Sales of Afghanistan's renowned carpets unravel as war intensifies
17 April 2018 - Sales of Afghanistan's ancient carpet-weaving industry have dropped by half in the past year as war with Taliban militants heats up and neighboring Pakistan clamps down on border traffic. Prized by buyers as much for their artistry as utility, carpets are still a chief export of the impoverished nation, but their share has shrunk to six percent from 27 percent within less than a decade. (more)

Australia's Northern Territory lifts fracking ban
17 April 2018 - Australia's Northern Territory on Tuesday (17 April) lifted a nearly two-year moratorium on fracking to extract gas, unlocking vast onshore reserves in the resource-rich region and raising the possibility of other provinces following suit. (more)

Flesh-eating ulcer 'epidemic' hits parts of Australia. Scientists don't have answers.
17 April 2018 - The spread of a flesh-eating ulcer in parts of Australia is being described as a 'rapidly worsening epidemic' and, to make matters worse, researchers say they don't know exactly where it comes from or how it is transmitted. (more)

Snow emergency' as powerful spring storm pounds parts of U.S.
14 April 2018 - A powerful spring storm pummeled the U.S. Midwest and Plains on Saturday with blizzard conditions and high winds, while tornadoes and thunderstorms menaced some of the South. Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota were under warnings for blizzard-like conditions. The city of St. Paul, Minnesota, declared a snow emergency. (more)

Sitting at desk all day may damage brain and raise dementia risk, study suggests
12 April 2018 - Sitting at a desk all day or spending hours watching television may damage the brain in a way which is known to increase the risk of dementia, a new study suggests. While researchers have known for some time that sedentary behaviour is bad for physical health, raising the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and early death, it is the first study to show it could also influence mental wellbeing. The research was published in the journal Plos One. (more)

Northern China ozone pollution getting worse: study
11 April 2018 - Concentrations of hazardous ground-level ozone have worsened in northern China despite country-wide efforts to tackle air pollution, according to a study published by Peking University on Tuesday (10 April). Also known as 'sunburn for the lungs', ozone is caused by the interaction of sunlight with nitrogen oxides and the vast amounts of uncontrolled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by burning fossil fuels. Traffic congestion is a major cause. (more)

Study: Global warming is weakening key ocean circulation
11 April 2018 - Global warming is likely slowing the main Atlantic Ocean circulation, which has plunged to its weakest level on record, according to a new study. The slowdown in the circulation -- a crucial part of Earth's climate -- had been predicted by computer models, but researchers said they can now observe it. It could make for more extreme weather across the Northern Hemisphere, especially Europe, and could increase sea level rise along the U.S. East Coast, they said. The slowdown also raises the prospect of a complete circulation shutdown, which would be a dangerous 'tipping point', according to a study in Wednesday's (11 April) journal Nature. (more)

The oceans' circulation hasn't been this sluggish in 1,000 years. That's bad news.
11 April 2018 - The Atlantic Ocean circulation that carries warmth into the Northern Hemisphere's high latitudes is slowing down because of climate change, a team of scientists asserted Wednesday (11 April), suggesting one of the most feared consequences is already coming to pass. (more)