Urban streams being conta

Many people do not think about it much, but while they are driving on those slick free, freshly salted roads in the winter, they are actually contributing to the contamination of streams and rivers in these heavily used areas. Over the last twenty years, the percentage of contamination as nearly doubled and it just keeps going up as more and more cars end up on the road. It does not help that it is in combination with harsher extreme weather patterns in the winter. The current levels of contaminants is above the recommended acceptable levels. This is going to be bad for habitats of fish and animals that use these water sources. To read more of the statistics, click here.

Strong weathers impact on wildfires

The old ways of letting forests burn so that the can regrow and flourish has begun to be re-adopted in the United States. In letting this happen, forest are able to regrow and be more resistive of fires. Areas that go too long without burning, like the Rim Fire area, have much more devastating consequences on the forest as the fire is much more intense and can cause much more damage. With the restoration efforts that have been taken place in the California forests, it was thought they would be much more defended against fires, but the severe weather that accompanied the Rim Fire, it is no wonder that the first was able to plow right through these areas. Learn more about it here.

Air pollution and autism

According to this article, babies have a much higher chance of being born with autism if the mother is exposed to fine particulate matter. If the mother is exposed to enough of this air pollution, particularly during the third, the chances are much greater. The research suggest that "particles 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller" are what they are concerned with and does not seem to be as big of an influence during the first 2 trimester or after birth. The third trimester in particular appears to be the most dangerous time for pregnant women to be exposed to these PM2.5. This research backs other research that has ended up with similar results and show the current state of our air quality.

Credit: © Oleg Shelomentsev / Fotolia

Shapeshifting plants

Some researchers have discovered that some plants are able to alter their characteristics due to their environment. In the Rocky Mountains, a mustard plant has been discovered that is able to change its appearance along with its grow cycle to optimize its ability to grow. A big theme surrounding climate change is that many species of plants and animals are not going to be able to adjust to the changing planet. This article suggests that some species might be better than others at adapting to changes in their environment. Because only part of a plants life is dependent on climate, the other being sun exposure, scientists believe that plants may be able to adapt better than we first thought, so long as the rotation of the earth stays the same, which it will. To find out more about the details, check out this article.

Credit: Dartmouth College

Americans and their lights

According to this recent article, Americans are up there for leaders in light pollution. One of the countries this study focused on was Germany. On a per capita basis, Germany produces much less light than the United States does. As the countries grew, the light emission rate per capita for the U.S. has continually risen while Germany has has not. With global satellite imaging, researchers have noticed that in less developed countries the primary light source came from things like airport. In more developed countries, like those throughout Europe, the main source of light pollution come from places that are associated with leisure and luxury. The night sky is important for things like astronomers and nocturnal animals. The amount of light output really says something about how we function as a society and manipulate the world around us to get what we want.

Credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Centre

Why is Greenland so white?

As many people know, Greenland is hardly green. It is huge hunk of ice, but why is it that way? Greenland is relatively knew when to compared to the geological time scale. There are three reasons that Greenland has ended up the way that it is. The first is Greenland's mountains reach up into the much cooler altitudes. The second, Greenland moved further from the equator into an area where there is not as much solar disturbance. The third reason is that a slight change occurred in the earth rotation which forced Greenland even further from the sun. Greenland is currently losing alot of its ice due to the effect of global warming and has been decreasing much faster over the last twenty years than ever before. At our current rate, it is only a matter of time until it totally melts into the ocean. The details of the article can be accessed here.

Credit: Peter Japsen, GEUS

Can't get it up

It is a sad time for polar bears. Due to anthropogenic pollution and the radiative effects of climate change, humans are altering not only the environment of polar bears but their natural physiognomy as well. In a report published by VICE, the concentration of PCB's, released from industrial process, is higher in polar bears. PCB's are endocrine disruptors-- they damage reproductive capacities. In this case, they are damaging the Bacula-- essentially the cartiliginous material composing the boner of the bears. It's this combination of factors that poses the most pressing threat to the bears. "Bears are drawing down further into their fat stores for energy late in the fasting periods," Dr. Andrew Derocher, scientific advisor to Polar Bears International and a University of Edmonton professor of biology, told me. As thinner bears draw down their fat stores due to above-average fasting, "the remaining pollution is released and circulates at higher levels. This means cubs getting milk from their mothers are getting higher doses of pollution and, for those bears that aren't lactating, it means they have to deal with higher pollution levels."

