Modernizing Artisanal Brick Kilns: A Global Need
Brick making supplies jobs and pollutes the air in the world’s poorest economies.
Nature & Environment
As Threats to Corals Grow, Hints of Resilience Emerge
Some reefs are showing a surprising ability to resist or bounce back from damage. Could such resilience help corals survive in a rapidly changing ocean?
Quicksilver and Gold: Mercury Pollution from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining
For centuries miners have used mercury to trap particles of precious metals. Artisanal and small-scale gold miners used an estimated 1,400 metric tons of mercury in 2011. About one-third of the mercury used is believed to go into the air while the rest goes into soils and waterways.
As Myanmar Opens to World, Fate of Its Forests Is on the Line
Years of sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime helped protect its extensive wild lands. But as the country’s rulers relax their grip and welcome foreign investment, can the nation protect its forests and biodiversity while embracing development?
As Isolation Ends, Myanmar Faces New Ecological Risks
Concerned about the path of foreign investment, homegrown environmentalists seek to protect threatened forests and wildlife and push for sustainable development.
In Hot Water: Global Warming Takes a Toll on Coral Reefs
In 2005, more than half the corals in the US Virgin Islands National Park were wiped out by disease after a sudden spike in water temperature. This article explains the biology of coral disease; an ecological threat that scientists have only begun to understand.