LED Scottish Streetlamps

The Scottish government has unveiled proposals to replace all of Scotland's streetlamps with low-energy LED bulbs. The UK green investment bank has offered to help fund the project with 11 investments totaling £635m (USD$975m), with a total value of £2.3b (USD$3.5b) including private investments. Preliminary estimates suggest the switch could pay off in seven to nine years; however, the project is still in the early stages and these numbers could change.

14-May-2013

DVD Medical Kit

Researchers from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, has turned everyday DVDs into a workable medical device that can test for HIV. Blood samples are fed into channels on a modified, semi-transparent disc and scanned by a DVD reader adapted to detect light transmitted through the disc. The images can then be uploaded to a computer allowing for blood cells, DNA, RNA, and proteins to be analyzed.

14-May-2013

Brazilian Atlantis

A Japanese manned submersible has discovered a large mass of granite 900 mi (1,500 km) off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Granite is typically found on land, not in the seabed, which has led scientists to believe this is a long lost continent that was swallowed by the sea tens of millions of years ago. The land mass, already dubbed Brazilian Atlantis, is speculated to be the link between South America and Africa that split from the two during plate movement.

14-May-2013

Earth and Moon Water Origin

According to researchers from Brown University, water deep inside the earth and the moon may come from the same source: ancient meteors. The findings hint that water may have existed on Earth prior to the impact that created the moon. To make this discovery, the team analyzed crystals and glass beads from the Apollo 15 and 17 missions to the moon, and found that the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen is similar to that seen on Earth.

14-May-2013

LED Scottish Streetlamps

The Scottish government has unveiled proposals to replace all of Scotland's streetlamps with low-energy LED bulbs. The UK green investment bank has offered to help fund the project with 11 investments totaling £635m (USD$975m), with a total value of £2.3b (USD$3.5b) including private investments. Preliminary estimates suggest the switch could pay off in seven to nine years; however, the project is still in the early stages and these numbers could change.

10-May-2013

DVD Medical Kit

Researchers from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, has turned everyday DVDs into a workable medical device that can test for HIV. Blood samples are fed into channels on a modified, semi-transparent disc and scanned by a DVD reader adapted to detect light transmitted through the disc. The images can then be uploaded to a computer allowing for blood cells, DNA, RNA, and proteins to be analyzed.

10-May-2013

Brazilian Atlantis

A Japanese manned submersible has discovered a large mass of granite 900 mi (1,500 km) off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Granite is typically found on land, not in the seabed, which has led scientists to believe this is a long lost continent that was swallowed by the sea tens of millions of years ago. The land mass, already dubbed Brazilian Atlantis, is speculated to be the link between South America and Africa that split from the two during plate movement.

10-May-2013

Earth and Moon Water Origin

According to researchers from Brown University, water deep inside the earth and the moon may come from the same source: ancient meteors. The findings hint that water may have existed on Earth prior to the impact that created the moon. To make this discovery, the team analyzed crystals and glass beads from the Apollo 15 and 17 missions to the moon, and found that the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen is similar to that seen on Earth.

10-May-2013

Mount Mayon Eruption

Tourists were in for quite a shock as they hiked up the picturesque Mount Mayon on Tuesday as the volcano erupted with no warning. There was no magma activity; however, as officials report it was a steam powered eruption caused by rainwater hitting hot ash deposits around the crater mouth. Three German tourists and a Filipino tour guide who were on the mountain during the eruption were killed by falling stones.

9-May-2013

Ongoing Effects of Gulf Oil Spill

According to US scientists, killifish in the Gulf of Mexico are still suffering from the effects of the Deepwater Horizon spill which occurred three years ago. The killifish is an environmental indicator species used to predict broader exposures and health risks. The team found that killifish embryos exposed to sediments from oiled locations in 2010 and 2011 show developmental abnormalities, such as heart defects, delayed hatching, and reduced hatching success.

9-May-2013

Invasive Species Saves Natives

Ordinarily, invasive species are a major threat to native wildlife; however, a mammal introduced in the Brazilian Pantanal is actually helping to conserve the native wildlife. The introduction of feral pigs in the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetlands area in the world, has alleviated much of the hunting pressure on native species. The introduced pigs are higher in protein, oil, and fat, making them a more desirable target for hunters, who keep their population in check.

