Peru's Fishing Woes
A recent study by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has found that many fishing companies in Peru have been cheating the quotas which has caused the overfishing of many species. This can severely hurt Peru's economy as the fish industry brings in nearly USD$1.6 billion annually through the trading of fishmeal, a feed for farmed fish and cattle.
27-Jan-2012
Ocean pH Lowering
An international team of scientists have found that an increase in CO2 emissions from human beings has raised ocean acidity far beyond the natural range of the carbon cycle. An increased acidity, lower pH, can result in a loss of many major ecosystems by altering the calcification rate of corals and mollusks. Between 1751 and 1994 the pH of ocean water dropped from approximately 8.25 to 8.14, since then it has dropped to 8.07.
27-Jan-2012
Walnuts Slow Tumor Growth
Scientists at the University of California Davis, US, have found that a walnut rich diet slowed the growth of tumors in mice over a 28 week period. The mice were genetically programmed to develop prostate cancer; some mice were on a walnut diet, while others were on a soybean diet with equal nutrients, fat levels, and fatty acid profiles. After 18 weeks, the mice that ate walnuts had tumors half the size, with an overall rate of growth 28% lower than the other mice.
27-Jan-2012
Better Place Releases Electric Cars
Better Place, an Israeli electric vehicle manufacturer, has made its first 100 cars available to consumers in Israel. The cars, all Renault Fluences, were made available to be purchased by individuals and by rental car companies to allow tourists and locals to test drive the cars. As Better Place continues to produce more electric cars, the company also plans to build charging and battery exchange stations all over the world.
27-Jan-2012
Magnetic Soap
Scientists at the University of Bristol, UK, have dissolved iron rich salts in water to create a soap that can be affected by magnetic fields. This new surfactant could be used in oil spills at sea with a reduced concern of lingering soap residue, as a large portion of the soap could be removed with the use of magnets.
26-Jan-2012
Risk of Cancer from Arsenic in Chile Still High
Researchers at the University of the Andes, Chile, have found that patients exposed to high levels of arsenic in the late 1950s in Antofagasta, when levels reached between 800 and 900 mcg/L in the drinking water due to heavy mining and a move to make two local rivers the area's main drinking water sources, are still showing a higher than normal risk for bladder cancer.
26-Jan-2012
Nature's Speed Limits
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, have studied the northern goshawk in an attempt to discover what allows the bird to fly at such high speeds, 38 mph (61 km/h), without crashing into obstacles. The data showed that rather than reacting to seeable objects, the goshawk judged the density of the trees and used intuition to determine a safe speed. This data is expected to help create safer guidance systems for UAVs.
26-Jan-2012
Sumatran Elephant Critically Endangered
The Sumatran elephant population has declined by 50% since 1985 prompting the IUCN to update its Red List of Threatened Species to list the elephant as critically endangered on Jan. 24, 2012. The decline of the Sumatran elephant's population correlates with the loss of nearly 70% of Indonesia's forests, mostly to oil palm estates, timber plantations for pulp and paper production, and other agricultural uses.
26-Jan-2012
Coal Use Declining
According to the US Energy Information Administration, carbon intensive coal generation will see a major decline in the near future. A report released by the EIA shows that CO2 emissions have been reduced by 1% annually since 2005 and are expected to decline at a similar pace until 2035. Gas fired power plants are expected to produce 13% more power in 2012, and renewable fuels are expected to make up 16% of energy production by 2035.
25-Jan-2012
Bigger Ships Equals Lower Emissions
Researchers at Newcastle University, UK, believe that an expansion of the Panama Canal would ultimately save money by reducing fuel costs and create less pollution. The USD$6 billion expansion that is currently in debate would allow larger ships, the current maximum width of which is 32.3 m (106 ft), to pass through. Wider ships can carry more cargo with proportionately less fuel and reduce emissions by 16%.
25-Jan-2012
Declining Rangeland in California
Researchers at Duke University have predicted that climate change, whether the climate gets drier or wetter, will have a negative effect on the available grazing land for cattle in California. Much of the grassland will dry up in a warmer environment, or be taken over by inedible bushes; either way this will lead to smaller, less productive herds and will cost ranchers nearly $209 million annually.
25-Jan-2012
Decrease in Solar Output Will Not Offset Greenhouse Warming
Scientists at the Met Office and University of Reading, UK, have published a study that shows a decrease in energy released from the sun until 2100. However, this is not expected to significantly impact global warming trends. The study predicts a decrease in Earth's temperature of approximately 0.08°C from a decrease in solar output, but an increase of 2.5°C due to greenhouse gases.
25-Jan-2012
Italian Cruise Ship Could Cause Environmental Disaster
As the Costa Concordia shifts precariously on an undersea ledge after capsizing off the coast of Italy, the threat of the oil tanks being punctured becomes more plausible. The ship, which currently holds approximately 2,380 tons of diesel fuel and lubricating oil, is comparable to a small oil tanker; if a rock punctures the oil tanks, it could take years and millions of euros to clean up according to experts.
