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New microbe has potential to help rebalance Earth's nitrogen cycle
New research from microbiologists from the University of Alberta and University of Vienna provide a new perspective into the Earth's nitrogen cycle, identifying and examining the ammonia-oxidizing microbe, Nitrospira inopinata. The discovery, explained Lisa Stein, have significant breakthroughs for climate change research which could help solve our problem with the Nitrogen cycle right now.
This an interesting article as this microbe can help do its part in fixing the issues with climate change. There is way too much nitrogen in the atmosphere because of our method of fertilizing our farms. This method is called the Haber-Bosch process, and it involves adding massive quantities of fixed nitrogen, or ammonium, to the environment. This particularly bad for the atmosphere as ammonium creates a greenhouse effect much worse than what CO2 can do. This microbe can oxidize all this excess nitrogen and reverse the effects of this problem. This microbe can help with giving us cleaner water as it can be applied waste water treatment plants along with many other things.
This an interesting article as this microbe can help do its part in fixing the issues with climate change. There is way too much nitrogen in the atmosphere because of our method of fertilizing our farms. This method is called the Haber-Bosch process, and it involves adding massive quantities of fixed nitrogen, or ammonium, to the environment. This particularly bad for the atmosphere as ammonium creates a greenhouse effect much worse than what CO2 can do. This microbe can oxidize all this excess nitrogen and reverse the effects of this problem. This microbe can help with giving us cleaner water as it can be applied waste water treatment plants along with many other things.
Mass production of biodegradable plastic
New research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Jiangnan University. says how a simple step to the production of plant made biodegradable plastic could improve its properties and help overcome obstacles keeping it from being manufactured commercially.
Scientists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Jiangnan University have found that raising the temperature of bio-plastic fibers to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, then slowly letting them cool, vastly improved the bio-plastic's normally poor resistance to heat and moisture. The alternative uses polylactic acid, or polylactide, an ingredient of biodegradable plastic that can be created from corn starch, sugarcane and other plants. Though most plastics are made from petroleum, polylactide has emerged as a much more environmentally friendly substitute. If we can try and completely replace all plastic materials with this improved substitute, then the environment will take a turn for the better and possibly help reverse some of the effects of global warming and potentially save marine life from extra litter in the ocean.
Scientists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Jiangnan University have found that raising the temperature of bio-plastic fibers to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, then slowly letting them cool, vastly improved the bio-plastic's normally poor resistance to heat and moisture. The alternative uses polylactic acid, or polylactide, an ingredient of biodegradable plastic that can be created from corn starch, sugarcane and other plants. Though most plastics are made from petroleum, polylactide has emerged as a much more environmentally friendly substitute. If we can try and completely replace all plastic materials with this improved substitute, then the environment will take a turn for the better and possibly help reverse some of the effects of global warming and potentially save marine life from extra litter in the ocean.
What changes when you warm the Antarctic Ocean just 1 degree? Lots
After warming a natural seabed in the Antarctic Ocean by only 1° or 2° Celsius, researchers noticed rather large impacts on a marine assemblage, a single pioneer species of bryozoan, as growth rates nearly doubled. The findings of what the researchers call the "most realistic ocean warming experiment to date" reported in Current Biology on August 31, this goes to show that the effects of future warming may far exceed expectations.
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center warmed a thin layer of water by a couple of degrees Celsius looking for new discoveries. What they found was not good as a species of marine worms doubled in their populations. The findings suggest that climate change could have even greater effects on polar marine ecosystems than what we had expected. With new findings like this, climate change is becoming even more worrisome, if a marine worm can do well in the rising temperatures, then another animal is likely to decline and struggle and perhaps even go extinct. If I were to talk about more of the risks of climate change, then this would be a rather long write up so I'll just leave it at this. When are we going to do something about this?
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center warmed a thin layer of water by a couple of degrees Celsius looking for new discoveries. What they found was not good as a species of marine worms doubled in their populations. The findings suggest that climate change could have even greater effects on polar marine ecosystems than what we had expected. With new findings like this, climate change is becoming even more worrisome, if a marine worm can do well in the rising temperatures, then another animal is likely to decline and struggle and perhaps even go extinct. If I were to talk about more of the risks of climate change, then this would be a rather long write up so I'll just leave it at this. When are we going to do something about this?
A super-algae to save our seas? Genetic engineering species to save corals
Solutions to climate change, and particularly its effects on the ocean, are needed now more than ever. Coral bleaching caused by climate change is a huge threat to coral reefs. Recent extreme bleaching events have already killed corals worldwide and permanent destruction of reefs is projected within the century if immediate action is not taken. However, genetically engineering a group of microalgae found in corals may enhance their stress tolerance to ocean warming and save coral reefs.
Different species of Symbiodinium have large genetic variation and diverse thermal tolerances which effect the bleaching tolerance of corals. In research published in Frontiers in Microbiology, the researchers use sequencing data from Symbiodinium to design genetic engineering strategies for enhancing stress tolerance of Symbiodinium, which may reduce coral bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures. In order to progress, other researchers will need to contribute to this research to advance the information currently available, "We have developed the first, tailored genetic engineering framework to be applied to Symbiodinium. Now this framework must be comprehensively tested and optimized. This is a tall order that will be greatly benefitted by collaborative efforts."
