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Progressive Marine veteran seeks to reshape West Virginia politics
In a bid to challenge the coal industry's grip on West Virginia, Zach Shrewsbury, a Marine Corps veteran and community organizer, has launched his U.S. Senate campaign.
In short:
- Shrewsbury's campaign follows a populist approach, emphasizing job creation over coal reliance, seeking to pivot to renewable energy sources.
- His grassroots strategy includes extensive traveling across West Virginia, engaging directly with voters and distributing essential supplies.
- The political landscape is marked by a decline in union influence and the rise of Republican dominance attributed to economic grievances and industrial decline.
Key quote:
"I am of the working class. I am from our home. And I will fight for the everyday West Virginian."
— Zach Shrewsbury, U.S. Senate candidate
Why this matters:
Shrewsbury's campaign is poised to stir significant debate on the state's economic future, especially as environmental concerns grow and the demand for sustainable energy sources becomes more urgent.
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Credit: Oleksandr Sushko/Unsplash
Seaweed's champions: How science is changing our view of the ocean's least loved plants
Kelp forests around the world are threatened by climate change, overfishing, pollution and development. A growing global interest in their critical role in marine ecosystems could help save them, but will it be too little, too late?
Paul Tullis reports for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
In short:
- Kelp provides vital ecosystem services, including habitat provision and oxygen production, outpacing even the Amazon rainforest.
- Despite historical underfunding, kelp forest research is gaining momentum worldwide.
- Covering vast areas of the ocean, kelp forests are crucial for marine biodiversity, acting as nurseries and shelters for various marine species.
Key quote:
“Kelp forests provide critical ecosystem services to humans, similar to those provided by coral reefs and tropical forests."
— Thomas Wernberg, marine biologist at the University of Western Australia in Perth
Why this matters:
Kelp forests provide a dense habitat and rich feeding grounds for a wide array of marine life, from invertebrates and fish to sea otters and seals. Beyond their ecological value, kelp forests are also champions of carbon sequestration. They absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, thus playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
There's wide acknowledgement of the vulnerability of marine ecosystems in an ocean that's rapidly warming and acidifying, but the collective will to enact protective measures in the ocean is often lacking.
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Ocean acidification set to triple by 2100—what this means for the US coast
The acidification of the Earth's oceans is expected to triple by 2100, and could lead to major impacts on biodiversity across U.S. coastlines.
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Photo by Fredrik Öhlander on Unsplash
Climate, environmental change puts 90% of world's marine food at risk, study says
More than 90% of the world's marine food supplies are at risk from environmental changes such as rising temperatures and pollution, with top producers like China, Norway and the United States facing the biggest threat, new research showed on Monday.
Editorial: the Arctic threatened by Putin’s war
Editorial: Geopolitical fallout from the conflict in Ukraine is threatening an environmentally crucial region
How engineers make sure giant floating wind turbines don't drift away
Floating wind turbines the size of skyscrapers are being built where there can’t be construction directly on the seafloor. It’s a massive technical challenge.
Newsletter
Fishermen endangered by offshore wind’s political power
Turbines the height of 70-story skyscrapers will soon tower over East Coast fishing grounds. But government regulators with ties to offshore wind developers are downplaying the danger to the marine ecosystem and fishermen’s livelihoods.
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