But don't take my word for it, read more here

Males feeling the consequences of lead more than females

Research is suggesting that estrogen and estradiol can help keep girls safer when exposed to lead. There is a much higher chance of males suffering the negative consequences of lead exposure and displaying the negative cognitive disabilities. "The findings also add to the evidence that lead exposure has a negative impact on cognitive functioning, especially those functions housed within frontal areas of the brain. Executive functions are controlled largely by the prefrontal cortex, while reading skills rely more heavily on the temporal or parietal areas of the cerebral cortex" (Maya Khanna). From the research that was conducted on a group of children aged 3-6, the found that a larger majority of boys displayed cognitive problems, and they boys lived in older houses that used lead paint. More on this can be found here. 

New 3D maps of greenland reveal new ice history

Technology is always growing and that is no exception to the world of climate recording. New 3D maps have been constructed to help scientists get a better understanding and view of the Greenland ice sheet. It allows for more information to arise about the history of how the Greenland ice sheet formed and what its projected fate will be. Greenland has been losing ice mass for the last twenty years and it is only accelerating. New advancements in radar data collection has allowed researched to get a better view of the different ice sheets that Greenland houses. To see more about how these advancements work, click here.

 Credit: NASA

Cash from the mash

Some companies in the oil olive making biz are looking for more ideas to be able to use everything they can in the olive oil making process to minimize the amount of waste produced. A group from Spain is looking into creating heat and energy from the waste during the process.The technology is still in the making and would not be a good economic investment currently as it is not a cheap process. But there are hopes that in the future this technology will become more available and affordable to the public. To find out more about this new technology, click here.

Why are forecasters wrong so often?

As we've all seen time and time again, the weather forecasters seem to be wrong more than right when it comes to predictions of the weather more than a few hours out. A few researches decided to investigate what the possible reasons could be for this. They were able to find out that "land-use changes (i.e. an area that had been covered in forest is suddenly bare), topography, particles in the atmosphere and population density" were the main reasons for inaccuracy in estimates. By changing the environment around us, we are changing the way that nature is going to respond. To see more possible reasons, click here.

Why did the Easter Islanders die off?

This question has been long debated as to whether the islanders were killed off by disease brought by the European travelers or if they over-exhausted their resources through the building of massive stone sculptures and over population. Research suggests that certain areas of the island where abandoned well before the europeans arrived and that other areas were inhabited long after the european contact. The research is suggesting that instead of putting themselves into extinction, the islanders pulled back their production in hopes of saving themselves. More information can be found here.

   Credit: Image courtesy of University of California - Santa Barbara

Sea Level Lowering in Europe

Research is discovering that the sea level is actually lowering in areas or Europe, the Straight of Gibralter to be exact.As stated by Prof Chris Hughes, "Much in the same way that stirring a cup of tea makes it swirl around a low point in the middle of the cup, the rotation of the Earth causes ocean currents in the northern hemisphere to slope as they flow, with a low in the sea level on their left hand side." So because of the rotation of the earth, we are seeing different affects on the sea level depending where you look. This gives researchers more information regarding ocean current power and how it is affecting the rest of the planet. More information on the topic can be found here.

Algae may be used as biodiesel and jet fuel

A common algae typically grown commercially to produce fish food has been discovered as a potential source for biodiesel and jet fuel. Researchers Greg O’Neil from Western Washington University and Chris Reddy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found that fatty acids contained in the algae could be converted into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), which are the molecules in biodiesel. 

Tom Kleindinst/Woods Hale Oceanographic Institution

They believe that since it is possible to produce two fuels from this one type of algae, commercialization of this method is probable. O’Neil and Reddy have stated that this is only the first step of many, but that they are excited by this initial result.