Different species of Symbiodinium have large genetic variation and diverse thermal tolerances which effect the bleaching tolerance of corals. In research published in Frontiers in Microbiology, the researchers use sequencing data from Symbiodinium to design genetic engineering strategies for enhancing stress tolerance of Symbiodinium, which may reduce coral bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures. In order to progress, other researchers will need to contribute to this research to advance the information currently available, "We have developed the first, tailored genetic engineering framework to be applied to Symbiodinium. Now this framework must be comprehensively tested and optimized. This is a tall order that will be greatly benefitted by collaborative efforts."
Bite force research reveals dinosaur-eating frog
Scientists say that a large, now extinct, frog called Beelzebufo that lived about 68 million years ago in Madagascar would have been capable of eating small dinosaurs. The conclusion comes from a study of the bite force of South American horned frogs from the living genus Ceratophrys, known as Pacman frogs for their characteristic round shape and large mouth, similar to the video game character Pac-Man.
The study found that small horned frogs, with head width of about 4.5cm, can bite with a force of 30 newtons (N) or about 3 kg or 6.6 lbs. A scaling experiment, comparing bite force with head and body size, calculated that large horned frogs that are found in the tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests of South America, with a head width of up to 10 cm, would have a bite force of almost 500 N. This is comparable to reptiles and mammals with a similar head size. "This would feel like having 50 litres of water balanced on your fingertip," says Professor Kristopher Lappin, Professor of Biological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University -- Pomona.
The study found that small horned frogs, with head width of about 4.5cm, can bite with a force of 30 newtons (N) or about 3 kg or 6.6 lbs. A scaling experiment, comparing bite force with head and body size, calculated that large horned frogs that are found in the tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests of South America, with a head width of up to 10 cm, would have a bite force of almost 500 N. This is comparable to reptiles and mammals with a similar head size. "This would feel like having 50 litres of water balanced on your fingertip," says Professor Kristopher Lappin, Professor of Biological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University -- Pomona.
12,000 years ago, Florida hurricanes heated up despite chilly seas
Category 5 hurricanes may have slammed Florida repeatedly during the chilly Younger Dryas, 12,000 years ago. The cause? Hurricane-suppressing effects of cooler sea surface were out-weighed by side effects of slowed ocean circulation. That's the finding of USGS researcher Michael Toomey and colleagues in their Geology article published online today.As the last ice age waned, undersea landslide deposits called turbidites captured the fury of Florida's stormy days. Previously, Toomey linked turbidites in the Bahamas with modern hurricanes. For this study, the group examined turbidites in cores spanning the shift from the Younger Dryas into the warmer early Holocene, collected offshore the Dry Tortugas, Florida. The turbidites, complete with smashed up shells and jumbled sediments, reveal that in Younger Dryas days Florida was surprisingly hurricane-prone, at a time when cooler sea surface temperatures may have put the brakes on such intense storms elsewhere in the Atlantic.
Modeling results indicated that lower sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic, near Barbados, for example, corresponded with a drop in storm potential intensity. Near Florida, sea surfaces cooled as well. However, the change there was not as dramatic as further south or to the north. The relative warmth of waters offshore the southeastern U.S. compared to the regional Atlantic, explains Toomey, seems to have set the stage for intense hurricanes near Florida. Models and geologic records both show that by the early Holocene, as the AMOC regained strength, Florida's hurricanes subsided.
Modeling results indicated that lower sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic, near Barbados, for example, corresponded with a drop in storm potential intensity. Near Florida, sea surfaces cooled as well. However, the change there was not as dramatic as further south or to the north. The relative warmth of waters offshore the southeastern U.S. compared to the regional Atlantic, explains Toomey, seems to have set the stage for intense hurricanes near Florida. Models and geologic records both show that by the early Holocene, as the AMOC regained strength, Florida's hurricanes subsided.
2017 hurricane season follows year of extremes
The 2016 Hurricane Season is the longest hurricane season since 1951, making the 2016 season the 2nd longest on record. That's the conclusion drawn in a paper just published in Geophysical Research Letters. Lead author Jennifer Collins, PhD, associate professor in the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL, writes "Overall 2016 was notable for a series of extremes, some rarely and a few never before observed in the Atlantic basin, a potential harbinger of seasons to come in the face of ongoing global climate change."
Hurricane Alex started the 2016 season in January, causing minor damage in the Azores. The season ended 318 days later in late November when Otto made landfall over southern Central America. Otto was record-breaking in location and intensity being a high-end Category 2 storm.
In October, Hurricane Matthew became a Category 5 at the southernmost latitude on record for the North Atlantic Ocean. It was the first Category 5 in almost a decade and ended the longest stretch without one since 1950. Matthew claimed more than 600 lives, mainly in Haiti, and caused $15 billion in damage.
Hurricane Alex started the 2016 season in January, causing minor damage in the Azores. The season ended 318 days later in late November when Otto made landfall over southern Central America. Otto was record-breaking in location and intensity being a high-end Category 2 storm.
In October, Hurricane Matthew became a Category 5 at the southernmost latitude on record for the North Atlantic Ocean. It was the first Category 5 in almost a decade and ended the longest stretch without one since 1950. Matthew claimed more than 600 lives, mainly in Haiti, and caused $15 billion in damage.