24-Jan-2012
Solar Powered Yacht
Swiss designer Raphaël Domjan has constructed the world's largest solar powered boat. The Turanor is nearing the end of its initial voyage around the world, and will be the first completely solar powered ship to do so. The ship sails at an average speed of 5 knots and can store up to three days worth of energy. However, at the cost of USD$20 billion, it is unlikely similar yachts will become popular until an affordable design is created.
24-Jan-2012
HTF Takes Hit with Better Cars
In the U.S., money from the federal gasoline tax, currently 18.4 cents per gallon, is used to finance highway construction and mass transit through the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). As consumers drive less and Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards are implemented, HTF revenues will continue to drop, having already dropped by one seventh since 2007. In the past two years Congress had to transfer $34.5 billion from general revenues into the HTF.
24-Jan-2012
Surge in Dutch Seal Strandings
In the first 2 weeks of the year, more than 100 seal pups have washed ashore in the Netherlands, far outpacing the annual average of 150. Overfishing, which has decimated their food sources, and increasing toxins from fertilizer runoff are believed to be weakening the young mammals, leaving them vulnerable to recent winter storms in the Wadden Sea.
23-Jan-2012
Biofuel from Brown Seaweed
Reporting in Science, a team of researchers has developed a viable method of converting brown seaweed sugars into biofuel. For a given cultivated area, brown seaweed could potentially yield 5 times as much ethanol as corn, and twice that of sugarcane. Moreover, seaweed does not compete with food crops for land and fresh water. A pilot project is under construction in Chile.
23-Jan-2012
Rare Primate Species Rediscovered in Borneo
A sizable population of Miller's grizzled langurs, ranked among the world's most endangered primates, has been discovered in Borneo. The elusive monkeys appeared in more than 4,000 photographs during a camera trap survey in Wehea Forest in Eastern Kalimantan. Wehea is the only place where Miller's grizzled langurs are known to exist, and considered a hotspot for non-human primates.
23-Jan-2012
China Acknowledges Global Warming a Threat to Prosperity
According to a newly released report from the Chinese government on climate change, global warming "threatens China's march to prosperity by cutting crops, shrinking rivers and unleashing more droughts and floods." The frank, 710-page assessment also notes the threat of rising sea levels to China's seaports and coastal cities. China is the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gas pollution.
23-Jan-2012
Saudi Arabia and China Team Up
China and Saudi Arabia have formed an alliance in developing nuclear energy. China, which already leads the world with 27 reactors and plans to have over 100 reactors by 2030, has agreed to help Saudi Arabia build 16 new reactors at an estimated cost of USD$7 billion per reactor. Some money is also being put into research to develop alternatives to uranium, such as thorium, and various designs to limit nuclear waste.
20-Jan-2012
EU Food Waste Crackdown
Many members of the European parliament are calling for a bill to be passed that deals with food waste. The members claim that 300 kg (660 lbs) of food waste per person enters landfills annually, two thirds of which is still edible. The bill supports the downsizing of farms in order to encourage more small scale farms geared toward local demands, as well as providing incentives for consumers to compost food scraps which can be reused in agriculture.
20-Jan-2012
LA Port Bans Trucks
In an effort to cut pollution emissions from 2008 by 80%, the port of Los Angeles, California, US, has banned all diesel emitting trucks that do not meet 2007 EPA emissions standards from entering the port as of January 1, 2012. This bid for cleaner air, however, comes at a cost to truck drivers, as buying new trucks can cost upwards of $100,000. The maintenance for these new trucks can also cost several thousand dollars due to the expertise needed.
20-Jan-2012
Genetically Modified Plants
Rehovot, Israel based Rosetta Green, a biotechnology company, has identified RNA molecules that play a role in the regulation of genetic traits of crops and have created genetically modified (GM) plants to withstand harsh weather conditions. The GM plants were able to grow in fresh and salt water, whereas the normal plants could only grow in fresh, and the GM plants could withstand longer periods of arid conditions without affecting yield.
20-Jan-2012
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New, Interactive Map Showing U.S. Plant Hardiness Zones Released
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Drowning in Controversy, Shark Fin Soup Swims Out of Favor
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Another, More Powerful Geomagnetic Storm on the Way
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Ecology Week in Review | 21-Jan-2012
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Solar Flare Hurls Coronal Mass Ejection toward Earth
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Cooler 2011 Still the Ninth Warmest Year on Record
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Update: Cape Cod Dolphin Strandings Continue
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Nearly 60 Dolphins Stranded on Cape Cod
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No Apparent Damage from 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake off Indonesian Coast
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New Zealand Storm Snaps Shipwreck: More Containers, Oil Lost to Sea
