• Water

Coal Ash Barges in India Continue to Capsize, Jeopardizing Public Health, Mangroves, Fishers

• cement
• coal
• Coal Ash
• India
• mangroves
• tigers
• toxic
• UNESCO World Heritage Site

Since March, five barges filled with toxic fly ash have capsized en route from India to Bangladesh, according to Rishika Pardikar last week in The Third Pole.  The fly ash, which is used to make cement in Bangladesh, is particularly harmful in river systems such as those of the Sundarbans, an area that contains a highly endangered Bengal tiger reserve and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Why This Matters: Rivers are often touted as an environmentally friendly and cheap mode of transportation – even here in the U.S. (e.g., the Mississippi River). But there are many other users who rely on these waterways in India for fishing and other livelihoods.

• Ocean

Hurricanes Benefit Mangroves in Florida’s Everglades

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• mangroves

Hurricanes can bring sheer destruction to coastal communities like causing elevated sea level, known as storm surge, extensive shoreline erosion, destruction to reefs, and other geologic effects leading to the loss of property and life. However, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed that hurricanes may actually […]