. More about Nevada Approves 1.2 Gigawatts of New Solar Capacity →
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U.S. States Have Eliminated Thousands of Environmental Protection Jobs Since 2008
Over the past decade, U.S. states eliminated 4,400 jobs at agencies responsible for protecting the environment, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. From 2008 to 2018, 30 states also cut funding for environmental agencies, with more than half of those slashing budgets by at least 20 percent. More about U.S. States Have Eliminated Thousands of Environmental Protection Jobs Since 2008 →
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E360 VIDEO
Waterfront Retreat: A Bay Community Faces Rising Seas and Buyouts
Beset by sea level rise and increasing storm damage, most residents of the Delaware Bay community of Money Island have opted to take buyouts from the state and abandon their homes. An e360 video shows that for those who remain, the decision to stay or leave can be agonizing.
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Oceans
Lawless Ocean: The Link Between Human Rights Abuses and Overfishing
The high seas remain an often-dystopian realm where the scant laws that do exist are frequently ignored. This has led to overfishing, illegal dumping, and other environmental abuses that are closely linked to human rights violations aboard thousands of vessels.
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Climate
Climate Whiplash: Wild Swings in Extreme Weather Are on the Rise
As the world warms, scientists say that abrupt shifts in weather patterns — droughts followed by severe floods, or sudden and unseasonable fluctuations in temperature — are intensifying, adding yet another climate-related threat that is already affecting humans and natural world.
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Analysis
Are Numbers of Species a True Measure of Ecosystem Health?
A recent study that found no general decline in the numbers of species in individual ecosystems has sparked controversy. Some scientists see it as evidence of how species adapt, while others see it as a sign that common invasive species, such as rats and mosquitoes, are the real winners.
The Vanishing Amazon
Deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest is again on the rise, with millions of acres lost in the last year to agribusiness, mining, and logging.