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Thousands of walruses are "hauling out" onto the Alaskan shoreline. -

This is the seventh time in the last nine years that these marine mammals have been forced ashore en masse because of dwindling ice in the Chukchi Sea. Mashable

Californians cut their water use 31 percent last month. -

That comes out to 74 billion gallons less than Golden State residents consumed in July 2013, and exceeds governor Jerry Brown's mandatory 25 percent reduction for the second month in a row. (June's savings were 27 percent). Sacramento Bee

European Food Safety Authority says neonicotinoid pesticides harm bees. -

The EFSA plans to reevaluate the current restrictions on neonic use next month. Environmentalists want stricter protections for pollinators, and the pesticide industry (surprise, surprise) is trying to get regulators to buzz off. Reuters

Global sea levels have risen nearly three inches since 1992. -

NASA says melting ice and warming water (remember: heat expands!) are making sea levels rise much faster than they did 50 years ago, and it's likely to get worse. The oceans are on track to meet the high end of the United Nations' prediction of 0.3 to 0.9 meters by the end of the century. The Guardian

Thailand destroys its ivory stockpile for the first time. -

The country has long been a hub for the illegal trade that is slaughtering elephants into extinction, but now the government says it's ready to crack down on ivory trafficking—starting with the pulverization of more than two tons of seized tusks and trinkets. Discovery

Waikiki Beach closes after a 500,000-gallon sewage spill. -

A pumping station was offline for maintenance when a four-inch downpour hit Honolulu Sunday night, resulting in some serious sewage overflow. The "brown, fetid water" streamed out of manholes and into storm drains leading to the ocean. Health officials say beachgoers should stay clear until at least tomorrow. Reuters