Study reshapes understanding of climate change's impact on early societies
A new study linking paleoclimatology -- the reconstruction of past global climates -- with historical analysis by researchers at Yale and other institutions shows a link between environmental stress and its impact on the economy, political stability, and war-fighting capacity of ancient Egypt. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combined evidence from climate modelling of large 20th-century eruptions, annual measurements of Nile summer flood heights from the Islamic Nilometer -- the longest-known human record of environmental variability -- between 622 and 1902, as well as descriptions of Nile flood quality in ancient papyri and inscriptions from the Ptolemaic era, the authors show how large volcanic eruptions impacted on Nile river flow, reducing the height of the agriculturally-critical summer flood.
The reason for reduced flooding of the Nile is because volcanic eruptions can disrupt the climate by injecting sulfurous gases into the stratosphere, says Francis Ludlow, the study's corresponding author. Ludlow is a climate historian who began collaborating with Manning as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale, and is now based in history in Trinity College, Dublin. These gases react to form aerosols that remain in the atmosphere in decreasing concentrations for one or two years, reflecting incoming solar radiation back to space. These volcanic aerosols can influence global hydroclimate. The reduction in surface temperatures can lead to reduced evaporation over waterbodies, and hence lessen rainfall. If the aerosols are dispersed primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, the greater cooling in this hemisphere can also diminish the summertime heating that drives the northward migration of monsoon winds over Africa up to the Ethiopian highlands where the Blue Nile is supplied with its summer floodwaters.
The reason for reduced flooding of the Nile is because volcanic eruptions can disrupt the climate by injecting sulfurous gases into the stratosphere, says Francis Ludlow, the study's corresponding author. Ludlow is a climate historian who began collaborating with Manning as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale, and is now based in history in Trinity College, Dublin. These gases react to form aerosols that remain in the atmosphere in decreasing concentrations for one or two years, reflecting incoming solar radiation back to space. These volcanic aerosols can influence global hydroclimate. The reduction in surface temperatures can lead to reduced evaporation over waterbodies, and hence lessen rainfall. If the aerosols are dispersed primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, the greater cooling in this hemisphere can also diminish the summertime heating that drives the northward migration of monsoon winds over Africa up to the Ethiopian highlands where the Blue Nile is supplied with its summer floodwaters.
Pollution killed 9 million people in 2015
According to a report by the Lancelet commission on public health, 9 million people died in 2015 from pollution. Many of these deaths occurred in poorer countries with terrible air quality. Half of the 9 million deaths occurred in China and India. In addition, a quarter of premature deaths in the most severely polluted countries were found to be a result of air pollution. Dirty water, air, and soil are all factors to this rising rate. It was estimated that pollution put a $4.6 trillion strain on the globe. To top it off 90% of major cities did not meet the World Organization's air standards for acceptable air quality. If little is done to correct the issue pollution will continue to be a larger killer than all types of violence, and malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis combined.
It is evident the effects that pollution has had on the environment. Such effects especially hit home when human deaths are accounted for. Yet even with this information, fossil fuels continue to burn and the Earth continues to warm. Pollution is by no means a problem with an overnight solution, but it does have a solution. With other sustainable energy sources the millions of people in large cities can stop having to breathe in the same polluted air. Premature death rates can be lowered substantially as well. Pollution may be an issue that some pass off as a problem for another time, another generation, but that is false. Rather pollution is an issue affecting the present and the future. There is no way around this silent killer, it must be confronted at its source.
It is evident the effects that pollution has had on the environment. Such effects especially hit home when human deaths are accounted for. Yet even with this information, fossil fuels continue to burn and the Earth continues to warm. Pollution is by no means a problem with an overnight solution, but it does have a solution. With other sustainable energy sources the millions of people in large cities can stop having to breathe in the same polluted air. Premature death rates can be lowered substantially as well. Pollution may be an issue that some pass off as a problem for another time, another generation, but that is false. Rather pollution is an issue affecting the present and the future. There is no way around this silent killer, it must be confronted at its source.
There's still time to save the Great Barrier Reef from dying
This article begins by conveying the sheer size of the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches nearly 1,500 miles and makes up one of the most diverse ecological systems in the world. It is home to over 9,000 species of fish, molluscs, whales, and other creatures. Even so, the reef is dying at a rapid rate. Massive bleaching occurrences have left many regions of the reef dead in the past few years. Bleaching occurs when the coral that makes up the reef expels tiny algae which, when released, take nutrients and the reef's food supply along with them. Most scientists agree that this is the result of rapid global warming, warming that is purely resultant of human activity with regards to the burning of coal and other fossil fuels. As a result, ocean temperatures have increased by about 0.68 degrees centigrade and this has resulted in a massive increase in the frequency of bleaching incidents around the Australian coastline. A multitude of technologies, including sonar, is attempting to scan the surface of the reef to see how it has degraded over the past few decades. In addition to all the fish at risk of death if the reef were to completely die, this natural wonder also supports about 69,000 jobs in Australia alone due to fishing. While the coral doesn't die right off after bleaching, continuous stress on the reef and its microorganisms would definitely result in complete sterilization of most habitats. In addition, climate change has also lead to an increase in the frequency of tropical storms such as hurricanes and cyclones along the reef. It is during such events that the reef suffers the worst bleaching. If climate change continues to grow worse, then such storms will lead to the destruction of the reef in its entirety.
