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The world's oceans are facing a bleak future, say marine scientists, unless we rebuild its abundance, variety and vitality. (CNN) -- As the human footprint has spread, the remaining wildernesses on our planet have retreated. However, dive just a few meters below the ocean surface and you will enter a world where humans very rarely venture.

When workers in the cafeteria ran outside, they saw black smoke pouring from shattered windows. It came from the area where employees polished thousands of cases a day. Two people were killed immediately, and over a dozen others hurt. As the injured were rushed into ambulances, one in particular stood out.

Posted: Print Article From Mother Nature Network's Russell McLendon: Forests cover a third of all land on Earth, providing vital organic infrastructure for some of the planet's densest, most diverse collections of life. They support countless species as well as 1.6 billion human livelihoods, yet humans are also responsible for 32 million acres of deforestation every year.

Required reading for C1; suggested for honors. A summary of the Senate bill by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Foxconn, which manufactures more than 40 percent of the world's electronics for such companies as Apple, Dell, Amazon and others, has pledged to sharply curtail the number of working hours within its Chinese factories and significantly increase wages, a move that could improve working conditions across China.

"No Human Being Is Illegal," read the T-shirt worn by the rapper Residente, leading the Puerto Rican group Calle 13, as he started the band's concert at Celebrate Brooklyn! on Friday night. Calle 13, which swept the Latin Grammy Awards in 2011, revved up an exultant global party.

Very interesting article that links a mother's education level in Afghanistan to her health, home life, children's health, access to facilities, and overall quality of life. Argues that "human development hinges upon the status of women."

"Instruments on Hawaii's Mauna Loa observatory first recorded carbon dioxide levels above 400 parts per million last May, peaking at 400.5. This year, the seasonally fluctuating number has crossed 401 ppm three times this month and hit a record 401.6 on March 12, said Ralph Keeling at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. That's a figure well above pre-industrial levels and perhaps not seen since before the rise of humanity."

Yikes.

STOCKHOLM - For the first time, the world's top climate scientists on Friday formally embraced an upper limit on greenhouse gases while warning that it is likely to be exceeded within decades if emissions continue at a brisk pace, underscoring the profound challenge humanity faces in bringing global warming under control.

nice to read after talking about how much our world sucks

Australia plans to allow hunting of Great White sharks in designated coastal zones in response to a number of fatal shark attacks. This decision comes despite the fact that Great Whites are a protected species

I think that Australia is making a terrible mistake. They admit that the rise in shark attacks is bizarre and that they are not sure what the root of the problem is so they think that the solution is to start killing the sharks. The only way to prevent shark attacks with their method is by completing killing off the population. I think that they should spend more time investigating what could have caused the sharks to suddenly become so violent towards humans.

This article shows the harsh conditions that Ugandan gays live under..

by Aaron Saenz July 21st, 2010 | Comments (20) Think the global human population is growing too quickly? Then work to decrease infant mortality among the world's poor. That's the message that world-class health analyst and statistician Hans Rosling presented at the recent TED Talks at Cannes.