A paper has been published by scientists from the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Scoland's Rural College and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre discussing the relationship between crops cows eat, and the amount of methane produced by the animals. It was discovered that plants growing in warmer temperatures have lower nutritional value and have adaptations such as thicker leaves and flowering earlier to prevent damage. Tis in turn causes the cattle to breathe heavier while chewing the tough grass, increasing the amount of methane released into the atmosphere. This is a vicious cycle because cooler climates are needed to grow wanted crops but as cows produce more methane, temperatures increase. Methane is 25 times better at trapping heat than CO2 and has significant effects on the growth of plants.
Scientists are now conducting research to identify native plants that are easy to digest and produce a higher yield of meat and milk production. It is necessary for farmers to be aware of what is being fed to their cattle because the cycle of methane entering the atmosphere will not be broken unless the plants eaten produce high yields and low methane output. http://www.victoria.ac.nz/__data/assets/image/0020/261353/varieties/ls_medium.jpg
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The University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences lab has created a sponge that absorbs mercury from a water source that has been polluted. The mercury can be removed from tap, industrial wastewater, and lake water. The sponge absorbs it in less than five seconds and around five minutes for industrial water.
Mercury is a large problem in the state of Minnesota with more than two thirds of the state's water impaired due to mercury contamination. This leads to contaminated fish inedible to humans and exposures to those who come in contact with the water. In the North Shore of Minnesota, 10% of newborns tested, had concentrations of mercury above the EPA reference dose. Fortunately, if there are cuts in mercury emissions, it is estimated by the US-EPA that there will be 130,000 fewer asthma attacks, 4,700 fewer heart attacks, and 11,000 fewer premature deaths each year. This song will hopefully lead to new regulations and safer waters for those who rely on them to live. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170322110944.htm Nuclear is the most powerful energy source and is 20 percent of the United State's energy. It has 120,000 times more power than coal so when it is no longer powerful enough to create energy, it is still dangerously powerful enough to make it radioactive. One concern of nuclear plants is their cost. They are the most expensive type of plant to build and have much public opposition due to fear.
https://vimeo.com/40109814 Coal is cheap, available and easy. It is located nearly everywhere and is easy to extract, store and turn into fuel. When burned, it powers generators. What companies strive for is an quick way to create energy that can be used to improve cities and counties. However, coal is dirty in that it creates health risks to those that mine for it and has major environmental impacts. In fact, not a single coal plant captures its CO2 emissions it creates.
https://vimeo.com/40099043 CO2 emissions cause one of the greatest environmental impacts. Over one half of these come from oil and one third come from coal. It is recognized that man uses chemicals that produce acid rain and deplete the ozone layer but little is done about it, especially when it comes to agreeing that CO2 emissions can be cut and use can be improved. Other improvements needed are the use of water and how to take advantage of renewable resources in a cost affordable way.
https://vimeo.com/40102636 The coral reefs off the coast of West Maui have been greatly effected from 2000- 2015. The living reefs have decline from thirty percent to ten percent and is due to the runoff of sediment from rain storms. The process of photosynthesis by the coral is inhibited with large amounts of sediment present, which then leads to algae appearing, damaging the coral.
Carrie Kappel and Kim Selke are two senior fellows at UC Santa Barbara who are working with ecological economist Kirsten Oleson from University of Hawaii to address the problem. They have found that the most cost effective way to reduce sediment runoff is simply have landowner cooperation. In attrition, the team is also looking at new methods to improve agricultural roads, most of which are gravel, causing high amounts of runoff. What they found is that the most cost effective way to approach the road problem is to target runoff hot spots rather than all road segments. The problem that the team is facing is money. The budget is very small in Hawaii so researchers are trying to find the most efficient solution to save the coral reefs. The declining health of the reefs is a flashing sign of cultural eutrophication and what will result if we do not reverse our ways. Reefs are a fragile ecosystem and must be cared for at all costs. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170302143810.htm |
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