Many of the facts presented in this article relate directly to the impact that climate change is having on Earth from a global perspective. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the main sources of oxygen production and CO2 reduction for the earth. If it were to be destroyed, our planet would lose all such benefits that this amazingly diverse structure provides. In addition, the destruction of the reef would also act in accordance to even greater climate change, due to the fact that the CO2 conversion that occurs along the reef would cease to exist and this would allow for even greater CO2 concentration in the earth's atmosphere. The consequences of the destruction of ecosystems, ecology, biodiversity, and the macroeconomies surrounding the reef are too great to be denied or regarded as insignificant. The loss of the this magnificent structure would represent a loss of one of earth's greatest natural resources, reefs. It is clear that the future of this reef might be lying directly in the hands of mankind.
Many of the facts presented in this article relate directly to the impact that climate change is having on Earth from a global perspective. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the main sources of oxygen production and CO2 reduction for the earth. If it were to be destroyed, our planet would lose all such benefits that this amazingly diverse structure provides. In addition, the destruction of the reef would also act in accordance to even greater climate change, due to the fact that the CO2 conversion that occurs along the reef would cease to exist and this would allow for even greater CO2 concentration in the earth's atmosphere. The consequences of the destruction of ecosystems, ecology, biodiversity, and the macroeconomies surrounding the reef are too great to be denied or regarded as insignificant. The loss of the this magnificent structure would represent a loss of one of earth's greatest natural resources, reefs. It is clear that the future of this reef might be lying directly in the hands of mankind.
Judge lets Dakota Access pipeline operate during environmental study
The Dakota Access pipeline that started construction in 2016 has been a constant battle for the Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who must deal with the pipeline being built on their native land. Recently a U.S. judge has ruled that the pipeline may continue to drill oil even amidst an ongoing environmental review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering. The judge supported his decision by explaining that he found no reason to believe that the Corps of Engineering would find any new results varying from their previous findings. The reason for this new study is the judge's ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering had not follow the National Environmental Policy Act guidelines when it determined that the pipeline did not have a significant impact on the environment. For environmental protesters and the native tribes affected by the pipeline, this ruling came as a hard blow to their protests. The main argument behind protests is the risk the pipeline imposes to the tribes. Concerns also include the impact the pipeline may cause if oil leaks into the Missouri River.
Non-renewable energy sources continue to be the norm in today's society, as does the need for more resources to satisfy the demand. The Sioux tribes are just among some of the people being affected by such new additions. However, the biggest victim of projects such as the Dakota pipeline, is the Earth. By continuing to deplete unsustainable resources from the Earth that cannot regenerate quick enough to supply the demand in which it is being used, resources thousands of years old are disappearing. Ecosystems are also falling victim to oil spills. The solution to the issue is making the switch to renewable energy found in methods such as solar power and wind power.
Non-renewable energy sources continue to be the norm in today's society, as does the need for more resources to satisfy the demand. The Sioux tribes are just among some of the people being affected by such new additions. However, the biggest victim of projects such as the Dakota pipeline, is the Earth. By continuing to deplete unsustainable resources from the Earth that cannot regenerate quick enough to supply the demand in which it is being used, resources thousands of years old are disappearing. Ecosystems are also falling victim to oil spills. The solution to the issue is making the switch to renewable energy found in methods such as solar power and wind power.
A new wave in renewables harnesses the power of the ocean
This article begins by summarizing the spreading nature of wind and tidal power in just the past decade. While fossil fuels have mostly dominated the energy industry for over a hundred years, new renewable sources such as tidal energy are beginning to pick up steam. As new methods for harnessing the power of the ocean and its complex tidal patterns develop, it is becoming ever more clear that tidal power may be the energy source of the future. If all nations around the globe were to implement tidal energy production techniques on a large scale, it could finally solve the world's ever-growing hunger for electricity. The UK government has put up about $773 million for the production and research of alternative energy sources such as tidal and several companies are developing new methods for harnessing low-lying oceanic currents. Currents in the upper strata tend to be more sporadic and therefore can damage even the most robust equipment quickly. Regions such as Japan and Brazil appear to be very promising due to their geographic locations relative to nearby ocean currents. It is likely that such energy systems will be taken abroad more quickly in Europe due to the great demand for new energy sources and lack of fossil fuels. Some feel that tidal power may pose a threat to numerous ecosystems due to the disruption of oceanic currents that drive the lives of organisms year by year.
The notion that tidal energy may pick up in the near future is quite uplifting, due to the great scar that fossil fuel use has placed on the world and its delicate ecosystems. It appears that the future of energy production may be driven primarily by wind, considering that tidal power itself is in fact also closely related to wind movement. This is a giant leap forward from the perils of carbon dioxide emission that not only warm the atmosphere, but are also accompanied by a host of other dirty pollutants. If nations around the world are going to invest larger amounts of money into such projects, this will not only provide millions with new-found employment, but it will also push humanity away from its firm grasp on fossil fuel use. It appears that future energy production depends upon the will of humanity to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewables.
The notion that tidal energy may pick up in the near future is quite uplifting, due to the great scar that fossil fuel use has placed on the world and its delicate ecosystems. It appears that the future of energy production may be driven primarily by wind, considering that tidal power itself is in fact also closely related to wind movement. This is a giant leap forward from the perils of carbon dioxide emission that not only warm the atmosphere, but are also accompanied by a host of other dirty pollutants. If nations around the world are going to invest larger amounts of money into such projects, this will not only provide millions with new-found employment, but it will also push humanity away from its firm grasp on fossil fuel use. It appears that future energy production depends upon the will of humanity to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewables.
