Researchers say rising sea levels and erosion have submerged five small uninhabited islands in the Solomon Islands, ranging in size from one to five hectares. The study is believed to be the first scientific confirmation of the effects of climate change on coastlines in the Pacific. Reuters

For the last five years, conservationists have been pushing the federal government to recognize the animal’s historical and cultural role in the United States. Yesterday, President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law, making the bison the country’s official mammal. Hoof hoof hooray! Smithsonian

After an epidemic of sea star wasting disease nearly wiped out the population, the number of juveniles seen off the Oregon and California coast in the past few months was as much as 300 times higher than usual. But the baby boom doesn't necessarily signal a recovery—scientists are still trying to figure out which environmental factors trigger outbreaks of the virus. Christian Science Monitor

A recent study says that as climate change brings more storms, coastal erosion could release contaminants from more than 1,000 old landfill sites in England and Wales. Many of the sites were in use when few or no restrictions existed about what could be dumped in landfills. "They were rummaging through this 75-year-old waste,” says one of the researchers. "I wouldn’t pick [it] up or handle it.” The Guardian

The bill will require certain retailers to charge five cents for single-use bags, encouraging shoppers to B.Y.O.B, preferably a re-usable one. The city estimates the fee would cut paper and plastic bag waste by about 60 percent. Reuters

It's burning so hot that air drops are like spitting on a campfire.

The World Health Organization declared glyphosate probably carcinogenic last year. Since then, testing has revealed small amounts of the chemical, which is the primary ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, in a wide range of foods. A consumer group is currently suing Quaker Oats over the glyphosate found in its Quick 1-Minute oats, which the company labels "100% natural" and claims require less herbicide than other grains. TakePart

The country's Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is asking members of the public "with the capacity to acquire and manage wildlife" to get in touch. The authority gives little additional information, but Zimbabwe has 10 national parks with large numbers of elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and buffalo. Reuters 

By this morning, an estimated 80,000 residents had fled the city, which is in the heart of Alberta's tar sands region. The blaze has destroyed up to 80 percent of the homes in some neighborhoods, and it's likely to get worse—the high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds that have fueled the flames are expected to continue through today. NBC News

Since 1995 Phytophthora ramorum, an invasive fungus-like pathogen, has affected millions of acres of coastal California forest. New research on the disease says its eradication has become impossible, though local containment efforts may still help protect key ecological areas. Washington Post