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Japan: Food Contaminated by Fukushima Harms Animals Still
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on September 24th, 2014
Nature World: Even several years after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, food contaminated from the meltdown is still harming animals, according to a new study. Specifically, butterflies eating food collected from cities around the site showed higher rates of death and disease.
The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant released large amounts of radiation into the surrounding atmosphere. While no significant human health effects have been reported, scientists from the University of Rukyus in...
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Global Warming Goal of 2 Degrees Dwindling
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on September 22nd, 2014
Nature World: As our climate continues to change and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions keep climbing, scientists and world leaders alike fear that the chances of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius is dwindling fast. Now, climate officials have announced that it's highly unlikely we'll meet that goal due to the concentration of greenhouse gases.
In an effort to track carbon emissions, the Global Carbon Project (GCP) published three peer-reviewed articles identifying the challenges for society to keep...
Extinctions During Human Era 1000 Times Worse
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on September 3rd, 2014
Nature World: Amid a world with advancing technologies, increasing land development and human-driven climate change, the world's species are becoming extinct 1,000 times faster than they used to, according to new research.
Extinctions are about 1,000 times more frequent now than in the 60 million years before people came along - that's 10 times worse than scientists previously thought.
"This reinforces the urgency to conserve what is left and to try to reduce our impacts," lead author Jurriaan de Vos, a...
Megadrought Likely in Store for Southwestern US
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on August 27th, 2014
Nature World: Due to global warming, a megadrought is likely in store for the southwestern United States in the future, researchers say.
According to a new study, the chances that this region will experience a decade-long drought is at least 50 percent, and the odds of a "megadrought" - one that lasts over 30 years - ranges from 20 to 50 percent over the next century.
"For the southwestern US, I'm not optimistic about avoiding real megadroughts," lead author Toby Ault of Cornell University said in a statement....
Humans to Blame for World’s Melting Glaciers
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on August 15th, 2014
Nature World: As our world warms, glacial ice continues to retreat. However, scientists have now come to realize that humans are mostly to blame, rather than being able to solely peg it on natural climate fluctuations, according to a new study.
Glacier extent actually responds very slowly to climate changes. In fact, it typically takes glaciers decades or centuries to adjust. The global retreat of these massive chunks of ice started around the middle of the 19th century at the end of the Little Ice Age. Though...
Antarctica’s Ice Discharge Major Contributor to Sea Level Rise
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on August 14th, 2014
Nature World: Antarctica's ice discharge could become a major contributor to the global sea level rise within this century, adding up to an extra 37 centimeters, which is more so than previously thought, according to a new study.
"If greenhouse gases continue to rise as before, ice discharge from Antarctica could raise the global ocean by an additional one to 37 centimeters in this century already," lead author Anders Levermann, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said in a statement. "Now...
Agriculture Affects River Flow Rates
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on July 29th, 2014
Nature World: Changes in agriculture affect river flow rates in both rainy and dry times, according to two University of Iowa researchers. While it may seem obvious that river flow rates in the Midwest can change depending on how heavy or light rainfall is, what's not so clear is how changes in land use can impact these river flows. "We wanted to know what the relative impacts of precipitation and agricultural practices played in shaping the discharge record that we see today," lead author Gabriele Villarini...
US Salamander Disappearances Puzzling Scientists
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on July 10th, 2014
Nature World: North America's largest salamander - also the third largest salamander in the world - is disappearing, and scientists are trying to figure out the reasoning behind it, the Associated Press reported.
Hellbenders, as they're called, which can grow two or more feet long, are vanishing from large parts of the 16 states they inhabit. Scientists believe the disappearance could reflect a plunge in the quality of the swift-flowing, rocky rivers and streams they are found in.
"These are animals that...
Transgender Algae Shows how Males and Females Evolved Separately
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on July 10th, 2014
Nature World: Using a certain type of "transgender" green algae, scientists have discovered the genetic origin of male and female sexes, showing how they evolved from a more primitive mating system into a single-celled relative.
Led by James Umen of the Enterprise Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Danforth Plant Science Center, the research team identified the master regulatory gene for sex determination in the multicellular alga Volvox carteri.
They discovered that it has acquired new functions compared...
30 Years of Oil Pollution Threatening Western Amazon
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on June 16th, 2014
Nature World: The Western Amazon, an area of unparalleled biological and cultural diversity, may have been contaminated by widespread oil pollution over the last 30 years, according to a new study.
Most of the world's tropical rainforests are oil and gas goldmines. Oil production in the Western Amazon began in the 1920s and peaked in the 1970s, but current growing global demand is stimulating a renewed growth in oil and gas extraction - nearly 70 percent of the Peruvian Amazon was tapped for oil between 1970...