Political instability and weak governance lead to loss of species, study finds
The findings, published in the journal Nature, also show that protected conservation areas do maintain wildlife diversity, but only when situated in countries that are reasonably stable politically with sturdy legal and social structures.The research used the fate of waterbird species since 1990 as a bellwether for broad biodiversity trends, as their wetland habitats are among the most diverse as well as the most endangered on Earth.An international team of scientists and conservation experts led by the University of Cambridge analysed over 2.4 million annual count records of 461 waterbird species across almost 26,000 different survey sites around the world.
The researchers used this giant dataset to model localised species changes in nations and regions. Results were compared to the Worldwide Governance Indicators, which measure everything from violence rates and rule of law to political corruption, as well as data such as gross domestic product (GDP) and conservation performance.The team discovered that waterbird decline was greater in regions of the world where governance is, on average, less effective: such as Western and Central Asia, South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
Compared to all the "anthropogenic impacts" tested by the researchers, national governance was the most significant. "Ineffective governance is often associated with lack of environmental enforcement and investment, leading to habitat loss," says Amano.The study also uncovered a relationship between the speed of GDP growth and biodiversity: the faster GDP per capita was growing, the greater the decline in waterbird species.Diversity on a localised level was worst affected on average in South America, with a 0.95% annual loss equating to a 21% decline across the region over 25 years. Amano was also surprised to find severe species loss across inland areas of western and central Asia.
The researchers used this giant dataset to model localised species changes in nations and regions. Results were compared to the Worldwide Governance Indicators, which measure everything from violence rates and rule of law to political corruption, as well as data such as gross domestic product (GDP) and conservation performance.The team discovered that waterbird decline was greater in regions of the world where governance is, on average, less effective: such as Western and Central Asia, South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
Compared to all the "anthropogenic impacts" tested by the researchers, national governance was the most significant. "Ineffective governance is often associated with lack of environmental enforcement and investment, leading to habitat loss," says Amano.The study also uncovered a relationship between the speed of GDP growth and biodiversity: the faster GDP per capita was growing, the greater the decline in waterbird species.Diversity on a localised level was worst affected on average in South America, with a 0.95% annual loss equating to a 21% decline across the region over 25 years. Amano was also surprised to find severe species loss across inland areas of western and central Asia.
Origins of photosynthesis in plants dated to 1.25 billion years ago
The study, published in the journal Geology, could resolve a long-standing mystery over the age of the fossilized algae, Bangiomorpha pubescens, which were first discovered in rocks in Arctic Canada in 1990. The microscopic organism is believed to be the oldest known direct ancestor of modern plants and animals, but its age was only poorly dated, with estimates placing it somewhere between 720 million and 1.2 billion years.
The new findings also add to recent evidence that an interval of Earth's history often referred to as the Boring Billion may not have been so boring, after all. From 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago, archaea, bacteria and a handful of complex organisms that have since gone extinct milled about the planet's oceans, with little biological or environmental change to show for it. Or so it seemed. In fact, that era may have set the stage for the proliferation of more complex life forms that culminated 541 million years ago with the so-called Cambrian Explosion.
"Evidence is beginning to build to suggest that Earth's biosphere and its environment in the latter portion of the 'Boring Billion' may actually have been more dynamic than previously thought," says McGill PhD student Timothy Gibson, lead author of the new study.To pinpoint the fossils' age, the researchers pitched camp in a rugged area of remote Baffin Island, where Bangiomorpha pubescens fossils have been found There,despite the occasional August blizzard and tent-collapsing winds, they collected samples of black shale from rock layers that sandwiched the rock unit containing fossils of the alga. Using the Rhenium-Osmium (or Re-Os) dating technique, applied increasingly to sedimentary rocks in recent years, they determined that the rocks are 1.047 billion years old.
"That's 150 million years younger than commonly held estimates, and confirms that this fossil is spectacular," says Galen Halverson, senior author of the study and an associate professor in McGill's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. "This will enable scientists to make more precise assessments of the early evolution of eukaryotes," the celled organisms that include plants and animals.
The new findings also add to recent evidence that an interval of Earth's history often referred to as the Boring Billion may not have been so boring, after all. From 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago, archaea, bacteria and a handful of complex organisms that have since gone extinct milled about the planet's oceans, with little biological or environmental change to show for it. Or so it seemed. In fact, that era may have set the stage for the proliferation of more complex life forms that culminated 541 million years ago with the so-called Cambrian Explosion.
"Evidence is beginning to build to suggest that Earth's biosphere and its environment in the latter portion of the 'Boring Billion' may actually have been more dynamic than previously thought," says McGill PhD student Timothy Gibson, lead author of the new study.To pinpoint the fossils' age, the researchers pitched camp in a rugged area of remote Baffin Island, where Bangiomorpha pubescens fossils have been found There,despite the occasional August blizzard and tent-collapsing winds, they collected samples of black shale from rock layers that sandwiched the rock unit containing fossils of the alga. Using the Rhenium-Osmium (or Re-Os) dating technique, applied increasingly to sedimentary rocks in recent years, they determined that the rocks are 1.047 billion years old.