Source: Science Daily

Global warming to heavily impact Australia

According to the national science agency CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, Australia could be hit hardest by global warming. By the end of the century, temperatures could rise by more than 5C, surpassing temperatures around the world. How hot Australia will get depends on how effectively we cut our greenhouse gas emissions. If we take the “business-as-usual” approach, however, Australia is currently on track to warm by 5C.

2014 was the third-warmest year on record for Australia, while 2013 is currently the warmest year on record. These rising temperatures were found to be five times more likely due to anthropogenic climate change over natural variability alone. Therefore, maintaining a reasonable temperature in Australia is vitally dependent on the global community’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: The Guardian

Renewable Energy Here To Stay

After the huge drop in crude oil prices some experts warn that renewable energy will take a hit. However, the head of the Energy Information Administration has announced that it might not be the case. Tax incentives and programs that require renewable energy maintain a demand for wind and solar power. Since most of our power comes from coal and gas oil prices shouldn't affect green power much. However, it will affect transportation, as the cheaper gas is likely to result in more internal combustion engines then electric cars. Read more of the Guardian here.

Photo: Corbis

White House reveals plan to allow offshore drilling in the Atlantic

It seems that the White House is sticking to its “all-of-the-above” energy plan. The White House recently announced a plan to open offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic waters. This plan will allow for oil drilling rigs off the Outer Banks of the Carolinas and near Virginia and Georgia. However, oil companies will be required to stay at least 50 miles away from the shore.

Photo credit: Cristobal Garcia

In addition to added greenhouse gas emissions, environmentalists are worried about the potential for an oil spill and turning the Atlantic coast into an industrial zone. Many Republicans, however, believe expanding offshore drilling is good America, believing it lessens our dependence on foreign oil. While offshore drilling may benefit the domestic economy, if Obama truly wants to take a step towards combating climate change, this plan seems to be a step backwards.

Source: The Guardian

La Niña events becoming more dangerous

Global warming has the potential to double the risk of La Niña events in the Pacific Ocean. La Niña events happen when sea surface temperatures contrast with warming land temperatures of Southeast Asia in the west. 

http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/secc_edu/images/LaNina_US_conditions.gif

This new research suggests that extreme La Niña events could happen every 13 years instead of the usual 23 years. The increase in these events could mean a rise in droughts in the Southwestern US, floods in the western Pacific regions, and hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Source: China Daily

Paris climate talks coming this December

This coming December, important climate talks will be held among international leaders in Paris. These talks are significant because if the global community doesn’t act very soon, serious effects of global warming will be irreversible. The failure of the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks make people very wary about the success for this year’s climate talks in Paris. However, as this is the last real chance we have to combat climate change, hopefully this year’s climate talks will be taken more seriously.

This year, due to the low price of oil per barrel, there is an opportunity for policy-makers to implement a carbon floor price in order to increase the cost of pollution and make clean investment a more viable option.

 

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (left) & IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachuari

 Photo credit: Niels Ahlmann Olesen

In addition, a recent study from the University of California Berkeley concluded that activities that make people happy are unrelated to energy consumption. Activities such as volunteering, spending time with friends and sleeping more are unrelated to consumption but increase our overall levels of happiness. Therefore, perhaps it’s time for society to rethink our relationship to consumption. If we stop thinking of consumption of energy and goods as what will make us happy and instead only consume the energy and goods to meet our basic needs, we may end up being happier and reduce our climate impact. If we could bring this mindset into the Paris climate talks, perhaps we can rethink our relationship to the economy, society, and the environment.

Source: The Guardian

No Fracking Way!

Scotland has halted the expansion of any unconventional methods of retrieving gas and oil. Fracking is amongst those listed. The government plans to use this time to conduct an investigation on the health impacts and public concerns on fracking. With a poll resulting in 58% of the people against fracking there is huge hope and support for an eventual ban or an implementation of cleaner extraction. The moratorium is expected to last a few months as evidence is collected. Click here to read more of the Guardian.

Photo: Ken Jack/Ken Jack/Demotix/Corbis