Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Recycling Nuclear Waste: A Win-Win or a Dangerous Gamble?

 

at 4/2/25 11:03am

As interest in nuclear power rises, startups are pursuing plans to recycle spent fuel and reuse its untapped energy to power reactors. Advocates tout new recycling methods as a breakthrough, but many experts warn it will extract plutonium that could be used for nuclear weapons.Read more on E360 →

— Toxic Algae Spurs Sea Lion Attacks in Southern California

 

at 4/2/25 4:15am

A sea lion sickened by toxic algae attacked a teenage girl in Long Beach, California, on Sunday, the latest episode of erratic behavior from affected animals.Read more on E360 →

— Global Economy More Vulnerable to Warming Than Previously Thought

 

at 4/1/25 4:02am

A new study finds warming could inflict far more damage to the global economy than previously assumed.Read more on E360 →

— In a Warming World, Why Is the Southern Ocean Getting Cooler?

 

at 3/31/25 5:09am

Climate models predict that as the planet warms, so will the Southern Ocean. But for decades, the waters around Antarctica have grown mysteriously cooler. A new study shows why.Read more on E360 →

— Despite Ukraine War, Europe Imported Even More Russian Gas Last Year

 

at 3/28/25 7:11am

The EU is getting further from its goal of weaning off Russian fossil fuels by 2027. Imports of Russian gas rose by 18 percent last year, a new analysis finds.Read more on E360 →

— In War-Torn Sudan, a Gold Mining Boom Takes a Human Toll

 

at 3/26/25 11:26am

As civil war rages in Sudan, a surge in gold production is helping finance and arm the warring factions. Most of the mining is done on a small scale by villagers who process the gold using mercury and cyanide, posing serious threats to their health and to the environment.Read more on E360 →

— Renewables Made Up More Than 90 Percent of New Power Installed Globally Last Year

 

at 3/26/25 6:50am

Renewables accounted for 92 percent of new power capacity worldwide last year, a new report shows.Read more on E360 →

— Renewables Accounted for More Than 90 Percent of New Power Globally Last Year

 

at 3/26/25 6:50am

Renewables accounted for 92 percent of new power capacity worldwide last year, a new report shows.Read more on E360 →

— With NOAA Cuts, a Proud Legacy and Vital Science Are at Risk

 

at 3/24/25 10:17am

For more than 50 years, NOAA has pioneered climate research and been instrumental in advancing modern weather forecasting. Now labeled by Project 2025 as part of the “climate alarm industry” and facing DOGE-driven cuts, the future of this valuable public asset is in jeopardy.Read more on E360 →

— Retreating Arctic Glaciers Have Exposed 1,500 Miles of Coastline

 

at 3/24/25 7:46am

Since 2000, the melting of Arctic glaciers has exposed some 1,500 miles of coastline, a study finds.Read more on E360 →

— Peatland Algae to Soak Up More Carbon as Planet Warms

 

at 3/20/25 1:22pm

New research finds that microalgae in northern peat bogs will absorb more carbon dioxide as the planet warms, helping to take a bite out of emissions.Read more on E360 →

— Imperiled in the Wild, Many Plants May Survive Only in Gardens

 

at 3/19/25 9:55am

As the impacts of climate change and other threats mount, conservationists are racing to preserve endangered plant species in botanical garden “metacollections” in the hope of eventually returning them to the wild. But what happens when there is no suitable habitat to return them to?Read more on E360 →

— Carbon Dioxide Levels Highest in 800,000 Years

 

at 3/19/25 7:00am

Temperatures hit an all-time high last year, according to a new U.N. report detailing the dire state of the global climate.Read more on E360 →

— Grass-Fed Beef No Better for Climate Than Industrial Beef, Study Finds

 

at 3/18/25 6:33am

New research finds that, pound for pound, grazing cattle generate at least as much heat-trapping gas as those raised in feedlots.Read more on E360 →

— Peruvian Farmer Sues German Energy Giant Over Its Role in Climate Change

 

at 3/17/25 7:15am

Hearings began Monday in a landmark climate case in Hamm, Germany, where a Peruvian farmer is suing energy giant RWE over its role in warming.Read more on E360 →

— African Solar Installations Headed for Banner Year

 

at 3/13/25 10:00pm

African solar installations are projected to grow by 42 percent this year, according to an industry group.Read more on E360 →

— Can Toxic Mining Waste Help Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere?

 

at 3/12/25 10:00pm

On the coast of Newfoundland, waste from a shuttered asbestos mine has been a troubling source of contamination for decades. Now, a company plans to process the waste to draw CO2 from the air — one of several projects worldwide that aim to turn this liability into an asset.Read more on E360 →

— In This Storied Egyptian City, Rising Seas are Causing Buildings to Crumble

 

at 3/11/25 10:00pm

As waters rise along the Egyptian coast, hundreds of buildings in the historic port city of Alexandria have collapsed.Read more on E360 →

— Saving U.S. Climate and Environmental Data Before It Goes Away

 

at 3/10/25 10:00pm

Some 2,000 records went missing from government data sets after the Trump administration took office in January. Canadian geographer Eric Nost talks about the work he and colleagues are doing to archive data related to climate and the environment while it is still accessible.Read more on E360 →

— Cuts to U.S. Climate Aid Will Leave Large Gap in Global Funding

 

at 3/9/25 10:00pm

The U.S. provides nearly a tenth of all climate finance globally, a well of funding that is at risk of drying up as the Trump administration takes aim at overseas spending.Read more on E360 →

— Russia’s War Has Destroyed Forest Twice the Size of New York City

 

at 3/6/25 10:00pm

Ukraine lost roughly 600 square miles of forest in the first two years of its war with Russia, an area of woodland twice the size of New York City.Read more on E360 →

As of 4/3/25 3:48pm. Last new 4/3/25 8:18am.