"That's 150 million years younger than commonly held estimates, and confirms that this fossil is spectacular," says Galen Halverson, senior author of the study and an associate professor in McGill's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. "This will enable scientists to make more precise assessments of the early evolution of eukaryotes," the celled organisms that include plants and animals.
Warming seas double snowfall around North America's tallest peaks
The research not only finds a dramatic increase in snowfall, it further explains connections in the global climate system by attributing the record accumulation to warmer waters thousands of miles away in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The research demonstrates that modern snowfall in the iconic Alaska Range is unprecedented for at least the past 1200 years and far exceeds normal variability.
"We were shocked when we first saw how much snowfall has increased," said Erich Osterberg, an assistant professor of earth sciences at Dartmouth College and principal investigator for the research. "We had to check and double-check our results to make sure of the findings. Dramatic increases in temperature and air pollution in modern times have been well established in science, but now we're also seeing dramatic increases in regional precipitation with climate change."
According to the research, wintertime snowfall has increased 117 percent since the mid-19th century in southcentral Alaska in the United States. Summer snows also showed a significant increase of 49 percent in the short period ranging less than two hundred years.
The research, appearing in Scientific Reports, is based on analysis of two ice cores collected at 13,000 feet from Mount Hunter in Denali National Park. According to the authors, accumulation records in the separate samples taken from just below the summit of the mountain known as "Denali's Child" are in nearly complete agreement.
"It is now glaringly clear from our ice core record that modern snowfall rates in Alaska are much higher than natural rates before the Industrial Revolution," said Dominic Winski, a research assistant at Dartmouth and the lead author of the report. "This increase in precipitation is also apparent in weather station data from the past 50 years, but ice cores show the scale of the change well above natural conditions."
Once the researchers established snowfall rates, they set out to identify why precipitation has increased so rapidly in such a short amount of time. Scientific models predict as much as a 2 percent increase in global precipitation per degree of warming because warmer air holds more moisture, but this could not account for most of the dramatic increases in Denali snowfall over the studied period.
The research demonstrates that modern snowfall in the iconic Alaska Range is unprecedented for at least the past 1200 years and far exceeds normal variability.
"We were shocked when we first saw how much snowfall has increased," said Erich Osterberg, an assistant professor of earth sciences at Dartmouth College and principal investigator for the research. "We had to check and double-check our results to make sure of the findings. Dramatic increases in temperature and air pollution in modern times have been well established in science, but now we're also seeing dramatic increases in regional precipitation with climate change."
According to the research, wintertime snowfall has increased 117 percent since the mid-19th century in southcentral Alaska in the United States. Summer snows also showed a significant increase of 49 percent in the short period ranging less than two hundred years.
The research, appearing in Scientific Reports, is based on analysis of two ice cores collected at 13,000 feet from Mount Hunter in Denali National Park. According to the authors, accumulation records in the separate samples taken from just below the summit of the mountain known as "Denali's Child" are in nearly complete agreement.
"It is now glaringly clear from our ice core record that modern snowfall rates in Alaska are much higher than natural rates before the Industrial Revolution," said Dominic Winski, a research assistant at Dartmouth and the lead author of the report. "This increase in precipitation is also apparent in weather station data from the past 50 years, but ice cores show the scale of the change well above natural conditions."
Once the researchers established snowfall rates, they set out to identify why precipitation has increased so rapidly in such a short amount of time. Scientific models predict as much as a 2 percent increase in global precipitation per degree of warming because warmer air holds more moisture, but this could not account for most of the dramatic increases in Denali snowfall over the studied period.
Life on the ice: For the first time scientists have directly observed living bacteria in polar ice and snow
Gases captured and sealed in snow as it compresses into ice can provide researchers with snapshots of Earth's atmosphere going back hundreds of thousands of years. Climate scientists use ice core samples to look at prehistoric levels of CO2 in the atmosphere so they can be compared with current levels in an industrial age. This analysis of ice cores relies on the assumption that there is limited biological activity altering the environment in the snow during its transition into ice. Research reported in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, which has directly observed microbial activity in Antarctic and Arctic snow, has revealed that the composition of these small samples of gas trapped in the ice may have been affected by bacteria that remain active in snow while it is being compressed into ice -- a process that can last decades.
Lead author of the research Dr Kelly Redeker from the Department of Biology at the University of York said "As microbial activity and its influence on its local environment has never been taken into account when looking at ice-core gas samples it could provide a moderate source of error in climate history interpretations. Respiration by bacteria may have slightly increased levels of CO2in pockets of air trapped within polar ice caps meaning that before human activity CO2 levels may have been even lower than previously thought." "In addition, the fact that we have observed metabolically active bacteria in the most pristine ice and snow is a sign of life proliferating in environments where you wouldn't expect it to exist. This suggests we may be able to broaden our horizons when it comes to thinking about which planets are capable of sustaining life," Redeker added.
Research conducted in laboratories has previously shown that bacteria can stay alive at extremely cold temperatures, but this study is the first time that bacteria have been observed altering the polar snow environment in situ.
The researchers looked at snow in is natural state, and in other areas they sterilised it using UV sterilising lamps. When they compared the results the team found unexpected levels of methyl iodide -- a gas known to be produced by marine bacteria -- in the untouched snow.
