Environment

China's Coastal Cities, Underwater - The New York Times, interactive (hubski post)

Barring large amounts of spending on shoreline barriers and flood control systems, these images show what China would face if carbon emissions cause global temperatures to rise by 2° Celsius (3.6°F), the current international target by 2100, or by 4° Celsius (7.2°F), roughly the warming predicted if no action is taken to curb emissions.

How the historic Paris deal over climate change was finally agreed - The Guardian, Observer

“I see no objections,” said the expressionless French foreign minister Laurent Fabius, barely glancing at the rows of country delegates then sharply banging his gavel. There was a moment’s silence as if no one could quite believe it, and then the cheers rang out, the tears of relief flowed and in scenes of high emotion, the anonymous conference hall in a northern suburb of Paris erupted. Thousands of delegates started to applaud each other. They had done it.

Bikes, bowling balls, and the delicate balancing act that is modern recycling - Ars Technica, feature

A lot of technological innovation has gone into figuring out how to take a chaotic mix of items and separate it into relatively pure streams of materials. But being able to do so isn't enough—it has to be made into a sustainable business. So today, a lot of the innovation that is taking place in the recycling industry must dually focus on the economics.

Unpleasantries

Trafficking in Terror: How closely entwined are the drug trade and global terrorism? - The New Yorker, Reporter at Large

In December, 2009, Harouna Touré and Idriss Abdelrahman, smugglers from northern Mali, walked through the doors of the Golden Tulip, a hotel in Accra, Ghana. They were there to meet with two men who had offered them an opportunity to make millions of dollars, transporting cocaine across the Sahara.

Hope

At first stop on Europe's refugee trail, a 21st century Ellis Island is born - The Washington Post

Evidence of Lesbos’s transformation is everywhere. Buses that once ferried tourists to quiet coves now zip through the island day and night, transporting asylum seekers from remote landing spots to the central registration center, a barbed-wire-laden colossus set on a rocky hillside amid grazing sheep.

Lifeguards accustomed to standing watch over sunbathers now wade into the chilly surf in wet suits to ensure no one drowns as the heaving rubber boats motor onto shore.

In the shadow of a bronze Statue of Liberty look-alike — her torch held aloft, her green gaze steady — thousands of asylum seekers gather at the port clutching tickets affording them passage on a mega-ship bound for Athens.

Canada Returns to Airlifting Refugees - The Atlantic

The first planeload of Syrian refugees arrived late Thursday in Toronto where they were welcomed by Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, and members of his Cabinet.

Funnies

XKCD 1614 - Kites