2015 goes down as the hottest year in recorded history, blowing away the previous record and the claim that climate change has leveled off since the late 1990s.
Commentary
Guest Column: Seismic Tests Critical
Donald R. van der Vaart, the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, responds to congressmen who oppose proposed seismic tests off North Carolina.
Guest Column: ‘Island Time’ on Hatteras
Life slows down on Hatteras Island in the winter. The tourists are gone, and most of the shops are closed. January is a time for beach combing and catching up with neighbors.
Sam’s Field Notes: Eastern Red Cedar
The eastern red cedar, which thrives in dunes along the N.C. coast, has long been important to wildlife and man, and some native Americans consider it sacred.
Sam’s Field Notes: Coastal Thanksgiving
The tradition of showing appreciation for what we have seems most appropriate here on the coast where serenity, beauty and wonders of nature are abundant.
Sam’s Field Notes: Sure Signs of Fall
The little, yellow sulphur butterflies flitting about this time of year are sure signs that autumn is upon us. The fall equinox, marking the celestial start of fall, is Wednesday morning.
Coastal Review Gets Conservation Award
The N.C. Wildlife Federation has named Coastal Review Online “Conservation Communicator of the Year,” an award to be presented Saturday at a banquet in Cary.
Guest Column: The State of Predators
Sharks splashed across headlines this summer but not reported is that many shark species are near extinction and that could upset entire marine ecosystems.
Guest Column: The Science of Shark Bites
What explains the surprising number of swimmers recently bitten by sharks along N.C. beaches? Coastal scientists offer theories today in our guest column.
Editor’s Desk: ‘Coastoons’ Come to CRO
Our editor, Frank Tursi, introduces our website’s newest feature called “Coastoons” by Bob Eckstein, an award-winning cartoonist for the New Yorker, and previews our coming series of stories about offshore drilling and the N.C. coast.
Guest Column: If We Save It, They Will Come
The conservation work in Brunswick County has attracted Apple Inc., which recently bought 36,000 acres of forestland to sustainably harvest timber, two conservationists say.
Guest Column: Asleep at the Helm?
Duke geologist Orrin Pilkey raises the question about the state and its coastal management program after a project at North Topsail Beach left tons of rock on the beach.
Guest Column: Buffer Bills Shortsighted
Two bills in the state legislature that would eliminate or greatly reduce buffers along the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers would place greater burdens on cities, towns and farmers to clean up the polluted rivers.
Guest Column: Reflections on Saving a Forest
A leader in the effort to save Hofmann Forest reflects on the victory and cautions that further vigilance may be needed.
Guest Column: Ill Wind Blows From Raleigh
A promoter of offshore wind energy argues that a request by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ban turbines within 25 miles of shore would kill any chance of developing wind farms off the N.C. coast.
Commentary: What Oil Money?
Todd Miller thinks the odds are pretty long that the feds will share revenues from offshore drilling with North Carolina any time soon.