Lead author of the research Dr Kelly Redeker from the Department of Biology at the University of York said "As microbial activity and its influence on its local environment has never been taken into account when looking at ice-core gas samples it could provide a moderate source of error in climate history interpretations. Respiration by bacteria may have slightly increased levels of CO2in pockets of air trapped within polar ice caps meaning that before human activity CO2 levels may have been even lower than previously thought." "In addition, the fact that we have observed metabolically active bacteria in the most pristine ice and snow is a sign of life proliferating in environments where you wouldn't expect it to exist. This suggests we may be able to broaden our horizons when it comes to thinking about which planets are capable of sustaining life," Redeker added.
Research conducted in laboratories has previously shown that bacteria can stay alive at extremely cold temperatures, but this study is the first time that bacteria have been observed altering the polar snow environment in situ.
The researchers looked at snow in is natural state, and in other areas they sterilised it using UV sterilising lamps. When they compared the results the team found unexpected levels of methyl iodide -- a gas known to be produced by marine bacteria -- in the untouched snow.
"Left to Louisiana's Tides, a village fights for time"
The community of Jean Lafitte is located on the coast of Louisiana, at least it is for now. Scientists predict that due to rising sea levels, the community of Jean Lafitte will be submerged under water in fifty years. Although rising sea levels is the main contributor to this problem, there have been other culprits as well. For one, Jean Lafitte's natural defenses have been weakened by the live oak and bald cypress dying off due to saltwater now reaching the land. Feral hogs have also destroyed most of the native grasses and roseau cane. Not to mention, the string of tropical storms that have hit the area have also sped up the erosion process. According to the article, a section of land the size of Delaware has already disappeared since 1932. The Jean Lafitte community also seems to be getting no help from the government. Recently the government built levees to protect New Orleans from tropical storms but excluded the Jean Lafitte area. Now residents of the community are left asking themselves the question of whether Jean Lafitte is worth spending the money to save.
Rising sea levels is an issue that is not only affecting other forms of life, but also humans. Although I can't connect with the problem that Jean Lafitte faces, as I am quite certain the Central Valley is well protected (although it is like a large basin in the middle of California), the issue they face is tragic and not one that will disappear. Rising sea levels will begin to affect many coast lines, and islands such as Hawaii. The worst part is that there is no easy or cheap solution to the issue. With the government being of no help, residents of Jean Lafitte should just sell their homes to whoever is willing to buy the property and move more inland (not to Hawaii). It is up to humans to decide that global warming is a large enough issue that it must be dealt with. As for the community of Jean Lafitte, chances seem slim, but there is always the possibility of Elon Musk finding a way to transfer the water to Mars.
Rising sea levels is an issue that is not only affecting other forms of life, but also humans. Although I can't connect with the problem that Jean Lafitte faces, as I am quite certain the Central Valley is well protected (although it is like a large basin in the middle of California), the issue they face is tragic and not one that will disappear. Rising sea levels will begin to affect many coast lines, and islands such as Hawaii. The worst part is that there is no easy or cheap solution to the issue. With the government being of no help, residents of Jean Lafitte should just sell their homes to whoever is willing to buy the property and move more inland (not to Hawaii). It is up to humans to decide that global warming is a large enough issue that it must be dealt with. As for the community of Jean Lafitte, chances seem slim, but there is always the possibility of Elon Musk finding a way to transfer the water to Mars.
Ending overfishing would stop the population declines of endangered bycatch species about half the time
According to a study done by UC Santa Barbara, the only surefire way to save endangered marine species is not linked to climate change or pollution - it's overfishing. The main reason that endangered marine species are endangered is because they are victims of bycatch - being caught up in the indiscriminate nets of large-scale fisheries. They are not being targeted, but they are being swept up at the same scale but they can't reproduce fast enough to keep up. The indiscriminate nature of fishing with a giant net means that these species can't possibly be protected, so the only way to stop is to stop overfishing in the first place.
I feel like fishing with a giant net is overrated. I mean, now we have fish farms and aquaculture and all those other things where you can basically just have a giant sea ranch. Why do you need to spend all the time, risk, and money to sail out into open ocean with a giant net? Just stay home and breed your own fish right outside that you don't even have to find and catch. It would be like if instead of breeding cattle and keeping them penned up, ranchers let all the cattle be wild and just run around on open wilderness, and then occasionally hunted them down and caught as many as possible with a giant net. There's a reason they don't do that, and it's not about saving the environment, it's about cost efficiency. Why can't we apply that to fishing?
I feel like fishing with a giant net is overrated. I mean, now we have fish farms and aquaculture and all those other things where you can basically just have a giant sea ranch. Why do you need to spend all the time, risk, and money to sail out into open ocean with a giant net? Just stay home and breed your own fish right outside that you don't even have to find and catch. It would be like if instead of breeding cattle and keeping them penned up, ranchers let all the cattle be wild and just run around on open wilderness, and then occasionally hunted them down and caught as many as possible with a giant net. There's a reason they don't do that, and it's not about saving the environment, it's about cost efficiency. Why can't we apply that to fishing?
