Great Barrier Reef glaringly absent from United Nations report

Researchers estimate more than a third of the coral in the northern and central Great Barrier Reef has died as a result of the recent mass bleaching event and more than half of the coral near Cooktown. The latest stats follow the ecosystem's omission (at the request of the Australian government) from a UN report on how climate change is affecting World Heritage Sites. Christian Science Monitor

Tar-sands vapor packs a polluting punch

Bitumen in open-pit mines releases vapor into the atmosphere. When exposed to sunlight, the vapor turns into secondary organic aerosols—particles that form smog and pose a threat to human health. A new paper says that the rate of particle production from tar sands is on par with that of the Deepwater Horizon disaster (only it's been going on for decades, not months). New York Times

Air pollution hardens the arteries

A decadelong study found that Americans living in places with more air pollution had a 20 percent acceleration in the rate of atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Breathing unhealthy air has long been linked to heart disease, but this study is the first to pinpoint the biological processes at work. ThinkProgress

Treating cows with antibiotics boosts agricultural emissions

A new study finds that when cattle are given antibiotics, their dung produces nearly twice as much methane as the dung of non-treated cows. The meds also change the composition of gut microbes in the dung beetles that feed on cow pies, which the researchers say could disrupt the insects’ behavior and lead to downstream effects on the ecosystem. New Scientist

The veggie burger 2.0 is here—and it bleeds

Beyond Meat, a California tech company dedicated to plant protein, is debuting its “Beyond Burger” next week at Whole Foods. The patty is designed to smell and look like the real thing—brown on the outside, pink on the inside (a look achieved with pulverized beets)—but without the environmental impact of beef. New York Times

Pages

Subscribe to NRDC RSS