9-May-2013

Pollutants Brighten Clouds

Scientists from the University of Manchester, UK, have found that some natural and man-made emissions can help cool the planet by brightening the clouds. These pollutants are often contain a large amount of organic matter which acts in reverse of volatile organic compounds, in that they prefer to be liquid and are more effective seeds for water droplets. This increases the brightness of the clouds which allows them to reflect more sunlight away from the earth.

9-May-2013

Arctic Acidification

According to a recent international study, the Arctic ecosystem can add ocean acidification to its list of woes which also includes the rapid loss of sea ice coverage. Acidification, likely caused by increased carbon dioxide converting into carbonic acid in the sea makes it harder for crabs and shellfish to grow their shells and can also inhibit marine life from reproducing. Cold water absorbs CO2 more readily than warm water, making the Arctic especially invulnerable.

7-May-2013

Protection for Loggerhead

Thanks to a recent court case between conservation groups and the US government, by July 1, 2013, the government must identify and provide protection of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle feeding, breeding, and migratory habits in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Another year will be granted to identify and protect the turtles nesting beaches.

7-May-2013

Helicopter Spraying

After failed attempts to eradicate the oak processionary moth, whose caterpillars can strip oak trees bare and pose a health risk to humans, with targeted spray from the ground, the UK Forestry Commission plans to use helicopters to blanket spray woodlands with pesticides. The commission says the toxin poses no health risk to humans or other animals, but conservationists worry about the effect it may have on other species of moth and other insects.

7-May-2013

Global Warming's Effect on Rain

A NASA led modeling study has found that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought. Analysis of 14 climate models suggests that wet regions of the world, such as the equatorial Pacific and Asian monsoon regions, will experience heavier precipitation. Meanwhile, arid lands outside the tropics and regions with moderate rainfall may experience drier weather and increased drought.

7-May-2013

Chemical Spill in English Channel

The death toll keeps rising for birds along the English Channel. Over 20 species of birds have washed up since February covered in polyisobutene (PIB), a lubricant used to enhance engine performance, in what is being described as one of the worst UK marine disasters in decades. PIB becomes strongly adhesive in the sea which restricts the movements of the birds and limiting their ability to feed, leading to the deaths of 2,400 birds and injuries to another 500.

6-May-2013

Islands Threatened by Pesticide

Due to the use of chlordecone, a persistent organochlorine pesticide, fishing waters off the coasts of Martinique and Guadalupe have become contaminated. In 2010, the government banned fishing within 500 m (1,640 ft) of the shore; it is likely that the ban will soon be extended to 900 m (2,950 ft). Chlordecone was used to combat the banana weevil in 1972 to 1993, during which time it seeped into the soil, where it can last for as long as 700 years.

6-May-2013

Toxic Metals in Lipstick

Researchers from the University of California-Berkeley, US, have found traces of toxic metals in several lipsticks and lip glosses found at common drugstores and department stores. The team tested 32 different products, and found traces of nine toxic metals. Lead was found in 24 products, but at levels considered to be lower than the acceptable daily intake. Aluminum, chromium, and manganese were found in levels that could pose a threat for overexposure.

6-May-2013

Indoor Air Microbiology

Air quality regulations are typically focused on chemicals and particulate matter, leaving microorganisms and microbial products largely overlooked. Researchers from the University of Colorado-Boulder, US, are looking to create a baseline for the microbiology of indoor air, starting with the New York City subway. The team found that subway air had mostly the same microbes as at street level, with the exception of skin microbiota and fungal populations.

6-May-2013

Atmospheric CO2 Poised to Exceed 400 PPM

Posted May 06, 2013, by Bob Petz
Chances are that in the next few days, the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere will exceed 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in about 4 million years. Recently, Mauna Loa Observatory on the big island of Hawaii has been regularly recording daily CO2 levels above 399 ppm, with several hours already exceeding 400. Atmospheric CO2 as recorded last week at Mauna Loa Observatory. Source: Scripts Institution of Oceanography. Considering that carbon levels tend to peak...
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