Ghost gear clogging world’s oceans is having ‘catastrophic’ effect, report says
Now I know what you're thinking. Ghost gear! Sounds cool, right? Like the weird guns the Ghostbusters use to zap all those ghosts. Well, I hate to break it to you, but "ghost gear" is a term for abandoned diving or fishing equipment left behind in the ocean that can ensnare or kill marine life. London-based group World Animal Protection estimates that more than 705,000 tons of ghost gear gets abandoned in the ocean a year. 71% of ghost gear animal deaths have to do with fishing nets, which get wrapped around animals and prevent them from being able to swim to get air (marine mammals) or find food (marine non-mammals). One of the worst things about ghost gear is the chain effect it has. "For instance, fish could get intertwined with a net. Then a bird chasing the fish gets caught. Then a pursuing seal gets stuck and even a shark can get ensnared."
Fisherman are great. Fish are delicious. Mark Wahlberg in The Perfect Storm was awesome. But there has to be a better way of going about fishing than saying "Welp, this net has a hole in it. Guess we'll just drop it right here and bounce!" I mean, how hard can it be to drag it back without fish in it and just toss it in a landfill? Or even if the net isn't good for fishing, I'm sure you could still cut it up and reuse the rope. If you think about it, dumping ghost gear into the ocean is actually worse for fishermen. They're just killing the fish they're trying to catch and sell in the first place! The less ghost gear, the more live fish there'll be to fish out of the ocean later. Logic is what makes the world go round, people.
Fisherman are great. Fish are delicious. Mark Wahlberg in The Perfect Storm was awesome. But there has to be a better way of going about fishing than saying "Welp, this net has a hole in it. Guess we'll just drop it right here and bounce!" I mean, how hard can it be to drag it back without fish in it and just toss it in a landfill? Or even if the net isn't good for fishing, I'm sure you could still cut it up and reuse the rope. If you think about it, dumping ghost gear into the ocean is actually worse for fishermen. They're just killing the fish they're trying to catch and sell in the first place! The less ghost gear, the more live fish there'll be to fish out of the ocean later. Logic is what makes the world go round, people.
Can the Games Be Green?
Well, to start, it's important to note that Pyeongchang is a little bit better than Sochi. Sochi was an Olympic horror story for the environment, what with illegal dumping of hazardous substances inside a national park, building stadiums that blocked the migration routes of animals, and logging endangered species of trees just to build Shaun White his sweet half pipe. So there was that. But the thing is, the Pyeongchang Olympics may not be that bad, but that doesn't lessen the fact that they're not great. According to the Pyeongchang officials themselves, this year's games will generate 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is more than Barbados produces in a year. (Barbados, for reference, is it's own freaking country. Rihanna is from Barbados.) Most of those emissions will be spent on transporting people to the games. Not only that, but tens of thousands of trees were cut down to build the ski run. How many trees did the organizers pledge to replant after the games, you ask? 1,000.
The Olympics are great. No one is saying that anyone should get rid of the Olympics anytime soon. But maybe we should stop having conversations about Russian doping (seriously who cares? they already have to be called the Olympic Athletes from Russia and that's hilarious on multiple levels) and start having conversations about how the Olympics are literally trashing the environments they take place in. The Olympic people are there for less than a month. The trees and the animals and the environments in the Pyeongchang area are there forever. Why must irreversible damage take place, surely people can come up with a greener solution than what already exists? The next Olympic games are being held in Tokyo. With enough national attention, I think Tokyo can and should pull through and announce an environmentally sustainable plan for the construction and execution of the 2020 Olympics.
The Olympics are great. No one is saying that anyone should get rid of the Olympics anytime soon. But maybe we should stop having conversations about Russian doping (seriously who cares? they already have to be called the Olympic Athletes from Russia and that's hilarious on multiple levels) and start having conversations about how the Olympics are literally trashing the environments they take place in. The Olympic people are there for less than a month. The trees and the animals and the environments in the Pyeongchang area are there forever. Why must irreversible damage take place, surely people can come up with a greener solution than what already exists? The next Olympic games are being held in Tokyo. With enough national attention, I think Tokyo can and should pull through and announce an environmentally sustainable plan for the construction and execution of the 2020 Olympics.
Seas Will Rise for 300 Years
New research has found that sea levels will continue to rise three hundred years from now even if green-house emissions were cut by the end of the century. One of the major effects of global warming is the rising sea levels due to the warmer climate melting glaciers that have been frozen for thousands of years. According to the new study published by Nature Communications not only will sea levels continue to rise for 300 years, but the longer it takes to reduce green-house emissions the longer the ocean will continue to rise. The study claims that for every additional five years of green-house gas emissions sea levels will rise an additional 8 inches.
Global warming continues to alter the landscape of the Earth in unimaginable ways. Increased sea levels would not only mean more land being submerged, but also habitats being drastically changed. Ecosystems that are in locations such as the tundra will be ruined with warmer climates. Although there is evidence for the need to reduce green-house emissions now, it will take many decades for agreements to be made for nations to join the effort. With environmentalists losing patience and many people not liking change, the only way to solve the issue of global warming is through continued collaborations and gradual implementations of new environmental policies.
Global warming continues to alter the landscape of the Earth in unimaginable ways. Increased sea levels would not only mean more land being submerged, but also habitats being drastically changed. Ecosystems that are in locations such as the tundra will be ruined with warmer climates. Although there is evidence for the need to reduce green-house emissions now, it will take many decades for agreements to be made for nations to join the effort. With environmentalists losing patience and many people not liking change, the only way to solve the issue of global warming is through continued collaborations and gradual implementations of new environmental policies.