Climate change is stressing out coral 🪸
Ocean heat and carbon dioxide (CO2) are both absorbed by the ocean as greenhouse gas levels increase. When CO2 is absorbed, the water becomes more acidic. This makes it harder for corals and some other marine life to grow shells and protect themselves. Plus, marine heat waves are making it too warm for many corals to survive.
NASA is helping by sharing its decades of data with the world. For example, in a recent NASA-partnered study, scientists used satellite data to give people important information about their local reefs so that they could take actions to protect them.
Image Description: The Landsat 8 satellite’s Operational Land Imager captured this image of coral reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, on August 22, 2020. Against the dark blue ocean, are neon green reefs of different shapes and sizes.
#NASA #NationalOceanMonth #ClimateChange #Earthdata #Coral #CoralReefs
Europe’s clean energy transition is reshaping the framework for sustainable construction, yet the disconnect between capital investment and project delivery threatens progress toward net zero carbon buildings. Investment in renewables and low carbon design remains strong, but grid constraints and data centre energy demands underscore the need for robust whole life carbon assessment in every stage of sustainable building design. Developers are being urged to integrate embodied carbon analysis and lifecycle assessment into early project planning to ensure energy-efficient buildings meet tightening environmental standards.
The 1.5GW floating wind project in the Celtic Sea and carbon capture commissioning at the energy‑from‑waste facility in Cheshire represent key steps in decarbonising the built environment, anchoring a shift toward green construction and eco‑friendly infrastructure aligned with the circular economy in construction. Government backing for cleaner shipping supply chains further underlines the urgency of reducing the carbon footprint of construction and supporting resource efficiency across the sector.
Policy uncertainty in the UK continues to distort risk and investment signals. With limited climate measures in the Spring Statement, property leaders warn that regulatory ambiguity could render much of the existing stock unlettable under new EPC standards. To safeguard long‑term asset value, projects must adopt sustainable building practices, low embodied carbon materials and environmental product declarations (EPDs) to verify performance and reduce lifecycle impacts.
The drive for environmental sustainability in construction demands a shift from compliance to measurable performance. Whole life carbon metrics, life cycle cost analysis and sustainable material specification now define best practice across green building materials and eco‑design for buildings. Contractors and developers equipped with circular construction strategies and end‑of‑life reuse models will be best positioned to deliver net zero whole life carbon outcomes and achieve BREEAM and BREEAM v7 ratings. Sustained delivery of credible data, design transparency and carbon neutral construction pathways will determine leadership in the next generation of sustainable urban development.
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