Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn Designated Superfund Status
For over a hundred years, the Gowanus Canal was used as a dumping ground for a host of refining and manufacturing companies. It is now one of the most polluted waterways in the U.S., with high concentrations of heavy metals and PCBs in the sediment. Though the Bloomberg administration was seeking to avoid a Superfund designation (believing that it could manage a faster cleanup without the Superfund stigma), the EPA will now begin the cleanup process, expected to take 10-12 years.

Are Methane Emissions from the Arctic Becoming a Big Problem?
There is some worrisome news coming out of the Arctic, where a recent study in Science has found that methane is bubbling up from deposits in the seafloor. Methane, 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, could amplify global warming as deposits located in the arctic permafrost and on the sea floor become more active. However, the short-lived nature of methane (compared to CO2) may make methane less worrisome than some think. Unfortunately the jury is still out.

The G.O.P.’s Green Rogue – Senator Lindsey Graham
Senator Lindsey Graham has been one of the sole Republican members of congress that has been actively pushing for domestic climate change legislation. In case you missed it, Tom Friedman’s column on how Senator Graham frames his push for a price on carbon emissions is well worth a read.

A Polar Bear Jawbone Provides Clues to the Species Evolution
It turns out that polar bear split from brown bears only 150,000 years ago. DNA evidence from a 130,000 year old jaw bone provides evidence that polar bears have been through warming periods before, giving hope that they would be able to adapt to rapidly warming temperatures in the arctic.