Australian river fails the acid test
Source: New Scientist
Wetland at the mouth of Australia's Murray-Darling river have become as corrosive as battery acid, forming a yellow crust of sideronatrite, a mineral that only forms in extremely acid soil. This latest indicator of the river's decline is detailed in reports to be released this week by the CSIRO Land and Water research institute in Adelaide, South Australia. Falling water levels in Lakes Alexandrina and Albert at the Murray's mouth in South Australia were exposing the surrounding soils, rich in iron sulphide, to the air. This has led to the production of 240,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid, say researchers.
A more environment-friendly form of concrete
Source: International Herald Tribune
Developers the Durst Organization are billing their New York skyscraper, as the world's most environmentally conscientious skyscrapers. One Bryant Park used 45% less cement than would normally be used, replaced by slag from steel mills. Every tonne of cement releases roughly one tonne of greenhouse gases from the kilns that bake it. The company used coal ash from power plants and blast-furnace slag as concrete substitutes.
Crocodiles wiped out by invasion of the toxic toads
Source: Independent
Researchers have found that, in some waterways in the Northern Territory, numbers of freshwater crocodiles have more than halved over the past two years. The reason is cane toads, which are fatal when eaten.
Amazon to scrap plastic packaging for recyclable cardboard boxes
Source: Telegraph
Amazon has pledged to stop sending toys, computers and other goods out in plastic boxes. The shopping website has joined leading manufacturers, including toy company Mattel and software giant Microsoft, to come up with a solution it says is ecofriendly. Called "frustration free packaging", the company aims to replace plastic wrapping with a simple, recyclable cardboard box.
Experts warn of severe water shortages by 2080
Source: AP
Half the world's population could face a shortage of clean water by 2080 because of climate change, experts warned Tuesday. Wong Poh Poh, a professor at the National University of Singapore, told a regional conference that global warming was disrupting water flow patterns and increasing the severity of floods, droughts and storms — all of which reduce the availability of drinking water.
Atlantic City centre begins installation of largest solar roof system in US
Source: The Green Meeting
Atlantic City Convention Center is being fitted with the largest single-roof photovoltaic system in the U.S., with some 13,321 panels capable of generating 2.36 megawatts. The panels will cover 290,000 square feet, or two-thirds of the venue's roof. The solar panels will prevent release of 2,349 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
Indonesia to plant 100 million trees this year
Source: Reuters
Indonesia, which has been losing forests at a rapid pace in recent years, plans to plant 100 million trees across the country this year in an effort to limit deforestation, a forestry official said Wednesday. Indonesia has lost an estimated 70% of its original frontier forest, but it still has a total forest area of more than 225 million acres (91 million hectares), with a host of exotic plants and animals waiting to be discovered. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said in a report that Indonesia was suffering the fastest forest loss in the world at almost 1.9 million hectares per year.
