Last week, temperatures in the Arctic once again went above freezing, following a split in the Polar Vortex that allowed warm air currents to flow into the region, with some stations recording temperatures 25ºC (45ºF) above normal. This event accompanies an abrupt retreat of sea ice in the Bering Sea, having lost almost one-third of its coverage in just over a week.
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In early 2016, 29 male sperm whales beached themselves along the shores of shores of France, Germany, Great Britain, and the Netherlands; with the tragic incidents occurring over a period of time totaling less than a month from January 8 to February 4. Autopsies performed on the whales found that they were all healthy, and well-nourished – offering no apparent physiological reason for the cetaceans to run themselves aground. But researchers looking into the case began to question whether or not the creatures’ navigation systems were compromised in some manner, disorienting them in a fashion that would ultimately prove to be fatal.read more
The leak of 1,100 documents from the paramilitary firm TigerSwan has revealed that the private security company was contracted by pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners to conduct an invasive infiltration and surveillance operation against protest groups opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline. Comparing the protesters to "jihadists" in internal reports, the operation included coordination with local, state and federal law enforcement, spanning the multiple states that the pipeline passes through. This revelation has left organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union to question why it is legal for a private company to be allowed to conduct intrusive surveillance programs such as this.
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Scientists have announced that a river in northern Canada has been dramatically re-routed due to the effects of global warming. Meltwater from the Yukon territory’s Kaskawulsh glacier, formerly flowing north into the Yukon River via the Slims River, now flows south into the Alsek River, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The event underscores how rapidly potential changes can happen when systems that are affected by climate change reach their tipping points.
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