Beijing was covered in a dense toxic haze this past week culminating in an off-the-charts toxicity level reading of 755 on Saturday. The municipal government in Beijing does not record numbers above 500, and some speculated the monitor had broken, but a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, which took the measurement and reported it on its @BeijingAir Twitter account, said that it was operating correctly. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers levels between 301 and 500 “hazardou... Read More
Russian Alexey Tomilov and Italian Angelika Rainer won the Ice Climbing World Championships this week, triumphing over a stiff field in Cheongsong, South Korea.
In a close men's final, Tomilov beat out Ukraine's Valentyn Sypavin to secure his place at the top. (Tomilov's brother Maxim, the 2011 world champion, was notably absent from the final after falling in the semi-final round.)
On the women's side of the competition, Rainer squeezed by Russian climber Anna Gallyamova, who topped out the... Read More
The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct a full review of Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner following the discovery of two new safety issues with the aircraft. On Friday, a spiderweb-like crack developed in the windshield of an All Nippon Airways plane while it was preparing to land. The same day, another Dreamliner operated by the airline was discovered to be leaking oil from its engine.
Despite the problems, FAA officials quoted in The Guardian say there's no indication that the plan... Read More
In what is being called a "very expensive mistake," a Heavenly Mountain snowboarder whom search and rescue had sought through the night was found at the Horizon Casino Resort hotel with an "acquaintance."
The brother of 24-year-old Corey Hoffman reported him missing at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday due to a miscommunication and the "consumption of alcohol." After meeting at a bar, his brother thought Hoffman had returned to the mountain and continued skiing. Hoffman did not know that he had been rep... Read More
In 2009, The New York Times created its environment desk. Edited by Sandy Keenan, the desk had a staff of nine (two editors, seven reporters) and also oversaw the Green Blog. Less than four years later, it’s being disbanded.
The executive director of the Society of Environmental Journalists, Beth Parke called the announcement a "worrying" sign.
Dean Baquet, managing editor for news operations, offered reassurance that the move did not indicate a lessened commitment to climate and envi... Read More
